It was a trip to remember

[Suzsmokeyallan]

The weather was rainy for the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th of August and so the trip started out in generally bad conditions. We gathered at a Humptys restaurant in the southern part of town on Mcleod trail for a meal and planned 10.00 am departure.
The forecast was supposed to be generally ok for the interior of B.C so we all hoped for sun at a point soon in the day.
The ride headed out west on the 22X then turned south on the 22 past Turner Valley, Black Diamond and to the first refuel stop at Longview and a rider regrouping.
Once that was done it was off on the 22 south again to the junction of the #3 and westwards into B.C.
About 10 mins out of Longview the rains came hard and furious, out of the mountains to the west it was torrential and cold, actually we saw snow too, seeing it on the sides of the road,,HUH???
Ok this is August people not winter time but mountains do not care about anyone so there it was.
By the time we reached the junction of #3 it was a truely miserable experience already, cold wet and windy conditions for about the last two hours of riding.
Rick had a pipe smoke by the roadside then we took off towards the Crowsnest pass through Frank slide, Blairmore and Coleman.
Here is where we also collected a few more riders to add to the group.
Once at the pass community we stopped for a refueling and then moved onwards into MORE rain, taking in Sparwood, Hosmer, Coal Creek and Fernie, then Elko where it really poured and hailed on us as well.
By now me being a tropical boy thought, ok im sick of this crap lets see some sun for a change, but nope not yet, theres tons more rain till we reached our first days stop and camp location.
From Elko we passed Galloway, Jaffray and took the Hwy 93 road into Cranbrook. Here was another refuel stop and for a while it appeared to clear up somewhat so we moved onwards towards the Moyie Lake region on Hwy 95.
Staying on 95 we passed Ryan and entered the community of Yahk, a short jaunt west of Yahk we turned back onto Hwy3 towards Kitchener and this is where it really rained, it was like a tropical monsoon if that was possible for the mountains but we were riding in it so there it was. By now my passion for riding in storm like conditions was not there in any shape or form.
Finally we reached Kitchener for the night and a hot meal at the cafe nearby. The camp ground site was full of puddles so finding a dry spot wasnt easy but we all made it into the place with minimal fuss.
Everyone finally packed it in around midnight after some dinner and a campfire chat.
The following day the weather looked a bit better and we got some morning sun for the last few pics.
Heres some photos of what happened along the way so far, these are high res so open them up for full size viewing at the PB site.



Meeting at Humptys


Humptys parking lot


Rick waves at the Crownest Pass, whys he so happy, its cold and wet.


Rick gets ready for more rain


Clouds brewing in the west


Camping in the wet


Making your tent cosy


ATCO building with showers and facilites


Campfire area


Cafe a la goldmine, this place is always busy considering its in the middle of no where


Roadside view of entrance

[h2okettle]

Hi Allan..... Glad you had a lot of fun... Nice photos... I did talk to your family the other day and they told more of you adventure fun with the charging issues ..
Well, glad you guys made it home safely....

Allen.... Will ride for milk

[Suzsmokeyallan]

On day number two it cleared up for a run onto the west, so after drying out some important items in the morning sun at Kitchener, it was off to the community of Creston and a refuel stop.
From there we went across the lush valley for the trip over the Kootenay summit and down into Burnt flats.
Lets see now, its 18c in Creston and 10C at the summit, its just not right for summer time.
Anyways at the summit we met up with Mike from the US planned ride group and he said they all changed plans and were going different places in the end. Its a good thing we did not wait for them but left a contact number and note back in Kitchener.
Oh and just so you know guys he says to us, its pissing on the down slopes into Burnt Flats so have fun and off he went.
Down into more rain and Burnt flats, then onto the communities of Salmo, Erie and Meadows. A slight deviation onto the 3B hwy and we were into Fruitvale and a stop at Waneta for gas and putting back on weather gear (again) for more rain.
Another move west on the 3B took us past the towns of Trail and Rossland then northwards over more mountains and more rain back to the junction of Hwy3.
Youve got to follow this on Google earth to see just what we were doing cause if not you'll be sooo lost. One minute your going north, then south then east and west as the road meanders all around the mountains.
Back on the Hwy3 again we were now going westwards and over the scenic Blueberry Paulson bridge, then down in the direction towards Christina lake. Once we stopped at the lake viewpoint briefly we then made the run for Grand forks and a campground just as the sun was setting.



