I really need to start carrying a diary for these trips. This trip was somewhere around 450-500 miles.
Left Home at 4:00pm on July 17th, went South on Route 103 to Woodstock, then 165 to the Hodgdon Rd to the Route 2 exit and Murray’s truck stop for gas. Took the Hodgdon Rd. back to route 165 and turned south again. Followed 165 to Meductic, and then followed Temple Rd until it met up with Route 2 at Richie. Got off of Route 2 at Exit 231 onto Route 102 at Pokiok and continued South until we had to pick up Route 2 again at Exit 253. Jumped back onto Route 102 at Exit 258 via route 3. Picked up Prospect St from Route 2 at Fredericton. We stopped to eat at the Deluxe Fish and Chips on Prospect at around 5ish. Boy has that place gone down hill since that last time Crys and I eat there. By this time it is a little drizzly out, but we decide that we don’t need to put on the rain gear just yet. After supper we filled Surely at the Irvine on the corner of Prospect St and Regent St. We retraced Prospect back up to Hanwell Rd. and picked up Route 640 so that we could pick up Route 3 to St Stephen. It was 9:30pm by the time we hit St Stephen and getting dark. Filled Surely back up, 74miles if I remember right and took about 6.6L. Couldn’t find a B&B and didn’t feel like setting up the tent so grabbed the first Motel we come too. By this time it was 10.00pm and we where pooped, the $115 price tag almost woke me up though.
We woke up at 7.00am and it was just starting to rain. Went and had out “free Contenital” breakfast, (ya right, here is some fruit, bread, cereal, juice, and a toaster, help your self.), this is why I wanted a B&B. We pulled out of St Stephen onto Route 170 at about 10.00am and picked up Route 127 into St. Andrews. By this time it was foggy and rainy, damn good this we put our rain gear on at the Motel. So much for the “Sights” of the Fundy coast. Surely started to act up at about Pennfield, I though maybe gas, but it was only 56 miles or so that we had ridden, so filled her back up. God I hate having to go to the bathroom when kitted up the rain, feel like I’m peeling an onion. At this point Crys and I decided that we would get back onto Route 1 and get to St John. We stopped into the local “Harley/Honda” dealer looking for a leather vest for Crys. Parked next to three Harleys. Boy did we get some funny looks in the store with our rain gear on, me in bright “day glow” orange and Crys in yellow. By the time we finished looking it had started to rain cats and dogs out side. The Harley riders where standing at the window looking out as Crys and I walk out the door, put on our helmets and drive off in this down pour. We stopped at a friend’s house to find out the directions to the Vintage bike meet we are going to. By this point, Crys and I have wet feet and hands, so we jump onto the big street, Route 1 and head for Moncton. Surely is still acting up in the wet, but she is still running at 75 to 80. We stop at Sussex for more gas; mind you I am not letting her get way down between stops today with the rain and all. Boy is Surely ever being a royal B now. Acts like 2 or 3 is loading up and just acting bad. I check the choke, it’s off. I pull it to “Full” and Surely just about dies, down to “Half” and she roars to life but wont stay there. Hmm, maybe the tank bag is the problem. I wiggle the bag off the gas cap and wiggle the cap. Surely responds and runs pretty good all the way to Salisbury, where we stop to get a bite to eat, or so we thought. Lined up clear to the main doors, nope, down to Mountain Rd, and a Subway. This Subway is just a little kiosk in the Esso gas station. 4 chairs. It’s down to a drizzle outside again, so Crys and I eat outside at the picnic tables still in full rain gear. We call the people running the meet and get final directions to there place. Off we go, Surely still acting up. Jump off Route 2 onto the 106 heading for Dorchester, almost there.
