My first long tour

[jibledso]

Toward the end of summer in 2012 I had my first long distance touring experience. It all started in the early summer when two girls from Toronto stayed at my place in Clarksville, Indiana on their way to Bonnaroo near Manchester, TN. Dana had sent me a request through couchsurfing which I'd hosted several people before. As soon as we met we instantly got along, and they invited me to come with them to the music festival where we had a great time.

Inbetween my summer and fall classes I decided to go visit Dana and Bonita in Toronto near Bloor St. and Dover.

I left Indiana very late in the day after finally getting all the needed supplies which I secured with a cargo style bungee net. I ran into Cincinnati rush hour traffic around 5 p.m. but once I got onto I-75 I was rocketing north. I had the Bandit in 5th gear wound out for hours heading north blowing by semi-trucks and what I could of swore was the occasional OSP officer in the median but they never gave chase, I had to of averaged 90 mph before getting into Detroit around dusk. Crossing the bridge into Windsor was a strange experience with all the small white lights lit up around the bridge, and taking that huge grade of an incline across the water.

When I rolled into customs I met the most un-friendly Canadian guy in my life, I swore he had to of been born in Detroit and moved to Canada later with the attitude he had. He'd never heard of Couch Surfing, thought it was very suspicious I'd travel to meet people I only met once, and just had an all around **** attitude toward me. After looking at my bag and the bottle of bourbon I'd brought for me hosts they let me go.

Riding from Windsor to Toronto in the late night felt like an infinite amount of blackness with very few lights or traces of civilization. The Bandit was still running strong never missing a beat no matter how fast I went.

I finally got into GTA around 1 O'clock a.m. when I started to slow the Bandit down I heard a very strange sound coming below me, at first I thought I'd thrown a rod or something internally was wrong with the Suzuki, but when I pulled over and looked at the bike I realized the cheap non-Oring chain I had just bought the night before leaving had gave out on me and had a tremendous amount of slack from being stretched while riding hard. I anxiously rode into the downtown area hoping the chain would not come off the sprockets before reaching my friends apartment, luckily it stayed in place, and luckily I brought a few basic tools to tighten the chain.

I could tell a lot of other stories about what I did in Toronto, but this story is about touring.

I made it as far as Montreal on this trip and then came back the same way to Indiana. The chain started making strange grinding noises somewhere near Dayton, and never before had I been so tired on a motorcycle where sleep was a very real thing. I'd slept on a pile of dirty clothes the night before in Dana's room and at some point in the early morning Dana being the great person she is let me get into her bed to catch better Z's for a few hours before heading off in the morning. It's difficult to even remember the space in time between Cincinnati and Louisville on I-71, but the Bandit never let me down, I got home safe and sound with only my body buzzing from fatigue and the vibrations of the 1200 motor.

The photo was taken by Dana when we had amazing BBQ sandwiches somewhere in Toronto. I have a few more photos but most are just taken with friends I'd made along the way. One day we did go hatched throwing, or I should say we went to a hatchet club where they had targets set up, but I don't know if I got any photos of that.

 

[bonanzadave]

I could tell a lot of other stories about what I did in Toronto, but this story is about touring.

Could you start another thread.....

 

[jibledso]

I think I was gone for two weeks so there's a lot of information, I really don't know where to begin. There's no juicy romance in the story, just a lot of fun experiences.

I do remember that summer the college students were on strike in Montreal. I had a friend from Montreal who was in a political band. One night they played somewhere near St.-Denis and there was a lot of police outside the venue. A lot of people were taunting the police who just seemed to stand there and stare at everyone. At one point I had two girls on the bandit because they wanted a ride around the block, they gave the finger and mocked the police the entire time around the block. I wish I had a pic/video of that.

 

[steve murdoch]

Sounds like a fun summer trip.
It also sounds like something a lot of us on this site have experienced....about 30-40 years ago. haha.

 

[jibledso]

Sounds like a fun summer trip.
It also sounds like something a lot of us on this site have experienced....about 30-40 years ago. haha.

