RobWCanada
expert rider
So, my first post on here and also my first bike!!! And my first time ever being on the road with cars, trucks, grain haulers, moose, dear, rain, thunderstorms, etc...
I'm a mature rider, got my M2 like 10 years ago, never got a bike because I needed a car, but decided I'm not getting any younger and still want a damn bike! lol
M1 -> paper test, expires in 90 days
M2 -> need safety course/test to get, expires in 5 years
M -> final stage, needs road test, doesn't expire
Anyway, on with the good stuff.
I wanted the Svartpilen 401 because it's small, light, agile, has adjustable shocks (which I did adjust btw), and most of all it's very unique. I couldn't find one local (local used, yes, but that was the same price as the new one I purchased).
It was purchased in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, I live in Toronto, Ontario. This is 2,840 km away. Notes I took along my ride.
Saskatoon ➔ Honey Harbour Boat Club:
Aug 31 (Saskatoon ➔ Yorkton)
If you look closely, you'll notice that approximately 26 hours of my 32 hour trip was in the RAIN. And we're not talking a like sprinkle. Mostly torrential rain, severe thunderstorm warnings my whole trip. On the second day my luggage was all strapped up and ready to go and it started to sprinkle, literally 30 seconds later golf ball size hail meteors fell from the sky, smashing down on my 1 day old Svartpilen! I looked around there was nothing but a steel garbage can! I grabbed the lid and placed it over my display, luckily nothing else happened to the bike. It was approximately 30-40 mins of off/on hail.
As mentioned the trip was 2,840 km, done in 5 days. I was trying to do 600 km per day, but due to the rain and my rain clothes not being as waterproof as advertised I couldn't do it. Near the end of the trip when I got more diligent (as I was running out of days off haha), I started getting closer to the 600 km/day.
I would have like to have done it slower, taken the time to take more photos, but with all the rain it was just too difficult to get the phone out in the pouring rain take photos and try and get my hands back in my already soaked gloves. My plan was to do some wild camping alone the way, had my tent and everything, but literally only did that one night because I needed a place to dry out all my clothes and boots.
Through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, it was almost solid rain the whole time, wind gusts of 50-60 km/hr. When I was sitting in the hotel in Yorkton and Portage La Prairie, my head felt like it was rocking back and forth because I'd been battered by so much wind.
I installed the Puig windshield on the morning of Day 2, in Yorkton, was a bit better, but the windshield doesn't help the 50 km crosswinds lol. I have also ordered a Puig 230 mm clip-on wind deflector (for even more protection), hopefully that can mount to the top of the Puig shield.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba are pretty flat, and the weather brutal, I would have loved to have seen it in the sunshine, but that's not what was in store for me. Once I got to eastern Manitoba, the landscape suddenly changed about 100 km from the border, trees, rocks, small mountains/hills (i.e. noticeable elevation).
If nobody has been to Northern Ontario (Kenora, Hwy 622 to Atikokan, Nipigon, North Eastern Lake Superior Provincial Parks) this was unbelievable scenery, I've lived in Toronto my whole life and didn't know this was here, simply beautiful and awe inspiring. Sadly however, almost this whole part of my trip was again, in the rain.
Hurricane Ida I believe.
When I got through the 250 km of provincial parks on Northern Lake Superior I was so cold my legs were shaking (14ºC and pouring rain). Not to mention that morning the first restaurant in my whole trip that was closed due to covid was A&W in Marathon, Ontario. They made me eat outside in the pouring rain. Since that point I was ice cold for the rest of the day...my helmet on my head in the morning kept my head warm.
While in Marathon, Ontario I also bought a "boot dryer"...for those who don't know, this is magical. Dried my gloves, boots, helmet (it was soaked due to rain draft I guess). Get this if you plan on any trips. This one is not small but pretty compact. You will thank me if you get your shit wet like I did. And everything I had was said to be "waterproof". I had some Hevik "waterproof" over gloves that didn't even last 5 minutes in the rain. From motel to A&W, took em off, Dainese 4 Stroke 2 gloves were absolutely drenched, inside of the Hevik gloves drenched. Just horrible. GP Bikes has told me to send the back as that's super bad and they'll refund my money. GP Bikes is great.
