Bob White, his son-in-law Mike Doran, and granddaughters Katie, 29, and Julia are tooling around Ontario on their motorbikes this week. It's a bit of a test drive, before Mr. Doran accompanies Julia, 27, as she heads out to Vancouver to look for work.

Mr. White, 78, has been riding motorcycles since he was 17, while Mr. Doran has been a rider for 30 years.

The reason for the trip, Mr. Doran said, is "for fun. This is a holiday. This is a vacation. It takes a little bit of co-ordination, with jobs and everything. It's a different type of family vacation."

Mr. White said the trip "sounded like a good idea."

Joining them on the trip as a passenger is Mr. Doran's wife, Lois.

The first week will be spent "doodling around Ontario," Mr. Doran said, although he added the original plans have changed.

Lois Doran had decided she wasn't going to go on the trip, but then changed her mind.

"The plans keep changing. As of last night (Thursday), my wife wasn't going. Now she's decided she's missing out. It should be a lot of fun," Mr. Doran said.

He said Mr. White has been looking forward to the adventure. "I think he's totally excited about this, going off with his granddaughters."

The trip across Canada isn't the first for Mr. Doran. "I've been across Canada with the girls on the back of the bike. It's the first time they're actually riding the bike. They just got their licence last year."

He bought the girls their motorcycles. "I told them if they guarantee me one week to 10 days a year, I'd buy them a bike. It's a little selfish. I wanted someone to ride with."

The trip around Ontario and then out west will take nine to 10 days, with the group riding 400 to 500 kilometres daily.