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So me and Lana got home yesterday from what will have to pass for summer holidays this year.... Wainwright to Kelowna and back in 6 days with 3 days of beach bummin', In-law visiting and general laziness as the stated goal of the endevour.... according to Lana..... I was pretty much just there for the riding... and the lazy-thing.

I put just over 2600 KM (1500 miles for the metrically impaired) round trip on the FJ, 97% of it 2-up, 80% of it 2-up and loaded down. The bike ran like a champ, the only sign that the altitude had changed was that the bike didn't fire up as briskly as normal when stopped up high (and hot ) in the mountains. I took careful notes of milage and fuel usage, but not careful enough, I think. I work it out that I got 50 MP Imp.Gal (about 44.5 MP USg), but that can't be right. I think I musta missed a fill-up someplace. If I factor in an extra average 260 KM fill into that, it comes down to about 40 MPG CA. That's alot more believable to me, and even better than I expected, I normally get about 44 solo and at 2500 ft instead of 5-6000 ft. I was alot easier on the loud handle than normal, what with the wife on the back and all..... anyways, the only bike problem was expected, any time I get this bike more than 100 miles from home, I burn out a tail light. Just the tail light, brake light still works and always the one on the right. Be dammed if I can find the fault in the circuit either..... and always when I am on a trip, rather than just a ride, if you follow me. And same thing this time, noticed it the second day in Kelowna, same bulb burned. Changed it with the one I carry in my pocket and it was working when I parked the bike at home yesterday. It will work until the next time I ride to the city...... Oh yeah, some old guy walked into the bike and broke the front fender. He was walking toward the bike, looking at it very closely, and just never stopped or swerved around it. Walked straight into it . The plastic on these bikes is crud ABS and brittle as hell, and the fender had been snapped and repaired at the same point in it's past ownership, so it was no big deal(just an annoying rattle over larger bumps) and epoxy works great on it(I snapped the other side washing the bugs off the fender a few months ago )

So that was the bike.

The ride was freakin' Great!
This is the first time I have gotten to ride a streetbike in the mountains. Buzz like. Buzz like lots.

We rode to Calgary last Wed. after I got off work and got a room for the night. The next morning we met Karl(FZrider) in the parking lot and we rode to Kelowna together. It was a good ride, Karl knew the road (I hadn't been on it for over 25 years and I was about 12) and set a good pace for me and Lana, knowing when to back off and open some space between us and any cars for upcoming corners worth having some room to play in

Poor Karl had to suffer Lana's camera skills too. He has a small video camera and wanted some shots of him on his BumbleBee FZ1. Lana never did get any shots of him and even managed to erase some stuff he already had, I think. I'm sorry Karl

She did get one of him on our camera(You wanted pictures of him when he was all leaned over? I thought it would be better to get one when he was straight up and down and not moving around ) Not that I'm much of a lensman myself.....

Here is where I would put pictures, if I could get them to work right now But since I can't and it's late, I'm going to bed and work on it tomorow

Sounds like it was a good run Dean. Along way for Lana on the back Im sure, but glad a good time was had by all.

The funny thing is, it was her idea to take the bike(well she thinks it is, I'm not gonna ruin that fantasy ), I even tryed hard to get her to backout, sore butt, weather, ect.... and the big one, limited extra clothing space, she took it like a trooper. Even ready for more, she just just wants to keep it down to about 500 KM a day.

O.K. got the pictures sized right, so here goes....Lana's not too comfortable taking pics off the back of the bike so not many of them are moving shots.....

Here's Karl(FZrider) not leaned over or doing anything 'scary', lol.


One more Thrilling Action shot.


A view across Lake Okanagan....


And from the opposite direction...


Dolphins.... trying to escape the lake to get to an ocean, I guess.....


How the poor folks of Kelowna live, you should see the Ritzy side of town. They wouldn't let me see that part....


Various mountainous views and such as seen from the Trans Canada Hiway...








The trusty FJ seconds before 'Mr. Stupidoldguy walked into it.....

Dean was quite correct - The ride through the mountains was great. I would have appreaciated a little less traffic (preferably none!) but I can't really complain because there was no construction, no accidents, no forest fires, no rock slides, nor anything else that sometimes causes big traffic jams on the TransCanada Highway. And, I could not have asked for more perfect weather. It was actually a little too nice by the time we got to Vernon. I couldn't handle cooking in my leather jacket any more so I decided to ride the remaining 50 or so km with my leather strapped to the back seat. I now have a new understanding of why people buy those armoured mesh jackets!

Here are a few of my pics. I think Dean's are better but I didn't have the advantage of having a photographer behind me. I had to multi-task! The first two pics are on the way to Kelowna and the last picture is coming back to Calgary.

Oh Man, I HATE seeing pics of myself on a bike. Thank God for fullface helmets.......

And don't feel bad about losing the jacket, Karl. We got suck in totally stalled traffic once we rolled into town that night and sweated our you-know-whats off. I never wore my jacket again untill we packed up and headed home on Monday. I LOVE 30-35 above!!!! So much so, I'm seriously considering moving off this God-forsaken prairie for someplace with less wind, more heat and curved roads.....

Don't worry Dean, it's not a fashion show!

Ya, I'd love to move back to Kelowna. Sad thing is that I never had a bike when lived there.

Great picture you two and that is great that Lana had suggested it now maybe next year she could be on a bike beside you for the trip.

Chels wrote:Great picture you two and that is great that Lana had suggested it now maybe next year she could be on a bike beside you for the trip.

Sound like a plan. You should have come along this year! (Then maybe I would have had video footage! )

Getting her a bike is pretty high priority, next year hopefully. She's actually still pizzed off that I won't let her start on the FJ, like she was planning. She's even more heated that I won't teach her to ride myself. The MSF course will be doing that for her. I'm no teacher, and generally a poor example for her anyways.... let the experts do it. At least it will be done right.

Anybody looking to get rid of a nice old KZ-650 like Ron's for next to nuthin'?