Time for an adventure!

Sabrina’s heading out on a Yamaha Super Ténéré on a solo trip deep into Quebec. She’s never been so far by motorcycle on her own before, and if she ever returns, we’ll have her story of the adventure here. At least she speaks the language. We think.

Come back to read how it went, but for now, here’s a teaser of what to expect. –Ed.

The plan was to travel in a pack, but try getting a handful of 20-something young professionals, some of whom have family obligations, to clear a four-day-weekend for a motorcycle trip to La Belle Province. It’s like trying to herd cats. Without treats. While the vacuum cleaner is on.

This would be what Bilbo Baggins would call an Actual Adventure. We finally agreed on the last weekend of September. It wasn’t the most popular weekend; it was the least unpopular. We even settled on a destination: we’d be heading to the Shire. And by Shire, I really mean Quebec. Picturesque, lush, green landscapes, nice country folk, countryside roads. The Shire! That would also make me a Hobbit since I’m from Quebec, but I’m cool with that. A really tall Hobbit.

At that point, I thought all that was left to do was book accommodations and make the trip happen. Oh, the naivety. Never take anything for granted when planning a trip with other people. Lesson learned. From three people, my pack came down to just one: me. Truth be told, I’ve never travelled by motorcycle so far and for so long in a group, let alone on my own. The idea of it is exciting and daunting and well out of my comfort zone.

My bike is Yamaha’s Super Ténéré, a prized machine in the popular adventure bike segment. It has aluminum boxes, heated grips and a 23-litre gas tank to take me more than 1,400 kilometres on a chilly September long-weekend. I’ll see if the Super Ténéré will rise to my expectations and whether this first-ever, four-day road trip will end up being a success or an utter disaster. Or maybe a little bit of both.