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Motorcycle World says “One of the best motorcycling experiences”

Motorcycle World
August, 2001
by Steve Koerner

Your Pass to Western Canada—Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Holidays.

2001 model Bonneville in the shadow of its legend—a 1970 Bonnie (front).

We had just started down the road and already I was leaning hard into yet another tight turn on the highway snaking through Canada’s Pacific Coast mountains. There surely must be a God. How else could anyone explain the Duffy Lake Road? This is a gift from heaven to motorcyclists everywhere. A magnificent series of hairpin curves cut through the mountains taking riders from the coastal rain forests to the arid uplands of the interior within three hours. But it’s not just the road. There were several factors adding to my two-wheeled revelation.

I was part of a seven-day spring tour of British Columbia and Alberta operated by Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Holidays (RMMH). The company offers adventurous motorcyclists several tour packages of western Canada. All tours run out of Whistler, a ski resort community north of Vancouver, British Columbia. This particular weeklong tour would take us northeast through the interior of British Columbia into the heart of the Rockies and through the lake regions of Kootenay and Okanagan. Altogether we would cover some 2,500 kilometers (approximately 1,400 miles).

There were sixteen in our party—half from Britain with the remainder Americans and Canadians plus RMMH owner Mike Ciebien and two guides. We were united by a desire to experience some of the most challenging motorcycling roads to be found anywhere. Most tour clients choose a mount from Ciebien’s Triumph stable. The company offers the full range of new models Ð Sprint ST & RS, Speed Triple & TT600, Thunderbird & Legend, Tiger, and the recently reintroduced Bonneville. All are in tip-top condition. Bringing your own bike is an option (and nets a discount). One British visitor even shipped his Kawasaki Ninja over for this tour.

I rode the 2001 Bonneville. I used to own a 1977 Bonnie built at the old factory at Meriden (near Coventry, England). I wanted to know how the new version compared. RMMH guide Robert Smith rode his restored 1970 Bonneville and allowed me the opportunity to ride the 70 Bonnie as well. 2001 Triumph Bonneville review link

Western Canada in a Week
The tour began on a Monday morning starting with a run up the aforementioned Duffy Lake Road and ending that evening at the Sun Peaks resort north of the city of Kamloops. As with all the accommodations Ciebien arranged, it was first rate.

The following day we went south, crossing the Monashee Mountains, arriving at Arrow Lake by way of a rapidly descending road full of switchback curves. After taking a ferry across the lake, we rode northwards, re-joining the Trans-Canada Highway and spending the night at the rustic Wintergreen Bed & Breakfast in the alpine town of Revelstoke.

Wednesday morning we continued up the Trans-Canada Highway through the Rocky Mountains via Rodgers Pass and then briefly left British Columbia to enter the province of Alberta. We enjoyed the stunning view of the mountains surrounding Lake Louise—a scene splashed over countless postcards. Despite being late May, a thin coat of ice still covered most of the lake. Surprisingly, the air temperature was warm and my spare vest remained unused.

After lunch at the Chateau Lake Louise, we roared down the mountains and then traveled along the mysteriously formed Rocky Mountain Trench past Lake Windemere. Later that afternoon we had a long soak at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort with a high range of mountains towering over us. The day ended with yet another gourmet meal.

The next two days included a layover in the idyllic town of Nelson, nestled in the heart of the Kootenays. Film buffs might recognize Nelson as the setting for the Steve Martin movie “Roxanne”. Some of us took our bikes up a twisting road to the former mining town of Kaslo. Others went off fishing or mountain biking, and one couple chartered a floatplane to view the famous Kokanee glacier.

Saturday morning we were away over a mountain pass where I had my only close encounter with four-legged wildlife. As I rounded a sharp curve, an errant moose chose to cross the road in front of me. I was able to dodge past it with a little quick evasive action. An overnight stay at the Lakeside Resort in Penticton, near the centre of British Columbia’s burgeoning wine country capped the trip. We returned to Whistler Sunday evening after one more run down Duffy Lake Road.

Luxury Motorcycling Each RMMH tour package is all-inclusive in terms of accommodations and restaurants. The overnight lodgings were consistently good and often luxurious. Our meals were nearly always delicious and never mundane. My personal favourite restaurant was a small cafe near the ferry landing on Arrow Lake. “The Mushroom Addition” serves locale cuisine, featuring freshly picked wild mushrooms with nearly every dish. My lunch there was truly excellent and so filling I could barely do justice to dinner that evening.

No matter how high the standards of the food and accommodation, it’s the riding that brings customers to these tours. It’s easy to understand why so many British and European motorcyclists sign on in disproportionately high numbers. The wide open roads offer scope for a kind of extended full-throttle riding which is hard to find back home.

The tour routes vary, but most follow secondary roads with comparatively little traffic. These challenge riders of all skill levels ranging from the merely competent to the expert. Ciebien lets his clients set their own pace, although most seemed happy enough to follow the guides. Some riders prefer a more aggressive style; others dawdle along enjoying the scenery. However, on this tour even the slowest (usually myself) was rarely more than ten to fifteen minutes behind the head of the pack.

RMMH’s main appeal is that it allows customers to concentrate exclusively on their riding. The company’s meticulous planning means you don’t worry about distractions such as finding a place for the night, looking for restaurants and gas stations, or locating the best roads. A chase vehicle carries your luggage, an extra bike, spare parts, and gasoline. It’s all handled for you.

Flexibility is another big advantage. RMMH offers three separate packages for tours of western Canada. There are four and ten day variations of my seven-day adventure. Ciebien also offers a guided tour down along the West Coast of the USA and designs custom group tours upon request.

The fact that 30% of Ciebien’s business is made up of return customers speaks for itself. After a week with RMMH, I can say this is one of the best motorcycling experiences I’ve had. I definitely plan to rejoin Mike Ciebien and Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Holidays next year. By then I ought to be ready for another pass of the Duffy Lake Road.

There is space on the next adventure—The Best of Western Canada, RMMH’s most popular tour. Spanning 10 days/11 nights through British Columbia and Alberta. Tour highlights include glacier country and hot springs $5,500 Cdn, $3,575 US, £2,390 UK.

Steve Koerner, Motorcycle World

— June 26, 2007

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Testimonials

Eva & I would like to thank you and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Team for making our holiday so enjoyable. The tour was organized with enough attention to detail to run flawlessly but without so many restrictions as to make us feel like #5 in a row of ducklings.

We had a fantastic time and would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Holidays to anyone. I’m writing a letter to Bike magazine to tell them of our very positive experience. All in all, the holiday rates up there with our honeymoon!

Best wishes to all.

John & Eva Soones, London

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