1. Getting Ready for the Trip
300 years old
How long does it take to ride
your motorcycle from Toronto to New Orleans? Oh, I know, some people do it in a
day. Some of our guys rode it in 2 days something, but Carol and I allowed 4
days to get there. Mainly because I needed my 600-mile service on my new bike
and that service had to be done in the U.S.
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| Muffler Had to Come Off Before Adding Saddle Bag Mounts |
I ride a new, 2018, U.S.
registered bike and the very first inspection on a brand new bike is important.
The dealer, where I bought the bike in Buffalo, NY, closed his shop for
motorcycles and I had not ridden my full 600 miles before his closing.
I needed someone close enough
for the service, but not too far, either. I checked on line, there was no
‘qualified’ BMW certified dealer near Buffalo.
I had a hard time finding a
dealership with a Service Dept. that could help. I looked everywhere in NY
State but most BMW shops are on the east side of the State, nothing on the west
or north side.
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| Saddle Bags Needed Before a Trip |
One additional option was to
go south from here; just ride south and I am bound to find a dealer on the long
trip to New Orleans.
Well that is what I thought
and…
I used the GPS dealer list to
find a dealer … and I was right; I found a dealership in New Philadelphia, OH.
Mathias BMW was there to
help.
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| Bigger Side Stand Foot Added Before We Left |
We left Toronto on the 6th
of May and I had the 600-mile service done on the 7th. My
calculations were spot on, because the odometer on the bike read 629 miles when
the bike went in for the checkup.
Each year during spring, our
Canadian Motorcycle Club plans a somewhat longer trip to get rid of the
winter hibernation mood most Canadian motorcycle folks are in.
This year, it was decided, we
are going to see an ‘old’ comrade who originally was from New Orleans and moved
back ‘home’ a few years ago from Mississauga, Ontario. I guess the club misses
Ken, the man who went ‘home’.
I do not remember how many
people went on this first club ride for 2018 but it was a good turnout. The
logistics were handled by Jack Gucciardo. He did a good job. Laying out the
route, finding hotels on the way, setting up the overnights in New Orleans,
etc. takes a lot of work, Thank you Jack. Sure he had help from the local man
Ken, but…you know the saying, walk a mile in my shoes to see how difficult it
is to do anything. Jack did great.
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| Ready to Ride |
I had to get used to riding
my new bike. The ergonomics on the new bike are not yet set up to fit me. I am
tall and as every rider knows, the riding position needs to be made to fit my
body. The bike, new or not, needs adjustments and farkles. Carol and her bike had no issues, she rode
like a champ, but for me, my wrists hurt, I was leaning forward too much. My
legs cramped up because they are angled wrong. It takes some time to fiddle
with those adjustments; it takes miles to find your best position on a bike.
We rode about 400 miles (650
km) a day, and then just settled into any hotel we saw at the side of the road.
The U.S. is easy that way, there are hotels in every town and there sure are
lots of towns. The total distance from Toronto to New Orleans, with the detour
to see the dealer in Ohio, was around 1450 Miles. So you can see we needed
about 3 plus days riding at our speed.
