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| NO this is not a "moon" shot, nor is it anything to to do with Evel Knievel. It's only the Quispamsis ferry. |
Foiled again!
Just the other day, I was sending a message along with 4 pictures and after waiting all night I see as I walk into my office that the pics didn't make the trip. In fact, for that matter, neither did the email!
We live in a society that is not only tech reliant but crazy. You've seen it, 8 of of 10 texting at Tim's, texting while walking (dangerous) little to no conversation only remotely. It's astounding how we are wired in. Even seniors are messaging one another like free hot tamales! "Hello Bob, you look so dashing tonight..."
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| Road side family cemetery. |
I began the blog to keep friends aware of what I am up to and save my fingers and in doing so, my keyboard from wearing out.
I'm going to give it ago again, and see if I can get a few photos and a follow up for you all. Bear with me :)
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| Lots of space. |
Shortly after trading in my V Strom for a Honda CBR 300 R, and a Piaggio MP3 I took a run over to Rothesay, New Brunswick, on the nifty (bet you haven't heard that word in a while) three wheeler Italian scooter.
Comfortable, smooth, quiet, lots of storage and as I was finding out, out of this world fuel efficiency.
The weather had been quite still and humid hot over much of the previous weeks. I wanted to gauge the MP3's ability as a longish distance back road tool. I wasn't planning any road racing (my knee scraping 120 mph corners are in the past) but as a back road device. I needed reliability, carrying capacity, smoothness and it didn't hurt if my fuel mileage gave me decent off the beaten path economy.
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| Hampton a pretty little burg... |
Having NO experience with the MP3, but having traveled Europe where this type of machine is very common, I was curious to see how it would fare. The GPS distance between the two points is about 300 km via the Trans Canada Highway. Of course I would only be on the TCH for the minimum of time, much preferring the older multi digit back roads of which there are many of. Once over the bridge and after the pit stop off the road on the south side of the Confederation bridge, the longest over ice bridge in the world if you believe the specifications.
I almost immediately took the scenic Murray corner route that followed much of the shore until it once again met up with Highway 15 for a very short distance. Into Petit Cap, Cap Pele and riding as little of Moncton area as possible, set my sails for Quispamsis by way of Petitcodiac, and from there I am pretty much lost in a general sense.
On the way I went north, south, east west and then southeast. Then west. Then North!
My three wheels did not touch the Trans Canada Highway for pretty much the entire remainder of the trip.
THE Piaggio proved to be more than travel capable. Solo I had lots of room from the under seat storage that connected with the built in trunk (no pet allowed) on it's label and could have taken my tail bag if I were traveling longer/farther.
Even if I was two up or needing more gear, I could always revert to a suitable back pack! I could easily spend a week traveling if I wanted.
One of my favorite N.B. roads networks is Magic Mountain with a mandatory lunch stop at the McD's just before I head for the hills on the back roads on the outskirts of Sussex, down through Norton, Hampton, Kingston and crossing the Quispamsis ferry to Rothesay and hardly a mile ridden on the TCH.
Having filled at the Petro Can just on the outskirts of Moncton, I stop at Coastal Gas just a few blocks short of Lisa's, my destination. I fill the under frame 12L fuel tank and in the next few minutes until my arrival, puzzle over my fuel mileage. The 245 cc 22 hp, 4 valve liquid cooled single, clocked 198 km since the last fill and took... are you ready... 4.1 L to fill. Now my math is ancient but thinking about my previous fill, I realize I am traveling at the equivalent of ~120 mpg!
Karamba baby! It took me just $5 to travel 125 miles, or 200 km.
Ya gotta love it.
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| Lots of old abandoned homes from days gone by. |
Over-all I had a fabulous trip and look forward to many more, searching for more roads to travel. Scooter and I even managed 25 km on the return on four lane traffic bypassing Moncton, me steady at an indicated 110 kph. They were passing me as if I were standing still.
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| NB still has a rail network. |
Before landing home I took one more detour, which in hindsight may or may not have been smart.
Once past the round about, I took the Upper Cape rd 960 through Timber River, Cape Spear, and eventually Cape Tormentine, where once the PEI/NB ferry service ran daily. The old days... so to speak. I welcomed the cooler weather once on the water, my detour heated up, my dash mounted thermometer reaching 33 C toasting me through and through.
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| Plenty hot, especially when you have an engine between your legs. |
I proved to myself that certainly as a solo machine, the Piaggio MP3 250, was indeed capable of traveling pretty much anywhere in the Maritimes, just like the SYM 300 that also inhabits my garage.
The only thing really I can say in the negative about the little scooter is with three wheels... it's dam hard to miss the potholes, which there are plenty of!
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| Mom and son... can you say "motocycle." |
