Leroys73
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2022
- Messages
- 58
- Age
- 76
- Location
- Dallas area
- First Name
- Jerry
- My Ride
- Yamaha Royal Star Venture traded to Tiger 900 GT Pro
Sold Honda VTX1300R
- Riding Since
- 1965
While sitting in the room at Manic 5 with nothing to do except BS we decided to inventory our supplies (snacks and water) which were OK for the next day. We reviewed our plans for the next leg of our odyssey. We already had some prepaid deadlines we had to meet.
We were up and out early the next morning greeted by light rain. The next 240 miles would be almost all gravel. Randy had about 8 gallons of fuel so 240 miles was no issue for him. My Tiger 900 holds 5.28 gallons of usable fuel. I always figure 40 mpg, which is a low estimate, at interstate speeds, just to be safe. Since this run to the next fuel stop would be at 50 mph max, I was sure I could make it without filling my 2-gallon Armadillo fuel bag.
Overall, the road was not bad. There were some tight turns, railroad tracks, hills, sand, gravel, ruts, rocks, and some rain, but nothing overly challenging. As long as a person did not get stupid it was a good fun ride.
My Tiger and I on Quebec 389. One of the few places we felt we could stop for a picture.
Manic 5 Room Fox at Manic 5
My low fuel light came on showing 50 miles to empty and we weren’t exactly sure of how many miles to the fuel stop. Randy had his GPS on since mine stopped working. It was showing a little more than 50 miles.
I was concerned but not overly worried. I knew he could take my Armadillo fuel bag to fill it up and rescue me. Due to my calculations, I knew I should be able to make the 240 miles with a few miles to spare. However, that is when I realized the fuel at Manic 5 must not have been top quality.
After a stop for the “required” photo at the Newfoundland and Labrador sign (they are one territory) we continued on to fill our tanks in Labrador City. When I arrived at the fuel pump, my fuel warning showed 12 miles to find fuel. My calculations were pretty close.
Here the highway changed to NL 500. Also, the official start of the Trans Labrador Highway.
After fueling up we checked into the Northern Inn, or something like that, in Labrador City. It was OK but not as nice as a fellow said in his book. The room was clean with plenty of room. The parking lot was good.
We tried to find the steak house the lady at the motel told us about, but no luck. We made the mistake of eating at a Tim Horton restaurant. The food was terrible. The service was terrible. No offense intended Canadians.
That was our first and last time eating at a Tim Horton. They make McDonalds taste like a first-class restaurant. Tim Hortons are all over up there. I guess their taste buds are different than mine.
This was another location we allowed for an extra night if we were weathered in. Thankfully we could leave the next morning. After a good night of sleep, we were up and rolling somewhat early. Our next night would be Happy Valley-Goose Bay (340 miles) with a fuel stop in Churchill Falls at (160 miles).
One deadline was the ferry reservations from Labrador (actually Blanc Sablon, Quebec) to St. Barbe, Newfoundland, where we had reservations for two nights. Second was our reservations for two nights at the Hotel Fortune and the ferry, without motorcycles, from Fortune, Newfoundland, to St Pierre, France, for a one-day visit. Yes, St. Pierre is on an island that is a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland. Third was our reservations with a cabin on the 16-hour ferry from Argentia, Newfoundland, to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.
So far, we were ahead of schedule since we only used one of our three “extra” days (Plattsburgh, NY) planned into the trip. Since Happy Valley-Goose Bay is of historical interest, we thought we might want to spend two nights there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Valley-Goose_Bay
When planning the trip, we were concerned about the weather delaying us. We could not miss the ferry to Newfoundland as that would have cost us money and jeopardized the entire Newfoundland adventure. Once we were on the island of Newfoundland, we could make up some time by eliminating some of the roads and side trips we had planned to do.
