I added more pictures from the ride to a photo album
15 korr 2007
The Next Long Ride
This was the first motorcycle ride I had taken that was over 1500 miles and longer than a week. I appreciate the fact that Michael had planed out the route, the details, and invited me along. It was intended to be a trip where we rode to a different location every day. For my next long ride I think I would modify the schedule. I think I would get more out of the trip by riding longer in a day and spending at least two days in one place that had activities of interest. The key to this is getting my bike more comfortable to ride. I think the Corbin seat will let me ride at least 600 miles in a day. Putting in one or two longer days of riding would then allow time to camp in an area for at least an extra day. This approach would cut down on the extra time associated with setup and break down of camping.
Overall this was a great first trip to take a long ride. It definitely won't be the last.
Overall this was a great first trip to take a long ride. It definitely won't be the last.
14 korr 2007
Statistics
Raw numbers
5,505 miles - round trip from Issaquah(Seattle), WA to Fairbanks, AK via Valdez and Anchorage.
19 days - 17 days riding, one day working on fuel pump in Anchorage , one tourist day in Fairbanks
Tank range - 220 miles
Gas fill ups - 39
Gallons of gas - 122
Gas Cost - $510
Hotel Cost - $1248 total, this was for 14 nights. My cost was $624. We stayed with friends two nights in Anchorage and two nights in Fairbanks.
Food Cost - $665, We usually got up and rode for a couple hours in the morning before stopping for food. Then ate dinner when we got to the destination for the night. I snacked some during the day. So we ate at restaurants twice a day
Total Cost - $1799, two meals per day, 14 nights hotel, and gas.
Averages
MPG - 45
Miles between fill-ups - 141, this was not optimized. We generally filled up where we knew we could get gas. My bike was the short range bike so I determined fill-ups. Having another 50 miles of range would have helped
U.S. Gas Price - $3.18/gallon, the median was $3.10. Interestingly the cheapest gas in the US was in Fairbanks at $2.93/gallon and the most expensive was $3.57 in Valdez. Now both of these are close to the pipeline, both have small refineries in the immediate area. As a consumer there must be a couple of things I don't understand about the oil/gas business.
Canadian Gas Price - $4.61/gallon(converted from liters) , the median was $4.53 . The highest price was $5.62 per gallon in Muncho Lake. This is in the middle of the BC wilderness. The least expensive was in Whistler at $4.07/gallon.
Overall Gas - $4.18/gallon
Hotel Cost - $89/night, 14 nights. This was for a single room with two beds. My half was $44.50/night. This is a category to cut cost from the trip. It made it real easy to "break camp" in the morning but next time I will camp as much as practical.
Food Cost - $35/day. Roughly $12-$15 for the first meal $20-$23 for dinner. Cooking would reduce the cost but it was nice not to carry stove and cooking equipment. But if you were planning to camp more this would be an area to take cost out of the trip.
Cost per Day - $95 - not including the cost of the bike, equipment, and consumables like tires
5,505 miles - round trip from Issaquah(Seattle), WA to Fairbanks, AK via Valdez and Anchorage.
19 days - 17 days riding, one day working on fuel pump in Anchorage , one tourist day in Fairbanks
Tank range - 220 miles
Gas fill ups - 39
Gallons of gas - 122
Gas Cost - $510
Hotel Cost - $1248 total, this was for 14 nights. My cost was $624. We stayed with friends two nights in Anchorage and two nights in Fairbanks.
Food Cost - $665, We usually got up and rode for a couple hours in the morning before stopping for food. Then ate dinner when we got to the destination for the night. I snacked some during the day. So we ate at restaurants twice a day
Total Cost - $1799, two meals per day, 14 nights hotel, and gas.
Averages
MPG - 45
Miles between fill-ups - 141, this was not optimized. We generally filled up where we knew we could get gas. My bike was the short range bike so I determined fill-ups. Having another 50 miles of range would have helped
U.S. Gas Price - $3.18/gallon, the median was $3.10. Interestingly the cheapest gas in the US was in Fairbanks at $2.93/gallon and the most expensive was $3.57 in Valdez. Now both of these are close to the pipeline, both have small refineries in the immediate area. As a consumer there must be a couple of things I don't understand about the oil/gas business.
Canadian Gas Price - $4.61/gallon(converted from liters) , the median was $4.53 . The highest price was $5.62 per gallon in Muncho Lake. This is in the middle of the BC wilderness. The least expensive was in Whistler at $4.07/gallon.
Overall Gas - $4.18/gallon
Hotel Cost - $89/night, 14 nights. This was for a single room with two beds. My half was $44.50/night. This is a category to cut cost from the trip. It made it real easy to "break camp" in the morning but next time I will camp as much as practical.
Food Cost - $35/day. Roughly $12-$15 for the first meal $20-$23 for dinner. Cooking would reduce the cost but it was nice not to carry stove and cooking equipment. But if you were planning to camp more this would be an area to take cost out of the trip.
Cost per Day - $95 - not including the cost of the bike, equipment, and consumables like tires
What Worked What Didn't
What Worked
Tall windshield - I put on a shield that I just look over the top of. Much warmer, better for bugs and rain.
