Discover the Magic of Motorcycle Touring in the Maritimes: Your Gateway to Atlantic Canada's Hidden Gems

The salt-tinged air hits your face as you lean into a sweeping curve along Nova Scotia's legendary Cabot Trail. Below, the Atlantic Ocean stretches endlessly, while above, Cape Breton's rugged highlands paint a backdrop that no photograph can truly capture. This is motorcycle touring in the Maritimes – where every mile tells a story, and every turn reveals another breathtaking vista.

Why the Maritimes Should Top Every Rider's Bucket List

Atlantic Canada offers some of North America's most spectacular motorcycle touring, combining dramatic coastal scenery, rich maritime history, and the warmest hospitality you'll find anywhere. 

From the rolling hills of Prince Edward Island to the rugged coastlines of Newfoundland, the Maritimes deliver a riding experience that's both challenging and soul-stirring.

The Cabot Trail remains the crown jewel – 298 kilometers of pure riding bliss that winds through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. But savvy riders know the real magic lies in exploring beyond the famous routes: the Evangeline Trail through Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, New Brunswick's Fundy Coastal Drive, or PEI's scenic Red Sands Shore Drive.

The Professional Way to Experience Maritime Motorcycle Tourism

Here's where many riders make a costly mistake: they assume they need to trailer their bikes across the country or settle for rental motorcycles that don't feel like home. There's a better way – and it's exactly what Freedom Biker Tours has perfected.

Freedom Biker Tours stands as Canada's #1 motorcycle tour company, and their "Ride Canada's Maritimes" tour is a masterclass in how motorcycle tourism should be done. This comprehensive 11-day, 10-night guided experience takes the stress out of planning while maximizing your time on the most spectacular roads Atlantic Canada has to offer.

What Makes Freedom Biker Tours Special

Visit freedombikertours.com and you'll immediately understand why they sold out for 2025. Their approach goes beyond simple tour guiding – they've created what they call "Throttle Therapy," focusing on authentic experiences, brotherhood, and acceptance among riders.

Their vision says it all: "To inspire and champion a message of Freedom, Brotherhood, and Acceptance across the world by embracing Authenticity, the Therapeutic Healing power of Motorcycling, and the Transformative experience of Throttle Therapy."

The CMTA Travel Services Partnership Advantage

As the travel partner for Freedom Biker Tours, CMTA Travel Services handles the logistics that make these incredible experiences possible. Through our comprehensive booking platform at cmtatravelservices.com/booking, we coordinate:

• Motorcycle shipping to get your bike safely to the tour starting point
• Flight coordination perfectly timed with your tour dates
• Travel insurance through trusted partners Tugo and Cap
• Flexible payment options with our Flex-Pay services
• Additional accommodation if you want to extend your stay

Beyond the Tour: Complete Maritime Experiences

While Freedom Biker Tours handles the guided experience expertly, CMTA Travel Services opens up additional possibilities for riders who want to extend their Maritime adventure:

• Pre or post-tour extensions to explore at your own pace
• Accommodation booking at rider-friendly establishments
• Local guide connections for off-the-beaten-path discoveries
• Activity coordination like lighthouse tours, lobster fishing experiences, or Celtic music sessions
• Want to visit the Rock?

Real Stories from Real Riders

Freedom Biker Tours' testimonials speak volumes – they offer both video testimonials on their YouTube channel and written accounts that showcase the transformative nature of their tours. As one rider put it, these aren't just vacations; they're "cage-free, worry-free vacation experiences" that create lasting bonds and memories.

"The combination of Freedom Biker Tours' expert guiding and CMTA Travel Services' seamless logistics made our Maritime adventure absolutely perfect. Every detail was handled professionally." – Recent tour participant

Making It Happen: Your Maritime Adventure Starts Here

For 2025 Tours: Freedom Biker Tours' Maritime tour is already on the road, but you can get on their waiting list and start planning for 2026 by visiting freedombikertours.com.

For Independent Maritime Touring: CMTA Travel Services can create a custom Maritime experience using our comprehensive travel solutions. 

Visit cmtatravelservices.com/booking to start planning your personalized adventure.

Questions about motorcycle shipping, insurance coverage, or Flex-Pay options? 

