Category: Guided Tours

December 9 2019

Touring the Chilcotins

Touring the Chilcotins – a Guided Motorcycle Tour in British Columbia

In August of 2019 we received a tour inquiry from two gentlemen from the USA looking for a unique motorcycle experience, a ride that they could not experience in their home state. They had four days in their schedule with no plans and wanted us at Moto Experience to take them on an unforgettable tour of our backyard. We gladly accepted the challenge and began planning four days of riding with lodging and meals. We came up with a really great route that would take us to a spectacular riding area in the Chilcotin Mountain range. The Chilcotin Mountain range is a sub-division of the Coastal Mountains, located just North of Pemberton British Columbia. We sent an itinerary via email to our potential guests and got a call back very shortly after wanting to book.

it’s always a real treat to be able to spend multiple days exploring and showing our new friends all the amazing scenery, wildlife and great trails in the South Chilcotins so we always jump at the chance to take people here.

Blog about a motorcycle tour in the Chilcotins

August really started to fly by, lots of tour inquiries were coming in for half or full day rides but in the back of my mind all I could think about was our four day Adventure coming up. A few days before our departure I remember looking at the 7 day forecast and it was looking perfect, Sun and a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius for the foreseeable future. Touring the Chilcotins.

The night before I spent the day getting all the bikes prepped, luggage ready and fuel tanks filled for the journey tomorrow. We set up our guests with our favorite accommodation spot, the Pemberton Valley Lodge. It’s a very well appointed Lodge located just off highway 99, with a pool, hot tub that is just a few steps away from town. We met up at Mile One eating house for one of their amazing burgers and made a game plan for tomorrow. Touring the Chilcotins.

A written motorcycle article about canada tour

Day # 1- The guys arrived just after 9 am with lots of energy, they must of had a big breakfast. We got them both setup with their riding gear and luggage and hit the road as soon as we could. The first part of the journey was heading to the Hurley Pass from Pemberton via the Pemberton Meadows. The Hurley Pass is the main access road connecting the Bridge River Valley with Pemberton and the Sea to Sky corridor. It can be a fairly rough road depending on the time of year but luckily it was fairly smooth. We travelled up out of the Pemberton Meadows over the pass and down into the Bridge River. The views on this road are pretty spectacular, you see the occasional truck or car or lost tourist in a hatch back with a flat tire so you aren’t totally alone. We made a few stops along the way to stretch it out and take in the gorgeous scenery even though we kept them updated regularly with our Bluetooth headsets. They are truly a must have for any Adventure riding in our opinion. We got to Tyax Wilderness Lodge about 3 hours after leaving Pemberton, we had many stops to take photos, have a snack or just hang out for a minute. The whole journey from Pemberton can be done on a motorcycle in a shorter amount of time but we weren’t in a hurry. It is about 85 kms from Pemberton to Gold Bridge which isn’t a long ways but its all relevant to how fast you travel. Once we got to Tyax both Mike and Ron were completely blown away. We had lunch on the sunny patio overlooking Tyaughton Lake and decided why not call it a day and hit the hot tub. We finished the evening with an amazing dinner at the Lodge and made a plan for tomorrow. Great day Touring the Chilcotins.

Day # 2 – Mike was really egar to get on the bike this morning before breakfast, early double track ride? Why not, we hit some of the local double track, I must say it’s one of the highlights of riding around here. If you ever get tired of the views just duck off the road and explore the hundreds of kms of sandy double track trails. Getting our early morning fix of adrenalin before breakfast was a smart more, no need for a coffee today. After a great breakfast spread put on by the wonderful Tyax staff we headed towards Lillooet in a very indirect route. There are a ton of smooth roads, paved or not paved to choose your own adventure. Mike and Ron were really enjoying themselves. Ron who has a background in racing cars on a semi professional level was having a time on our KLR 650, he was learning the ways of off-road motorcycling. After a great morning of riding we made our way to Lillooet for lunch at Abundance Bakery. I took them around Seton Lake for a quick walk around the lake, there was talk about a potential dip but we backed out. We made our way back to Tyax a slightly different route and headed strait to the hot tub for a moto debrief.