Campsite morning with sun


Creston main street looking east


Creston main street looking west


Creston street


At the summit


Paulson bridge. Viewed from the valley floor (image borrowed from Panoramio)


Christina lake,, the warmest lake in Canada, but not today,LOL


Grand Forks campsite near the river, (note my socks drying on the GTs front fender and Ricks wet towel airing on his tent)

[Suzsmokeyallan]

So we are on day three off again from Grand Forks the next morning early and its looking sweet, warm and sunny is the days forecast. Today we are going to ride to Vancouver all the way so its going to be a long one.
After leaving Grand Forks and taking Hwy3 out of town to the west its up and over another mountain summit and making our way towards Greenwood for a refuel and onto Midway.
Onwards to the famous Rock Creek hairpin bend and the long straight sections of road towards Osoyoos.
Arriving into town the GT started to act badly and seemed to be running on two cylinders at times so we pulled over for a check.
Hmmm seems to be a condenser or similiar issue at first but then i turn it off and it wont start back.
The battery is low and its not starting by the button, we then check for a shop in town and there is NONE. Against my own judgement i decide to go westwards on the 3B Hwy since theres nothing else i can do there in the town of Osoyoos anyways.
Maybe the next towns of Keremos or Princeton may have a shop; by the time we reach Keremos the bike is barely working and the lights are only glowing.
I decide to refuel in Keremos and disconnect the running lights to save remaining battery power and make it last a bit longer. Onwards we go to Princeton next hoping, and many more miles and yet another town without a bike store.
Now its becoming a major issue and the bikes barely working but i doctor it up to speeds and over the various mountain passes.
If you look at the distance of the road from Princeton to Hope in B.C you will notice its not a short level distance yet somehow i managed to get the bike around this very long desolate piece of mountain road on a near dead battery.
Luckily the last part of the run into Hope is downhill for the last few miles, and as we pulled into the first gas station in Hope it quit, no ignition,,, nothing.,,totally dead now.
So here we are on a Sunday evening around 7pm, a dead bike in a town we do not know where any places of business are.
I go into the station and ask about a Canadian tyre or a Lordco store nearby, we are in luck, Lorco is around the corner a few blocks, so Rick sets off for a battery and a small multimeter.
Hes back in about 15 minutes and im soon filling the new battery and putting it in the bike.
AHHHHH, we have vital signs again with a neutral light and horn, indicators etc.
By now we have taken over a parking spot and turned it into a GT sickbay. The patient soon gets the alternator circuit checked over and its looking positive, the windings and brushes check out good so we move over to the rectifier. Hmmmmmm a diode shows open on the test, thats not good, its not completing the circuit on that phase so its undercharging the battery.
Well,,,,,, we think,,, ok lets try and get the patient to Vancouver, and???? its only a mere 90 plus miles away.
So off we go after another refuel and race towards the city, as we get closer to the city the traffic turns into a slow crawl from all the weekend warriors going home.
I'm so worried the bikes going to quit in traffic that i keep it in gear when stopped just so the neutral light wont come on and help drain the battery faster.
After a few tense moments we make it to my Aunts house in town and just in time too as its now 10.00pm and the sun is setting. Remember, i cant use any running lights so its important i get there while theres still sunlight.
The sad thing is during all this time of the trip, neither myself or Rick took one photo of anything happening all this time so there are no pics.
Memories do in fact live on in your mind so thats all good though...

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Day four starts at nine am when im calling around to the Suzuki stores in town only to find out 'sorry theres no rectifiers' so now i'm truely stuck. Then the bulb goes on, call Fred in Calgary and have him send out one by courier next day air.
Fred steps up to the plate with a stellar performance and goes all out to get it off ASAP to me, we're in business again. I then spend some time at my family while Rick goes on to the big island for his trip, lucky for him.
The next day i spend finding things to do while the part makes its way to me from Alberta, some photo taking around the city and such ends the day. Tomorrow the part should be here and ill know for sure how things will be. Since the bikes parked under some mac apple trees i decide to clean the yard a bit and make piles of good and bad.
The next day Rick calls and says hes on Tofino beach, hmmmmm, ok i'm still fuming but its all in the scheme of things.
The part arrives around midday and im ready to see if the bikes going to work or if its more hidden problems. The Oregon electronics regulator from Anthony is working perfectly and now the diodes are good too thanks to Freds part, so its charging perfectly.
All right i decide its best to leave and go back to Calgary since time constraints are forcing me to leave early as days have been lost. Maybe i can finally get there in the summer of 2010.


