It is after all... an Island.

North Cape PEI

BEEN 10 days of medium to high winds around the old homestead.  After the last tropical depression went through the region, we'd been subjected to strong winds daily.  Not the kind that would overturn Boeings, but certainly BBQ's, patio tables, chairs and trash bins.  The flag has been fairly rippling... don't know if it will last the season.

Last week Chris and I went for a ride to North Cape.  He on his 535 Virago and I on my T Bird.  We went up route 12 along the coast, through small villages and narrow two lanes.  Although the wind was brisk, the temperature was hot, probably over 30 most of the day.

After departing rte 2 at Miscouche, we crossed several inlets arriving at picturesque Tyne Valley just in time for lunch.  The corner store with a coffee bar/restaurant/beauty shop.  You could grab breakfast, have your do done and pick up a liter of milk on the same trip!

What can I tell  you... the Island is picture post card perfection, manicured lawns, salt water rivers, green grass.

A fuel stop for Chris's thirsty V Twin in Alberton, where we ran into someone Chris knew, such is the Island.  Hard to travel anywhere without bumping into past customers or acquaintances.  The road bypasses Tignish, the last community before North Cape, and we pulled into the parking lot in the early afternoon.

Quick to strip from riding gear, the heat and humid air, almost suffocating, we tripped out to the point nearly the farthest piece of land on the Island.  Nearly I say because from here you could walk to a gravel bar at low tide that lies about 300 yards offshore. 

I was here several times last year with company, but since that last visit, someone industrious has taken the time to build about a hundred inukshuks.   Most about a foot tall but several larger than that.  Almost like stone age pygmies invading the Island!

Chris and I had a cold Coors Light at the bar portion of the attached restaurant/tourist center/gift shop, before venturing out on the return leg.

The only other bike in the lot was a Gold Wing flat six and some bicyclists from Idaho and Utah.  The gent was surprised when I asked if he was from St. George and he blurted out Hurricane, which is a half hour from there!

Taking a moment...

Post card perfect Tyne Valley

THE END!

Invading army of Inukshucks

Pretty little town

Escape from Prexports!

It was a headwind on the ride back, both of us gassing up again in Alberton, and south to Ellerslie.  We had a look around at the Yamaha shop there, not much going in it seemed, lots of the same bikes I saw nearly 2 years ago when I arrived.  Biz must be slow.

We got to ride about a 1/4 mile on brand new pavement, just about a drag strip length, what a joy that was.  Of course after that we were back to pot holes, pavement cracks and bumps.  We caught up with rte 11 that took us to Wellington on the SW coast and from there we hightailed it home along route 2, locally known as the "All Weather Highway."

I dropped Chris in Kensington and finished the 300 km, 8 hour day home in Spring Valley.

Guess what?

               HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOL!!!!!

XOX  Dad!

The hungry Hippo!

150 since they first talked a "Country" named Canada

EVERY now and again I feel like just being a tourist.  The three top industries that PEI is known for are potatoes, tourism and fishing. 


 Last week, the two girls and I did a little of each.





We had fish and chips and hung out on the C'Town waterfront for the day, with the highlight being the Harbor Hippo!  

Our personal Hippo!

With it being 150 years since the idea of Canada came into being right here on our little oiland, we partook of the pavilions assembled in the downtown waterfront and checked out some sites, listened to some music and generally behaved like well behaved tourists.  There are events happening all summer in addition to the usual activities like beach going, ice cream at a sidewalk cafe, and general lolly gaggling.

Downtown C'Town

The Harbor Hippo is an amphibious vehicle designed for storming beaches during various WW2 military campaigns.  Our particular model was built in 1962 and given that C'Town is surrounded by water on three sides, a pretty good sightseeing tool if I say so myself.

Undoubtedly jealous pedestrians.

Once aboard the 4 wheeled gentle beast, amidst a full crowd, the tour guide and the Skipper too... we drove thru the city while Mike filled us in on where to eat what, history on some of the historic sights and encouraged us to wave at less fortunate passer-by's.  Half the tour is on tight public roads where the hippo often had to wait thru traffic, before we returned to our departure point and lunged into the bay!

Stand ready!

The Hippo smells water ahead...

Okay, lunged may not be the correct term here, as we more or less wallowed gently on the chop, much as I suspect a real hippo would do.  Nothing hurried here nope... 