We get to the meet at about 3:00pm, feet and hands drenched but the rest of us pretty dry. I need to start carrying a notebook or diary because I can’t remember the years on the bikes. There were 6 or 7 Arials, (the guy how had the meet at his place), two Nortons, two or three BSAs, a CB750, a Honda V4, a couple of newer Harleys, a BMW (I thought was a four but was a 6 cylinder). Most were locals, but the guy with the BMW came for Cape Breton. The guys were hopping that the 37 Indian from Pennsylvania would be there, but the guy couldn’t get the time off. They had planned to have a small ride around the area but the rain put wrench into that.
We still had a good afternoon and evening talking bikes and shooting #$%*. Buy 10:00pm Crys and I retired to the tent still damp in the feet; we forgot to bring dry foot rigging. By 3:30am we where so cold I unzipped the two bags and place one under us for some insulation from the ground. Finally got warmed up and asleep by the time that GD rooster woke us up around 6ish in the morning. Tea, coffee, French toast and bacon was served for breakfast. We hung out for the rest of the morning recuperating from the night before. Dinner was hamburgers, sausages, and beer chickens. We left about 1:00pm to work our way back home.
Crys and I worked our way back to Route 2 and turned East toward NS; needed to be able to sew another patch to the vest. The crosswinds across the Tantramar marsh was no fun riding through but we made it to the Visitors Centre on the NB-NS boarder. They had a pin that said “This bike has toured Nova Scotia” but just couldn’t get it because we haven’t toured NS on a bike yet. I can justify the flag on the vest because we did hit NS soil for at least 15 min.
We then headed back to Aulac for gas. From there we caught Route 16 heading for PEI. Jumped off of Route 16 onto Immigrant Rd and headed into Cape Tormentine; the old NB/PEI ferry crossing. From there we headed up the coast on Route 955. I was tempted to jump back onto Route 16 and ride over and back to PEI on the Confederation bridge for another flag, but with the wind, I didn’t feel like fighting it any more then I had too, so that ride is for another day. We stopped again at Murray Corner to get gas. Boy is my grandparents house starting to look run down since distant family who live in Ontario bought it. We continued on Route 955 to the Route 15 connection then onto Route 2 at Moncton. Two or three miles of grooved pavement with gusting crosswinds is no fun at all, I would rather run on loose gravel then that stuff.
We stopped at Salisbury and filled up both Surely and our selves at the Silver Fox. Once we got refueled we headed out on Route 112 to Coles Island. Surely is still running but she is starting to not sound right, can’t place my finger on it, but her exhaust note has changed. Almost sounds like she is loading up a cylinder. Still she marches on like a trouper. At Coles Island we connected to Route 10 and jumped onto Route 105 at Youngs Cove. We stopped again for gas in Fredericton, wow 97 miles on 10L of gas. Now we made a choice of running the shortcut home that you could say runs through the middle no ware. We jumped onto Route 104 for the 60 mile ride home. By the time we get through Millville, I am starting to worry about Surely a bit. The change in the exhaust note is now I can hear in the engine. Maybe a valve adjuster backed off, don’t know yet but she continues to load up either #2 or #3. Now by the time we hit Route 575 at Pole Hill, it is getting dark. My face shield is bugged over, the headlight seems to be pointing to the moon, and I am getting very tired and a bit cold, but need to get to some lights before total dark or I don’t think I will see anything. As we got nearer to Hartland, we had a couple of cars come up on us real quick, I’m running about 50mph. We found out why when we got home. When we went across the Covered bridge at Hartland, Surely was sounding really bad, and if it hadn’t been 1 mile to the house I would have parked her for the night.
Well, we get in the drive way and start unloading the old girl and remember those cars coming up so quick. Hmm. Turn the key on, then the light switch, head light, but no tail light, Oh #$%* I think, pull the break and it lights up so at least there was break lights. At least we where semi visible with the back reflector, a large yellow bag on the rack and Crys’s orange bandana blowing in the wind behind us.
Now that we are back home it is nice to look back on the trip. There was some moments when we thought “why did we do this” but the meeting up with friends and strangers on the road is why. We always had a destination to go to, but ride through roads I have never been on with a bike was fun.
James & Crys