We left Labrador City by 0700 with a stop at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich, much better than Ted Horton’s. With our stomachs happy and our motorcycle fuel tanks full we headed for Churchill Falls, 160 miles. Then 180 miles to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
When we originally began planning for this trip in 2018 the Trans Labrador Highway had very little pavement and it wasn’t very good. We were delayed by covid and family trips. By the time we made this trip the Trans labrador was completely paved (excellent pavement) from the Labrador border to the ferry at Blanc Sablon, highways 500 and 510. We had mixed feelings about that. Dirt can be fun and challenging on the right motorcycle. We were on the right ones.
We obtained fuel at Churchill Falls. Took our normal restroom break. Ate some snacks and took in some liquids. We had another 180 miles to Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Goose Bay was a SAC base back in the day. I met a fellow who lived there in the 60’s. His dad was in the air force. He said the only way in was by boat or plane. The only way out by land was one road out and it was a very rough dirt road to Churchill Falls. It was an all-day trip. He said his graduating class had 11.
We rode through town. We rode through some of the neighborhoods. It was drizzling. We didn’t stop for any pictures. It is an interesting place.
We stayed at another Northern Inn or something like that in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It was OK. There was a restaurant next door that was fair. We decided not to stay an extra day.
So far on this trip we have seen almost no wildlife except for the fox at Manic 5. After being warned about the abundance of moose and the accidents they have caused we were on high alert. On this leg we finally saw a moose. It was dead along the road. That was the only one we saw on the trip.
On the road again early. We had filled up our tanks before turning in for the night. This time I also filled my 2 gallon Armadillo fuel bag, just in case. Our next stop for fuel would be Port Hope Simpson. This would be our longest stretch, 260 miles, with no fuel available.
Randy has about an 8-gallon tank. He is good for 350 or more miles. My Triumph 900 only holds 6.25 gallons. I never got around to mounting my 3-gallon auxiliary tank. At interstate speeds I can count on 170 miles before the low fuel light turns on. We would be traveling 50 to 60 mph. At those speeds I could get 200 miles before the low fuel light would turn on. After that I would be able to travel another 50 or so miles. But this time I had my 2 gallons of fuel in the Armadillo bag.
We were over 50 miles before Port Hope Simpson. I was keeping tabs on my distance to empty and distance to our fuel stop. My low fuel light came on showing 50 miles to empty. I had the two gallons in the Armadillo bag, but I did not wish to stop. Randy continued to tell me I could make it. I really wasn’t concerned since I had two more gallons. We made it to the fuel stop. I still had 3 miles left to find fuel. LOL
We were up and out early the next morning greeted by light rain. The next 240 miles would be almost all gravel. Randy had about 8 gallons of fuel so 240 miles was no issue for him. My Tiger 900 holds 5.28 gallons of usable fuel. I always figure 40 mpg, which is a low estimate, at interstate speeds, just to be safe. Since this run to the next fuel stop would be at 50 mph max, I was sure I could make it without filling my 2-gallon Armadillo fuel bag.
Overall, the road was not bad. There were some tight turns, railroad tracks, hills, sand, gravel, ruts, rocks, and some rain, but nothing overly challenging. As long as a person did not get stupid it was a good fun ride.
My Tiger and I on Quebec 389. One of the few places we felt we could stop for a picture.
Manic 5 Room Fox at Manic 5
My low fuel light came on showing 50 miles to empty and we weren’t exactly sure of how many miles to the fuel stop. Randy had his GPS on since mine stopped working. It was showing a little more than 50 miles.
I was concerned but not overly worried. I knew he could take my Armadillo fuel bag to fill it up and rescue me. Due to my calculations, I knew I should be able to make the 240 miles with a few miles to spare. However, that is when I realized the fuel at Manic 5 must not have been top quality.
After a stop for the “required” photo at the Newfoundland and Labrador sign (they are one territory) we continued on to fill our tanks in Labrador City. When I arrived at the fuel pump, my fuel warning showed 12 miles to find fuel. My calculations were pretty close.
Here the highway changed to NL 500. Also, the official start of the Trans Labrador Highway.
After fueling up we checked into the Northern Inn, or something like that, in Labrador City. It was OK but not as nice as a fellow said in his book. The room was clean with plenty of room. The parking lot was good.