The beast handled the water as if born to it, which in fact it was... and we motored about at about 3 knots, compared to the 30 kph on dry land.  Boats travel by knots and land vehicles in kilometers. Surprisingly, she handled very well I thought, especially since we had about a 2 foot chop to deal with.  Just enough spray came by the gunwales to give us a little cooling now and again, while the bikini top kept the direct sun from frying our brains.

 

The "Skipper"

There were several youngsters aboard and they seems quite enthralled with the experience.  I know I was!

 













 

The founding father in sand casting.

Daily entertainment throughout the summer

A fab Friday was had, with the girls having lunch in one spot and me in another.  I found a great little eatery with the usual cheeseburgers and fries right on down to oyster on the half shell!  Seating was actually on the marina and I could feel a gentle rocking as the water passed underfoot.

We travel great distances to visit the sights, while often forgetting what's right here in our backyards so to speak.  As for PEI, it is after all, a vacation destination for thousands each summer and as occasionally happens, a great day for us locals to smell the sea air, munch a lobster burger or ride the hippo...

Great little summer diner on the water!  No, I mean on the water actually!

No particular place to go...

WELL, I finally got to do this weekend what a retired guy is supposed to do.  Yesterday I rode/drove down to C'Town with Mitch the sales manager, and picked up the DL 650.  In the afternoon I worked on Chris' funky Virago 535 to get a handle on the jetting.

In the evening I watched the first of a double header CFL football, getting to bed after 2 am this morning.

French River

After waking up around 6, I got some gear on and took the new Suzuki for it's obligatory photo op at French River before having a visit with Mike and Isabelle at their very cute little cottage at Cousin's Shore.  This afternoon, Aaron, Trevor and Mike and myself went on a nice little Sunday afternoon summer jaunt with no particular place to go and no particular time to be there.

French River 2

Trevor is Mike's son in law and was riding his fathers C50T.  Aaron bought Mike's V Star and Mike rode his recently acquired Sherpa.  At Cavendish, we broke away from the North coast and headed cross Island for a stop over at my fave little bakery in Hunter River and from there on to the South shore and Victoria by the sea, a "cute as a button" little tourist village.

A brief stop at the Cavendish Boardwalk

Coffee and sweets gobbled up, we parted company with Aaron, who lives in Summerside and dropped Trev at his home in Kinkora, while Mike and I made a bee line to County Line road where I peeled off and he continued to the cottage.  Not a big mileage day, 130 Mike tells me, but several hours of good roads, warm sunny weather and company equal to the day.

Trevor (or) Stretch as I like to call him.  6' 13"

Mikey

Aaron

This is what riding is about... it don't have to be fancy... it don't have to be long, and it don't have to be a destination.  It just has to be good and if you have a smile on your face, even better. 

Love my T Bird!

Stromming a different tune this morning!

Well I have a new bike in the garage today.  It's a DL 650 Suzuki, otherwise known as the V Strom.  Or to some, the Wee Strom.  (There's a bigger brother)



Sure, the Suzuki marketing people may have had one too many Saki's when they came up with the name, given that absolutely NO one has any idea what it means... perhaps they misplaced the 
O and R, but they are plentiful and versatile.  After consideration for several months now, thinking of this potential XC trip next summer, I have been hunting for something to ride that is more suitable than the 955 RS I traded on the Strom.  I had tears rolling down my cheeks as Mitch pulled away with the Trumpet on the trailer!

When he asked if I was "crying" being the "Man" I am I said, "nahh... it's just the rain..." (sob sob)


The mid sized Suzuki is powered by a V twin (but it's not a cruiser) it's liquid cooled, has a six speed transmission, and a decent detachable luggage system, so I can use the gear for a trip or ride it as a stripper otherwise.

Ever notice that some bikes evoke different emotional responses to us?  The bike I traded did that for me... she was a supermodel a decade ago, drop dead gorgeous sexy with a terrific voice when she was singing.

Unfortunately, she was also too sporty for the 15,000 km I have planned.  The DL doesn't push any emotional buttons for me.  How do I know this?  Well I've had many bikes the same and few that gave you that surge of adrenalin the RSi did.

Nope... the wee strom is bought for a single purpose and after that trip, she will (very likely) be traded in for something light, fun, fast and yep... dare I say, sexy again.

These types of bikes don't often become available and those types of mammoth trips need planning in advance.  I probably could have found one used next spring, but finding one with the gear installed is more difficult, hence the early purchase.

The bike is an '09 model with the same three case Suzuki bags and trunk color matched to the factory paint.  It's a bit tall for me, but pretty much everything I own is.  Having spent a life with taller girlfriends, I've learned to stand on my tip toes on more than one occasions, whether with bikes or women...

