CMG Mad Bastard Scooter Rally 2004

[Arris]

Hi everyone,

If you happen to be in southern Ontario, Canada next Thursday (24th June) and have your scooter with you, why not join the CMG Mad Bastard Scooter Rally '04 in a dash to circumnavigate Lake Ontario within a 24 hour window?

There's a grand prize of 1000 dollars (Canadian, unfortunately) for the maddest entry. Motoretta Scooters (a downtown Toronto scooter shop) have agreed to stay open for the start and finish of the rally, and we will be writing about the whole event in CMG Online and the Toronto Star.

More information can be found at:

www.cmgonline.com/MBS_Rally/index.html

Or email: [e-mail]

Here's your chance to prove that scooterists aren't wusses .... just mad.

Cheers, Rob

P.S. Team CMG will be riding a stock Ruckus in the event, which we have as a long-termer from Honda Canada.

[scrible88]

I wish I wasn't in Kansas

I would do it in a heartbeat! Sounds like tons of fun... And yes, I would drive straight through and would make bathroom breaks minimal by not eating much the day before.

[scooterman22]

Tips for the racers;

1. Go to the bathroom while on the scooter.
2. Carry all food and water on the scooter.
3. Carry yoiur gas on the scooter and fill up fast.
4. Dont stop your bike except for gas.

[sponge]

i was actually 'mad' enough to consider doing this event. then i worked some of the numbers out. you would be looking at holding the throttle wide open on the ruckus for about 18 hours (close to 900 km). that leaves 6 hours to stop at stop signs and traffic lights, you need to include rest stops, stretching, eating, fuel and coffee breaks, getting a bit lost, two border crossings (and getting time stamped), figuring out how to circum-navingate hamilton, niagara, rochester, kingston, and most of toronto and its suburbs and maybe a 20 min nap. also i discovered that small scooters are not allowed on certain 'big' highways where the speed limit is 100 km/h (and everyone cruises at 110-120 clicks). probably a good thing as the ruckus tops out at 55-60 km/h. this rules out the nice straight route around the lake with the least amount of stop signs and traffic lights. even for a thousand loonies, i may be 'mad', and even a little 'nuts, but i certainly don't have a 'death wish'. if anyone actually pulls this off on a ruckus, i would look up to them in awe.

[Arris]

You've about got it. To make it within the 24 hours is going to be a challenge, but that's the whole point. Not being allowed on the main highways adds another interesting element, but in Ontario there's Highway 2 which follows the lakeshore all the way round to the Wolf Island crosssing. There's some similar roads on the NY side too.

This is from a guy who's cvoming on a Honda C70 and tried out the trip last weekend on his DL 650:

+++++++++++

I jumped off the highway at Port Hope onto #2. The first 75 k coming out of
TO will be brutal and then it gets better. Not as populated, rolling hills.
Quite OK other than the highway is poorly marked [some highway 2, some
Regional Road 2, sometimes nothing.] In 60 k I got off the highway by
accident twice, but GPS got me back on easily.

I jumped back on the highway to Kingston. Had a coffee at Tim's and missed
the Ferry by 7 minutes In the morning it runs at the half hours so goal
would be to get there for 1130. Leaving at 0500 that 7.5 hrs to go what
should be done in 5.5 [265 k]. I didn't want to wait so I rode to the bridge
and crossed. On the Island it's only 40 mph to highway 180 so we can do that
safely.

The next 100 k on 180 South, then 3 West is really nice. Rolling hills and
sweepers, farms, 40-55 MPH. Also has a 3 foot wide paved bicycle path so we
can keep moving but get out of the way if needed. Not much traffic on a Sat
after noon..

At Mexico you turn right on 104. The next 100 k is mostly 55 mph, not much
traffic and starts hilly but gets flatter. Full pull off lane which is
paved. Then you hit Rochester for about 50 k. 20 k 4 lane but 55 mph, then
10 k of "expressway" at 55 mph but not lights, then 10 k of stoplights
heading out the west end. Not bad and light traffic for a city.

The last 100 k to the border is good. Flat, 40-55 mph, not much traffic. You
need to get on the Moses something Parkway at the end but speed limit is
only 45 mph. DON'T take the first signs to Canada [like I did] or you end up
crossing in Lewistown. Stays on 104 to hit Niagara Falls as it will be
easier to hit Lundy's Lane and # 20 from there.

I didn't ride #20, the Beach Strip in Burlington or the rest of the route
but again, it's sparsely populated, until you get to the last 50 k coming
back into Toronto.

The first 75 and last 50 will be bad. Stoplights traffic etc.

FYI although the sun went down at 904 PM it didn't REALLY get dark until
almost 10 PM.

+++++++++++

if anyone actually pulls this off on a ruckus, i would look up to them in awe.

Be at Motoretta at 4:00am on Friday morning ....... Unless you want to join in on the ride???

[abe]

If anyone one on a Ruckus goes :-[PLEASE send pictures to [e-mail]. I need new pics for battlescooter

Please, thank you and thank you

[sponge]

so the suspenses is killing me. did a ruckus make it around lake ontario in under 24 hours? if they did, they've had a few days to recoup now. do tell the tale. from what i recall, there was a touch of rain in the morning and evening depending where you were around the lake. i also remember there was a tremendous amount of wind that day as there were some hurricane watches around the upper middle states.

i was myself contemplating coming out and watching the start, but three hours of riding before work starting at 2.30 am wasn't in the stars.

[Arris]

Yes, we did it!

It took a total of 22 hours to do the 800 or so Kms but in total 2 Ruckus' finished.