Vancouver scene from near Trafalgar beach

Sunset looking out into the Strait of Georgia

Two really happy souls in the morning,,,LOL

Bikes under the mac apple trees

[rngdng]

I'm jealous. My weeks have been full of traveling, but none on bikes. I'm glad you have been able to spend your time riding, and enjoying the scenery. Some of us have to WORK for a living.....

Jealous as hell,


Lane

[rbond]

Just some possibly usable info. Check the rating for the GT750 rectifier and compare it to Radio Shack part # 276-1185. It is a 24 amp /50 volt full bridge rectifier for $3.29. If it is rated the same or higher, it should work and be a lot cheaper and more easily obtainable. Next source would be any local electronics parts supplier.

[h2okettle]

Allan, sounds like your trip was more exciting than mine.. I feel bad about leaving you now.. I had the parts you needed with me.. Now you know why my saddle bags weigh 40 pounds each.. I carry spare regulator, rectifier, clutch cable, clutch perch, both levers, rear brake cable, speedo and tach cables, points plate, spare newtronics brain box, fuses, chain master link, spark plugs, blinker flasher unit, fork seals, fuel petcock and extra petcock seals, gear shift indicator switch... Ect.. The other bag has all the tools to repair the bike..
That is the downside to traveling on these bikes is that you cannot just find a part at a local dealer, so you better carry them with you on a trip.. But the fun factor of reliving your teenage dreams out weighs the down side..

Allen...... heavy drinker..... Got milk !!

[Suzsmokeyallan]