Contact CMTA Travel Services directly – we understand motorcycle tourism because we're riders ourselves, and we're proud to support Canada's premier motorcycle tour company.

The Freedom Begins Here

Whether you choose the expertly guided experience of Freedom Biker Tours or create your own Maritime adventure through CMTA Travel Services, the Maritimes offer something that transforms every rider who experiences them. The combination of breathtaking scenery, rich culture, and the camaraderie of fellow riders creates memories that last a lifetime.

The Cabot Trail is calling. 

Freedom Biker Tours has perfected the experience. 

CMTA Travel Services handles the non ride details. 

All that's left is taking that first step toward the adventure of a lifetime.

Contact us today to start planning your Maritime motorcycle adventure – where freedom truly begins.

RiderFriendly.com is BY Riders FOR Riders

Many years ago, I was turned away from a motel near Rocky Mountain House Alberta, because I was on a motorcycle.

Then and there I determined I never wanted another rider to ever feel the way I had that day, especially a visitor to my country, or any country for that matter.  The Rider Friendly Business Association® and it's digital directory is the result of that day. Meant to help you find a great rider owned/friendly businesses or specific business like motorcycle repair shops to serve your needs when at home or on the road. 

If we riders support each other, we all benefit!

So, here's a quick run down on the program for the rider.  

Social

• RiderFriendly.com gives the rider access to an easy-to-use, full-feature social media component that lets you connect with other riders. Get creative with your profile page, create events, groups etc... You control your own privacy settings. Chat support available. Let your non-motorcycle friends talk about pot roast on Facebook while you join your riding buddies on a social network MADE FOR YOU!  We also have a Facebook Group if you really insist on staying there... It's the Rider Friendly Support Network Group.

Ride Safe

• All Members of RiderFriendly.com receive the services of the Never Ride Alone Program provided by Intercon Messaging. Members can call the toll-free number and provide the operator with the membership # on the bottom of your digital card (always available on your profile page).

Find Products and Services 

•  Develop a meaningful relationship :-) with the Rider Friendly Business owners. The Rider Friendly Business Association® business members recognize the value the motorcycle community brings and wants to make sure the unique needs of the motorcycle rider are met. RiderFriendly.com does our part by educating the business owners with at our own Rider Friendly University.

Save Money with our RoadTrip Rewards™ program

• Special Events, Specials and Offers/Coupons AUTOMATICALLY display right in your profile page making it handy to check while you chat with your motorcycle buds. Get member savings and discounts offered by our RFBA Members by showing your RoadTrip Rewards™ card on your phone or providing your membership # which is located on the bottom of your digital membership card. Your card automatically displays on your profile page when you are logged into the website. Easy Peasy.  EXAMPLE: Right now Choice Hotels is offering up to 20% off on rooms, worldwide, when you book on their website using our code!

What's Happening

• The latest Busted Knuckle News, Upcoming Canadian Motorcycle Events, News Feeds from the interwebs, all display on your profile pages (as well as any meet up for a ride events created by your friends).  If you are planning on coming up to Canada, we got you covered for the news and event information you need to know!

REFER A Business!  One of the best things you can do is refer your favourite businesses. If you can't find them in our directory, add them and we'll reach out to them and if they become a member, we'll share the love!!!!

Rate & Review a Business: Help your fellow rider, rate and review the businesses you use!  Let's help each other build the best directory and the best social community for riders on the planet!

"Ah.. ok so how much is this going to cost me?"
 IT'S FREE!  Plus if you refer a business you could make some dough!

We know you need to spend your money on stuff for your bike. ;-P 

On your next motorcycle trip be sure to "pack" RiderFriendly.com
"The Smarter Way to Ride"

Next time I'll tell you all about becoming a Rider Friendly Business Association member!

Belt Drive Betty,

Renee Charbonneau

Writer & Rider

A Look Back at 2018 at the Ride for Mom on Season 6 Episode 3 Segment 3

Season 6 Episode 3 Segment 3
 Ride for Mom Nisku AB


Standing beside her bike, Ride Like a Local spoke with Yvonne Wright, a seasoned rider from Calgary AB.
She stated why she was on the ride that day:
"Any abuse makes me teary.  I was able to take control of my life and if this ride helps 1 abused woman, it makes it all worthwhile."
Ride for Mom donates to Alberta women's shelters and there is simply not enough funding.  "When a shelter worker has to turn someone away because there is simply not enough beds, that worker takes that home with them.  They feel the pain."
There needs to be more alternatives and support.  With the support of the riding community, some will come for the ride  All will come for the cause.
Until one day, hopefully, we will no longer need the ride.