Heated grips/Heated vest - You don't have to put on so many layers to stay warm. With the temperature running from high 40's to mid-90s, turning grips and vest on and off works great. In a rain storm situation the temperature can drop 10 degrees or more and then warm back up.
Two Piece Rainsuit - Easier to get in to and out of then the one-piece. Works almost as well as the one piece. If I knew I was going to ride in the rain all day, the one piece would be my choice but we did not encounter an all day rain ride
Highway Pegs - It was nice to be able to stretch my legs out straight and rest my calves on the pegs
Two-way Radios - These were great. Especially in the larger cities where traffic is an issue. I would definitely use these again. We only used the low power transmit setting which was good for about a half mile range.
Ear Plugs - Howard Leight MAX LIGHT are very soft and comfortable for all day riding
Front Splash Guard - I fabricated this from aluminum sheet metal and and it protected the front of the engine from mud picked up by the front wheel. No indication that the big ran any hotter even though this shield covers the oil cooler.
GPS - This worked well in the larger cities where we did not know our way around. The streetmap software on Michael's GPS was helpful. There were only a few times it got confused and sent us in the wrong direction
My Bike - it ran flawlessly, it was fun to have a few more horsepower at sea level. I did lose a screw out of the front fairing which I suspect I had not tightened. I also had a rattle in the front fairing that needs more investigation. Duct tape fixed the rattle during the trip.
WalMart - We got engine oil at the Super WalMart in Fairbanks for an oil change. I paid the same price for the synthetic oil I use in Fairbanks as what I pay in Colorado. I don't know how WalMart can do this.
The MilePost - If you are doing a road trip through western Canada and Alaska you need this guide
Visitor Centers - For our trip we did not have advanced reservations for hotels. If we thought there was going to be a problem we picked one from the Milepost and called a day ahead to see how booked they were and if need be make a reservation. Most of the time we waited until we got to the town and went to the visitor's center. First we asked for B&Bs. We got smart enough to ask for new B&Bs. These were most likely to have openings. If no B&Bs we asked for hotels with rooms under $100/night. More then likely these were second tier hotels so we asked for the ones most recently updated.
Wi-Fi - a good portion of hotels and campgrounds provide free wi-fi access. The exception was at Whistler where they figure you can pay extra for it since you are paying a lot for the room already.
Riding Close to the Speed Limit - We were not the fastest vehicles on the road but we did not have any encounters with law enforcement. We had animals close to the road and I only had one tense moment with a sheep. I was slowing down as fast as I could and the sheep was deciding if crossing the road was a good idea. I was almost stopped when the sheep changed direction.
AARP Membership - I was insulted when I first got the invitation to join three years ago. But I joined for a year just before the trip . The hotels in Alaska gave discounts and I have more then paid for it. The Canadians did not give any discounts on room rates for AARP members.
What Didn't
Battery in radios - they lasted about 1.5 days which is OK except you have to stop and change them. I just ended up charging mine each night. A better solution will be to wire in to the bike electrical system. Also using the privacy codes did not work reliably. The idea is to select a channel and then a privacy code so the radios only work if the privacy code is detected at the front end of the transmission. Not sure what the problem is.
Rear Splash Guard - I made this one too tall for a fully loaded bike. It rubbed on hard bumps. I ended up taking it off and brought it home for modification.
Stock Seat - This seat is terrible for long distance riding. I knew this and have a Corbin seat that is much better. I decided against the Corbin because I can touch the ground flat footed with the stock seat. This is very important on technically difficult roads like the road to Prudhoe Bay. We did not make this part of the trip so I would have been much more comfortable on the Corbin seat. Fortunately our longest days were only 400 miles so it was not too bad. I also thought my butt would get tougher with riding, it did not.
Too Much Stuff - I took more clothes than I needed. There are other areas to cut back on weight and volume like spare parts I carried.
Tall windshield - I put on a shield that I just look over the top of. Much warmer, better for bugs and rain.
Heated grips/Heated vest - You don't have to put on so many layers to stay warm. With the temperature running from high 40's to mid-90s, turning grips and vest on and off works great. In a rain storm situation the temperature can drop 10 degrees or more and then warm back up.
Two Piece Rainsuit - Easier to get in to and out of then the one-piece. Works almost as well as the one piece. If I knew I was going to ride in the rain all day, the one piece would be my choice but we did not encounter an all day rain ride
Highway Pegs - It was nice to be able to stretch my legs out straight and rest my calves on the pegs
Two-way Radios - These were great. Especially in the larger cities where traffic is an issue. I would definitely use these again. We only used the low power transmit setting which was good for about a half mile range.
Ear Plugs - Howard Leight MAX LIGHT are very soft and comfortable for all day riding
Front Splash Guard - I fabricated this from aluminum sheet metal and and it protected the front of the engine from mud picked up by the front wheel. No indication that the big ran any hotter even though this shield covers the oil cooler.
GPS - This worked well in the larger cities where we did not know our way around. The streetmap software on Michael's GPS was helpful. There were only a few times it got confused and sent us in the wrong direction
My Bike - it ran flawlessly, it was fun to have a few more horsepower at sea level. I did lose a screw out of the front fairing which I suspect I had not tightened. I also had a rattle in the front fairing that needs more investigation. Duct tape fixed the rattle during the trip.
