• Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

    We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides. Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?

    Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

  • NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

How does it feel, satisfying your hunger to tour

One hint to people who want to spontaneously visit national parks.. there are always cancellations available. Call the booking service the day before you want to arrive and I bet you'll have a choice of rooms. Someone told me this a long time ago - and since then - even travelling with my wife by car - if we see a national park we want to stay at overnight - it's never been a problem getting a room for one night. On occasion we've had to switch rooms if we stay multiple nights, but when you're someplace like the Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone, that just adds to the experience.

Oh - on riding in big cities - avoid rush hour and you'll do fine. Admittedly - some cities like Toronto a few weeks ago it seems rush hour starts at about 3PM.. I should have just stayed another night and left in the morning. It wasn't scary riding, it was just really slow congested riding, but Canadian drivers are SO polite and considerate I never felt at risk.
 
Oh - on riding in big cities - avoid rush hour and you'll do fine. Admittedly - some cities like Toronto a few weeks ago it seems rush hour starts at about 3PM.. I should have just stayed another night and left in the morning. It wasn't scary riding, it was just really slow congested riding, but Canadian drivers are SO polite and considerate I never felt at risk.

Unfortunately rush hour in The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) runs from around 6am - 7pm and if there is a Leafs, Jays or Raptors game rush hour extends even longer :cry

I guess it is all a matter of perspective as I certainly don't find Toronto drivers polite, although I will take them over Montreal drivers anyday!
 
I lived in Thornhill just north of Toronto for a year and made the commute into the city every day. I agree the drivers are polite; every time someone cut me off they did it with a smile and a wave.
 
Albeit a few years ago this guy from smallish town Kansas found himself in Toronto, about three lanes left of where he needed to be to take the upcoming exit. With my turn signal on I was deliberately allowed to change lanes to the right by at least three, maybe four polite motorists. This unlike my experience in numerous other cities I now try to avoid where many motorists take a turn signal as some kind of personal challenge to their manhood or womanhood as the case may be.
 
Albeit a few years ago this guy from smallish town Kansas found himself in Toronto, about three lanes left of where he needed to be to take the upcoming exit. With my turn signal on I was deliberately allowed to change lanes to the right by at least three, maybe four polite motorists.

And afterwards these same motorists were probably seen apologizing to the people behind them they momentarily held up. :laugh
 
Albeit a few years ago this guy from smallish town Kansas found himself in Toronto, about three lanes left of where he needed to be to take the upcoming exit. With my turn signal on I was deliberately allowed to change lanes to the right by at least three, maybe four polite motorists. This unlike my experience in numerous other cities I now try to avoid where many motorists take a turn signal as some kind of personal challenge to their manhood or womanhood as the case may be.

Had a similar thing happen in New Brunswick Canada. I was in a traffic-circle (Rotary for the New Englanders, Roundabout for the Englanders) in the inner lane, when I realized I was about to pass the exit I needed. I slowed down and had my blinker on since there was only one car behind me in the outer lane, expecting as would happen in NJ - they'd pass me on the right and then I could make the turn. As I slowed down, they slowed down. I slowed down more, they slowed down more. I finally came to a stop, they came to a stop. They were absolutely determined to (1) not pass me on the right (2) let me make the exit. I did, waving thanks as I made the exit.

In Toronto - I had exactly the same experience Paul did. People would stop and leave a gap for me to move into if I had a signal on indicating I wanted to change a lane. To a guy from NJ - that was really polite. In NJ they'd try to close any possible gap and then give me the finger as they went past.

That's just one reason I love riding in Canada, and try to do it at least once a year.
 
I've had motorcycles of some type since the 60s. But I stumble in to m/c touring in the late 70's when I bought a used CX500. A group of us had been going to Laconia to see the MC races, camping our an enjoying the roads getting there and coming back. Then the wife and kids were off for two weeks to the inlaw's camp on a lake and I had to work but some how got an extra day so I decided to MC camp up the north side of the St. Lawrence past Quebec Dity and meet the family on the way back.

I loved the escape from the pressures of work, the ride, the solitude, the total freedom...no responsibilities ...just pulling off the road any where and setting up the tent. Sipping a bit of scotch and reading a book...soaking up the scenery. These two days changed my life.

After that, most years but not every year I manage to take about a week off to tour solo by Motorcycle. The first major tour was a around New Foundland in 1981. I don't remember ever camping in a camp ground. The road to St Anthony was dirt starting around Rocky Harbor. The road to L'Asse aux Meadows was a jeep trail and the archeologist were working out of tents. I joined them for a night. Interesting people every where.

The next major tour was a few years later to Yellow Knife a back in 11 days, this was on my first BMW and 82 R100RT. Spend the twilight (2AM) swapping tales with a Japanese teacher of the Inuit who retired south to Yellow Knife (her B&B) and Alitalia Pilot who was a Yellow knife learn the ins and out of float plane flying. So many interesting people. many other long tours followed.

Then I retired, the pressure of work was gone, the press for time was gone and I found that I preferred touring with one or two others, riders who enjoyed the ride, were will to be flexible, spontaneous. Tours time increased..6 weeks for Alaska most where two to three weeks. Now my much older body demand a bed to sleep in. I prefer the small Mom and Pop motels found in small towns. There is always fun talk to the owners...seeing the local sights. I've grown to hate Interstates. This last year I discovered shipping an flying to the bike. I know it is cheating but I will do in it again. Like I said I hate interstates.
 
