Riding hard over Ontario’s best roads

THE MUSKOKAN — Muskoka’s lakes are widely considered some of the best in the world, but a select few hold the region’s roads in just as high esteem.
For motorcyclists, a great road is one with a smooth winding path, beautiful vistas, light traffic and a great place to stop and get some food. Muskoka is criss-crossed with highways that check off every one of those boxes.
When Mike Jacobs was planning his Ultimate Northern Ontario Road Trip he said coming to Muskoka was a no-brainer. The trip, which encompassed two months and aimed to explore every corner of Ontario, has taken him along some of the best roads for motorcyclists in the entire province.
“We’ve seen and discovered some incredible new roads to ride,” said Jacobs. “The other part is, we’ve met and encountered so many different interesting and friendly people. We’ve seen things we had no idea existed. We planned out the itinerary, and did our research, but once we actually saw some of the things we’ve seen, it totally blew our minds.”
The trip has taken them all across the province. Starting in Toronto on June 1, the journey has wound its way all the way to the most northerly paved roads in the province. July 31 marked the final day of the trip with the team doing the final leg of the drive from Peterborough back to Toronto.
The group made two trips through Muskoka. Jacobs said the region delivered on its reputation for having excellent roads and destinations for bikers.
“Muskoka’s riding roads are great, and they’re generally in incredible condition. The one that really stands out is 13. It goes through the dark sky conservatory, and the road is heaven for riders. It’s twisty-turny, uppy-downy,” said Jacobs.
The team found the Torrance Barrens to be particularly impressive. The area, which features a mosaic of pine, aspen, white birch and maple trees, is a unique sight even when passing by it on the road.
The trip hasn’t been without its difficulties. Almost all of the vehicles they started out with, which includes two motorcycles, a pickup truck and a tent trailer, have, at one point, suffered mechanical difficulties.
One motorcycle, a vintage Yamaha, had its engine seize a little over two weeks into the journey. That bike had to be left in a field near where it broke and is now in the care of a local man who agreed to keep the bike safe until Jacobs is able to pick it up in the near future.
In another bit of bad luck, the tire on their tent trailer blew out on the highway between Elk Lake and Gogama. That kept the group on the side of the highway for four hours. No doubt a tedious experience, but the team looks back on that time fondly as it was just about the only point in the whole journey where they could just sit and enjoy nature.
The journey has also come with some very profound highs. One stop, at the burial grounds at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung, stands out to Jacobs as a highlight of the whole trip. The area has been used as a rest point by both Europeans and aboriginals for centuries.
“This is where people stopped after thousands of kilometres of travelling by foot and by canoe up and down the Mississippi, back and forth across the country. It really all kind of hit home in a way I don’t think I appreciated before,” Jacobs said.
The group has taken part in a wide range of activities during the trip. They saw everything from a smash-up derby to a scale model of a water bomber. The journey has been long and at times difficult, but Jacobs said it was definitely worth it.
For anyone interested in having their own ultimate motorcycle road trip, Jacobs recommends gotourontario.ca. The site, a sponsor of Jacob’s trip, provides an interactive trip planner and route suggestions that are filled with motorcycle friendly stops and sights.
“You can download files for your GPS there. Anything that shows up on those routes has gone through a score card to be checked to see whether it’s motorcycle-friendly or not. In many cases that just means they’ve got good parking for bikes. They’ll have a washcloth to wipe bugs off your face shield and windshield - that kind of stuff,” said Jacobs.
To see an in-depth account of the entire Ultimate Northern Ontario Road Trip, visit their website at ontarioroadtrip.ca. The site features, videos, pictures and a blog of the journey.

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