CYCLE MAINTENANCE

A NERVOUS WRITER BECOMES AN EASY RIDER

If you’re driving behind a motorcycle on the highway and it passes another, pay attention.

You’ll notice that riders of all stripes greet each other with a subtle hand gesture. I saw it repeatedly as I rode the ocean road from Victoria to Port Hardy. Throttling down from Bella Coola to Williams Lake, traffic was sparse but the wave was always present. By the time I roared through the steep canyons of Highway 99 to Pemberton, that wave became more than just an acknowledgement of how exhilarating it is to ride a motorcycle: it was a celebration of how fortunate we were to be riding this particular road, in this magical part of Canada. Across the country, the bike salute binds each rider into a Fellowship of Road Trips. Blink and you’ll miss it.

PERHAPS LIKE MYSELF, you don’t own a motorcycle and never have. Perhaps like myself, you’re drawn to the experience of riding a Harley Da- vidson or a sport bike on some of the country’s most scenic roads. Perhaps you’re also nervous about high speeds, or taking dumb risks, or not willing to drop thousands of dollars on a bike you might only ride a few weeks a year. Luckily there are several companies in BC that offer motorcycle rentals, including Cycle BC, International Motorsports and EagleRider Rentals. I opted to rent a classic Harley Davidson Road King from EagleRider for roughly $100 per day, gas included, which was easier and more affordable than I expected to find my dream machine. Now I needed a road trip.

BIKERS FIND EACH other, because it’s fun and considerably safer to travel in groups. Riding in staggered formation, groups own the road and rarely get overtaken. I was fortunate to join (let’s avoid the word ‘crash’) an annual road trip of a regular group ranging in age from 24 to 60. They’d spent many months planning a trip north from their home base in Victoria, taking the 10-hour ferry to Bella Coola, and returning south via Vancouver over five days. I met up with them heading north along the island’s Highway 19, getting familiar with the bike, lifestyle and landscape. I could smell forest earth and ocean salt, the new rain and tilled farmland. Road trips in cars put us in a closed box as the world passes by. On the motorbike, I found myself fully immersed, in the moment and constantly adjusting to the environment.

We roll into Dave’s Bakery in Campbell River, devour the best Reuben sandwich on Vancouver Island, and discuss the trip ahead. Bikers are like anglers; eager to share war stories, technical tips, sage advice and the odd tall tale. All agree my Harley is the most powerful bike in the group, worthy of admiration and a fair amount of ribbing too. The Harley sub-culture deservedly tends to inspire both envy and ridicule.

Scenes from the journey, including a ferry ride from Port Hardy to Bella Coola.

We leave Campbell River and haul up the coast, traffic dissipating as the meandering asphalt cuts through endless forest. Rolling through small communities, each settlement feels more interesting than it does when seen through a car windshield. We constantly pull off to look at roadside attractions and viewpoints. Sometimes we open our throttles, sometimes we ride well below the speed limit in formation. Although my motorbike experience is limited at best, I feel comfortably safe in the leather saddle and grateful for my motorcycle’s forgiving clutch. We arrive in Port Hardy to spend the night in the excellent Indigenous-owned and operated Kwa’lilas Hotel. Feasting on memorable salmon-encrusted halibut in the adjacent pub, we look forward to the early morning ferry.

BC FERRIES’

Northern

Sea Wolf is a 76-metre-long vessel offering yearround service between Port Hardy and Bella Coola. Taking just 35 cars and 150 passengers and crew, we’d reserved months in advance as the spacious ferry fills up in the summer months with RV’s and campers. We ramped on the 7:30 a.m. sailing, strapping our bikes down to counter strong waves that fortunately did not materialize. On the upper deck, we joined German, French, Dutch and local tourists taking in the extraordinary coastline, framed by King Island and soaring cliffs on the mainland. The captain made regular announcements about whale sightings and a humpback breached for us as if on cue. It’s a long, comfortable journey, with time to play cards, chat with travellers, gaze at the sea channel and look forward to the challenge ahead.

A road trip isn't a road trip without a breakdown somewhere along the way.

Bella Coola serves as a gateway to the Great Bear Rainforest, and a centre for bear-watching and outdoor adventure tours. We struck out early, anticipating issues along Highway 20’s infamous Hill. Full of switchbacks, steep inclines, single lane passes and hardpacked gravel, unseasonal wet weather had created long stretches of choppy mud. The hybrid off-road bikers in our group licked their lips, but I decided to call the cavalry. A friend in Williams Lake borrowed a trailer to help my Harley get over a notorious hill in horrendous condition. No need to be a hero. Although the motorcycle lifestyle promises renegade freedom, the truth is that most riders are not outlaws “Wanted Dead or Alive.” They’re wanted back in the office on Monday morning.

I REJOINED MY mud-baked group at the other side of The Hill, who confirmed the value of having good friends with trailers. We fuel up in Nimpo Lake, and speed out into a dramatically different landscape. It’s a long, wild biking day with everything: sun, rain, mud, curves, flats, horses, cows and the shadows of moose. Lush farmland, burned forests, snow- capped peaks, marmots and mosquitoes the size of marmots. After 90,000 kilometres of reliable road trips, the Honda Shadow in our group rattled to a stop, defeated by age, mud and questionable mechanical maintenance. We arrange a tow to Williams Lake, divide up the saddlebags, invite the rider to hop onto the back of another bike, and start the debate of which bike he should buy—or rent—next. Every bike trip is an adventure and all agree you can replace a motorbike, but not a rider.

SOUTH FROM WILLIAMS Lake, the topography is more dramatic. Sage brush bristles in the breeze as we slowly snake through narrow mountain canyons carved by the mighty Fraser River. Dozens of bikers are gathered in Lillooet for the night, heading north or south. We admire machines, compare road conditions, and begin planning next year’s itinerary. East to Alberta? What about south into the US? It’s something to think about as we wind our way to Pemberton and onwards to Vancouver, riding the world-renowned Sea to Sky Highway. 1,800 kilometres and five incredible days later, I returned my bike that afternoon, greeting staff with a big smile.

Whether you used to ride, want a different ride or harbour a dream to ride the open road, renting motorbikes is an affordable, easy and magical opportunity. I already know what bike I’m going to rent next year. When you see me on the road, don’t forget to wave.