Here we go again! Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water. W. C. Fields Thailand to the Bay of Fundy? Well . yes, Im cheating really. The biking does not start until after May 7th when I arrive in Chicago. This time a trip with my friend Eric on his 650 Suzuki V-Strom, who lives in Ottawa. For 2015 there is no rough adventure planned but instead an exploration of a large area of Canada I have not yet experienced; The East Coast. Having been the victim of pilferage 2 years in a row, I will try with retractable nails to hang on to the ownership of the bike I bought in Knoxville, Tennesee . With 5,700 miles on the teller this 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere is pretty well new and already equipped with most of the must have touring gear. The reason I decided on a Super Tenere this time around is its versatility and Yamahas bullet proof reputation. The 1200 cc dual sport is big and heavy ( 575 lbs without all the luggage) but has all day comfort, a low centre of gravity and is a capable bike in the twisties with respectable off-road capabilities. 1000 cc + bikes will never be dirt bikes and most dual sports bikes are pretenders off-road. The Yamaha with almost 8″ of travel in the front and rear is also no dirt bike but will be more than adequate for the trails we plan to ride. Having lost all my riding gear in Peru in 2013, everything will have to be replaced again. Camping equipment and riding gear has been sent to my friend Harry in Chicago once again. The bike will be trucked to Chicago during the 1st week of April and will be registered in Illinois as U.S.3rd party liability insurance is a tenth of the over-the-top Canadian rates. Go figure! My flight from Hua Hin to Amsterdam is scheduled for April 2. A visit to my 95 year mother in Holland is a must. She is still in remarkably good shape and as things stand now, could live to be 100 and beyond. Prior to flying to Toronto on April 23 I am also looking forward to visit my friend Rudi on my (almost) annual pilgrimage to Barcelona . Its hard to beat the Costa Brava this time of the year before the onslaught of the human sea-lions littering the beaches every summer.
As usual I plan on shooting lots of pix and video. No disrespect intended but photo uploads are a pain in the rear on this forum. Should you be interested in following the trip:https://2015canadaeastcoast.wordpress.com
Hey ! - can you wave at my mother when you're in Holland ? She's not far away - place called Denmark…which most Americans seem to confuse with Holland, LOL Dutch and Danish is not the same thing and the 'free drugs and sex in the streets' is in Amsterdam, not Copenhagen bTW, had a XT600 Tenere back in 1986, great bike, wish I still had it….subscribed!