Ishirock said:
Thanks everyone for the great advice. I only have 2 weeks so I'm planning to take the super slab with my bike in my truck to either a friend in Albany, ny or one in New Hampshire. That should give me more seat time in the places I haven't been too. Plan right now is to go in the beginning of August. I will be riding 2 up with the misses and we dig off road. I'm an ol enduro "a" rider, but really hate picking up the blu pig. Will I be OK on the Cabot trail?
I am from Cape Breton and have ridden the Trail often - you'll be fine...slow, but fine...
August will see you in the midst of tourist season, so reset your mental outlook for low and slow when touring around the Cabot Trail. There are roughly 6 opportunities to pass (legally). Yes, it is that twisty and tight. In reality, there are more opportunities to pass, but not many.
Just get up early and be on the road (maybe by 8am) to beat most of the traffic in areas like the Cabot Trail. The trail is a day drive, with stops for photos, lunch, etc. Maybe a nice 8 hours with time to dawdle.
If you have a chance to stop at the Keltic Lodge (which you do not need a national park pass to visit, as the lodge is actually owned by the province. Other areas inside the national park will see you needing a pass if you want to stop and chill a bit, but many simply skip the pass and watch for patrols to avoid tickets. Stopping for a photo won't likely be an issue, but leaving the bike for a couple hours to go on a hike without a pass will net a ticket.
It'll be humid - the Gulf Stream comes up closer to Nova Scotia during the summer months, pushing warm humid air into the region. I lived there until 5 years ago, so am very familiar with summer conditions around Nova Scotia.
Temps can easily reach into the 90s in summer, with the humidity - stay hydrated.
But, the rewards...
Cabot Trail
The South Shore/Lunenburg
Bay of Fundy
Baddeck
Bars and nightlife in Halifax (depending on your timing, you might catch the buskers)
Gas won't be a problem, unless you opt to skip fillups when you're low.
If you come back saying Tim Horton's coffee is some of the best you've ever had, I'll find you and beat you.
Now, the hot chocolate, that's another story! (I order mine online and just finished a mug, in fact.)
People are nice and all. Food is fine. If you like seafood, you'll find a slice of heaven.
Now, offroading is a bit more of a challenge. I used to drive Jeeps offroad all around the province. It's true offroading - like deep ruts, steep hills, rocky ledges - the type of stuff a Tenere CAN do, but maybe shouldn't. And if there is any rain, you do not want to try the Tenere in the mud there.
Power lines can be explored as the actual land for powerlines is owned by the government, with the power company leasing space for each power tower. These they have roads along them - just be very, very careful exploring as the conditions I've outlined above exist on many of those "roads" along powerlines.
HUGE fun in a Jeep, but on a 600 pound adventure bike, maybe not so much.
I know Halifax will have a Yamaha dealership, and Sydney in Cape Breton (where I grew up and started riding) probably still has one, with a few distributors scattered around in various other communities as well. Just in case you need something specific.
Just don't expect them to have loads of parts on hand.
Overall, as so many others have suggested and will suggest, it's a great place to tour. Getting there, plan a ride through New Brunswick and see what that does to your timing. Ferries come and go (pardon the pun) but continents drift slowly enough that riding through NB will always be an option.
It'll consume a day, as I recall, but I know first hand that Northern Maine is absolutely beautiful.
Oh, and pack deet. DEET. The flies through Maine and into NS will eat 5 pounds off your body and consume roughly a pint of your blood an hour if left unchecked.
None are large enough to harness and help lift the Tenere if you drop it, but they're close. Like a miniature pony, as opposed to an actual horse. If you could lash TWO or more mosquitoes together, that could work.