The last episode set the stage for the Fiddy Run and in this installment we finally hit the road. Which for me meant riding a scooter for the first time ever.
There is a ~150 km stretch between Saskatchewan Crossing and Jasper without any gas stations. Peter estimated scooter range at less than that so we needed to carry some fuel. The rainbow tie down strap is a nice colorful touch.
At this point I still had never ridden a scooter but I had chance for a very small practice ride up to breakfast then the event was starting at 10am sharp. The four digit odometer on the 1983 I was riding was set to roll over shortly after the start so I had to keep an eye on it so we could capture the moment.
It is a 1983 Honda Mascot as sold in Canada.
Aero in the US. This side is an eBay sourced replacement panel as this bike was in poor shape when Peter bought and subsequently revived it. My number 42 was inspired by Douglas Adam’s classic book “trilogy” Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. For the record I did bring a towel which was useful in wiping the morning’s dew off the seat.
The campsite had a cowboy breakfast cooked fresh on site which we took in.
We were now at the starting line. We did briefly have a prime spot at near the front before a few others squeezed in.
A wide variety of machines were ready to go. The closest one I believe to be Skyteam Ace 125 which is a recreation of a 1960s Honda. The next couple along are very modest 50cc Tomos built in Slovenia.
Kawasaki Z125, Honda Grom, Tomos
There was also a few small, vintage bikes including this Suzuki.
This Honda had two cylinders! Honda CM 185 Twinstar and Yamaha 90cc.
Italjet Dragster
Here is pretty much the line up of the forty two competitors. And we were off! We did a LeMans style start which I flubbed by not holding the starter button down long enough so I got off to a slightly slower start. Peter got a hole-shot and (very) briefly held the lead.
Shortly after getting under way the odometer rolled over on the 1983 I was riding so we stopped to capture that moment.
Just like a new machine again!
Given this is not the natural habitat of a scooter we used the shoulder when faster cars came up to let them pass.
We were passed by some of the “bigger” machines in the run.
A Yamaha C3 which I love how it looks like a food cooler made into a bike.
This was my view for most of the day.
We stopped at Saskatchewan Crossing to fuel up as it was the last gas for a 150kms (93 miles). The cost was a rather shocking $1.70Cdn/L ($5.79US/gal if I have done my math right) but at least we did not have to buy much. Our range is more like just over a 100kms (62 miles). Due to our stop for the odometer roll over photos the 50cc powered Tomos caught up.
At the gas station we spotted this interesting looking Chevy truck. Looks like a S10 from South America so someone was on a long journey.
Going with a biker rebel vibe I parked in a no parking zone.
Interestingly the ’85 (blue) has revised suspension, rims, bodywork, relocated muffler and extra storage compartment over the ’83-84 (red). The 1985 was only sold for one year in North America so they are rare to find.
Traffic was not too bad beyond the usual (and terrifying) rental motor-homes driven by overseas tourists. There was a Banff to Jasper marathon relay running race on which caused some delays even to our slow pace. Mostly due to the support vehicles parked at the side of the highway and sometimes erratically driving.
We had our first fatality of the run when a squirrel ran under Peter’s front wheel.
Both scooters were running very well which is a testament both to Peter’s renovation skills and Honda’s original engineering. The 1983 I was riding had slightly better top end due to a worn belt on the blue one but the 1985 had better acceleration.
After a long, steep climb we took a break near the top and caught up to some of the other riders.
My ride and I.
We got pretty high in elevation during the run. One could certainly feel the impact on performance.
There was still a bit snow at the side of the road even in June.
A short while later we had made it to the Columbia Icefield which has shrunk massively in the last couple decades but is still the largest ice field in the Rocky Mountain range. It also sits astride the Continental Divide.
We then began our descent towards the mountain town of Jasper, Alberta. The gas gauge on the Mascot I was riding had suddenly stopped working but luckily the Aero’s was still function so we were able to judge our filling needs accurately.
