Bonnie Does Hokkaido
- Thread starter B06Tang
- Start date
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
Day 5: the last day
We wake up in our tents right on the Pacific on the fifth day and get ready to wrap everything up and head back into Hakodate. This was going to be the first day in five that we actually go on the same piece of road again. The idea of that was kind of sad as this was probably the best ride that I have ever done in the 36 years I have been riding a motorcycle.
Rise and shine!! 0500 and time to get our day started
We wake up in our tents right on the Pacific on the fifth day and get ready to wrap everything up and head back into Hakodate. This was going to be the first day in five that we actually go on the same piece of road again. The idea of that was kind of sad as this was probably the best ride that I have ever done in the 36 years I have been riding a motorcycle.
Rise and shine!! 0500 and time to get our day started
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
we get a move on and need to get back to the ferry before 1800 as one of the guys has to be back home that night. We had time to do the route but we didn't have time to screw off. So we were forced to ride hard just how we had to do the four previous days.
We get about two hours out of Hakodate, the city where we have to pick up the ferry, and my buddy flags me to pull over. He said that he kept seeing something shiny on my tires...
the effect of pure and blissful riding for 5 days:
we finally look up and see our first road sign for Hakodate...the circle is about to be closed
the turn that closes our 5 day circle:
The riding was so good...the twisties were so long and never ending...the traffic was almost always non-existent...the ride was so amazing that I blazed right through a new set of tires in 5 days! Everyone else had tires that were gone as well...I wasn't the only one...but I was the only one that went down to the first core. We had to get to Hakodate and hopefully get some help...now we had to scale everything down and get to the city!
We get about two hours out of Hakodate, the city where we have to pick up the ferry, and my buddy flags me to pull over. He said that he kept seeing something shiny on my tires...
the effect of pure and blissful riding for 5 days:
we finally look up and see our first road sign for Hakodate...the circle is about to be closed
the turn that closes our 5 day circle:
The riding was so good...the twisties were so long and never ending...the traffic was almost always non-existent...the ride was so amazing that I blazed right through a new set of tires in 5 days! Everyone else had tires that were gone as well...I wasn't the only one...but I was the only one that went down to the first core. We had to get to Hakodate and hopefully get some help...now we had to scale everything down and get to the city!
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
Now for the bad part of Hokkaido: customer service if you are in trouble is beyond horrible...IT SUCKS! No one had a single tire for the Bonnie. This is a stock tire and it's not like we are talking about a custom wheel here...this is a pretty standard/stapled size wheel for the motorcycle industry but yet no one had one. Keep in mind, Hokkaido prides itself as the biking capital of Japan and even has a portion of their tourist business revolving around that. The best we could get was that Sapporo had ONE tire they could send but it would be three days. Hakkodate to Sapporo is less than a three hour drive. I was livid to say the least and said fuck it...get to the ferry, get back to the mainland, and take our chances on the 3 hour ride home. If it blows, then I will wait on the side of the road as my buddy races home to get his trailer. Better than 3 days in a hotel, waiting for a tire to get put on that was going to cost $500! Fuck that! We pushed!
Finally back to the port
tired but feeling good:
our boat ride home:
the Bonnie IS a touring bike!
tired but feeling good:
some Hokkaido souvernirs:
Finally back to the port
tired but feeling good:
our boat ride home:
the Bonnie IS a touring bike!
tired but feeling good:
some Hokkaido souvernirs:
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
We push home after a two hour ferry ride and my buddies follow close behind, keeping a close eye the best they can on my tire and were going to lay on the horn if they saw anything funny. We made it back after a familiar ride that seemed would never end but it ended...we did it. All three of us, despite everything else did it together. Our mechanicals...our short tempers...our fits of laughter...we returned back to the very parking lot we started out. We did more than ride a motorcycle together for five days...we had an adventure that we can call our own and that it belongs to us. I am proud to have friends such as these guys and feel lucky to be there for them.
Back where we started:
And the journey ends:
Back where we started:
And the journey ends:
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
Here is the entire route of the island that was covered. Look close and you can see the course highlighted with green highlighter. For what it is worth, the three of us are pretty proud on the day 2 ride...we covered some ground there.
We covered 2,519 kilometers in five days; this was entirely down on a two lane road where the legal speed limit was only 50 kmh. Zero highways were traveled on this trip...we saw the soul of this island and she is beautiful.
I am not a boat kind of guy and maybe this isn't a big deal to someone seasoned to the water but there were a few seagulls that followed our ferry from the port, flew alongside us for quite a while and they hopped a squat on the boat as we crossed. I thought it was pretty cool....a video if you care to see it:
http://s759.photobucket.com/albums/...kaido/Day 5/?action=view¤t=MVI_4665.mp4
A side car couple getting ready to begin their fun journey! I can't wait to slap a sidecar on the Bonnie that went on this trip so that me and my two boys can go on our own adventures together.
http://s759.photobucket.com/albums/...kaido/Day 5/?action=view¤t=MVI_4637.mp4
A restaurant!! Day 5 and back in Hakkodate...hot meal that we weren't eating standing on a sidewalk...we tore this place up!