I literally got this double bagged and attached it to my gas tank rack with a Puig Bungie cargo net (I brought 3 of these with me). Love my tank rack!
This post is getting real long. I had the following luggage setup:
Not sure what else, I've written a lot and not sure anyone will read it, but feel free to ask questions.
Next time, I'll need better rain gear. Ordered some Sidi Adventure 2 Mid Boots, I think my rain pants and jacket will suffice, but will need to order some waterproof/armoured gloves. No more over gloves for me. Looking at the Dainese D-Dry gloves or Klim, dunno.
I've bought a SW-Motech Pro DayPack tank bag. These things literally drop onto the mount and secure themselves in half a second and are removed with a simple pull of a cord. Magical solution. Hopefully I can get it to work as they say the Start (or any husky naked bike) isn't compatible. Check this out, I'm sure a lot will want if it works. I got one of the KTM mounts which mounts to the gas tank ring. I will post back when or if I can get it mounted.
Anyway, lemme post some pics.
Rob
I'm a mature rider, got my M2 like 10 years ago, never got a bike because I needed a car, but decided I'm not getting any younger and still want a damn bike! lol
M1 -> paper test, expires in 90 days
M2 -> need safety course/test to get, expires in 5 years
M -> final stage, needs road test, doesn't expire
Anyway, on with the good stuff.
I wanted the Svartpilen 401 because it's small, light, agile, has adjustable shocks (which I did adjust btw), and most of all it's very unique. I couldn't find one local (local used, yes, but that was the same price as the new one I purchased).
It was purchased in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, I live in Toronto, Ontario. This is 2,840 km away. Notes I took along my ride.
Saskatoon ➔ Honey Harbour Boat Club:
Aug 31 (Saskatoon ➔ Yorkton)
- Day 1: 355 km
- Weather: Severe thunderstorms all day
- Time: 6 hrs, 4:00 pm ➔ 10:00 pm
- ODO: 355 km
- Day 2: 373 km
- Weather: Severe thunderstorms all day
- Time: 4.5 hrs, 2:30 pm ➔ 7:00 pm
- ODO: 728 km
- Day 3: 453 km
- Weather: Heavy rain all day, except 1 hr, cloudy
- Time:8 hrs, 11:00 am ➔ 7:00 pm, 8 hrs
- Got license plate in Kenora!
- ODO: 1181 km
- Day 4: 597 km
- Weather: Morning rain, 6 hrs sun and cloud
- Time: 10 hrs, 15 mins, 9:30 am ➔ 7:45 pm
- ODO: 1778 km
- Day 4: 520 km
- Weather: SEVERE rain all day
- Time: 9 hrs, 15 mins, 8:30 am ➔ 5:45 pm
- ODO: 2298 km
- Day 5: 542 km
- Weather: Sunny, warm — Only day of Sun!!
- Time: 7 hrs, 30 mins, 9:30 am ➔ 5:00 pm
- ODO: 2840 km
If you look closely, you'll notice that approximately 26 hours of my 32 hour trip was in the RAIN. And we're not talking a like sprinkle. Mostly torrential rain, severe thunderstorm warnings my whole trip. On the second day my luggage was all strapped up and ready to go and it started to sprinkle, literally 30 seconds later golf ball size hail meteors fell from the sky, smashing down on my 1 day old Svartpilen! I looked around there was nothing but a steel garbage can! I grabbed the lid and placed it over my display, luckily nothing else happened to the bike. It was approximately 30-40 mins of off/on hail.
As mentioned the trip was 2,840 km, done in 5 days. I was trying to do 600 km per day, but due to the rain and my rain clothes not being as waterproof as advertised I couldn't do it. Near the end of the trip when I got more diligent (as I was running out of days off haha), I started getting closer to the 600 km/day.
I would have like to have done it slower, taken the time to take more photos, but with all the rain it was just too difficult to get the phone out in the pouring rain take photos and try and get my hands back in my already soaked gloves. My plan was to do some wild camping alone the way, had my tent and everything, but literally only did that one night because I needed a place to dry out all my clothes and boots.
