Loops from Kamloops

Hitting the road.

RON just bought a V Strom 650, days prior to my arrival.  In addition he has a well kept GS 1000G and his favourite bike, which really isn't a "bike" at all, but a scooter.  A Burgman 650 scooter in fact.

Two distinct Suzuki 650's.

The Burgman line from Suzuki, are likely the most popular scooters in North America, available, well known and with several displacement choices from 200-650cc.

Pretty little ranch/farm on rte 5A

I had never ridden a Burger and was anxious to try it.  I loaded some gear on his DL 650 and he led me across the city and out of the Thompson River Valley south on 5A.  Before the day was done, we would cover 355 km of road varying between 4 lane freeway all the way down to sinuous two lane  unmarked blacktop.






I rode the V Strom for the first half of our trip through desert country and on into high pine forest.  Our ride took us through Quilchena, pretty little Nicola, Merritt for lunch, before continuing to Lower Nicola, Spences Bridge, a short hop on the TC H/W #1 to Ashcroft, then Logan Lake on to Savona and back into Kamloops.

The V Strom performed as it should and having one back home in PEI, I was very familiar with his bike immediately.  When I took over the Burgman in Ashcroft, I was a little surprised.  I had to remind myself on the long climb out of the valley that, even though this machine was capable of doing the 'ton' and quite easily at that, it was really a scooter and as such, the lever on the left bar was the rear brake and not a clutch lever!!!  Ask me how quickly I realized this fact...






Owning two road going scooters myself, I was familiar with the riding technique but of course it took some thought on my part not to yank the left lever at any time except when braking!

I have to admit, I like it.  A lot!  Electric motor smooth, powerful enough to pass uphill and fast enough to swing the digital speedometer up over the 160kph mark, the BIG Burgman would make an ideal motorcycle... ummm scooter for those people that maybe want something simpler and easier to ride than a large touring bike.

Never did I feel a new for more speed than the Burger offered.

Weather protection (as I found out later) was adequate although I could have used a shorter windscreen. Storage capacity under the seat in and the removable trunk is very useful.  I could likely pack all the gear I am carrying on the Savage into the cargo bays of the Burgman!

Turn of the (20th) century church in Nicola

As for the riding, let me repeat something that Ron is always spouting off about... having lived most of my life in the West, B.C. must have the best motorcycling in the country.  Whatever your tastes, four lane droning (Hey some people live for that) sport bike scratching, slow country touring, dual purpose riding and pure off roading, the province has it all.  The only thing missing here was ocean and that's only 200 miles due West!





Our day varied between numerous photo stops, lunch at a pub in Merritt operated by a native of Pugwash N.S. a steep climb to Logan Lake, and some four lane for a short distance leading us back to the city of some 90,000.

Big bucket

A slight detour down a gravel trail was all the off roading I wanted to do with the Strom!

I don't know when I will get out here again, so Ron and I have been making the best of it in the short time frame I have to visit.

Wouldn't want to meet this guy late at night on a dark road!

Arriving back home after 9 hours on the road I commented to Ronnie that there were three very different Suzuki 650's in his carport! The Adventure touring DL, the hooligan scooter Burgman and the little chopperish Savage.

Just goes to show I was right all along, claiming that mid displacement bikes are almost ideal for a variety of riding situations, maybe the Brits had something with their 500's and 650's all those years ago!

Ron's next scooter?