We will leave Jasper for the next installment.
Wow, stunning scenery, driving a scooter in those surrounding must be surreal but so nice to have such minimal traffic around while enjoying it bar the occasional looney motorhome. And then being at a lower speed so wildlife encounters are better anticipated/avoided etc. I’ll bet the scooters enjoyed it as well being at full throttle for kilometers on end. So much easier to pull over in a scooter and hop off to take a couple of pictures periodically than to brake a car, turn it off or pull the brake, open the door, get out, take the pic, get back in, fasten seatbelt, and get going again…
Although I am not a motorcycle guy, this looks like a whole lotta fun. Taking in the scenery with the slow speeds and unobstructed view must be stunning.
I haven’t read Part 1 or all of Part 2, but isn’t this road trip somewhat similar to one chronicled in the Stephen King book The Stand?
I have considered doing something vaguely similar but in a small/underpowered car, traveling along the Appalachian Ridges.
Fantastic scenery. I’m so eager to get the van up to that part of the world.
This Banff to Jasper stretch is the absolutely amazing and the most scenic part of the Rockies I have seen.
If you make it to Jasper some day leave yourself some time to check out the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin south of Edmonton. You will not be disappointed.
I would second that. Amazing place. I would come join you for the day if it worked. If there was enough interest we could organize a CC warehouse tour.
https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/
Not a scooter or motorcycle guy, but enjoy the scenery and vintage equipment. Had a chuckle at the paper-based GPS on the one bike.
Last year’s route apparently involved a lot more turns and one group ended up in the neighboring province of BC. This year’s route was very straightforward from a navigation perspective so the map was likely not required.
What? No Previa pics this segment? No eulogies for the squirrel? Your being kind about the wobblypoppers in the rental RV’s. Here in BC wine country they are a genuine menace. Cheerful, but a menace none the less.
Great stuff, still hoping to get out there at some point.
I’m not sad about the squirrel, when they were planning to change the slogan on Ontario license plates I thought “TOO MANY SQUIRRELS” was the best submission.
My only scooter experience was a 125cc Vespa my brother owned during his brief Mod period. I must confess I would be mighty nervous travelling that slowly on two wheels, I prefer to be going the same speed as traffic.
In my opinion, “TOO MANY SQUIRRELS” is better than “A PLACE TO GROW.” Seriously, who came up with that slogan?
The squirrels?
CC Effect? Our dog nearly ambushed a squirrel that was in our back yard last night. 😉
More CC effect – I’ve just learned that squirrels love lobelia. Over the past two nights they’ve eaten all the flowers off about 5 pots worth (just the flowers mind you), before moving on to the broccoli in the vegetable garden. This could be war!
Oh…nice pictures. 🙂
Squirrels are simply rats with bushy tails and better PR.
I call them tree rats
We need to do this in Oregon. There are so many great roads and so many automotive eccentrics.
That is pretty cool.
I always wanted a Honda scooter. I loved(and still love) the look of the Honda Elite 125/150 with the hidden popup headlight.
In the end I owned a Cheapo ($500) Chinese Vespa knockoff that was sold at Pepboys. It was slow as crap but 49cc so it meant I did not need to tag it and only needed a regular drivers license and a helmet to ride it.
This trip makes me think of my years with the Hercules that I inherited from my dad.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-or-moal-1968-hercules-mk-iv-moped-of-a-lifetime/
Riding a moped is kind of an intermediate speed between riding a bicycle and riding a motorcycle. The slower you go the more you see. This adventure should be very memorable for that reason.
I travelled the Icefields Parkway three times; twice on motorcycles, once in my ‘73 Vega. Most recently 32 years ago, so I’m fortunate to have seen the glacier up close from the road. I guess all those trips were on/in what would now be considered CC’s, too! But between 12 and 48x the displacement of these 50’s, even though one of my bikes was also a single.