Pickle Lake to/from in 5 days. | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Pickle Lake to/from in 5 days.

Couldn't do it without a windshield. I got maybe 2 or 3 splatters on my sunglasses the entire trip - the windshield(s) pushed the rest up and over my head.
It had a spitfire windshield on it. No windshield at all is so tiring.
 
I could only get comfortable on the CBF1000 for half an hour and that shortened up as the day went by. AirHawk helped, MotoSkiveez helped ...breaks helped most. If I wiggled my butt and half stood up ( cannot stand on the CBF which tells me I really need risers. ) then I could reduce the pain.
Fiddled with the aIr in the Airhawk and a couple of times seemed to get it correct but never for a length of time.
The seat on the CBF has 88k km on it from somebody else's butt ....might have worn in a different pattern.

But also have not been riding much in the last 12 months and that counts big time plus only have the bike for a few weeks. Happy enough I made it the 6 days but certainly was dragging toward the end of each day.

Maybe try a couple longer rides on the weekend with the Beadrider ...it always surprises me.
Considering a Corbin or a Sargent for The CB500x - Sargent is making promises for July.

RDL of course will solve the problem but logistics and money. I missed a brand new Corbin for the CB500x by one day for half price :(

At least ride showed my my hand and shoulder could take the hours which was my main limitation so despite the heat it worked out.
Doing a day 500+ day ride with Shane at least was a start in the right direction but my right hand gave out.
Got that sorted for this trip. Sucks to be getting old....bio.jbtfsplk.jpg
 
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I actually just texted the guy I sold my old VTX to and asked him to measure the seat for me. It as an Ultimate as well (also have an Ultimate on the Vulcan now) but I'm pretty sure the the seat on the VTX was waaaaay wider.

Been doing some reading about sciatica and riding and one theme I'm seeing across quite a few posts is "get a wide seat".

My aforementioned FJR buddy is having a Russel Daylong made up right now. Huge $$$ but if it fixes the issue, well, it's a worthy expense.

If I can't get things sorted out by the end of this season I may ask Santa for one over the off season. ;)
 
Rather than double up ride reports I'll answer and few questions and this one is thorough.
Bugs ....less than I expected tho I suspect my windscreen has a different opinion.
View attachment 43884

View attachment 43883
Some of these are downright dangerous if your visor is open ..
As for stopping ...yeah some black flies but geared up were not an issue. Mosquitos at dawn were there but did not stay around to get a count...I did take bug spray and if you broke down it would be invaluable. Used it once. I do like motels where you can park the bike right by the door.

Lots of bees out and dragonflies which create quite a mess and would hurt on bare face. I was just pulling the visor down and something large bounced off it. About the same level as The James Bay trip - maybe a bit less. If you are doing anything outdoors, fishing, walking etc you certainly want bug spray.

•••
Range ....just don't depend on small stations being open but 380 km is fine...I was on a 300 km range that I was confident of tho not much more and only screwed up once coming south through the parks south of Wawa. Pulled over at 315 and had 30 km to go and did not trust the bike to make it. Was about to call CAA on the 1 bar signal ( there are many areas with no coverage ) when 3 Quebec riders pulled up and one had a liter.
View attachment 43885 Got me to the station. This bike is still new to me and has a non-functional fuel gauge but it gets better mileage than the 2009 I had. Of course would have felt seriously stupid as I had a 2 liter fuel can with me ?...empty of course. Did not expect an issue after I did the 300 km to Pickle Lake on 599.
But yeah fill up when it gets to half way. Was spoiled with the CB500x which gets nearly twice the mpg and similar size tank 17.3 vs 19 on the CBF1000a. Actually was thinking the latter was 17 liter so would have made it on what I had.

not one but two KTM 1290 super adventures. Not surprised they had some fuel to give you...my tank will get maybe 550kms I think.
 
I just noticed the question on reservations ....I don't think you need to bother ....without tourists there are lots and lots of rooms but no bargains as I think they upped the prices for the Covid cleaning needed. I gave the smaller places my money to help out.
 
I just noticed the question on reservations ....I don't think you need to bother ....without tourists there are lots and lots of rooms but no bargains as I think they upped the prices for the Covid cleaning needed. I gave the smaller places my money to help out.

There was at least 1 place I called when we were rejigging our plans for night 3 and 4 that said they were full.

I was careful not to cancel existing reservations before having new ones in place just in case, but yeah, in general there was lots of availability, especially at the smaller motels that dot the trans Canada...which honestly, I prefer over the big chain places.
 
Some of them have long term commercial contracts and there is a ton of construction going on. Pickups out numbered cars 10 to one in the motels
 
Some of them have long term commercial contracts and there is a ton of construction going on. Pickups out numbered cars 10 to one in the motels

Yep. One motel I tried to book told me that he'd take the booking but might cancel me 24 hours before arrival if he "needed the room for the construction guys". Bit of a dick move. I double booked elsewhere just in case and cancelled on *him* 24 hours out after the fact.

Are camping parks still closed?

Very hit and miss. Not all are allowing transients versus seasonal, not all are allowing tents, not all have some services (IE, showers) open. Moto camping is pretty much out for me this season.
 
Sounds like a great ride. I'd like to try that less the motels. I imagine there is no shortage of rough/vagrant camping spots that far north. Were they logging most of that area? Logging roads = free camping and firewood.
 
Aw bugs. Before I used to carry a wet cloth in my pocket, this was from a lap around algonquin on a 450 nighthawk (roughly cobourg>belleville>62>Maynooth>Pembroke>North Bay> Huntsville>Minden>Lindsay>Cobourg) With the way I had it tuned and cruising speed, it was 100 to 200km per tank so there was an inordinate number of gas stops that day. After that trip, the wet cloth became part of the riding gear as it was getting hard to see through the fuzz.

I prefer to ride visor -up and let my windshield do the work and keep my lips sealed.

Cost me a few face dents every year - no biggie - the down side is I usually get 1 or 2 bee stings each season, those little bastards get stuck in the fuzz on my cheek pads, then they try to sting their way out.
 
Sounds like a great ride. I'd like to try that less the motels. I imagine there is no shortage of rough/vagrant camping spots that far north. Were they logging most of that area? Logging roads = free camping and firewood.

Logging here and there on the 599 itself, yes...but a lot of it still looked pretty active so I'm not sure how welcome you'd be. Probably unwise to be having an open fire anywhere up there right now as it's tinder dry as well. Stuff like this happens:

This was just outside Pickle Lake - the locals said it almost wiped the town off the map and was stopped barely outside it's borders. There were others up the highway as well.

IMG_3954.jpeg

The bear issue is another ball of wax.

I'm all for Motocamping, but I'm not sure I'd pick this stretch of road in particular, and in Pickle Lake itself aside from the public park (which may be verboten, I'm not sure, and there was bear warnings there as well) I'm not sure where you'd camp.

On the Transcanada itself I'm sure there's options.
 

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