It's chain driven, the VX parked next to it is a shaftie, but I will install a new drive chain asap, and with a little attention, it will be fine.  I had planned on riding the VX 800, and may yet choose to do so.  They are surprisingly similar but because this is sorta, kinda billed as a nostalgia tour, the 1992 model 800 would certainly add that flavor.  Not having a fairing for weather protection and having no drag with the meteorological gods, and fully expecting I'm gonna get rained on... having the extra protection as opposed to the fly screen, would be beneficial.

We shall see. 

Rain rain go away...

1975 A young me, crossing the country!

Do people actually mean it when they say about rain... "We need it."

Seems like it's been a very slow start to the 2014 motorcycling season.  I don't as a rule mind riding in the rain, often taking the smaller of my XT Yamaha's out wearing a rain-suit.  I'll ride around the local back roads, the dust is at a minimum but some little used clay roads can be muddy.  Nothing we can't handle though, a quick spray with the garden hose or the pressure washer takes care of the red dirt.

It's been raining off and on for the past week.  I've had lots to do, a plumbing repair job at one of our apartment units yesterday taking up the morning, trying to keep the grass trimmed during the brief dry spells, and of course there are always mechanical things here that need routine attention.

Last week, as a surprise to my friend Mike, I'd installed the tires he'd left with me the day before, on his new Sherpa.  270 50/50 Kenda's front and rear, a tire I have used for many years in the past, should likely do him for years.  I still have a rear to install on my own 225, but will do that at some time in the not too distant future.

Been humid, muggy hot.  Pretty typical of PEI east coast summers that I recall from years ago.  Not so much the heat but the humidity get to you.  Riding my 600 the other day, in full gear, I felt I was going to pass out!  Occasionally I ride sans jacket... those that knew me from my Chief Instructor days comment that it's less safe.  My reply to that after years of Baja and US SW riding is thus;  "we all have to make these decisions for ourselves.  Is it better to have the protection but risk a heat stroke and collapse riding in the desert or on a busy Phoenix street?"

VX 800 is one possibility

I've been thinking more and more about the possibility of riding across Canada once again.  It has been 39 years since my first XC ride and would make a fitting adventure doing it again on my 40th anniversary of that epic trip.  I had been exploring on two wheels since the very beginning, one could say that my entire life on two wheels has been one BIG exploration.

In preparation for 2015, I have been looking at buying a bike that is more suitable than any I have for such a long trip.  It has to be lightweight enough to handle being loaded with gear, rugged enough for any road surface, have suitable carrying capacity for thousands of miles as my pack horse, modern enough that breakdowns would be non existent, and fun enough that I can take advantage of the twisties when offered.

In view of this I have been considering the venerable DL 650 from Suzuki, otherwise known as the V-Strom or Wee Strom as they are affectionately called.  Why not a thousand?  For the extra power, there is the extra weight and truthfully, I have always believed that 650/750 sized motorcycles are pretty much ideal for a guy like me.  After all, they did fine transporting around hordes of Englishmen back in the day.  The "Swiss Army Knife" of motorbikes, the Suzuki DL 650 would certainly fill the bill.  I do have a similar VX 800 in my garage and it does have the advantage of shaft drive making for one less maintenance chore, but beyond that, the 650 is a far better choice.

I've been dealing with a young and very capable, Mitch at Centennial Motors Charlottetown store, for some time now, and feel we will have made a decision before the day is out. 

Such long distance touring is not simply a matter of getting on and riding... there are a hundred things to think of and prepare for.  Having a suitable bike is only the starting point.  One of the things I've often been asked in the past is what type of mileage has my butt seen in my riding career.  Hard to answer that.

If you count only street kilometers, certainly in the hundreds of thousands.  How you would classify  my exploits in such places as Baja or the Mojave, seem harder to define of course.  I can ride for 12 hours on a Wednesday in November around the mountains of Arizona near my home in Glendale, yet only cover 200 miles!  What I do believe of course is that riding different bikes under differing conditions truly better prepares you for any type of riding, whether its a Cape Breton weekend or a foray from south to north On the Trunk road or a day in the desert.  Having raced various disciplines, has only added spice to me riding experiences.  To say I have been fortunate, would be like saying dating a hundred Hollywood starlets, has been okay..

V Strom another...

So, I believe I will ride a motorcycle 15,000 km in 2015 crossing once again, not just Canada but a threshold that will be important and unique to the Doctor.