Day # 3 – This morning we are heading to explore Bralorne and Gold Bridge, two small towns located 20 kms south of Tyax. Gold Bridge and Tyax were old mining towns back in the 1930’s, they have about 100 residents between both towns. They both have a ton of history so there is los to chat about on the headsets. We made our way through town and up to the Ghost town at the Bralorne Pioneer mine. From there we hit some local double track trails up to Kingdom Lake where we took a load off and soaked in the views. From Kingdom Lake we descended back down into the valley and back up to Tyax to finish up the day.

Vancouver and surrounding motorbike rides

Day # 4 – Heading home – Another beautiful day was in front of us and we saved some of the best roads for last. We headed East of Highway 40 towards Lillooet skirting Carpenter Lake for 50 kms. If you haven’t ridden this road I highly recommend it, its virtually traffic free with the odd local travelling back from Lillooet, long sweeping corners and smooth pavement. It’s covers all aspects of an epic motorcycle road. We crossed over carpenter lake dam and up Mission Mountain pass down into Seton Portage. We stopped at the Barrel on in Pub for a lunch break, a necessary pit stop when travelling through. If you make a stop here try their pizza, its made fresh and is top notch. The road back to D’Arcy sits high above Anderson Lake and made for a really epic finish to an amazing four days. The road is definitely not an easy one but with some decent off-road experience you will make it through. On one of the harder hill climbs we met an English chap sitting on his BMW 1200 Gs in its side. He didn’t make it up the hill and ended up in the ditch, we helped right the bike and got it to the top. He looked ok so we pointed him in the right direction and he went on his way. We took his phone number and called him later to make sure he made it to his hotel in Seton.

Custom Tour Info

All the epic scenery has now painted a permanent grin on mike’s face, we stopped over the last look out to take in the last of the views and reflect on the trip. We descended back into the Pemberton Valley where it all began and made our way back home. We arrived back in Pemberton just after 5 pm and dusted off the gear and said goodbye to Mike and Ron.

It was an amazing way to spend a few days, riding with great places with even better people. Definitely a trip to remember, until the next ride.

September 5 2019

Motorcycle riding in Whistler – Adventure through the mountains

Motorcycle Riding In Whistler

Whistler Moto Experience Motorcycle Riding in Whistler | Something for all two wheel lovers

Road Riding

Motorcycle riding in Whistler has been growing in all forms over the past few years and expanding to a large variety of people. Now with the road specific, dirt specific and all of the adventure models, there is something for everyone. Although Whistler Blackcomb has long been known for its abundance of snow and winter escapades, the last few years has seen the summers flourish and the activities made available expand tremendously. Home to world famous ski hill, and downhill mountain bike park, Whistler Blackcomb houses avid adventure enthusiasts from all over the world, looking to try new things, or fill their cup with their favourite outdoor past times.

Motorcycle riding up a dirt road surrounded by mountains in between whistler and pemberton

This little gem of ours has something for every 2-wheeled fan. The Sea to Sky corridor boasts some of the most break taking ocean views, winding and twisting its way through the mountains from Vancouver to Squamish then onto Whistler. This paved delight can be enjoyed on any motorized steed, but remember to take caution as there are many cars on the road. On the other side of Pemberton is the iconic Duffey Lake road. This unbelievable road has 300+ turns, pristine lakes, remnants of landslides and avalanches and beautiful mountain scapes. It links many of our tours together, and we feature it as its own tour as it really a wonder to ride.

Duffey Lake Road Tour

Dirt Biking in Whistler & Pemberton

dirt bike spraying dirt in the air with a green river motocross park text overlay

Nestled between Whistler and Pemberton is the Green River Motocross track. Open (weather dependant) at the end of the spring and all throughout summer the track is a great place to get comfy in the air and hone in your dirt bike skills. The track is decent size and people travel from Vancouver to come and ride it with the Pemby Moto guys keeping the track in great condition.

