Ireland Bike Fest, The Wild Atlantic Way, Scotland & Newfoundland 2016

I am planning a tour for 2016 and want to give you all plenty of time to start saving!
We will be working with Celtic Rider for bikes and accommodations, GPS Units and riding gear in Ireland & Scotland.

You only have to pack the gear you feel you don't want to be rented (Celtic Ride offers a good gear and size selection including helmets)

We'll partake in Ireland Bike Fest for 2 days then head off on our tour.

I will be getting feedback from Celtic Rider regarding the entire Tour to ensure we see the best of the best and have great accommodations.

The nice thing about their tours is only the end of the day destination is important so we can ride together or go our separate ways during the day and just hook up in the evenings!
The GPS units are filled with all of the regional sights for each day.

This way everyone who decides to join us can make their experience exactly what they want it to be but get the group pricing!

We can't book flights to St. John's for 330 days out!
Based on todays prices, the average flight from St. John's to Dublin will be around $1,100 but we all know how that can go!

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE for Ireland & Scotland:

May 29th/30th: Meet in St. John's - We can book accommodations in St. John's as a group too for those who fly in the day/evening before we head to Dublin.

May 30th: Fly out of Saint John's Newfoundland with West Jet
May 31st - Arrive Dublin – Walk About Day
June 1st: Celtic Rider, PU Bikes, Training  - final destination for the day: Kilkenny
June 2nd: Kilkenny to Kinsale – The day of Great Castles
June 3rd: Kinsale to Bike Fest in Killarney
June 4th: Bike Fest in Killarney
June 5th:  Killarney to Dingle
June 6th – Dingle  - Day off
June  7th Dingle to Doolin
June 8th: Doolin to Westport
June 9th: Westport to Donegal
June 10: Donegal – Day off
June 11th: Donegal to Carndonagh
June 12th: Cardenaugh – Day Off
June 13th: Cardenaugh – Larne for the Ferry to Scotland
June 14th: Larne to Stranraer to Glasgow
June 15th: Glasgow
June 16th: Glasgow to Inverness
June 17th: Inverness to Edinburgh
June 18th: Edinburgh
June 19th: Edinburgh to Dublin, turn in bikes and then off for Belt Drive Betty's Irish Birthday Party
June 20th: Dublin – Walk About day or Not day
June 21st: Dublin to Saint John's

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE for those who want to continue on with us and ride Newfoundland too:

June 22nd: St. John's - Pick Up rental bikes from Maritime Motorcycle Tours OR Pick up your own bike that you had shipped in.
June 23rd: Ride to Marystown
June 24th: Marystown - Ride the Burin Peninsula
June 25th: Marystown to Clarenville
June 26th: Clarenville to Gander
June 27th: Gander to Botwood
June 28th: Botwood to Deer Lake
June 29th: Deer Lake to Saint Anthony
June 30th: Saint Anthony - Day off
July 1st: Saint Anthony to Rocky Harbour
July 2nd: Rocky Harbour to Port Aux Basques
July 3rd: Port aux Basques to Corner Brook
July 4th: Corner Brook to LaScie
July 5th: LaScie to Lewisporte
July 6th: Lewisporte to Bonavista
July 7th: Bonavista to Carbonear
July 8th: Carbonear to St. John's - George Street  & Screech in for all!
July 9th: St. John's - Day off
July 10th: St.John's and turn in bikes
July 11th: Fly/Ride home

The average day in the saddle is 4 - 4 1/2 hours on the Newfoundland side of things so there will be lots of opportunity to sight see!

I myself will be working on this trip, filming the adventure!
It will be a blast if my last experience is any indicator!

If there is not enough interest in the Newfoundland side of things, flights out of Toronto can be had through both Aer Lingus and WestJet and both offer group booking.

So, who is in?

Let's start talking and planning AND SAVING!!!!
Let's discuss the idea and merits and see what we can all afford to do - it will be the trip of a lifetime!
If I get enough input - we'll build a blog or a website with all of the tour information and suggestions on what to bring with you!

Email: bdbetty @ gmail.com and let's start the dialogue! (Fix the spaces)

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

The journey home begins

I left Newfoundland yesterday. It made me sad to leave the Rock - I loved my time in Newfoundland.

After the Johanna's Memorial Ride - Ride the Boot in the Burin penisula, my bike was loaded into the back of Tom Holletts truck fro the trip back to Port Aux Basque.  There would not be enough time for me to ride from Marystown to the ferry - at least not enough daylight hours....It felt stange seeing my bike in the back of a truck but in hindsight - I realize all things happen for a reason.  I got to spend some time with a fabulous man, take a break from the bike - which wasn't a bad thing and I didn't have to ride the western side of the island at night with all of the moose.

There was a muck up with my ferry and I ended up not having a cabin which made the 3 hours sleep I had gotten at the Port Aux Basque Hotel extra sweet. I want to thank Cathy Larmond for the amazing room and the jet tub - which I put to good use!

I will be writing about all of these things in an article later - I will have all the photos etc to go with it then...

Anyway - I made a decision to ride to Fredericton and then on to Riviere du Loupe and my next ferry instead of going via Bathurst - time is an enemy when things don't go right...