Through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, it was almost solid rain the whole time, wind gusts of 50-60 km/hr. When I was sitting in the hotel in Yorkton and Portage La Prairie, my head felt like it was rocking back and forth because I'd been battered by so much wind.
I installed the Puig windshield on the morning of Day 2, in Yorkton, was a bit better, but the windshield doesn't help the 50 km crosswinds lol. I have also ordered a Puig 230 mm clip-on wind deflector (for even more protection), hopefully that can mount to the top of the Puig shield.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba are pretty flat, and the weather brutal, I would have loved to have seen it in the sunshine, but that's not what was in store for me. Once I got to eastern Manitoba, the landscape suddenly changed about 100 km from the border, trees, rocks, small mountains/hills (i.e. noticeable elevation).
If nobody has been to Northern Ontario (Kenora, Hwy 622 to Atikokan, Nipigon, North Eastern Lake Superior Provincial Parks) this was unbelievable scenery, I've lived in Toronto my whole life and didn't know this was here, simply beautiful and awe inspiring. Sadly however, almost this whole part of my trip was again, in the rain.
Hurricane Ida I believe.
When I got through the 250 km of provincial parks on Northern Lake Superior I was so cold my legs were shaking (14ºC and pouring rain). Not to mention that morning the first restaurant in my whole trip that was closed due to covid was A&W in Marathon, Ontario. They made me eat outside in the pouring rain. Since that point I was ice cold for the rest of the day...my helmet on my head in the morning kept my head warm.
While in Marathon, Ontario I also bought a "boot dryer"...for those who don't know, this is magical. Dried my gloves, boots, helmet (it was soaked due to rain draft I guess). Get this if you plan on any trips. This one is not small but pretty compact. You will thank me if you get your shit wet like I did. And everything I had was said to be "waterproof". I had some Hevik "waterproof" over gloves that didn't even last 5 minutes in the rain. From motel to A&W, took em off, Dainese 4 Stroke 2 gloves were absolutely drenched, inside of the Hevik gloves drenched. Just horrible. GP Bikes has told me to send the back as that's super bad and they'll refund my money. GP Bikes is great.
I literally got this double bagged and attached it to my gas tank rack with a Puig Bungie cargo net (I brought 3 of these with me). Love my tank rack!
This post is getting real long. I had the following luggage setup:
- 52 lbs on my back pillion seat
- 41 lbs in a SW-Motech 350 DryBag
- this had camping gear, emergency stuff (repair kits, toolkit, extra 'stuff' I could have used and did), bathroom kit, etc...
- 11 lbs in a XLMOTO 20L backpack
- got this for like $20, was waterproof and cheap!
- tried to wear this on the back and hated it, so rigged up a Puig bungie cargo net and fixed it to the SW-Motech 350 with the aid of a carabiner clip and some parachute cord...not sure I have a good pic of that.
- This bag had my clothes, toilet paper (I never needed it), rain gear (easy access to the top bag)
- 41 lbs in a SW-Motech 350 DryBag
- 10 lbs strapped to my frame on the right side below the gas tank
- SW-Motech DryBag 80
- This had Leatherman Titanium Charge TTI+ (really nice tool), GoPro stuff, batteries, 20,000mA battery charger, GoPro charger (the thing EATS batteries), sunglasses (never needed them), Kryptonite New York Disc Lock (impressive thing but heavy -- didn't bring the 10 lb chain haha) w/disc lock reminder cord
Not sure what else, I've written a lot and not sure anyone will read it, but feel free to ask questions.
Next time, I'll need better rain gear. Ordered some Sidi Adventure 2 Mid Boots, I think my rain pants and jacket will suffice, but will need to order some waterproof/armoured gloves. No more over gloves for me. Looking at the Dainese D-Dry gloves or Klim, dunno.
I've bought a SW-Motech Pro DayPack tank bag. These things literally drop onto the mount and secure themselves in half a second and are removed with a simple pull of a cord. Magical solution. Hopefully I can get it to work as they say the Start (or any husky naked bike) isn't compatible. Check this out, I'm sure a lot will want if it works. I got one of the KTM mounts which mounts to the gas tank ring. I will post back when or if I can get it mounted.
Anyway, lemme post some pics.
Rob
