Micro Ride Report May 2/4 Weekend

One of the local members (robclo) and I have been trying to get out for a ride for a while now without sucess due to me for the most part. Well it was partly me and the other half of the issue was the bike and a failed stator that appeared without warning. Last weekend we finally made it happen as I managed to get a kitchen pass for Sunday. It was only good for the morning but I managed to stretch it out a few extra hours so we could explore some rural routes north of Montreal. It was really the first day ride for my ressurected 07 and I had my fingers crossed that everything would hold together for the duration.

The plan was to meet at a gas station located just south east of Ottawa. From there we would proceed north east to catch the ferry at Cumberland to cross the Ottawa river. Once on the Quebec side we would head in the general direction of Mont Tremblant, using the secondary roads or the roads that appeared to be more twisty on the map. We didn't set any objectives or time lines to be anywhere in particular which is my prefered method as you tend to discover new sights and places that way.

This isn't a picture heavy report as I was too busy trying to keep Rob and his DCT equipped machine in sight most of the time.

I left the house for the thirty minute run to the rendevous point at around 6:30 in the morning. The air was clear and cool at a crisp 42deg on my gauge. I rode to the bank for a few $$$ and headed north to meet Rob. It wasn't long before I was wishing that I had thrown on an extra layer of clothing! The sun was rising as fast as my body temp was falling. Once at the gas station I filled up and grabbed a coffee to wait for Rob to arrive. I was a bit early so I had time to just sit and feel the warmth of the coffee as it flowed through me.



After Rob arrived, we did the usual thing that new riding partners do, inspect each others steeds and tell some lies! LOL

A brief discussion regarding riding preferences, speed, concerns etc took place to ensure a safe trip ensued. Then we were off to Cumberland. The sun was still rising but my temp gauge was stuck around 52deg and it just wouldn't climb. I was getting cold again as we crossed the flat lands and farmers fields that lie on the south side of the river. After about twenty five minutes we arrived at the ferry which graciously was waiting for us patiently and we rode straight on. We were half way across the river before I even thought that a pic or two would be nice so here are a few shots that we snaped.

Rob and his 1200


The junkyard dog




And then Rob turned the lens on me!


Well before we knew it we were riding through the hills on the north side of the river. Beautifull sweeping turns and countryside greeted us which was a nice change after the fields as we rode 317 towards Ripon. The only down side was that as we headed north we also climbed and the temps dropped. After riding for about fourty minutes, we arrived in Ripon and took a break to fuel the 1200 which apparently likes fuel a wee bit more than my 800. At this point my throttle hand was pretty frozen so the break was welcome. I suffer from bad circulation. Something that I'm told has resulted from too many years working outside in the cold on airplanes. Once my fingers freeze, they stay that way for a long time even in the warm. I should have taken a picture of them, perhaps next time just for laughs.

So then we were off again winding our way through Montpellier and a dozen other small towns that I can't remember the names of. I do recall seeing the name Duhamel and thinking, "I wonder if Miguel is from there"? Hmmmm? The roads were clean and pretty smooth for the most part which provided for some spirited riding. At one point we pulled over at a small road side reataurant to take a moment and there were two other fellas there on GS1150 adventure touring machines that looked like they had seen a few adventures. The shop wasn't open because, as Rob pointed out, it wasn't Poutine hour yet! Too funny! As we chatted a loud rukus could be heard in the distance and a few moments later three riders appeared around the corner on four wheelers. They were all decked out in motocross gear and had Gopro cameras on their helmets. They were hauling ass down the roads like it was an off road course. After they passed, we all looked at each other withe a WTF expression on our faces. Five minutes later they were back heading in the other direction like the devil himself was hard on their ass. After about fifteen minutes we couldn't offere any more blood to the blackflies and mosquitoes without passing out so we watered a nearby tree and geared up to continue.

Eventually we ended up in Morin Heights and headed south towards Lachute. I was looking forward to lower altitudes and perhaps better temps. Suddenly Rob signals and pulls off the road. I figured that he missed a turn but apparently we had made better progresa than expected and he had reached the point where he must depart my company and head due east to meet his wife and kids. That was fine as we had planned it and I was ready to head off on my merry way to Lachute and teh adventures that awaited.