I'm submitting a story on it to the Toronto Star so it should be in the Wheels section this Saturday. We'll also be posting a full story on CMG (www.cmgonline.com) in a couple of weeks.

Maybe you could come out on the second annual MBS Rally in 2005?

Cheers, Rob

[sponge]

okay, here's the real deal, if there are a few other ruckus's (would the plural be 'rucki'?) who want to sort of group ride (misery loves company) around the lake next year, and we can meet a few weeks before hand and work out some sort of route and the weather sort of co-operates (hate to admit it, but i'm a pretty fair weather rider) i'd be into it (the experience alone is worth missing work for two days). it's also good to know that it can be done (boy, you cut it pretty close at 22 hours).

oh, i bow down and look up in awe at the two rucki riders.

[Arris]

okay, here's the real deal, if there are a few other ruckus's (would the plural be 'rucki'?) who want to sort of group ride (misery loves company) around the lake next year, and we can meet a few weeks before hand and work out some sort of route and the weather sort of co-operates (hate to admit it, but i'm a pretty fair weather rider) i'd be into it (the experience alone is worth missing work for two days). it's also good to know that it can be done (boy, you cut it pretty close at 22 hours).

Arris - that's exactly what we're thinking. Pump it up into a weekend rally, with the Round the Lake bit being part of it. Supply maps and information too.

oh, i bow down and look up in awe at the two rucki riders

Arris - ah yes, I'll take what I can after such a mad endevour.

BTW - it looks like we'll be posting part 1 of the story on CMG THIS Friday, with part 2 following on the Monday (http://www.cmgonline.com). A summary article will also be appearing in the Toronto Star's Wheels section this Saturday.

Cheers, Arris (AKA Rob)

[Arris]

Part one of the Mad Bastard Scooter Rally is up on CMG!

www.cmgonline.com

Part 2 to follow next week.

Anyone interested in doing the same next year?

Cheers, Rob

[abe]

Checked out the article, I wish I lived in Canada You guys are cool

Need to get people to go for this type of thing in the USA!

[Arris]

You don't have to live in Canada, just slap the Ruckus on a trailer and come up for the week for next year's MBS Rally.

Anyone intesrested?

[justsurfin]

Well Arris-
The photos are cool-can't wait to read about part 2. I would consider slapping my Ruckus on a trailer and participating next year-but my concerns are: don't think it wise for a woman to ride alone, in a strange country, where I am unfamiliar with the roads,and am officially "on my own". If next years "mad bastard scooter rally" had a bit more support-and the idea of a group ride/rally rather than a solo run-I would think about bringing my family down for the week and make an intersting vacation out of it. Any secure places to store the scooters before/after the ride?

What do you say American Rucksters? Anyone else interested?

[Arris]

Justsurfing - my concerns are: don't think it wise for a woman to ride alone, in a strange country, where I am unfamiliar with the roads,and am officially "on my own". If next years "mad bastard scooter rally" had a bit more support-and the idea of a group ride/rally rather than a solo run-I would think about bringing my family down for the week and make an intersting vacation out of it.

Arris - For sure. The idea for next year would be to try and mix it with a general scooter rally weekend, with the MBS ride being part of it. We'd probably provide maps as there is really only one good way around (remember that half the route is in the US).

We would encourage people to form groups but it would be difficult to gaurantee that the rest of the group would wait for a long time if one broke-down. Maybe we should look into some sort of sweep vehicle ....?

Justsurfing - Any secure places to store the scooters before/after the ride?

Arris - If we base it around a weekend rally, then it would include motel accomodation/camping.

Justsurfing - What do you say American Rucksters? Anyone else interested?

Arris - Don't make me call you wusses (again) ...

[scrible88]

Arris said:

Arris - Don't make me call you wusses (again) ...

I would do it in a heartbeat. Hell I would do the cannonball run on my ruckus if there were some others riding 50cc's and they were given more time lol.

I'm only 16... My parents wouldn't be crazy about it at all. The first day I had my Ruckus I put almost 200 miles on it lol ;D

[Arris]

Hmmmhh. I think you have to be 17 to ride the Ontario roads, but i guess you would be next year.

As for parents, they don't need to know the details - just that you're going camping in Canada for a weekend ...

I think being 17 would really help cope with the time in the saddle too. Trust me, I'm 36 and I'm still tired over a week after we did it.

Sigh.

[sponge]

you know, i spent the two weekends before the 'mad' ride going over online maps, and my north american road atlas trying to plot what i felt was a 'safe' way around the lake. it was in my mind that this was a sort of 'loner' challenge. if i knew that there was a group of yous going, and kinda planning to sort of stick together, and you sort of had a route planned out, i'm pretty sure i would have thought more seriously about hanging out (it's really intimidating considering doing this ride one off). definitely keep me and my ruckus in mind for next year (or any other crazy kinda group rides you got planned). pm sent.

[abe]

Maybe... maybe I could be in. My whole problem with planning for big trips is my job. I produce books for a living and I'm never sure what my schedule is. I have to do things on a whim. I loosely planned on doing the Cannonball this year but my boss said it didn't look good. I get lots of time off but it seems like it's never when I want it

Like I always say, you never know

[Arris]

The original plan was to have everyne on their own as we didn't want to try and organize a load of people and do the ride as well. When only five showed, we figured that we might as well stick in a group which worked out really well.

I think groups are the best way to go, but it requires people to co-operate and if someone's dragging their arse around then I think they would have to expect to be left behind. Maybe we could set up a bulletin-board specifically for contenders to meet before the event and try and form their own groups?

As for schedules, holding it on a Thursday probably didn't help, but if we do do it next year, it'll definitely be on a weekend close to the summer solstice (that would be the 18/19 or 25/26).