It's funny because I turned 31 in Toronto during that trip, the day I arrived was my birthday, most of the people I was visiting were in their 20s, I don't know if I'd do the same thing again, or that is I don't think it would be the same if I did now. I'd rather go camp out in a national park or just basically rough it then partying all night in a city, maybe I'm growing up?

The next planned trip is Bergen, Norway, there's a lot I still need to do with the GS before taking a long haul. Once I get the bike running I'll start on the stator test, that's my biggest concern before a tour.

I should also add, and this is open to whom ever, but I'm seriously considering buying a second motorcycle for friends who come visit to take some tours. I'd totally be open to anyone on this forum who has thought about coming to Europe and traveling by motorcycle. I thought a lot about it myself when I was in the U.S. but it just seemed so expensive and difficult just to get a motorcycle let alone supplies. There's some good deals here on great touring bikes so hopefully I can add to the stable, maybe not be a Suzuki but it will be a good bike. Maybe once I get another bike I'll start a thread about the ideas and to see who would be interested.

 

[argonsagas]

It's funny because I turned 31 in Toronto during that trip, the day I arrived was my birthday, most of the people I was visiting were in their 20s, I don't know if I'd do the same thing again, or that is I don't think it would be the same if I did now. I'd rather go camp out in a national park or just basically rough it then partying all night in a city, maybe I'm growing up?

The next planned trip is Bergen, Norway, there's a lot I still need to do with the GS before taking a long haul. Once I get the bike running I'll start on the stator test, that's my biggest concern before a tour.

I should also add, and this is open to whom ever, but I'm seriously considering buying a second motorcycle for friends who come visit to take some tours. I'd totally be open to anyone on this forum who has thought about coming to Europe and traveling by motorcycle. I thought a lot about it myself when I was in the U.S. but it just seemed so expensive and difficult just to get a motorcycle let alone supplies. There's some good deals here on great touring bikes so hopefully I can add to the stable, maybe not be a Suzuki but it will be a good bike. Maybe once I get another bike I'll start a thread about the ideas and to see who would be interested.

I don't recall where, or even if, I have his information but about a dozen years ago there was a GSR member who was involved in doing what you describe.

I met him east of Toronto....I think it was in Ajax.....and he showed me photos of trips he had been on, plus his bikes, a GS1100GK and a couple of BMWs...one of which was the ride of choice of his wife.

The "club" he belonged to was built around having different people travel between countries and use each other accommodation, PLUS unrestricted use of their respective motorcycles.

He and his wife had already travelled across much of western Europe and part of Australia on the "borrowed" bikes and there had been no problem with his own bikes being damaged, nor his causing any problems of other bikes.

His name may have been Warren, but I don't recall his GSR name.

 

[jibledso]

Sounds like a cool guy!

I try not to be a possessive person, and when it comes to motorcycles I'd rather people enjoy them then a really nice polished bike just set in a garage. Saying that I'm starting to look at my GS project and think I need to polish the nuts and bolt so it will look good

 

[Joe Garfield]

You had me at 2 Canadian girls and Bonnaroo...


Great story, thanks for sharing! What year Bandit? And have you done other long trips since then? I haven't done one yet, but hope to soon.

I've been to Canada once - to see The New Deal in Ottawa (they're a Canadian band, I wanted to see them at home). It was a one night stint - by car from Vermont - and my experience at the border was similar to yours. We had a remarkable amount of fun considering we just went to a couple of clubs to see some music; the locals were super nice and just lots of fun to be around.

You didn't miss much between Cincinnati and Louisville. That might actually be one of the most boring drives I've ever had to do - definitely in the top 5. But seriously, I get the point - not that I've had that long of a trip, but I've been pretty darn tired on a bike and there's no 'pulling over and taking a nap'. I'm glad you made it!

 

[jibledso]

It's a 2002 GSF 1200 Bandit, it's still sitting in my parents garage, I'm pretty sure it still runs the battery is just dead.

Unfortunately no I haven't done any other long trips, but one of these days I'm going to do a serious westward tour. Funny enough Dana, one of the girls from Toronto that I met, is living in L.A. with her now husband, now would be a good time to visit L.A.