And for my last trick, the ride back to Calgary in one shot.
I left Vancouver around midday and headed out east on 12ave, this brought me back onto Hwy 1 and over the Port Mann bridge, staying on it brings you past Abbotsford, Chilliwack and finally back to Hope.
Now its decision time, go north on the Coquihalla or back the way i came to the east. Coquihalla gets my vote as its faster and busier, and just in case i have another issue i might be able to stop a passerby.
Up the Hwy5 to the north i go on the Coquihalla, its a great road with long sweeping bends and cruising along at 75-85 mph the GT feels smooth and is working well.
This is an arid part of Canada where it gets very hot and dry, you can see the hills for miles with stunted pine trees trying to grow in the desert like conditions.
After a while you arrive at the town of Merritt, its hot as i roll into the small town. It feels like a blow dryer is being held to your face the air is so heated from the mid afternoon sun, luckily the humidity is nearly non existant.
Another decision point is made after a refuel and i go off of the Coquihalla using the eastern parallel route of the old 5A road off of Nicola lake.
Fred suggested this alternate route to the town of Kamloops for the ride, but at first its a desolate annoying road with no charm and a parched featureless landscape.
After about an hour it finally gets interesting and the curves are a joy, the GT easily carves them at a constant 65-70 mph through some irrigated farm land and finally up a large hill with some funky reducing radius curves, then its all over, i'm at the top and looking down into Kamloops, well it was short at the end but decent.
A stop at a station near town for another refuel and im back on Hwy1 going east, its a long drive here cause the hwy is narrow and the speeds are slow it seems to take forever to reach Salmon arm.
Passing Salmon arm its onto the beautiful Shuswap lake region and the another refuel stop. A guy whos in the station talks me up about the Buffalo, hes impressed by its condition even though its caked in rain/road grime. His eyes get even bigger when i tell him im coming from Vancouver.
Next up is Sicamous and Craigellachie, im forced to stop here for an adjustment as the chains making a serious noise. All the water has destroyed it from the rains in the outbound trip and despite me lubing it and hoping its pretty much dying BUT it will make it back to Calgary so i adjust it and lube it again,,,,and again.
Back on the road its now getting to dusk (about 10.00 pm) as i roll into Revelstoke for a refuel.
Moving onwards again east its now over to Rogers Pass or bust, its dark and cold now as im clipping along the mountain roads at some insane speeds towards the pass thats a good many miles ahead.
The cars and semis are literally racing along with me in tow, a few times i have a chance to look at the speedo and see 90mph or a bit more, its not a good feeling to know wild animals cross this road at night and are killed by vehicles, hows a biker fair in that equation.
I cross over the pass at about 12.00 am and its freezing, this place is one of the first areas in Canada to get snow so its not nice out here at night. Did i mention im wearing a pair of jeans and an average weather jacket with summer riding gloves???.BRRRRRRRR I'm insane.
The jaunt down the pass seems to go on for ever into the town of Golden and it should as youre going in a really big circle around the mountain. Not a sign for MILES, will my gas hold out i dont know, i cant see anything to tell me how many more miles i have to go.
As 90 miles approach on the trip meter i start to panic cause im in hell out here and its black as ever in the mountains. However i soon round a corner and see the glow of the town lights in the distance,,,hooray im saved,,fuel.
Soon im finally there in Golden and its time for a refuel again and i notice the milage as i go to reset the meter at 98 miles. Now to make another move east for the Kicking Horse pass at the province line and then onto Lake Louise.
The bike goes about 100 miles on a full to reserve fill so im constantly looking at the trip meter as it approaches 80 miles and onwards when i expect to see the next town with fuel..
You can become fixated on this especially if you do not know how far the towns are apart. You start calculating kms to miles when you pass road signs to see if you will make it before reserve or if you can make make it using reserve as well..
Luckily im making it to more gas just as the 90 plus milage trip shows up so i never hit reserve but its always close. I dont know how far the GT goes on reserve but i know its not better than 30 miles and i dont want to test it out.
From Lake Louise im on towards Banff but i know Canmore has stations on the strip so ill bypass Banff and hit Canmore for fuel.
Oh its now just after 1.00 am and the the temp in Canmore is 52F. Good thing the town is not really in the mountains as it would surely be a much lower temp.
Alrightly then, after a slight pause in Canmore looking for fuel at an open station i finally get going for the final leg of 60 plus miles to Calgary.
To heck with the cops im just trying to get back into the city so i up the speeds (im not telling) on the jouney back to find its raining still as i arrive near the turn off of the Hwy 1.
By now ive been riding nonstop for close to 14 hours straight and im not sleepy nor have i eaten anything. Its the obession of doing it in one trip i guess, but you do get a sinking feeling when you see a sign showing the town beyond the one youre heading to and the distance is over 200 kilometres all the time.
I finally pull in at just after 3.00 am, and would have been back a bit earlier had i not wasted nearly an hour in Canmore looking for an open gas station.

It was brutal, my arse was sore, i was frozen, my hearing was buzzing with the sound of the road and a GT750 engine,,,BUT i did it and a good bit at night too on mountain roads with no street lights or services.
I saw animals on the road and hoped they looked or ran the other way as i approached them, luckily i had no incidents.
Oh i cant wait for next years summer, but night riding again through the mountains for now will be a distant thought.
Heres the four photos i took on the return journey, i should have taken more but as time went by and it got closer towards dusk i forgot about the camera.


Gas station in Merritt


Nicola lake


GT and Nicola lake region


overlooking Kamloops

[oldjapanesebikes]

So - are you back home, or still still enjoying the great summer here in Calgary ?

[Suzsmokeyallan]

I wish i was still there but i left on the 24th, and thanks to all who have commented so far. The last few days were pretty hot for Calgary and it was good to have some 30C plus weather for a change.
Allen you are right its wise to carry lots of items but then it can become obsessive and the thing you do NOT carry is the thing you will definately need.
I got your items back safely Ian so thats good news, now to press ahead on them when i can get a chance to.
As for the rectifier i know one could have been made up but in this case i was more interested in making it back with the least hassle and preferred to bolt on an item for the long journey back.
Lane you will have to come up to the Canadian Rockies for a trip around the place one of these summers.

[johnakay]

I'm jealous. My weeks have been full of traveling, but Some of us have to WORK for a living.....

Jealous as hell,


Lane

to true
but not me