Toronto to Vancouver July onwards, advice needed!
 

Hi,

I am new to this forum and would like to start off by saying Hi bier.

I'm planning to motor bike from Toronto to Vancouver. I'll be working on the west cost. Figure getting a chance to explore the area before i settle in would be a good idea. Timeline is 2-3 months give or take. Mainly concerned about winter.

The goal of this trip is to
a. travel
b. explore the outdoors in between places A and B.
c. get a chance to do some rock climbing and hiking between A and B
d. beer, books, and banter.

I enjoy off road riding, especially the adventure side (not a speed demon by any stretch!). I plan on camping most of the time.

I'd appreciate some advice and recommendations! I am aware of the trans-am trail and I think it'd be easy to hitch onto from Toronto. Would it be advised not to do this alone? would i meet people along the way this time of year? alternatives? Would appreciate any advice on highlights and or what to definitely NOT do.

I haven't yet decided upon a bike either and figure the trip would help me decide on the bike. The obvious seems to be the klr, though i thought maybe a comfy inexpensive ride on a nighthawk would be alright (nighthawk would obviously not do the trans am trail).

Thanks for your thoughts beer

sounds good and inspiring.
how much time do you plan to spend on the trip?

It'd be ideal to get settled in Vancouver around autumn, I guess that gives me ~ 3 months give or take.

As long as you plan to get through the mountain passes in the Rockies before the end of September, you should not have any problems.

There are many opportunities for camping at various provincial & federal (national) parks along the way.

Get yourself a copy of the Ontario Government road map and study it well before you leave - the half-way point of the journey between Toronto and Vancouver is still in Ontario, which means you are going to be spending a lot of time in this province.

Similarly, you might want to familiarize yourself with the policies, prices, etc. of the Ontario Provincial Park system. Here's a link to get you started: Ontario Provincial Parks.

Once you get north of Sault Ste. Marie, don't pass by any gas stations without knowing how far away the next gas station is. There are numerous stretches along the Trans-Canada highway where the gaps between gas stations are 80 kilometers or more. So, pay attention to the map. After you pass Winnipeg, you don't have to be concerned about fuel availability any more.

Be aware that once you settle in BC, you will need to plate the bike there within 30 days. You will have to pass a safety inspection before you can get your BC plate. So, if you determine you need new tires once you get out on the Prairies, might as well buy them early and enjoy them, because you're going to have to have decent tires on the bike to pass the BC safety inspection. The silver lining in that cloud is that BC insurance is (generally speaking) cheaper than Ontario insurance.

Michael

Hi again Michael, I am leaning towards going south along the trans-american trail as I am looking is explore the US and hiking and climbing in that area. Would you have any recommendations using the trans-am trail or along this region?

Hi Dan:

Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of trail riding - I ride Honda PanEuropeans (ST 1100 and ST 1300) - the nature of those motorcycles keeps me on paved roads all the time.

Michael