Rocky Mountain Canada motorbike tour: Jasper motorcycle tours

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This was published 7 years ago

Rocky Mountain Canada motorbike tour: Jasper motorcycle tours

By Guy Wilkinson
Cruising through Jasper National Park.

Cruising through Jasper National Park.

Brian Wismer has been around bikes his whole life. His grandfather was a motorcycle messenger in World War II. His father was a motorbike cop. He grew up riding dirt bikes and, at age 22, he was given his first steed: a monstrous 1000cc Triumph initially intended for his stepmother who was "just too scared to ride it".

Given that I'm racing at breakneck speed just a few inches above a pot hole-ravaged highway in a vintage sidecar, the pedigree is definitely reassuring.

Dressed something like a Kamikaze fighter pilot meets a mid-'90s Bono, I'm on a vintage Harley Davidson tour through Jasper National Park, around 300 kilometres west of Edmonton.

Maligne River through Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Maligne River through Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

We've barely left town when we're forced to pause at an intersection as an elk meanders past. "If you want to see real wildlife, just head there," says Wismer, aka "Wiz", nodding towards the local pub.

With the elk gone, Wiz opens up the throttle, speeding over viaducts straddling the Athabasca River. There's a beautiful purr of engine, thousands of dollars of finely tuned engineering ensconced among polished chrome and leather.

Heading deeper into the mountains, gaining elevation, the air is crisp and fresh, swathes of lush green pines flanking the highway in the valley below.

Bull Elk on the road.

Bull Elk on the road. Credit: Alamy

"Now we just have to figure out a way past these Sunday drivers," says Wiz opening her up, ignoring the fact it's Tuesday. Overtaking dawdling cars is genuinely thrilling, the tarmac a blur beneath my sidecar as we burn past hitchhikers – invariably grungy rock climbers – who laugh as we speed past.

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Now in its ninth season, Jasper Motorcycle Tours has grown from a cottage operation to become one of the region's most popular excursions, with a fleet of Harley Davidsons and 20 drivers guiding up to 500 passengers a week. It's not just about the bikes, though; it's the whole experience.

Moments after arriving at the head office in Jasper, I found myself wrestling into a pair of leather chaps and biker jacket that would make Cher blush.

Grizzly bear foraging near Moraine Lake in Jasper National Park.

Grizzly bear foraging near Moraine Lake in Jasper National Park.Credit: Alamy

In the underground car park – affectionately dubbed the "Bat Cave" – I am given a tour of the polished fleet, a mix of Road Kings, Ultra Goats, Thunderchickens and other suitably butch sounding models. The staff, a ragtag team of affable Canadian petrol heads, clearly love what they do and the enthusiasm is bizarrely infectious.

With the Maligne River to our right, the dividing line in the road has since disappeared while the terrain has become sketchier; more alpine and wild. Road signs warn of crossing deer, bears and other wildlife.

Parking up at Medicine Lake, I grapple out of the sidecar, trying hard to ignore the smirks drawn by my camel coloured chinos beneath bottomless leather chaps.

Just the tonic: Medicine Lake.

Just the tonic: Medicine Lake.

The lake, too, is a sight to behold, its teal surface framed by the pine and snow dusted faces of the Rockies. During summer this shallow body of water stretches around nine kilometres but come winter it will resemble little more than a muddy bog. With no obvious draining channel, it is known as the "disappearing lake" and holds spiritual significance among First Nations people.

In fact, the lake drains from the bottom, much like a bath, though in summer, the flow from melting glaciers replenishes the water faster than it can disperse.

Hooning our way back to Jasper, we pause briefly beside a procession of parked cars to watch a grizzly foraging in the undergrowth just off the freeway. We're late to the party, though, and soon it has vanished back into the bush with that appealing nonchalance only bears seem to possess.

All too soon, we're back in town. With the rest of my afternoon free, I consider my options. I could go rock climbing, rent a kayak, go trekking or ride the sky tram up for a mind bending view of the surrounding mountains.

Then again, I could always rent a Harley of my own and head back out on the open road.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

canada.travel

GETTING THERE

Qantas is offering three weekly direct flights between Sydney and Vancouver during the US summer. See qantas.com

TOURING THERE

Jasper Motorcycle Tours offers a variety of rentals, guided group rides and sidecar tours. Rentals start at $175 for half a day. A one-hour side car tour starts at $109 + tax per passenger. See jaspermotorcycletours.com.

Guy Wilkinson was a guest of Jasper Motorcycle Tours.

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