Japanese style ferry...take your shoes off, grab a pillow and lay down
Having a coke and a smile...
Some day very soon, this little tough guy and I will have our own adventures on our Bonnie. Both of us wearing our goggles and buffs while I drive the bike and he sits the sidecar. No phones, no internet, no TV...just the sound of a P-twin engine and a father with his son biking...camping...eating...repeating. I can't wait.
We covered 2,519 kilometers in five days; this was entirely down on a two lane road where the legal speed limit was only 50 kmh. Zero highways were traveled on this trip...we saw the soul of this island and she is beautiful.
I am not a boat kind of guy and maybe this isn't a big deal to someone seasoned to the water but there were a few seagulls that followed our ferry from the port, flew alongside us for quite a while and they hopped a squat on the boat as we crossed. I thought it was pretty cool....a video if you care to see it:
http://s759.photobucket.com/albums/...kaido/Day 5/?action=view¤t=MVI_4665.mp4
A side car couple getting ready to begin their fun journey! I can't wait to slap a sidecar on the Bonnie that went on this trip so that me and my two boys can go on our own adventures together.
http://s759.photobucket.com/albums/...kaido/Day 5/?action=view¤t=MVI_4637.mp4
A restaurant!! Day 5 and back in Hakkodate...hot meal that we weren't eating standing on a sidewalk...we tore this place up!
Japanese style ferry...take your shoes off, grab a pillow and lay down
Having a coke and a smile...
Some day very soon, this little tough guy and I will have our own adventures on our Bonnie. Both of us wearing our goggles and buffs while I drive the bike and he sits the sidecar. No phones, no internet, no TV...just the sound of a P-twin engine and a father with his son biking...camping...eating...repeating. I can't wait.
Last edited:
wobblygong
Street Tracker
I followed your trip right through Tang and I think you encapsulated what it's all about being a true touring motorcyclist....Living the dream.
Absolute ripper!!!! Well done.
Absolute ripper!!!! Well done.
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
Thank you for this compliment, this means a lot to me and I appreciate it more than you know. My old man put me on my first motorcycle when I was six years old and I have been hard wired to them ever since. It has been a while since I have taken on a trip of this size but I have done them before...for me, it's a mindset of achieving something. There will always be an issue on these kind of roadtrips...leaking tubeless rim, tire worn out...whatever. It is how everyone pulls together that determines the trip and that can make it the best of trips or it can make it the worse of trips...the choice is ours to make. I'm lucky...I am a part of a veterans motorcycle club so I share everything with these guys; we work together, we've deployed together, we've put forth to the fight together, shit...we even have shared the same sandwich so we wouldn't go hungry and at the the end of the day...we all love motorcycles. I believe that our personalities come out through our riding styles and it is awesome to ride with these guys in the VMC with me...it's like clockwork and we are all dialed into each other as far as anticipating what the next one will do. My only regret is that the whole chapter couldn't get the time off to do this but there is always next year
You really humbled me with this compliment Gator, thank you very much for those kind words. I got back from my trip about 2300 and I could hear my little dude from inside the house...'daddy's bike!! daddy's bike!!' And out he was in my arms...not giving a shit about the bug juice covering my coat. Fatherhood came late to me for different reasons but what a gift it is. This is one hell of a life we have here...I just have to wipe the grime from the goggles every once in a while to see it
Thank you again for what you said and next time I am riding in Florida, then a meet up could be in order and the beer is on me!
slowgator
750cc
You really humbled me with this compliment Gator, thank you very much for those kind words. I got back from my trip about 2300 and I could hear my little dude from inside the house...'daddy's bike!! daddy's bike!!' And out he was in my arms...not giving a shit about the bug juice covering my coat. Fatherhood came late to me for different reasons but what a gift it is. This is one hell of a life we have here...I just have to wipe the grime from the goggles every once in a while to see it
It would be my pleasure Tang; just let me know when you'll be in Gator Country and I'll be happy to take you up on that! Sounds like you got your priorities in order... enjoy that little guy cuz they grow up WAY too fast!
B06Tang
Cafe Racer
I wish those predators were on it for this trip...I had to sacrifice with the TORs...oh well...life's a bitch
There is nothing like putting miles on one of these bikes and go somewhere...I absolutely love that shit!! I will be taking my terminal leave from the military in a few more years and my retirement present to myself is to take my creamsicle and go from NY to Seattle, down to the Grand Canyon, over to Florida and then back up the east coast. And yes...I said the creamsicle...I don't need a T-bird or Rocket or HD...the Bonnies tour anywhere just fine so long as you are not two up
There is nothing like putting miles on one of these bikes and go somewhere...I absolutely love that shit!! I will be taking my terminal leave from the military in a few more years and my retirement present to myself is to take my creamsicle and go from NY to Seattle, down to the Grand Canyon, over to Florida and then back up the east coast. And yes...I said the creamsicle...I don't need a T-bird or Rocket or HD...the Bonnies tour anywhere just fine so long as you are not two up