Snowmobile trails become motorcycle trails during the summer. (Photos by the author)

After months of planning and a morning of pavement riding, we arrived at a section of the Trans Canada Adventure Trail near Huntsville, Ontario. Our plan was to ride about 900 miles of the TCAT, which stretches 9,000 mostly off-road miles from Newfoundland in the east to British Columbia in the west (see sidebar ?TCAT 101? at end of the story).

Our group was a fairly diverse threesome of riders. Dan, who had some dirt-riding experience, was concerned with how his Yamaha Super Ténéré would handle some of the tighter, more technical parts of the trail. Greg?s KTM 790 Adventure was probably the most off-road capable bike on this trip, but with almost zero dirt-riding experience, he didn?t know how he would handle the rigors of the trail.
I had the most dirt-riding experience, and with my new-to-me, BBQ-black enamel painted Kawasaki KLR650 ? easily the ugliest bike on the trip ? I was probably the least concerned with dropping my bike.

Related Stories:

Long-Term Review: 2015 Yamaha Super Ténéré ES2020 KTM 790 Adventure R | Road Test Review2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure | Road Test Review

Dirt Naps and Wet Boots

Dropping a bike in soft sand is a rite of passage.

Within minutes of getting on the TCAT, we were faced with a fairly steep hill to climb with good-sized rocks and ruts. I made it to the top, but Greg lost momentum and fell, breaking his left side mirror. A b...