First real road trip of the year:

My girlfriend is heading to a conference in Banff. I don’t really want to go, but we have friends in Calgary and moreover, they’re offering me the R1200GS for a few days… What choice do I have?

At my friends advice, I pack just about every piece of riding kit I own – Summer weight gloves to heated jacket liner. Checking in at the airport, my bag weighs 52 lbs. Thankfully, it’s a fully kitted out R1200GS, with the massive Touratech panniers and back rack. I should be fine, if a little heavy.

When we arrive, there is a bike meetup on 17th. After taking a few photos and chatting to a few people, I realize they do take their biking seriously out here.

The next day, I am greeted with the BMW fully fuelled and oiled with a new rear tyre to boot. Packing is easy with such luggage. Way easier than the Tiger, though I have to admit I am nervous taking it off the center stand and backing out the garage. In this case, the nerves are somewhat unfounded and the GS slides off the center and with a slight wobble, I back out. Setting off in Calgary, it’s 24C – perfect riding weather – and I am headed to Banff. First I have to get out of town, though.

Riding in Calgary is less than thrilling. Like a lot of cities, it’s traffic snarled and plumb-straight. There is however an awareness of bikers that doesn’t exist in Ontario. They pull over to give you room and they seem to look when changing lanes – A pleasant change that makes me smile. Last time I was here, I headed East from Calgary as the weather was awful. The roads there are little better than in town (i.e. straight), but head West and you meet some of the best riding I’ve ever done.

Firstly, the scenery. It’s the Rockies, dammit. How can you fail to be moved by mountain after snow-capped mountain? The mountains also mean elevation changes, and secondly, that means curves. It’s may not be as technical as the Alps, but it is great fun.

Day one was a simple jaunt into Banff itself up the 1A. It’s more interesting than Highway 1 I could have taken and it gave me a nice, simple 150km to get used to the BMW. I rode one a couple of years ago around England and I liked it. This one felt almost instantly familiar. The lurch to the right is still there when you roll the throttle open. The switchgear is a PITA for anyone used to any other brand of bike. And the weight is not great fun at a standstill – two up with full luggage makes for a heavy machine. But get it moving and somehow, the BMW contrives to hide it and progress is therefore rapid.

Banff arrives sooner than I thought, but that is because I was going a little more quickly than I’d realized. Again, the BMW flatters to deceive. A high up saddle and wide bars rather than clip-ons means the sensation of speed is minimal and it’s further disguised by the low revs and highly civilized exhaust note of the boxer twin. It’s comfy too. By Banff, I’m still fresh when on the Tiger i might have been a little more sore.

The next day, I am alone on the bike with a lot less to carry. I head West to Revelstoke, mainly as I had been told the roads in that direction were fun. It’s colder today and it rained before I set off. Thankfully, I bought the heated kit with me as the skies look like I might need it. Heading West, the roads are as good as I thought. There’s not too many of them, at least not on the map I am using. The 1 is the main highway (though I am typing this from memory) and it’s mainly two lane. Every so often, you’ll see a number of cars parked by the side of the road. Look, and you’ll see people ogling black bears, deer, caribou or moose. I didn’t. I was here for tarmac.

And the 1 didn’t disappoint. While there were a fair number of cars, it was rare to see a convoy of more than three or four that made passing impossible. Overtaking opportunities aren’t common, at least if you are in a car, but on a bike there’s plenty of options. It’s no racetrack either, but it’s also reasonably twisty. Putting a knee down is not an option here (at least, not on the BMW) but I also doubt it would be necessary anyway. Speeds are as a result somewhat higher than the rest of traffic, but there were no close calls. To be fair, I saw more bears than cops and I like it that way.

I have to say, the heated kit was on most of the time, albeit low. The weather in Revelstoke was way better than Banff and almost warm. Almost. Once there, I fuelled up and turned around the way I’d come. I had planned on heading south from there and doing a big loop, but it would have meant and overnight trip and I wasn’t prepared. Instead of taking the exact same route back, I detoured via Radium hot springs on the 95. At Radium, I gassed up again and was instantly in the middle of the largest storm I’d seen for a number of years. The clouds were black and it started to pour with rain as the lightning blazed across the sky. Undeterred (and probably foolhardily) I set off. The GS handles in the wet as well as the dry. The roads were perhaps a little greasy but the hulking BMW didn’t care and progress was similarly rapid, though the scenery was somewhat lost in the weather. Back up through Kootenay, the roads straightened somewhat, but that made the riding easier, which was good as I was starting to tire.

Arriving back at Banff, I had my first moment. It was still raining and as you turn off the highway, there is a texas gate right there at the turn. Picture a wet road, a BMW R1200GS cornering to exit off of the highway with no signage and enough rain to keep the visor fogged as I am slowing down. I’m sideways, right? And blind. And when I hit the texas gate, the rear tire breaks traction and spins the bike around. I’m not sure how I played hero. Dirt riding helps as I’ve felt the back slip before but I guess the wheel finally hit tarmac and stood up. I felt cool but probably looked dangerous. At least, I would have if anyone saw me…

Back at the hotel, the BMW once again proved its credentials. 700Km later, it’s been soaked and abused. It doesn’t care. I feel reasonably fresh getting off it and everything in the panniers (which included my iPad) was completely dry. This is a bike to see the world on.

But then came my second moment. After dragging everything in and taking my wet gear off, I realize I left my video camera on the bike. I’d mounted it on the engine bars and promise I will add some footage when I can figure out how to edit it in Final Cut. When I got to the bike, I tried to open the camera case but it fell forward. Odd, I thought. It’s come loose. As I pushed it back into what I thought was the right position, it came off in my hand. It seems the bracket wasn’t loose but that it had snapped. Another kilometer or two and I’m sure I would have lost it.

More on the second day later.

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