I am considering taking a dual sport bike to Canada on a vacation. It is fully street legal (XR650L), other than having the smog equipment removed. Any input?
Nobody's going to check your smog setup and if you've still got the L accoutrements you'll look nice and legal too. Just have your headlight and tail light illuminated, plate visible where it ought to be, working brake lights and a nice big visible rear view mirror. If you didn't loudify the pipe, you should go unnoticed unless you ride somewhere where a riders vs landowners problem has occurred. Carry M-license, ownership and insurance papers for the possibility you do get pulled over. That alone usually separates you from the **** disturbers in the police's view.
If you come to Southern Ontario there's lots of guys who would be glad to show you some local riding.
is the insurance part a big deal? I just got the bike, it is insured, but I don't have the paperwork yet. My registration is in my wallet.
I have noticed the speed limits are pretty low in Canada, considering some of the nice roads in sparsely populated areas. When I was there last, traffic traveled at roughly the same speed as it does here tho, give or take...
As a basic rule of thumb don't do anything in Canada that you wouldn't do at home. The insurance part is a big deal. If you should get stopped by the police they will want to see prove of insurance. And speed limits in Canada seem to be about the same as they are in the US.
What kind of trip are you planning?
Brian Helliwell
President, Ontario Dual Sport Club www.odsc.on.ca
Insurance can be a big deal, in Ontario, but I don't know specifically in other provinces. When doing highway time people bend the limits like everywhere else I've travelled in North America. Get them to fax you a temporary insurance slip.
I checked the map, Ear Falls is probably about 1400 miles from me. You are likely closer than I am. The area should have 100's of miles of logging and mine roads which will be great for dual sporting.
I fizzed out before I dug up an adequate map, but Dual Sport Guy's stuff shows you to be going to a place that is a long highway day from Saulte Ste Marie, followed by another whole day's highway travel to southern Ontario. The countryside is mostly the same from about 100 miles north of Toronto all the way till the arctic zone starts - Canadian Shield - rocks, trees, rocks, trees, rocks, trees, water, rocks, trees and then more of the same. It would probably be quite a special trip out of your way to get to southern Ontario. Elsewise, enjoy the back road and back trail running up there. Maybe give a post-trip report of any highlights. Tip: those innocent looking water pockets in the rocks can be reeeeeal deep.
Is this a Northern Canadian beaver ? :aj: Watch out, they're as mean as Jackalopes. ;)
I live in Canada and the speed limits are close to the same as in the us. On many roads it is 70 km/h which is 45mph and on highways its 110 and in the us it is 65(not to sure). I usually drive 120-130 on highways and I've got stoped once. And as for the bike, I wouldn't worry about it
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