We tried to find the steak house the lady at the motel told us about, but no luck. We made the mistake of eating at a Tim Horton restaurant. The food was terrible. The service was terrible. No offense intended Canadians.
That was our first and last time eating at a Tim Horton. They make McDonalds taste like a first-class restaurant. Tim Hortons are all over up there. I guess their taste buds are different than mine.
This was another location we allowed for an extra night if we were weathered in. Thankfully we could leave the next morning. After a good night of sleep, we were up and rolling somewhat early. Our next night would be Happy Valley-Goose Bay (340 miles) with a fuel stop in Churchill Falls at (160 miles).
One deadline was the ferry reservations from Labrador (actually Blanc Sablon, Quebec) to St. Barbe, Newfoundland, where we had reservations for two nights. Second was our reservations for two nights at the Hotel Fortune and the ferry, without motorcycles, from Fortune, Newfoundland, to St Pierre, France, for a one-day visit. Yes, St. Pierre is on an island that is a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland. Third was our reservations with a cabin on the 16-hour ferry from Argentia, Newfoundland, to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.
So far, we were ahead of schedule since we only used one of our three “extra” days (Plattsburgh, NY) planned into the trip. Since Happy Valley-Goose Bay is of historical interest, we thought we might want to spend two nights there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Valley-Goose_Bay
When planning the trip, we were concerned about the weather delaying us. We could not miss the ferry to Newfoundland as that would have cost us money and jeopardized the entire Newfoundland adventure. Once we were on the island of Newfoundland, we could make up some time by eliminating some of the roads and side trips we had planned to do.
We left Labrador City by 0700 with a stop at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich, much better than Ted Horton’s. With our stomachs happy and our motorcycle fuel tanks full we headed for Churchill Falls, 160 miles. Then 180 miles to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
When we originally began planning for this trip in 2018 the Trans Labrador Highway had very little pavement and it wasn’t very good. We were delayed by covid and family trips. By the time we made this trip the Trans labrador was completely paved (excellent pavement) from the Labrador border to the ferry at Blanc Sablon, highways 500 and 510. We had mixed feelings about that. Dirt can be fun and challenging on the right motorcycle. We were on the right ones.
We obtained fuel at Churchill Falls. Took our normal restroom break. Ate some snacks and took in some liquids. We had another 180 miles to Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Goose Bay was a SAC base back in the day. I met a fellow who lived there in the 60’s. His dad was in the air force. He said the only way in was by boat or plane. The only way out by land was one road out and it was a very rough dirt road to Churchill Falls. It was an all-day trip. He said his graduating class had 11.
We rode through town. We rode through some of the neighborhoods. It was drizzling. We didn’t stop for any pictures. It is an interesting place.
We stayed at another Northern Inn or something like that in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It was OK. There was a restaurant next door that was fair. We decided not to stay an extra day.
So far on this trip we have seen almost no wildlife except for the fox at Manic 5. After being warned about the abundance of moose and the accidents they have caused we were on high alert. On this leg we finally saw a moose. It was dead along the road. That was the only one we saw on the trip.
On the road again early. We had filled up our tanks before turning in for the night. This time I also filled my 2 gallon Armadillo fuel bag, just in case. Our next stop for fuel would be Port Hope Simpson. This would be our longest stretch, 260 miles, with no fuel available.
Randy has about an 8-gallon tank. He is good for 350 or more miles. My Triumph 900 only holds 6.25 gallons. I never got around to mounting my 3-gallon auxiliary tank. At interstate speeds I can count on 170 miles before the low fuel light turns on. We would be traveling 50 to 60 mph. At those speeds I could get 200 miles before the low fuel light would turn on. After that I would be able to travel another 50 or so miles. But this time I had my 2 gallons of fuel in the Armadillo bag.
We were over 50 miles before Port Hope Simpson. I was keeping tabs on my distance to empty and distance to our fuel stop. My low fuel light came on showing 50 miles to empty. I had the two gallons in the Armadillo bag, but I did not wish to stop. Randy continued to tell me I could make it. I really wasn’t concerned since I had two more gallons. We made it to the fuel stop. I still had 3 miles left to find fuel. LOL
