Many of you have suggested your favorite motorcycle rides on the roads of Quebec. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you some of these route suggestions. Third stop of four: the roads of the Gaspé hinterland, between Matane and Rimouski, suggested by Éric Desgagnés.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
“When I have a lazy afternoon, my first instinct is to go for this hike,” explains Mr. Desgagnés. I do it two or three times a year, sometimes I take friends with me, it becomes their favorite too. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉRIC DESGAGNÉS
A portion of Route 195, which runs along the Matane River
A resident of Matane, the 55-year-old motorcyclist chooses to go south by following Route 195, before heading towards Sayabec by Chemin de la Coulée-Carrier, which will successively take the names of rue de l’Église, chemin de Sayabec and road to Sainte-Paule. In Sayabec, it takes route 132 west before turning into rue Principale, in Saint-Moïse. From there, it begins to roll towards the river on the Kempt road. “Driving in that direction, you have a breathtaking view of the river and the hills, it’s magnificent on a motorcycle,” says Éric Desgagnés.
At Saint-Octave, it heads west on Route 234, before returning to the river via Route 298, towards Sainte-Luce. “It’s really a nice loop, the scenery is magnificent and the road is in excellent condition, a stretch of 50 km has been paved in new condition! »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉRIC DESGAGNÉS
Eric Desgagnes
Many attractions
The route also has its share of attractions. Éric Desgagnés suggests, among other things, the Jardins de Métis, in Grand-Métis; the La Mousse de mer artisanal soap factory in Saint-Octave; the JE Goulet motorcycle shop in Luceville; the magnificent Pointe-Mitis lighthouse; the Carpinteri vineyard, in Saint-Ulric; or the Fromagerie du Littoral, in Baie-des-Sables. It is also absolutely necessary to stop for a gelato at the culinary workshop Pierre-Olivier Ferry, in Métis-sur-Mer.
“We are talking about a loop of around 160 km, with my girlfriend, we leave around 10 a.m. and we can do it in two hours, but we can also take the day by making stops”, explains our Matan reader.
You can do it by car, but it’s not the same with a roof. I imagine the experience is similar on a convertible, but I like the feeling of freedom that the bike gives, it’s more relaxed.
Eric Desgagnes
Éric Desgagnés discovered motorcycles 20 years ago, after buying a small dirt bike for his 12-year-old son. “He suggested I do some with him, I first bought myself a small 250cc to ride on the trails with him, he recalls. Then I bought myself a famous KLR, and when my wife started to enjoy riding with me, I progressed to the Yamaha Super Ténéré. The kind of adventurous motorcycle that also allows him to regularly travel to the Matane wildlife reserve, whose forest roads can lead to Gaspé.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉRIC DESGAGNÉS
The “surprise coast” is the name given to Chemin Kempt, when the river suddenly reveals itself, near Saint-Octave-de-Métis.
Éric Desgagnés drives approximately 15,000 km per year, some of his trips taking him far beyond the beautiful hills of the Mitis backcountry. “I often do what is called the little tour of Gaspésie,” he tells us. I go down the Matapédia valley and then I come back through the Gaspésie park. The Matane–Grande-Vallée road is also very beautiful, especially the section between Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Grande-Vallée. And there is a canteen in Grande-Vallée that serves the best poutine I have eaten in my entire life! »