Lachute was in the middle of a huge garage sale from one end to the other and since is is situated on the 148, there were many bikers and rubber neckers to contend with. I just wanted to get through the place to be honest. Besides I didn't see anything I wanted to buy anyway. I pushed on to Hawkesbury where I ran into a pile of hogsters. I'm not talking ten or twenty, I mean a hundred or more. It seemed appropriate to take a break and see what was going on and since there was a Tim Hortons there, I pulled in between the heavy iron and parked. I was informed by one of the bretheren that they do the every weekend and at the center of the craziness was of course a hog dealer. I watch the cops hiding and catching people who didn't make full stops at the traffic lights for a while while the coffee seeped into my veins. Then I got the urge to move on back towards Ottawa. Not much to tell after that really. It was still cold, it rained and I made it back home without issue. In the spirit of the hogsters I stopped and the Honda dealer in Ottawa to look at stuff I didn't need.

The bike ran without a flaw over the 400+ kms and I'm quite happy with the whole experience. I could have used my saddle bags though and I was quite envious of Rob's setup so I need to get that done asap. As I pointed out to him, his bike is just too quiet. It sounds like a scooter when he pulls away especially compared to my Two Brothers equipped 6th gen.

Stand by for the next instalment as we head down towards the baseball hall of fame!!!

 

Great ride report. I was working all 2/4 weekend so I'm glad to see another other riders got out to ride.

Very jealous. Would be nice to ride with other Gen VFR's and both your bikes look sweet!

Enjoy the weather as it (finally) gets nicer, and ride safe boys!!!




powerband

 

Great report - Looks like great fun.

Over here in the Alps this is what my bike looked like this morning, with snow forecast for most of the next week





Skimad

 

Very nice! Always great when you can get away with your buddies and ride. I have to say, the RWB just looks so much better with white wheels, and an 8 spoke to boot!

 

Nice report Brad, I had a great day, looking forward to a longer adventure next time. Got the pass already from wifey for June 14th. We're heading into NY if anyone is interested.

 

Great report Jethro :thumbsup:
Where all the girls pictures ound:
The RWB looking goooooood :love:

 

Sorry Scub..no chikas up in these here parts due to the chilly temps. By the end of next month it will be different. Perhaps we will see some near the baseball hall of fame?

I really need to get a scala rider G4 communicator for the next trip. Would be good fun to be ably to chat while riding!

 

"I really need to get a scala rider G4 communicator for the next trip. Would be good fun to be ably to chat while riding!"

If you don't find a good deal on one before the 14th, I'll steal my wife's for the day.

 

Might just have to take you up on that! I just ordered a cruise control to ease my wrist over the long haul.

 

A cruise control? Are you nuts get yourself a vista cruise or a neb something like that I forgot the name. It is the best $20 investment :thumbsup:

 

I wasn't talking about an electronic cruise control, just a simple throttle lock. Like this,

 

I enjoyed reading your report. That throttle lock thingy... I need to get one of those!

 

This is the best $20 I ever spend

YouTube

 

It is a really simple way to get some relief for your right hand on long rides. I would add that the standard unit does need some modification to really work well. From the pics you can see that the thumb lever needs to be trimmed so it doesn't hit the fuel tank but there is more to do than that. I found that in order to get sufficient clamping force I had to adjust the clap so tight that when it was released there was still some drag on the throttle tube. I wasn't happy with that so here is what I did.

I removed the throttle tube and trimmed the small ridge that is on there for the grip to butt up against. That ridge resides right in the area where the vista-cruise wants to clamp. Then I modified the cam on the vista cruise by trimming the low side which is the face of the cam that makes contact when the cruise isn't engaged. By doing this, I made the relative cam lift higher so the difference between clamped and not clamped is greater. Now I get excellent clamp force when it is engaged and zero friction when it is released.

Operation while riding is effortless and it really helps on those longer runs.






Makes me so happy I want to do this,,,,

 

If you are contemplating fitting a throttle lock then you may be interested in this alternative installation -

Invisible Vista

which is basically what I have installed on my 6th gen, and find is really worthwhile on very long trips.

Its a lot less visible, and basically entails fitting the unit with the link bar at the bottom, rather than the top, compared with the illustration in the standard install. I installed the standard universal Vista unit, but found I had to narrow down the bracket which clamps to the bars, so it was thin enough to fit in the narrow handlebar gap. I also had to shorten the lever to miss the tank on full lock.

The clamping pressure is never right first time, either too tight or too loose. So allow plenty of time to check it out, and adjust as necessary, on a empty road.

Officially the kit comes with everything you need, however you may want to arm yourself with a few additional tiny washers to add or remove from the clamping bolt to get the clamping pressure just right.

You are aiming to ensure it holds the throttle once the locking lever is engaged, but ensure the clamp pressure is still loose enough so that even if you forget to disengage the lock during an emergency, the throttle can still be rotated easily to a fully shut position. It will take several attempts to find the right clamping pressure. Finally its worth checking the bolts for tightness after an hour of riding just in case something is vibrating loose.






SkiMad