Live in Ontario but have a pining for the fjords? That sucks and good luck with it, but if you have a pining for the Maritimes (it is where all the cool kids are BTW), then you may be interested in hooking up with Traction eRag, who are trailering street bikes from Ontario to the Halifax International Airport in July.
For $549 return (motorcycle and gear transport only) you can fly into Halifax, where your bike and gear will be waiting for you and have a whole week to explore Nova Scotia’s Peggy’s Cove, Cape Breton for (the obligatory Cabot Trail) or even go on to explore Newfoundland.
The bikes will be on the ground in Halifax on July 24th and picked up on July 31st, you’ll be in on a Friday and back home one week later.
Seven days will allow time to sing a drunken round of Barrett’s Privateers at the Lower Deck in Halifax, eat freshly steamed snow crabs on the west coast of Cape Breton, dance the jig at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou during open fiddle night or even kiss a Codfish in St Johns.
She be a right wicked time bye (you will understand this by day five).
If interested, please contact dallas@tractionerag.ca as there are limited slots available on the trailer.
Just returned from a 10 day trip from London, Ontario to Edmonton, Alberta throught the prairies. We traveled no more than 25 kms. on interstate highways as far as Saskatoon, and I must say the prairies are one of Canada’s least mentioned treasures. Anything but flat and boring as those never having traveled would suggest. There are countless lakes so large you would think they were all members of the great lakes. Given the limited population, traffic is nonexistant and it often feels like you’re on top of the world while cresting the undulating roads. The only hazard you might run into might be the delay with the gas attendant at most full service stations interested in where you are from and where you are going.
Don’t underestimate the beauty and diversity the prairies have to offer!
it’s b’y, not bye, yous gotta work on Newfie me son. Grab some Blue Star ol’ man come down and I’ll learn ya.
Addendum – the quicker you get there, the more time for exploring a great area. Cape Breton, the Cape George area, etc.
I’ve done Oshawa to Sackville New Brunswick a few times – 15 to 16 hours and it’s not that big a deal really. I know it’s supposed to be about the journey, not the destination but sometimes, you’ve just gotta get there. I usually ride straight through on the way down, enjoy myself there and take a couple of days coming back through Maine, Vermont, etc.
I’ve never ridden straight through to Halifax but I don’t think Sackville to there is six hours.
Two days unless you have an Iron Butt patch. Day one gets you to Farmington ME from TO, Day two onto PEI.
I did PEI to Oshawa in one Redbull inspired trip on my KLR, but I prefer running the good roads in daylight such as NYS Route 3 and the Kancamagus.
http://rottenxxxronnie.blogspot.ca/2014/08/2014-prince-edward-island-and-points.html
@V-Strom Ry Let me know if you have questions – you can email me or contact me through the website. We’ve got a mix of motorcycles in the trailer already…
@bondo – I would politely disagree. Toronto to Halifax is 22 hours. If that’s what you call a day’s ride, you are a better man than most.
And that’s two longish days, for most people, of grinding it out on the TCH – quite boring. You could take the longer, scenic route there and back, and there’s lots to see along the way, but then you’d be talking 3 or 4 days each way. Not leaving much time for exploring Nova Scotia itself.
I’m considering this, as I have to be in Halifax for a wedding on August 1st. Riding down, as mentioned, is a bit of a chore, especially on a bike not particularly touring oriented.
Hi Cam, we may do Calgary or Van in the future. We currently run dirtbike trips but we thought we would see if there is any interest in this type of thing for the streetbike/ADV crowd. On public forums, we’ve encountered a lot of the attitude that Bondo has put forward – taunting and name calling, but in our circles, riders are very busy with careers and family and don’t have time (or desire) to ride to the destination they hope to explore.
I agree with Cam, VIA should have such a service. As a BC’er I would love to be able to ship a bike to the east coast and either go for a ride or ride all the way back. I have the means to do it, I just don’t have the available time off to accomplish a ride to the Maritimes and back.
Ship your bike from Ontario to the east coast? Um, it’s only a day’s ride – or is that just too much of a grind for most of today’s “enthusiasts?”
Great idea. I thought that VIA should offer such a service between major centres, and I wrote them to say so. Take the train from Toronto to Edmonton or Vancouver or even Halifax and they bring the bike in the baggage car. It would take a bit of updating, but is not that complicated, and we boomers have bikes, time and money. Well I think enough of us do. It sure beats riding through northern Ont and the prairies, and yes I have done it several times, dangerous for bikes, and not much fun. Or maybe this company could ship bikes from TO to Calgary or Van! Nice to see some options.