Motorcycle Mojo – September 2019

46 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

coastline, so no need to get frustrated if

you get stuck behind slower vehicles.

Just slow down and take in the scenery.

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pass through is Lions Bay. The speed

limit here is 60 km/h and a favourite

place for cops to set up. It’s very twisty

through here, and they can hide around

any number of corners.

Leaving Lions Bay, you come to

Porteau Cove, a nice public park with

a boat launch and campground (which

is almost always full) and some good

straight stretches ahead at Furry Creek,

known for its beautiful golf club, part of

which can be seen from the road.

The next small place you ride

through is Britannia Beach, an old

mining town that still offers mine tours

and has an interesting museum. It’s

worth a stop if you’ve never been there

or have a hankering to go underground.

More Speed Traps

Britannia Beach is also a place where

the speed limit drops to 60 km/h and

Stopping at the Tantalus

Range viewpoint is a

must when travelling on

Highway 99 just north of

Squamish. (above)

Witness the meeting of

two rivers as the muddy

water of the Fraser River

joins the clear water of the

Thompson River in Lytton.

(left)

the RCMP like to set up at the bottom

of the long, downhill sweeping curve

coming into town from the south. I’ve

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very spot with three or four sport bikes

loaded on the back. Keep in mind that if

you get caught riding at 40 km/h over

the posted limit, the police can take

your bike. So, slow down!

On that note, on weekends in the

summer, there may be 100 to 300

motorcycles on this road, so keep your

eyes on your mirrors – the sport bike

guys come up really fast and often ride

in groups. They can and will surprise

you if you’re daydreaming.

The next town you come to is

Squamish, a larger suburb of Vancouver

with shopping. The Starbucks at the

mall off Cleveland Avenue is a stop

frequented by bike riders. Affectionately

known as Squambucks, it always has at

least 30 bikes parked here, with riders in

the process of coming or going during

the weekend in summer months.

Continuing north on Hwy 99 from

Squamish, you will pass by the turnoff

to Brackendale, known for having the

largest concentration of bald eagles

in North America from November to

February.

Keep Moving On

From here, the road gains in elevation

as it winds through mountain terrain.

You will be able to keep a good speed

right into Whistler, where things slow

down again. Not much to see here

in summer unless you’re into tourist

traps and expensive shopping. Don’t

get me wrong: it’s a nice sterile town

and you can take a gondola ride or go

downhill mountain biking and there’s

great skiing in the winter. But this is a

motorcycle-related article.

There is a Chevron gas station in

Whistler that offers 94-octane gas for

those needing it. Chevron is the only

gas station in B.C. to offer 94 octane

that is ethanol-free, and you will pay a

premium for it. I paid as high as $1.78

per litre in 2018.

Once you leave Whistler, you’ll

notice that the road isn’t as wide or as

well cared for as it was behind you.

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which is the usual gas stop for most

riders as there are both a Petro Canada

and a Husky station in town. Worth

mentioning: Pemberton has a real short

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age of restaurants, so if your planning

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two or three places to choose from,

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gas-station dining.

Leaving Pemberton, you pass Mount

Currie as you ride through the Lil’wat

TRAVEL THE DUFFEY LOOP, B.C.