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Scooter Canonball Run: Hyder-New Orleans

MCMXCIVRS

More toys than space
So yesterday on my way home from a nice overnighter trip out into the West Kootenay region of BC, I was headed up highway 95 from Kimberly to Radium and met a scooter heading south. Nothing too unusual, then another and another and another. Now that in itself was odd, but on top of it all, there riders were fully geared up and looked like they were making some bit of distance. I figured it had to be some sort of rally; I've heard of one or two day scooter rallys before. As I reached Radium, I pulled in for gas and a stretch and as luck had it, a scooter rider was also stopped at the station. After filling up and pulling my bike off to the side for a short break, I stopped to ask the fellow what they were up to.

Well, the true nature of their endeavor totally surprised me and won my full respect for their tenacity. It was in fact a scooter rally, but not just a day or two, all 22 of them had set off from Hyder Alaska, (some after riding up there first) and are eventually headed for New Orleans :jawdrop Now you might think when I say scooter that they were on something big like the Silverwing or the Burgman, but you'd be wrong. These were all small cc scooters, the type that would seem barely suited for a pre-teen to zip to the mall on. He went on to say that the trip is a timed rally with checkpoints along each day's route and points awarded for keeping on track. The destination for last night was Fernie BC, and I assume today they are off across the border south of there.

So if you are out on the road for the next few days and see a steady stream of scooters heading southeast, give them a wave and wish those brave (or foolish) riders well on their trip.

Here's a site I found on-line if you want to follow the progress. http://www.scootercannonball.com/
 
The Scooter Cannonball is going to finish in New Orleans. Some of the scooters are over 300cc engine size. One rider is from Hawaii and she was freezing yesterday, but she hung in there!

EDIT: sorry, didn't see all of your post when I responded.
 
I was headed home to No California from Phoenix on my motorcycle on one of my convoluted routes and stopped in Wickinburg AZ at a McDonalds for a bite. In the parking lot was a Suzuki Burgman with a Texas license plate. We both returned to the parking lot at about the same time. I asked where he was going, he said Canada and had ridden from Texas.

He asked if I knew the best way to Las Vegas from Wickinburg? I said up 93, less freeway that way, it's about 300 miles. And off he went.

Texas to Canada, a long way on a scooter, he seemed to be having a good time.
 
It's about the ride, not what you ride.

I had a little scoot that I shared with my girlfriend. I had a hard time distinguishing between 49cc's and 1100cc's when I was having fun.

I'm gonna follow the scooter adventure.
 
:thumb Small bikes are a lot of fun be it scooters, mini's or pit. I always feel more of a contact with the riding surface when I'm on a small bike. :burnout
OM
 
Here's some of the rules on what you can ride.

Vehicle Requirements

2.1 Participation is limited to scooters
with an engine displacement not more than 250cc.

2.1.1 A scooter is a two or three wheeled vehicle that satisfies
AT LEAST THREE OF FIVE
following conditions:

2.1.1.1 unit construction of engine, transmission and rear swingarm.

2.1.1.2 wheels no larger than 10 in.

2.1.1.3 originally equipped with a step-through style frame.

2.1.1.4 originally equipped with running boards or leg shield.
 
I was headed home to No California from Phoenix on my motorcycle on one of my convoluted routes and stopped in Wickinburg AZ at a McDonalds for a bite. In the parking lot was a Suzuki Burgman with a Texas license plate. We both returned to the parking lot at about the same time. I asked where he was going, he said Canada and had ridden from Texas.

He asked if I knew the best way to Las Vegas from Wickinburg? I said up 93, less freeway that way, it's about 300 miles. And off he went.

Texas to Canada, a long way on a scooter, he seemed to be having a good time.

The Burgman 650 is really a very good motorcycle in disguise. Four of us just rode 1,200 miles through the back roads of VA, TN, GA, AL and NC on our way to and from the BMW-RA Rally at Barber Motorsports in Birmingham. Two of us were on Burgman 650s, one was on a R1200GS and the other was on a R1200RT. The Burgmans were more comfortable than the BMWs, especially in the rain because you can move around better on the long rides and because of the better weather protection. They have plenty of power and handle the twisties as well as the BMWs. My Burgman averaged 51.5 MPG for the trip. The only mechanical malfunction for anyone was a malfunctioning windshield on the RT.
 
Thanks for the info, Lee. I'll check with the Vespa/Ducati dealer here as that's where they are probably headed
 
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