Vancouver Island Motosports Events - VIME

Do you remember a week ago or so I wrote that the event routes would have cutoff times this time around? The purpose is to keep the event manageable for the event crew.

CONTROL POINT CUTOFF TIMES.

Running through each of the routes is Highway 19 - the only arterial road (to use a UK road term) running up and down the island. Hwy 19 provides a fast, easy return route from the event routes to Sayward Junction.

As previously explained, the Prologue on Thursday evening will be used to set the start order for Day1. The winner of the Prologue will choose their start position, then the start order will be the reverse of the Prologue finishing order - the slowest rider starts first (unless the winner opts to go first). Understand?

Each day has a lunchtime halt that has a target time of around 2hrs 30 mins riding time.

The first start of the day will be at 0900, then at 2 minute intervals to allow the dust to settle. Solo competition riders first, then solo non-competition riders, then non-competition riders riding in groups.

Each lunchtime halt serves as a Census Point where all riders get counted in and counted out again.

The first cutoff time is at each lunchtime halt. If riders are unable to make their restart by 1400hrs they will be Out Of Time and directed to return to the finish poor by way of Hwy19.

A lunchtime cutoff at 1400hrs gives the slowest riders 4 hours to cover a course that has a target time of around 2hrs 30mins

Beyond the lunchtime halt, the timing Control Points (in VIME-speak they are RCPs, Richta Control Points) will close at 15 minute intervals up to that last RCP.

The final cutoff times typically give riders 8 hours to cover a course that has a target time of around 5 hours.

Cutoff times will be given in the roadbook and also repeated at rider briefings.

Riders stand to gain more progress around the courses with steady, accurate navigation than higher speed riding with inaccurate navigation. “A thousand miles per hour in the wrong direction is somewhat sub-optimal”.

Any questions?

Details on www.gr200.com

Four down, one to go…

Four of the five routes for The Great Canadian (motorcycle) Roadbook Rally, a moto-TSD regularity event across the north of Vancouver Island are now ready to go.

Opens Wednesday evening 1 July. Finishes Sunday evening 5 July. Bivouac closes Monday morning 6 July. Location Sayward Junction, Highway 19, Vancouver island

The Thursday Loosener, a training and familiarisation route by roadbook and Gaia is done and published.

The Thursday Prologue, 70Km to determine the Friday start order is set and ready to be published.

The Friday (Day 1) route, Sayward Junction to Johnstone Strait to Woss to SJ is set and ready for publication

The Saturday route, SJ to Johnstone St to Campbell River and back across the Campbell River catchment basin to SJ is now set and ready.

The Sunday (Day 3) route…. Just leaving one more (unique) route to set before the event begins on Canada Day (1 July) at Sayward Junction.

The total distance will be 80K + 70K + 220K + 235 + 220K =825 K, in 4 days. Cutoff timing applies to keep the field together. The event is open to road legal riders of dualsport, adventure and rally replica bikes.

For more information see www.gr200.com/shop

Would anyone like to join me on a ride from Sayward Junction on Sunday, setting out a route? 230km, I’ll fill your bike with petrol and your belly with a dinner at the crossroads…

Leave Sayward Junction petrol station by 0930.

For Sale. Yamaha TY trials type, Jurassic Park edition.

Light resto project - engine and suspension possibly needs attention.

Ran when parked.

Carb needs cleaning.

No papers.

Buyer collects.

Sold as seen.

Bike has seen better days.

Estate sale. Last owner past caring. Seller will not respond to “Is this still available?”

Old model, now rare.

Will suit experienced single enthusiast or motorcyclist seeking divorce/separation/estrangement with cause.

Bring a trailer (and a broom and shovel) possibly a boat as well.

Needs polishing (if you can polish a turd).

It’s still on its original Yokohama trials tyres. Still on the original air.

Location- beyond the back of beyond, West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island.

Serious enquiries only…

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

(Photo credits to Stuart O)

Now that the Great Canadian (motorcycle) Roadbook Rally is drawing closer, it is a good time to explain a little about the routes and some measures to keep things moving along.

The Prologue will run on Thursday evening 2 July for the participants in the competition class. The route is about 70km long and the results will set the start order for Day1. The winner of the prologue will choose their start position for the following day. Then the start order will be the reverse of the prologue finishing order.

Day1 start will be at Sayward Junction, as will the finish. The start order will be competition class first at two minute intervals from 0900. Then non-competition solo riders riding Roadbook or Gaia, then group riders.

The lunchtime halt will be at Woss with a cutoff at 2pm. Riders who have not started the second half of the day by 1400 will be deemed Out Of Time and will be directed to return to Sayward Junction by way of Highway 19.

The finish cutoff will be at 1730, ie at least 7hrs 30 mins after the start. Riders arriving at the finish after 1730 will be deemed to be Out Of Time.

Out Of Time riders will be scored maximum Time Penalties for each leg on the day’s route.

Day 2. As per day 1. Lunchtime halt at Campbell River. Start and Cutoff times as per Day 1. Start order determined by finish order of Day 1.

Day 3. As per Day 1&2. Lunchtime halt at Woss. Start order determined by aggregated finish order of Day 1&2.

Any questions?

NEWS FROM THE TRENCHES….

Do you remember that i passed on news that the bridge over the river Sebalhall Creek at the north end of Vernon Lake, between Gold River and Woss was closed due to road erosion…?

Well, brother-in-arms Arne Glavind has passed the news on to me that the gate is now open, presumably because the road has been repaired.

It is worth noting the stretch of road immediately to the west of the bridge is as rough as it ever was as it forms part of a creek flood plain, but the rough patch is only about 200m long and you don’t need to be too determined to wrestle your way through it. Than might not hold for four wheel vehicles…

The road is called “Back Road” and it is the back road that leads back to Wonderful Woss Vegas on the way back from Vernon Lake.

Tell your friends the road is open and there are puns aplenty on www.gr200.com

Where we will be going on one of the Great Canadian rally routes, and one way that we won’t!

Yesterday (Sunday) Gary and myself set out from Sayward Junction to lay out another rally route.

230km later, lunch and petrol in Wonderful Woss Vegas, one minor reroute to avoid a jungle passage, 30 GPS timing gates, dinner in the Campbell River Spice Hut curry house and no speeding tickets later the job was a good ‘un!

The route will be available as a GPX/Gaia route for the non-competition riders and as a pre-ridden (yesterday) Roadbook for the competition riders.

This route, and the others for this event, are “Grand Tour” rides rather than verging on enduro - and are suitable for adventure bike riders as well as DS riders. The roads encompass everything from Highway 19 liaison sections to the usual quiet, sleepy FSRs that haven’t seen a four wheel vehicle for many summers. All can be ridden “two wheels down”.

Expect stunning scenery, seen only by loggers, bears and elk, locations you didn’t know you didn’t know about and environments your bike was built and sold for.

Entries at www.gr200.com/shop Prices go up this evening.

Jonathan

Ask “why?” seven times to get to the real reason for this. There was a rule change recently….? What changed? Intake restrictor plates? What were the knock-on consequences? How did rider crew behaviour change? Why?…

The Sidecar class has been axed from the remainder of the 2026 Isle of Man TT schedule.