MID-MAY IS NOT WHAT MOST WOULD consider the optimal time of year to take a ride to Cape Breton, but as the forecast indicated a five day stretch of fine weather and after suffering a long Maine winter, I decided to go for it. A 39 year old motorcy- cle (a ‘76 R 90/6) might also not be what many would consider the optimal mode of transportation for a 1,400 mile trip. How- ever, after owning the bike for several years, I felt comfortable that what few bugs there were had been worked out. The bike had been bought from Bavarian Motorcycles West in Denver, where Peter Homan had done an excellent job with upgrades, main- tenance and tune-up, So I packed my Krauser bags and headed


northeast from home on the mid-coast of Maine. Not having undertaken such a long trip on this or any other bike, I was a little apprehensive. I had booked a room in what looked like a nice B&B in Amherst, Nova


Scotia, for the first night, so I had a defined first destination (an “easy” six and a half hour ride, according to Google Maps). The pleasure of the ride soon overcame


feelings of apprehension. The old Beemer hummed along up US Rt. 1 and then up onto State Rt. 9, otherwise known as the “Airline” (so named in the 1850s because of its shorter route from the Bangor area to Canada than the older coastal route). Calais and the Canadian border were reached after a ride of a couple of hours. A quick lunch and a gas tank top-off (I found gas to be cheaper south of the border) was fol- lowed by an easy border crossing and some better Canadian roads with less traffic. The bike was in its element, cruising smoothly up the highway with its sweeping curves “slightly” above what I estimated was the speed limit and slightly faster than most of the few cars on the road. The signs said 110 km/hr. The bike was loving it, so was I.


Concerns about mechanical reliability faded. I was beginning to think the old bike was in better shape than I. Another stop for gas and a little stretching away from the bike helped alleviate my physical discom- fort. I was ready to push on toward my first night’s destination. I arrived in Amherst at the Regent B&B


around 7:30 that night to a warm welcome from proprietor Jim Kerr who showed me upstairs to a very nicely furnished front room with attached bath. He directed me to the local pub down the street (pretty much the only dining opportunity in town) where I might get a bite to eat before it closed. A hot bath afterwards was a welcome luxury, as was the delicious breakfast the next morning served by Phil in his beautifully appointed dining room (trimmed out in the late 1890s by idled railway car cabinet mak- ers and joiners). It appeared I was the only guest, so Phil was free to treat me to a


The Heritage Home in North Sidney.


October 2015 BMW OWNERS NEWS


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