From Squamish to Pemberton there are a TONNE of mountainous riding areas that are home to many logging roads, some winding backwards into the country, some heading straight up into the alpine. Most of the single-track trails are known by the local riders, and not often shared in public places although there are plenty of listed riding areas. The Pemberton Dirt Bike Association has just started the process to build some worthy single-track trails not too far outside of Pemberton as the dirt bike enthusiast population grows.

Motorcycle Riding in Whistler Motorcycle Riding in Whistler Motorcycle Riding in Whistler

Byrn Hughes ripping his KTM dirt bike up a rock face

Adventure Riding

Adventure riding in the area is some of the most unique riding you can do. Combining the breath taking paved scenic roads, logging roads into the alpine, double track ATV trails (and some single track for the skilled big bike riders) there is literally day’s and days’ worth of exploring within minutes of Whistler, not to mention the fun we have getting out further inland.

2 BMW GS1200 motorbikes spraying mud on a dirt road outside lillooet

2 KLR650 motorcycles riding through a puddle splashing water

Keep an eye out for more posts about riding in the area or join us on tour!

We’ll explore more of our trips toward the interior in our next written piece as we take our adventures to more amazing places in Western BC.

We create custom experiences combining adventure motorcycle riding, the best places to see and unreal experiences Western BC has to offer. We have pre-planned half day, full day and multi day adventures, or we can build one specific to you.

Guided Motorcycle Adventures

October 31 2018

Adventure ride from Pemberton to Princeton

Adventure ride from Pemberton to Princeton

One of the best things about living in the Sea to Sky and Pemberton area is the easy to access world class riding. Without travelling too far there are an abundance of backroads, trails, and breathtaking views for everyone. This included avid hikers, mountain bikers, motorcycle riders, dirt bikers, sledders and more.

On Thursday, August the 9th, local legend Doug O’Mara and I embarked on a two day journey through some amazing riding locations in Western BC. From the snow capped mountains just outside of Pemberton to red sand dessert Lillooet, with lush forestation and a mix of dirt roads and pavement.

Getting prepared

When taking off into the unexplored terrain it is important to make sure your pre-check is thorough. You never know what obstacles you may encounter and getting stuck in the middle of summer is never an enjoyable task. We always check our fluids, when the last oil change was done and how far we’re planning on travelling to see if we need to do any extra maintenance. Encountering quite a lot of dust is inevitable, so a fresh clean air filter is a must before heading out. So far, we’ve found the best filters for the KLR are UNI air filters and No Toil classic filter oil does a great job without ruining the air filters. Always remember to grease the base of the filter where the air filter connects to the air box to give a better seal and to reduce chances of dust getting in. We check all major bolts, tire pressure, and make sure we pack extra front and rear tubes, tire irons and the appropriate wrenches and sockets.Keep your eyes peeled for our pre ride bike check article for more tips to better prepare yourself before you head out.

Leaving Pemberton

The Duffey Lake road is an iconic stretch of windy tarmac between Pemberton and Lillooet. This can be done in half a day return, however we continued out past Lillooet heading towards Cache Creek and down a side road leading up into the Fountain Valley (check your route as the roads can be closed due to slides, although most dual sports would make it over the most recent slide). The Fountain Valley is a beautiful stretch mixed with paved and dirt roads that boast some great camping and lakes. The land is watched over by the Xaxli’p community, who help keep this area fresh and clean and available for all to enjoy.

Leaving Lillooet

The exit to Fountain Valley will bring you back out onto the Cariboo highway for a short while before heading into another iconic riding area in British Columbia. Onion lake has kilometres of single track, double track, and riding for all level of experience as well as trails to suit some dual sport bikes. Every year at Onion Lake the West Coast Dirt Riders Club holds an off road race through Onion Lake called Monkey Wrench, hosting family fun rides, competition races and activities for the whole weekend. Through the onion lake area there is a few gated roads and to get back through the other side is important to follow the Murray creek fsr, but beware of the rogue cows and big horn sheep.