I'm still a few years away from retirement, in a high-pressure job (that I love) that requires a lot of hours. I'm only able to do a single five- or six-day trip a summer, but its the only thing I've found that allows me to completely relax and recharge. I travel alone, as my wife won't ride, and I think the solitude is exactly what makes the trip so relaxing.

I'm looking forward to retirement when I can take more trips.
 
Let your wife pick the destination and drive Pull a trailer and bike you won't get as much riding as you like but happy wife happy life

....this is the mutual option in a couple years we came up with. Actually it was her idea. I can live with that.
Looking at a Subaru Outback pulling my GS on a Stinger trailer, but might upgrade the trailer...
 
like many riders my age, we have come back to it after a long hiatus. After thirty years of inactivity on motorized two wheels my bride and I came back to riding motorcycle. Riding two up came naturally for us as we rode our tandem bicycle with the kids for years and still do. With the years I have put in with the company I work for, I have acquired many weeks of holiday time which my bride and I have been putting to great use,especially now with the bike. Over the last six years we have travelled more across North America than some may do in a lifetime, although we know not as many as some others. We now travel with a trailer in tow as we like to camp, although throwing in the odd Hotel/Motel now and then make things more comfortable. I am able to get off as many as 28-31 days off work at a time which makes long distant touring even more desirable. My bride is a "trooper" even though she detests that moniker, putting in long riding days, riding in inclement weather, or just putting up with me. But.....being able to visit the places we have seen makes it even better, at least for me, when we have been able to do it together. Hopefully we'll have another long excursion next year, Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories await. To echo what has been already said here, you do meet the nicest people on a motorcycle as we have met many. Being able to have done so many long trips as we have before I retire has been a blessing for me and my bride, and one we hope to continue after I decide to finally give up work.


P1040250.jpg
 
But where I really find my fulfillment is in serving God... Chris

First thing that popped into my head was Neil Diamond's

Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

"Hot August night
And the leaves hanging down
And the grass on the ground smelling sweet
Move up the road
To the outside of town
And the sound of that good gospel beat

Sits a ragged tent
Where there ain't no trees
And that gospel group
Telling you and me..."



How about a roaming motorcycle ministry that hit's a bunch of the BMW rallies? The back of the MOA ON is full of them screaming for a little Sunday morning "battlefield alter" worship service.

Snag a small van-type RV and have the missus tag along, or trailer your rig to the event. Ride with the boys on Saturday and dish it up on Sunday morning :twirl and then head to the next one.

What say?
 
That sounds like a great idea, actually. I'm over on a prison ministry trip in the Philippines right now. So that's something I'd really enjoy.

Chris
 
Add me to the camp that REALLY enjoys solo motorcycle touring. My wife enjoys riding and I cherish the times we tour together. Thankfully, she also knows me enough to know I value time alone on the bike. When my daughter was younger she did a lot of extensive trips with me, and those are some of my most cherished memories, and pictures from some of those trips still bring great joy.

Unlike what some others have said, I actually enjoy being at a hotel alone. Some times I don't spend much time in the room and instead spend time walking around the town, looking for a fun spot to get a bite, or just taking in the local sights. I enjoy riding alone, stopping when I want, lingering as long as I wish, riding as many miles in a day as I feel like, etc. I have good gear and some times actually find satisfaction traveling in miserable conditions and being comfortable. I have ridden with other riders before, and it's OK, but I enjoy going it solo much, much more. I find real freedom in not having to worry if someone is keeping up, or about keeping up, just generally not being concerned with anyone else. No compromises. I'm the CEO of a decent sized company, and accustomed to calling the shots. Maybe I have enough control issues that I know I'm not willing to make the sacrifices it would take to be a good riding companion. Not sure why, but I don't apologize for it. I enjoy taking the road less traveled alone.
 
some of my thoughts on this

Touring allows me to de-stress, let the issues from my world slip away for the sights, sounds and scents from the road. It satisfies my wanderlust, and my love for camping.

I too am lucky in that my bride rides (drives) her own 3-wheel motorcycle. Talk about carrying lots of stuff... her motto is, 'if it fits in my sidecar, then I can bring it!' so when we travel, we travel in comfort. Unfortunately, her health precludes her from doing long miles and multiple days any more. Also, she doesn't have the level of passion about riding that I do. But fortunately, she has no problem sending me off on my own adventures.

With regard to traveling solo or with a group... I have found that when I am traveling alone, I get too much into the mindset of banging out the miles, and forget to smell the roses. My usually companion is my best friend, and we have traveled so many thousands of miles together, that we know each others idiosyncrasies, and are comfortable with them. Some days we will travel 600-700 miles, other times we will travel barely 100 or take a couple of days in one spot and to explore the area. We always laugh a lot, don't worry about who paid, or who didn't, or one going too fast or missing a turn. My wife knows calls it my "boys time", and knows that I need it now and then.

Like another poster said; I like to think that I come home a better person than when I left.
 
How does it feel, satisfying your hunger to tour?

Very satisfying ! Any time, any where, any day......it just feels right.

Friedle
 
Back
Top