Ride Like a Local was then off to Tofield AB.  Once again the town of Tofield pulled off a fantastic day with the streets blocked off to accommodate the riders and the cause.
Some fun was had too.  Riders lined up to be frisked by the local sheriffs department!  The department complied and lots of laughs were had.

If you are blessed enough to live where you can be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

   

                                                                       

The war is on!

There is a war heating up in Canada that has already been active in the US for a while and that is the war for your recreational dollars, especially if you are aged 25-39.

There are those in the motorsports industry that think that the market has shrunk because millennials aren't buying motorcycles, some who think this is just a Harley-Davidson problem and that other marks are doing well...

But what is really going on here?

We at Belt Drive Betty are on a mission to find out what Millennials are really thinking about motorcycles.

What are millennials riding and why?
If they aren't riding - why?

In doing the online research as to what the challenge seems to be for the manufacturers as to why young folk don't appear to be riding, I came across some interesting survey stats on millennial and the kinds and volume of vacations they take!

The American Society of Travel Agents recently did a survey of 1,500 travellers in the US between 25 and 39 years old. According to an article on the survey that appeared in the Boston Globe, they learned that 80 percent of those surveyed had taken a leisure trip in the past year.  In fact, millennial took more vacations in 2016 than any other generation! The numbers break down like this:
Gen x - those aged 40 to 51 took 1.8 vacations last year.  Baby boomers, ages 52-70 took 1.65 vacations per year and millennial?

2.38  vacations in 2016

Perhaps millennials have it right, the work life balance thing that is! Maybe from watching their parents and families stress and make themselves ill over things, they decided that vacations were vital, who knows, but it sure is interesting!

The millennial's reason for travel according to the article was to relax and connect.   "It matters who you go with, even more than where you are going."

At a recent Travel Alberta conference I attended, we learned that millennial want experiences.
They want different, off the beaten path, out of the norm kinds of experiences.

A very odd statistic that came out of the survey - millennial love cruising. ON CRUISE SHIPS.

Something else that is proving interesting, Millennials tend to use travel agents far more than their counterparts in other generations, and they are using them to enriched their experience, not just to handle the logistics.

Also in doing the research for future articles I learned that when things are measured through the eyes of insurance agents doing quotes, that millennials are in fact buying motorcycles but the kinds of motorcycles they are buying are 5-750 CC's because anything more in the power department ends up being a huge hike in insurance costs.

Yet another viewpoint of this discussion comes from Harley-Davidson themselves. In an interview with TheStreet newspaper, Harley-Davidson's CEO, Matt Levatich was quoted as saying:

Q. It's said that millennials aren't riding motorcycles, but I see them everywhere on bikes. Why are people wrong?

A. Number one, the ability to research this is difficult. There was an analyst report that referenced millennial ownership trends in new bike sales. You can't just look at new bikes. 
The used bike marketplace has 2 1/2 times the turnover of the new bike marketplace.
There are plenty of millennials riding motorcycles. It's up to us to inspire them to ride and engage with Harley-Davidson. As we look at an increased level of sophistication of our outreach, we look at psychological, life-stage and demographic trends to surgically grow riders, and Harley riders. We have to understand and meet customers where they are, whether they are millennials, Gen X, Gen Y, or baby boomers or generations yet to come. We have to shift from we build bikes to we build riders. End Quote

Revzilla had a very engaging article on attracting the millennial into the riding world, the big take away?

Millennials value experience over possession.

Yet another article, this one at motorcycle.com claims it is because Millennials are broke, but if that's true, why are they taking so many vacations?

Armed with this information, I can't wait to start interviewing younger riders and find out what makes them tick...are we old codgers  in for any surprises or will they still love the wind? The experiences that your motorcycle takes you to and through? The community the motorcycle creates, will they still embrace it and what about the charitable aspect?  Are they still going to love rallies or will they be riding for purely transportation purposes?

I have a lot of burning questions as we look for the answers to burning questions like, what will motorcycling look like in 10 years? 20 years?

