My first moto trip | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

My first moto trip

I actually just came from that area. Did a 3 days trip from toronto to kingston to whiteface mountain to lake placid to lake George to kingston to home. lake george to utica has very nice road, about 100km new road, so smooth. Also the ferry from wolfe island to kingston is not bad at all!
 
That's excellent info.

•••••

Grip Buddies or Grip Puppies work wonders for vibration.
Most needed is throttle lock but you need to be careful as a new rider.

GoCruise2 ....
 
Guys I'm back to Toronto in one piece, lol. Here's a summary of my trip:

I'm lucky I got rain gear: Wetskins rain suit from CdnTire, oxford rain seal boot cover, and a pair of plastic gloves from dollar store. A kid at the rest stop called me Spongebob, but I think I look more like big bird. Ran into torrential downpour on my way back near Belleville, visibility dropped so quickly I had to turn on my hazard lights, lucky the truck from behind saw me and slowed down. I took at least 10 stops from Montreal to Toronto due to heavy rain.

Catskills + Lake Placid area got some nice roads. Even the parts where they have "Rough Road" signs are still good surface in my standards.

2mrbbte.jpg


To my surprise, the Airbnb I rented a cabin at the very top of a mountain, it is literally the last house at the end of the mountain road. The last 1km of road is all gravel/pot hole, and I seriously thought I couldn't make it to the top. The host who also owns a R1200GS said it's amazing that I made it with a CBR250 haha

Had to eat alot of gas station food to make up for loss time, as a foodie it is something I couldn't get used to

US Harley riders rarely wave back

Luggage management is something I need to learn. With only a tank bag, small backpack and a small-mid sized saddle bag (plus an extra helmet for this trip), I had little room to move things around. I kept all my valuables in my backpack but at the end the weight really put a strain on my shoulders. The extra helmet also kept falling off and hitting my exhaust and I wasted alot of time stopping and securing it.

Overall I had a lot of fun, it is also a test of endurance as I've never done so much mileage in such a short period. I think next time I will need better touring gear for sure, and/or a bigger bike :)

24ywqoy.jpg
 
Guys I'm back to Toronto in one piece, lol. Here's a summary of my trip:

I'm lucky I got rain gear: Wetskins rain suit from CdnTire, oxford rain seal boot cover, and a pair of plastic gloves from dollar store. A kid at the rest stop called me Spongebob, but I think I look more like big bird. Ran into torrential downpour on my way back near Belleville, visibility dropped so quickly I had to turn on my hazard lights, lucky the truck from behind saw me and slowed down. I took at least 10 stops from Montreal to Toronto due to heavy rain.

Catskills + Lake Placid area got some nice roads. Even the parts where they have "Rough Road" signs are still good surface in my standards.

2mrbbte.jpg


To my surprise, the Airbnb I rented a cabin at the very top of a mountain, it is literally the last house at the end of the mountain road. The last 1km of road is all gravel/pot hole, and I seriously thought I couldn't make it to the top. The host who also owns a R1200GS said it's amazing that I made it with a CBR250 haha

Had to eat alot of gas station food to make up for loss time, as a foodie it is something I couldn't get used to

US Harley riders rarely wave back

Luggage management is something I need to learn. With only a tank bag, small backpack and a small-mid sized saddle bag (plus an extra helmet for this trip), I had little room to move things around. I kept all my valuables in my backpack but at the end the weight really put a strain on my shoulders. The extra helmet also kept falling off and hitting my exhaust and I wasted alot of time stopping and securing it.

Overall I had a lot of fun, it is also a test of endurance as I've never done so much mileage in such a short period. I think next time I will need better touring gear for sure, and/or a bigger bike :)

24ywqoy.jpg

Sounds like a fun trip. Gravel roads can be nerve racking, the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel on it.

As for the Harleys waving that will be subjective, I have had the exact opposite. They seem to be the friendliest riders, the guys that will approach at a gas station to talk bikes, the guys who will wave across interstates. I find the bike culture is pretty amazing in the US. I stayed at hotels that gave me a discount just for being on a motorcycle. I was going to go with a CAA discount but they said their biker discount was better. All in all, there are good and bad people everywhere.
 
Glad you had fun. Why the extra helmet?

Met up with a friend at the destination, and she wanted to take a ride on the bike.

Turns out there are helmet rental places in Catskills, feeling like a dork now

Sounds like a fun trip. Gravel roads can be nerve racking, the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel on it.

As for the Harleys waving that will be subjective, I have had the exact opposite. They seem to be the friendliest riders, the guys that will approach at a gas station to talk bikes, the guys who will wave across interstates. I find the bike culture is pretty amazing in the US. I stayed at hotels that gave me a discount just for being on a motorcycle. I was going to go with a CAA discount but they said their biker discount was better. All in all, there are good and bad people everywhere.

Haha, good to know. They probably couldn't notice me since I'm so tiny.
 
Well done !!!

Heavy rain on the 401 is no fun at all. Truck spray makes it very hard to see.

Gravel roads are something you should seek out from time to time to build your confidence. Excellent for riding skills...then when you hit construction etc you know the feel and what your bike will do on erratic surfaces.
 
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Congrats on your trip! It is a very rewarding experience. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't know there were biker discounts on hotels


Sent from the moon!
 
Stories like this are the epitome of what it is to be a motorcyclist. Does the bike, the gear or the destination really matter?

Not to me. What matters is having the courage to swing a leg over what you have and just go. Then being tough enough to handle make do with what you have - regardless of the obstacles .

This is the second great 250 touring story I've read this summer. Makes me remember to some of my early adventures -- when a TR25 or CB350 was a city, touring, adventure and MX bike all in one trip!

Great story fuwafuwa.
 

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