Highway 8

From Spences Bridge down to Merritt we decided to stay on highway 8 as we still had a decent ride ahead of us. Our stomachs were empty so we made our way into Merritt and stopped at Game On sports bar and grill for a pit stop and some great dry ribs. After fuelling our bikes up we went east onto the Okanagan Connector for a short while before entering the Kane Valley. It had a huge array of riding including Forrest service roads, atv and single track trails, about 25 different lakes and recreation sites spitting you back out on the 5A for a straight cruise down into Princeton.

End of Day 1

We stayed at the Villager inn, an older style Bed and Breakfast that was accommodating of our bikes and personal belongings, and had quiet and clean rooms with friendly staff. We made our way out for dinner and found ourselves at the Brown Bridge Pub, the local Irish influenced watering hole and had an awesome meal (7.99 steak and fries on thursdays) and a couple drinks to wash it down and called it a night.

Day 2 – leaving Princeton

Early to bed, early to rise and pre trip check the bikes. Making sure no tire punctures have revealed themselves, as well as fluids, tire pressure, signals and gauges are good to go. We left Princeton heading south and with some maneuvering and knowledge of the area made our way down to the KVR (Kettle Valley Railway). The landscape changes so many times through the KVR, with the first to see being one of the largest Red Ochre sites just outside of town. It stretches along the river with tunnels, mountainous ranges, Rec sites, atv trails and lakes, most notably otter and osprey lake. The riding was fairly easy with some whoops (braking bumps from the atv’s) but allowing us to take in the scenery. The harder riding was available if you wish to stop at the rec area’s for some fun. This section of the KVR is one of the only still allowing motorized vehicles to ride!

Kettle Valley Railroad

We followed the KVR up through Coalmont to Tulameen, a small recreation town 27km north of Princeton then upwards over bridges and through fields with one notably difficult section that some skill level of riders may need to dismount and get help around, up to Brookemere. There’s some cool older buildings and historical sights in Brookemere including an old water tower and sheds that have been restored. The KVR bought us to the newly paved cold water road and was a quick trip up to Merritt for a late breakfast. We decided we wanted to wait to get to Lynda’s cafe for breakfast but underestimated the time to get there as we wanted to stop and get some many photos and explore different area’s, but it was well worth the wait.

Left Field Cidery

We decided to stick to some pavement after the morning of ripping around the loose dirt on the KVR heading north up to Logan Lake on the 97C. With tonnes to see and a fun straight but flowy road again with access to a plethora of of roads trails if you wish to stay and explore. On the way to Logan Lake you’ll come across the Left Field Cidery (although we do not condone drinking & riding) it is a great place to check out and bring some home.

Tunkwa Provincial Park

As we were entering the later part of the day we picked up the pace a little and continued north past Tunkwa provincial park. It is home to a massive recreational and r.v campsite, further north to Mt Savona and the Savona caves, and for one last off road stretch through the Deadman vidette rd. Today we’ve ridden along green mountains either side and a running river, over lakes, on bridges, on white sand, blue metal, rock formations, tarmac and farm land. Now we enter place that reminds me of mars. In the valley there are some great rock formations called hoodoo’s that look like ghosts.

Cache Creek

This red dusty road twists and turns it’s way back to cache creek. We stuck to the road so we could get back to pemberton before dark. We made our way to Lillooet for a quick refuel and recap of the adventure then back along the Duffey. With there being so many recreation sites along the way you could easily spread this tour over a very more days. This would allow you some additional fun in some double track trails and the freedom to set your own pace. The past 2 days we were able to cover quite a lot of land and to see so many various historical sites, different landscapes, and good times shared was perfect.

If anyone has any questions, wants to know more, or join us on this tour next summer contact us by email sales@motoexperience.ca