July 14th seven of us left from Derry, NH for the 2007 CST. The following is an 'Executive Summary'. Detailed report to be posted to my website eventually.
Riders -Dave (Batman) Michaud
Skip (Freeskate) Wareham
John (Turbo) Kirby
Bourbon Bob Bowler
Bruce (Sprocketman) Tessier
Frank (Two Meals) Limoncelli
Zoltan (I don't need no stinkin' nickname) Feledy
Bikes - 6 Twins and one I42 Ducatis
1 Aprilla
2 Beemers
1 FJR1300
1 RC51
No Crashes
No Tickets
2 Tires
1 Sprocket
1 Mirror
Day One - Derry to Fort Kent, MaineSpirited ride north. Frank's bike tipped at a stop near the end of the day. Bruce tried to save it and grabbed the mirror which came off!
LEO turned back to talk to us. Cited some of the speeds, said he was a rider himself and wasn't gonna write us but to take it easy. I asked what he rode. He said a Gixxer 1000. We both laughed.
Dinner in Fort Kent with many attractive waitresses.
Day 2 - Fort Kent Maine to Riviere au RenardRain in the am. Stopped for 30 minutes at boarder by a gorgeous border guard. No one complained. Good pace all day. Frank discovered he needed a tire. Great lunch at La Homard
Day 3 - Riviere au Renard to Bathurst New BrunswickCouple hours spent in the Forillon National park at the tip of the Gaspe. Beautiful.
Then on to Gaspe so Frank could get a tire. Stopped in Perce for photos.
Then rain.
About 50 miles before leaving the Gaspe for New Brunswick...and after some VERY spirited riding, we came into Maria to be greeted by 4 cruisers and a road block. Directed into parking lot expecting the worst until I saw a Vespa and a Harley had been stopped too. Routine 'paper work' check staffed by 3 stunning female Canadian Mounties. (...nah...gonna leave it to you to wander around with that thought for a while)
About the time we left Perce Skip informed me his tire was toast too. Stopped in Bathurst for the night.
Day 4 - Bathurst to Port Hood, Cape BretonLucked out. Skip got new tire in Bathurst and we were on our way by 9:00.
Dull ride through New Brunswick. Off 4 lanes on to nice roads in Nova Scotia.
Lunch in Pictou. Lovely waitress....
Arrived at Port Hood and Haus Trueburg about 4:00. Time for a swim before dinner.
Day 5 - Port Hood to Port Hawkesbury (and Halifax for one)Perfect weather for Cape Breton. Just before Meat Cove Bruce announced that his sprocket was cooked. After certain amount of nashing of teeth sent him off on his own to Middle River where there was some hope that a sprocked might be found.
Four of us rode to Meat Cove...two to Dingwell.
Then on to Middle River to search for Bruce. He had come and gone. No sprocket there so he rode another 200 miles to Halifax where another sprocket was thought to exist...
The rest of us motored to Port Hawkesbury, had dinner and collapsed.
Day 6 - Port Hawkesbury to Peggys CoveRain...most of the day...sometimes hard. Took the Marine Coastal route the whole way. Nice road...better in sunshine.
Short Ferry crossing in Isaacs Harbour.
Outstanding lunch at The Lobster Hut in Jeddore.
Heard through the grapevine that Bruce had scored a sprocket this morning and we would meet him at Oceanstones.
Arrived at Peggys Cove and Oceanstones at about 4:30. Myself, Skip and John took the Perriwinkle cottage on the ocean. Fantastic. Bruce was estatic to see us. Like a puppy who was locked up all day. Everyone was pretty well whipped.
Day 7 - Off dayI gave the group a break. It was raining and everyone was looking forward to a down day.
Skip and I rode out to Shubenacadie and ran a bunch of hot laps on the Atlantic Motorsports Road Racing circuit. Great fun even if my center stand was draggin most of the time!
(Better pics and video on Skips camera. Will post up later!)
Very nice last group dinner at Rhubarbs.
Day 8 - Peggys Cove to Yarmouth to HomeRain most of the way down the 103 from Peggys Cove to Yarmouth where we caught the Cat. Spent about an hour at an antique car show in Yarmouth.
Ferry was cool.
Everyone was happy and tired.
No one got sick. Landed in Portland about 9:30. Bruce ran out of gas getting off the Ferry. My siphon worked! An hour through customs and home by 11:30.
Great trip...thanks all for joining me!
More pics here....
LRRS June 2007Dave
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