2 for 1: Canada/ME/NH and BRP/Skyline/WV/VA/TN/NC

[dstutz]

Yeah...so I never really posted back about the rides I took last summer. Thanks to all the people that offered suggestions.

 

Planning Threads:

• BRP: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=339930#Post339930
  
• Canada: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=28620&Number=310001#Post310001
  

I don't really have a "ride tale" so to speak, but I have some pictures (those of you *not* using Firefox, don't be frightened by the certificate warning. IE users have to click the "Continue to this website (not recommended)" option):

• BRP: https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/brp08/
  
• Canada: https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/canada08/
  

The trip south on the BRP and surrounding areas was awesome. As you can see by the pictures of my tires (https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/brp08/IMG_5106.JPG.html and https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/brp08/IMG_5108.JPG.html) and on "The Dragon" (https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/brp08/killboy05.jpg.html) showing I had a great time. "The Snake" (US-421) IMO was a much more enjoyable ride than Deals Gap in that there was almost no one else on it, wasn't as *ridiculously* tight and twisty and was longer (crappy video from digicam on google vids: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=49449409419452510&hl=en Original AVI: https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/d/9749-3/MVI_5015.AVI).

 

As far as the trip north...It was nice going up to Mt Washington (though Mt Mitchell in NC is higher and easier to get to!) and the scenery up in Canada is beautiful (I saw moose, bear cub, and bald eagle). However, the roads I took just didn't do it for me as much as the BRP trip. The Cabot Trail up in Nova Scotia was very nice though. Unfortunately, because I had spectacular weather for my first trip, I had overcast with spotty rain almost the whole Canada trip (with it pouring most of way north through Mass/southern ME and basically the whole way home from Orono, ME to NJ on the last day).

 

I am going to ride the BRP again this coming summer but I'll probably switch up the route back home this time a little bit. There was definitely some other stuff down there I wanted to hit.

 

The bike was great (and so were the Pilot Road 2's for that matter) with the exception of burning out my headlight harness right around Acadia National Park (https://w3.dstutz.com/gallery/v/cyclepics/canada08/IMG_5114.JPG.html). Luckily, there was a BMW dealer less than an hour away from where I ended up stopping for the night (when the sun went down) that was basically on my route for the next day. HUGE props to Atlantic Motoplex in Dieppe, NB (http://www.atlanticmotoplex.ca/index.php) for taking care of me that morning as a walk-in. I was in and out of there in 3 hours with a re-wired harness and sockets for only $126 canadian! My dealer in NJ charges $90 an hour so work that one out... I made sure to send a note to BMW Motorrad to tell them they were awesome.

 

Oh...and I used a BMW Navigator II GPS with a Gilsson external antenna (it's the white square on top of by brake reservoir) that worked great the whole time rain or shine (or hail as the case may be...).

[bobbybob]

Nice pics. The BRP is great for non-stop vistas. However, there are lots of lesser traveled roads off the parkway you would also enjoy, and may offer a better blend of high-speed sweepers as well as twisties.