Plan Your Trip
The Basics
When you plan a trip on the North Island, you are travelling in isolated rain forest. It rains often and the temperatures rarely go above 25 degrees Celsius. However, the pristine forest and sights along the way make the ride worth your while, and if you’re well-prepared, it will be a great trip.
Over long distances, large groups can become unmanageable and waiting for riders can be frustrating. As this ride is too long to be a ‘guided’ group ride, you are free to pace yourself as you are comfortable and we will use the buddy system for safety.
Each day will have an itinerary with suggested stops, points of interest along the route and camping or accommodation at the end of the day’s ride.
Within their groups, riders will have the flexibility to decide when and how long they want to stop at each destination and still be able to meet at the end of the day, if they choose.
Pick your buddy(s) carefully to be sure they have similar goals for the trip. A team name will be assigned to each group. If you are coming solo, we can help you join a group.
Each rider should bring:
- Enough fuel to go 200 km.
- Appropriate riding gear for wet weather
- Camping gear, a tarp and the means to build a campfire.
- There are stores along the route, but every rider should carry food with them and the means to heat it up.
- There is plenty of good drinking water in the North Island but some may wish to use a filter.
Please ensure that your machine is up for the task with all maintenance done before you go.
- Change oil/ differential oil.
- Clean air filter.
- Check tire pressure, pack tire inflator/ patch kit.
- ATVs may want to add a throttle extender to help with thumb fatigue.
- There will be a ‘ride protocol’ when we enter a town; 30 km/ hour on the roads marked on the permit. Keep in mind that this is the first ride of this type and we must set a good example.
- There will be at least one chase truck with the ride in case of a break down
- Most of the North Island where we are riding does not have cell service; FRS or VHF radios are a good option for comms in your group.
- Each group must carry at least one of the following:
- a SPOT, inReach or a satellite phone.
All ATV operators MUST scan and send the following documentation to be considered for the ride:
- Valid driver’s licence*, ATV registration, licence plate with Hwy crossing sticker, and proof of 3rd party liability insurance (ie Capri).
- *Without a valid driver’s licence, no permits will be issued.
Street- legal dualsport motorcycles do not need to send this documentation with their registration, however, they are still required to carry their licence and registration with them (as per the rules of the road).
Navigation
- Before attempting this loop, make sure you have the GPS tracks AND the North Island Search and Rescue maps to ensure that your route knowledge is complete and up to date. There are 3 maps that cover the areas that North Island 1000 covers (pictured on the right) and they are available from www.crsar.ca or at Campbell River outdoor stores, such as River Sportsman or Tyee Marine.
- The Search and Rescue maps are also useful for planning side trips, as there are 1000s of km of side trips accessible from this route that aren’t included in the loop itself. Visit the tourist pages for the different communities and see what extra side trips might interest you along the way.
- Request the Route Plan document by clicking the button below and filling out your info in our contact sheet. Start with your route plan request and leave a little message letting us know what you ride, and if you want email updates from us about future rides!