Where are you headed in 2015? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Where are you headed in 2015?

This coming year is in flux for me.

I just accepted a new job, and there's going to be a lot of travel within Canada. I'm thinking of riding the DL650 across to Calgary or Vancouver in the spring. The plan is to store it out there somewhere so when I only have time to fly out, I'll a bike waiting for me.

That leaves my local rides to my BMW.

I'm also planning to revisit my Blackbird in Germany for a few weeks in the fall, and partake in the last weekend of Oktoberfest in Munich.
 
This coming year is in flux for me.

I just accepted a new job, and there's going to be a lot of travel within Canada. I'm thinking of riding the DL650 across to Calgary or Vancouver in the spring. The plan is to store it out there somewhere so when I only have time to fly out, I'll a bike waiting for me.

That leaves my local rides to my BMW.

I'm also planning to revisit my Blackbird in Germany for a few weeks in the fall, and partake in the last weekend of Oktoberfest in Munich.

How does that work with keeping a bike in Germany? Is it in storage? Family there? What do you do for insurance?
 
How does that work with keeping a bike in Germany? Is it in storage? Family there? What do you do for insurance?

The Blackbird still has Ontario plates on it, so you can get monthly Green Card insurance for it, only when you need it (ie, you're heading over for vacation). After the bike has been over there a year, insurance seems to hit about CAD300/month, but what can you do?

Considering rental bikes can easily be $1000/week, this is an awesome deal any way you look at it.

And having non-EU plates on the bike, you're essentially immune to photo radar, which is prevalent over there.

I store it at knopftours.com in Heidelberg. About US$300/year to store, they have shipping containers in Orlando, Seattle, and Vancouver for cheap shipping (assuming you're not in a hurry to get it over or back), etc. Once your bike is stored there, just email them a few weeks before you head over and they arrange your insurance, charge your battery, reserve a shuttle at the Frankfurt airport to pick you up, etc etc etc. Love 'em to bits and I can't recommend them enough.

Riding in Europe is an incredible experience. I had a "spare" bike after I bought a new one, that was worth more to me than I could get for it, so shipping it over made sense. Figure that bike saved me $10k in rental fees by time it finally died, so I sent over another bike.
 
I always have grand visions of a campervan/RV + trailer for the bike..
Just the timing...
prices to rent rv's/campervans are crazy affordable before the "high-season"
 
We are off in July with the toy hauler for a 3 week run with the motorcycles from South Dakota, Yellowstone, Utah over to Denver.

Set up for a couple of days and ride around locally and then move on. Will leave the toy hauler at a local campsite so at night I can shower and have a nice place to sleep.

4 of us on 3 bikes as the 15 year old isn't old enough so he will have to ride with the old man.
 
After the bike has been over there a year, insurance seems to hit about CAD300/month, but what can you do?
Yikes. I pay $250/month for all 3 of my vehicles in Toronto.
 
We visited Monument Valley last year. Spectacular. Be advised that the "road" through the Valley is extremely sandy and rocky. We parked the bike and did a jeep tour with a Navajo guide. We learned a lot about Navajo culture.

Two wheels to Monument valley is on my bucket list. We'll see what happens this year...

On your map, is the green line 'superslab' just trying to get out there and back within the two weeks? How about a circle trip with different outbound and return routes?
 
Nova Scotia, via NY, VT, NH and ME. I'd like to ride the perimeter of the whole province, so we can take in the Lighthouse Trail, Cabot Trail, Lunenburg, etc.

The only time I have available is in June, though, so it might be wet. Any ideas for a plan b?
 
Enjoying Iceland and this thread made me check out the rental rates here as it would be a terrific place to spend a week exploring.

Econo 650cc (G650GS, G650GS Sertao)
1-3 days: EUR 185 per day.
4-6 days: EUR 175 per day.

http://www.rmc.is/en/biking-viking/useful-information/

The scenery is spectacular and a week would be perfect.

Round trip flights from Toronto as low as $700.

Fjords all over ...winding roads...not a lot of traffic.

We're in Isafjordur chasing Northern Lights and a volcano later around the other side of the island.
But I'd be interested in a ride here not this year but next.

jan%252020th%2520Sun%2520in%2520Isafjord.JPG


Serious ice stud territory....temps not so cold but wet and icy is the norm.

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Not sure how those rates compare to a week in Europe.

We're in the Westfjords - top left..

relief_map_of_iceland.jpg


Iceland-Tourist-Map-2.mediumthumb.jpg


A complete loop of the ring road is about 1,500 km with lots of side roads to explore and loads of scenery without the longer distances involved and there are only 360,000 people on the whole island.
Ideal adventure bike territory.

Prices are a bit up but not unbearable - people friendly and speak English pretty well. Summer is mostly daylight continously so ideal for riding.

Give it some thought.

We're headed across the top of the island in a small ute with studded tires over to the east about 600 km to catch a flight over a volcano.

When in a lifetime do you get a chance at this...