There are so many people that I have to thank for making my time on the Rock absolutely amazing and again I will get into that in a later article. I just wanted to update everyone... I am alive and kicking and looking forward to the next 7 -8 days in Quebec.

Until I can steal a few minutes to write again...
Ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

motorcycle newfoundland

Bikers Protesting - it's happening more and more but is the message getting through?

In St John's Newfoundland about 30 riders showed up at city hall to protest about noise by laws.
Their message was clear - WE AREN'T THE ONLY one's who make noise.

They are tired of having a few "Yahoos" making it bad for all riders and ask city council to make NOISE the issue and not motorcycles. Lawn mowers, sub woofers, brakes, semis, and many other things contribute to noise pollution...

In England they are getting ready to protest yet again, taking it to the freeways like they did over parking charges. This time the protest ride will focus on the same asinine laws that the French are protesting.

Mandatory ABS brakes, sensors that detect changes/modifications done to your bike without OEM parts among other items.  Some are asking if the 45 MPH protest rides will just pee off other motorists and perhaps the message will get lost. 
Perhaps - but when your government won't talk to you, won't listen - what else do you do?

In Kelowna BC, a young woman is on a mission to have the Highway Traffic Act changed on a national level.

Her father was killed by a left hand turning driver.
According to Ms Tomlinson:
18.3% of all motorcycle fatalities are caused by another vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle that was going straight.

Tomlinson's dad was killed because a driver of a vehicle though, he saw the motorcycle coming, thought he had time to turn - had he waited three seconds to make his turn, Tomlinson's dad would still be alive today.

3 seconds - think about that... Tomlinson wants to see the law changed so that a $115 fine is not the only thing a driver receives when someone is injured or killed as a result of their unsafe actions.  

Interestingly enough, there is a Vulnerable Road Users meeting today - I am on that committee and have asked for the High Collision intersection signs designed by myself, but inspired by Daniel Ross in Nova Scotia - to be on the agenda.

I will also be meeting soon with the City Manager here in Grande Prairie to have a discussion about these signs being placed at specific intersections here as a test.

I look forward to bringing this issue of the petition up today as well.

Now not all of the protests that bikers are undertaking are quite as serious as the ones mentioned above.

If you need a great giggle to get your day started, I recommend that you read this exceedingly well done tongue in cheek article that a female pillion rider has written:
An open letter to motorcycle manufacturers from my labia

While the topic of comfort while riding is an important one, this young lady uses extreme humour to get her message across and I think she has done it well! I laughed my ass off reading her writing and then thought why hadn't I or a thousand women before me written the same letter?  Good on you Ashlee and your labia for asking the question and giving the manufacturers the answers too!

Like every day, I invite you to wade in on the topics that affect your life as a rider...
The more we share and discuss what is happening around the world, across the country and in our own back yards, the better off we all will be, an informed community becomes a strong and powerful community.

There is a ton of other news out there, check it our at www.beltdrivebetty.com

Until tomorrow...I beg you to please, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and PLEASE, use respect with that right hand, the person working night shift that you wake up could be a cop...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Keeping up the pace....

Gang, I gotta tell yah, I need your help.

I need two things - your involvement in the newspaper and the web site- www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media - I want to see tons of stories submitted on your riding clubs, your events, your businesses and your people. Why? I want to know where to go when I visit your area and so do other riders.

I need a book keeper/office administrator in the worlds worst way. If you live in Grande Prairie, know Quick books and have at least 6 hours a week to devote, please call me.

Either that or I need at least 2 more sales people.

If you are interested in some good part time money, and enjoy sales. Call me. Where you live doesn't really matter for this position if you have a computer and reasonable skill with it.

Customer service stories - where is the good customer service in PEI. Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec - Manitoba - does anyone have any knowledge to share? Come on guys - you are Canadian too - Come on people - we need those great stories....

What was your favorite event of 2009? Why would I want to go? Come on, tell me!

I want to continue what I am doing - show casing every one's back yard - but I can't do that with out your help. Submit your group or club stories and events to us at bdbetty@gmail.com for stories and arlene.bdbadmin@gmail.com for events.
Here's hoping to hear from more of you....because when you write the paper for me by submitting articles and stories - I can put more effort into the layout process and promoting this community. Time is no more my friend than it is yours.....

Help me - help our community! Get INVOLVED!

I am NOT alone in needing your help.

The Bernice MacNaughton High School Bike Klub MUST Sell 300 more tickets on the Betty Bobber to even come close to this thing being a success for them. Help them to become more self sufficient by buying a ticket today - the Draw is November 1st so ACT NOW!!!!!
Get a hold of the teacher who runs the program:
Marc Mazerolle
Teacher/Bike Club Manager
Bernice MacNaughton High School
999 St George Blvd. Moncton, New Brunswick Canada E1E 2C9
Phone: 506-856-3469 (school)
Phone: 506-856-6014 (home)

or go on their web site: www.bmhsbikeclub.zoomshare.com
To buy online the ticket price is $51.75

Come On People - PLEASE - Help these kids out - I have my ticket.

If you are lucky enough to still be riding - PLEASE
Ride like they are out to get you, because they are!

Belt Drive Betty