If you have a millennial in your life, please invite them to answer some questions for me....I will be holding TV Interviews at the Western Motorcycle Shows - times and information for each show below.

And that's what's on my mind this fine day.

If you are blessed enough to be riding today because you live somewhere warm, with no snow, please send me a plane ticket....

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

To register to be interviewed at the Calgary Motorcycle Show:  http://goo.gl/7do5M9

To register to be interviewed at the Edmonton Motorcycle Show: http://goo.gl/bmJkjF

To register to be interviewed at the Vancouver Motorcycle Show: http://goo.gl/tzFQ4c

Looking forward to what we learn!!!!!!

Attention all riding clubs and event coordinators in Canada

Every year right across this great country called Canada, Riders who work for an employer are asked to have their requests in for holidays and long weekends before March 31st.

If having more people attend your event is something you would like to see happen, one of the best ways is to have your event posters done and ready BEFORE March 31st!

We are all busy people and we are all controlled to a degree by the demands of our jobs and employers.

The ideal time to start promoting events is December, January, February and March for maximum exposure and so people can book their holidays and long weekends.

Yes there is still lots of time to promote events after March 31st, but if you want that tourist, that rider from two or three provinces away whose going on vacation in your direction to show up, you need to at least get your event name and date out there by MARCH 31st!

One of the pet peeves that most riders have with event posters is the lack of important information on them.

Too many event coordinators think on a local level, they don't stop to think about that touring rider and the information they are going to need.

You see the CVMG poster on the right? It is pretty decent BUT it assumes that everyone knows where the Westerner Fairgrounds is. At least there is an phone number and email to contact the gent running it and the fact that the area code is in the phone number lets a person figure out this is an Alberta Event.  This particular event is in Red Deer Alberta for those interested.

Every poster should have the name of the event, date and times.

They should also include a street address, the NAME of the town and the PROVINCE

Contact information is vital - for both the event itself and the venue.

A lot of coordinators don't stop to think about that person who might break down or get lost on their way. If it's a poker run, they are going to want to call the venue where everyone met up at to see if they can find out where the first stop is to try and catch up.

If they have broken down they might want to call and get a message to people that they need help or to let others who are expecting them that they will be late, need help or won't be coming.

WHO - WHAT - WHERE - WHEN & WHY is what people need to know FIRST - then you can add bands, and other pertinent information to entice people.

Don't ASSUME anything.  If you are hosting an event do not assume that everyone knows where the Crossroads is or the Big Red Barn or the Western Fair Grounds is.

Think like a tourist when you are making your posters.

We here at Belt Drive Betty Media offer free promotion of all riding club events, charity events etc.

You can add your posters to www.canadianmotorcycleevents.com by registering on our site.

If you have ANY challenges getting your event information and need help - email me at bdbetty@gmail.com and I can help you.

We have a small team of data entry people who can also add events for those who are computer unfriendly.

This is my gift to the Canadian Riding Community every year and has been for 13 seasons!

We work these events calendars hard by reaching out to all of the clubs and coordinators we know and hounding them for the information.

My goal always has been to help the riding clubs and charitable events to get the most exposure they can FOR FREE and that the rider can, FOR FREE use these highly sortable, sharable and MOBILE calendars on their phones, computers and tablets.

When I first started out I did all the work and research myself, now we are a team of five people making sure these events are out there for all to have access to.

We are here to SERVE the riding community and if you want or need some help all you have to do is ASK!!!!

In other news:

An Ontario family is challenging the findings of the Ontario Special Investigations Unit regarding the June 14th, 2014 crash that killed their loved one Clayton Rivet, 29, who was travelling on Queensville Sideroad, near Hwy. 404, in East Gwillimbury at around 11:15 p.m. last June 14, when his BMW sport bike slammed into a York Regional Police cruiser which was making a U-turn.

The Gatekeepers MC has expanded from Nova Scotia to Ontario and the OPP's Biker Enforcement Unit is very aware of them and spreading the word to the citizens of Elgin and Stratford about their presence.

There is a move in Washington state to see the helmet law there be repealed!

Victory is doing its level best to come out with an electric motorcycle before Harley-Davidson dos by the sound of it! They have filed a patent for the name: Victory Charger.


I hope you have a fabulous day!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider







Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.