AxelSigurdarson-sightseeingforsida.jpg


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and once here those flights are not expensive...

ur 7 (Holuhraun Eruption)
Akureyri, Holuhraun, flights now only from Akureyri
1:20hrs 280 EU

http://www.myflug.is/en/sightseeing-flights
 
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I am thinking of doing a moto trip of the eastern USA. Want to hit all of the popular spots (blue ridge, TOTD, etc). I can probably do it in 2 weeks, but will likely book 3 weeks. Not sure yet. I am a little apprehensive with the bike I own - it's already been on 2 3+ week tours of duty, and both times, I had mechanical problems.
 
I wanna try riding to the states (buffalo), has anyone ridden across before? Any implications? I would hate to have to line up with the cars though!
 
I wanna try riding to the states (buffalo), has anyone ridden across before? Any implications? I would hate to have to line up with the cars though!
Countless times, even on a long weekend last year. It was the worst wait and we were across in under 15 minutes at rainbow bridge. I'm a sucker for olive garden. Military road. It's a decent ride if you take the scenic way
 
I am thinking of doing a moto trip of the eastern USA. Want to hit all of the popular spots (blue ridge, TOTD, etc). I can probably do it in 2 weeks, but will likely book 3 weeks. Not sure yet. I am a little apprehensive with the bike I own - it's already been on 2 3+ week tours of duty, and both times, I had mechanical problems.

I do the Blue Ridge PKWY and Dragon on a long weekend, three weeks is just way too long. If I had three weeks, I would go out west, east cost just doesn't compare. Don't even need to hit the coast, Colorado alone is infinitely better. May want to consider upgrading to a more reliable bike though

I wanna try riding to the states (buffalo), has anyone ridden across before? Any implications? I would hate to have to line up with the cars though!

You do need to line up with the cars. May want to consider a Nexus pass, best $50 I've ever spent. Took about 3-4 months to process, so you may want to start the process now.
 
Trips planned to date is my yearly trip to the Lake Placid area at the end of June. Other trips on the drawing board are:

- 2 week trip to Yellowstone at the end of July. This one is a bucket list trip and depends on how much vacation I can carry till then.
- If the Yellowstone trip doesn't work out, I'll take a week off and do the BRP again but bring one of my kids with me. If they both want to do it, then I'll be taking the cage.
- Nipissing Trail. We did some of it a couple years ago but I think we want another crack at it.
- Prince Edward County
- Trail riding in the Peterborough area
- Weekend trip to Western Ontario to visit the beaches of Lake Huron
- Put-in-Bay. My PA buddy raves about this place on Lake Erie. I'll be hitting it sometime this summer.
- I'd like to ride WV again around Thanksgiving. Our trip there this past October was incredible.

I'm sure there will be more to add.

I forgot a few more:
- The Canyons of PA
- Nazareth PA, home of the Martin Guitar factory
- Yuenglin Brewery in Pottsville PA
- Pittsburgh PA
- Columbus Ohio area, we met a couple riders from the area, got into a discussion about guns and, well, we're going to shoot stuff for a weekend cuz why not.

Lots of places in PA because I have good friends there.
 
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A lot of weekend trips. But not too many cause there's a babyyyy.

So imma
-visit my godfather in PA (good excuse)
-visit friends in Quebec city
-visit friends who live north of Montreal, there are some really nice routes there
-discover some of the Ontario highlands.

And off bike i'll be doing my first all-inclusive in May
 
I wanna try riding to the states (buffalo), has anyone ridden across before? Any implications? I would hate to have to line up with the cars though!

Implications for crossing the border? If you have a clean record no. Just have your passport and know where you are going and how long you will be State side for.

There is definitely not special crossing for motorcycles, you line up with every other vehicle trying to pass. If you get a Nexus pass you can speed the whole process up.
 
You do need to line up with the cars. May want to consider a Nexus pass, best $50 I've ever spent. Took about 3-4 months to process, so you may want to start the process now.


I've never had long wait times but I applied for one anyways. It's worth the money if you use it enough.

This summer I'm for sure going to the dragon and area if it kills me. Otherwise I have a few trips into NY and Ohio planned.
 
I've never had long wait times but I applied for one anyways. It's worth the money if you use it enough.

This summer I'm for sure going to the dragon and area if it kills me. Otherwise I have a few trips into NY and Ohio planned.

Love my Nexus pass - after the last time I had to push my bike across the border - while loaded with my camping stuff and having someone kindly push start me on the other side, got home, put out the money - absolutely worth it for a motorcycle.

I don't know where I am going this year - lots of good ideas posted here, but first thing I have to do is address bike issues - 194,000 k's when I parked the FZ1 in December, so before I go anywhere, it needs to get a through spring tune-up/check up. Valve clearances checked for sure - its due - leaky right fork seal needs to be fixed, due for new brake pads - front and rear, battery is suspect - sigh!!!! Tires at least are good for another season.

If I have any money left in my motorcycle budget, I would like to make another run out to Arizona/Utah in the fall. Gas prices are a plus - however I'm afraid will be balanced out by our falling dollar. Well there's always Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio :)
 

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