WalMart - We got engine oil at the Super WalMart in Fairbanks for an oil change. I paid the same price for the synthetic oil I use in Fairbanks as what I pay in Colorado. I don't know how WalMart can do this.
The MilePost - If you are doing a road trip through western Canada and Alaska you need this guide
Visitor Centers - For our trip we did not have advanced reservations for hotels. If we thought there was going to be a problem we picked one from the Milepost and called a day ahead to see how booked they were and if need be make a reservation. Most of the time we waited until we got to the town and went to the visitor's center. First we asked for B&Bs. We got smart enough to ask for new B&Bs. These were most likely to have openings. If no B&Bs we asked for hotels with rooms under $100/night. More then likely these were second tier hotels so we asked for the ones most recently updated.
Wi-Fi - a good portion of hotels and campgrounds provide free wi-fi access. The exception was at Whistler where they figure you can pay extra for it since you are paying a lot for the room already.
Riding Close to the Speed Limit - We were not the fastest vehicles on the road but we did not have any encounters with law enforcement. We had animals close to the road and I only had one tense moment with a sheep. I was slowing down as fast as I could and the sheep was deciding if crossing the road was a good idea. I was almost stopped when the sheep changed direction.
AARP Membership - I was insulted when I first got the invitation to join three years ago. But I joined for a year just before the trip . The hotels in Alaska gave discounts and I have more then paid for it. The Canadians did not give any discounts on room rates for AARP members.
What Didn't
Battery in radios - they lasted about 1.5 days which is OK except you have to stop and change them. I just ended up charging mine each night. A better solution will be to wire in to the bike electrical system. Also using the privacy codes did not work reliably. The idea is to select a channel and then a privacy code so the radios only work if the privacy code is detected at the front end of the transmission. Not sure what the problem is.
Rear Splash Guard - I made this one too tall for a fully loaded bike. It rubbed on hard bumps. I ended up taking it off and brought it home for modification.
Stock Seat - This seat is terrible for long distance riding. I knew this and have a Corbin seat that is much better. I decided against the Corbin because I can touch the ground flat footed with the stock seat. This is very important on technically difficult roads like the road to Prudhoe Bay. We did not make this part of the trip so I would have been much more comfortable on the Corbin seat. Fortunately our longest days were only 400 miles so it was not too bad. I also thought my butt would get tougher with riding, it did not.
Too Much Stuff - I took more clothes than I needed. There are other areas to cut back on weight and volume like spare parts I carried.
Day 17 to 19 (last riding day)
7/9 Dawson Creek to Williams Lake - 252 miles
7/10 Williams Lake to Whistler - 253 miles
7/11 Whistler to Issaquah - 228 miles
Day 17 - Started out in the 50's and overcast. Then progressed to clear sky and 70's. A very nice day for riding and the road had some twisty sections. Michael's fuel pump failed again mid day. The pump was hot to the touch almost like it was having to run a much higher duty cycle than normal to keep the pressure up. We had fitted up the auto fuel pump that we got when we were in Anchorage so it was plug an play. We had a pretty good spot in the ditch to work on the bike and the weather was nice. Took about 45 minutes from start to finish. During this time not a single person stopped to see if we needed help. Not that we needed help this time but I was surprised.
Day 18 - Mid 50's to low 90's. The best ride of the trip. Riding the Sea-to-Sky highway. Lots of twistys and mountain scenery. The road was a little rough. It was in the 90's when we got to Whistler and that is getting a little warm with the riding suits. Whistler is a very popular ski area and in the summer it is still very active. We stayed in the village close to all the activities. The most impressive thing going on is the downhill mountain bikers. They ride up the chair lift and then pretty much let gravity bring them back down. The bikes are very sophisticated. Full suspension and disc brakes front and back. Nicest hotel we stayed in but they charged us for underground parking and there was no free wi-fi access.
Day 19 - last day of the ride back to my parents house in Issaquah. The ride from Whistler to Vancouver is a very scenic rid but I would not ride it again until 2010. Whistler is the site of the 2010 winter (February) Olympics and they are widening the road. The road is two lanes now and it is going to four lanes. About 40 miles of construction non-stop. Th
ere are a few places they cut the current road in to the side of a cliff. A lot of rock needs to be blasted out or tunnels put in. At any rate it is a mess and will be this way through summer of 2009. The next challenge was getting through Vancouver and over the border. It was in the mid-90's and it was very hot riding. I drank a quart of water waiting in line 20 minutes at the border crossing.
Once back in the US we road the Chuckanut drive road along the coast. This was mostly shaded and 15 degrees cooler from the breeze off the ocean.
We met a guy on a Buell that had ridden the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. He said it was not that bad with good weather. He did hit a pothole in the paved road south of Whitehorse that bent his rear rim so bad it would not hold air. A lot of bikes not use tubeless tires. The rims are aluminum alloy and he was able to bend it back so that it would hold air.
7/10 Williams Lake to Whistler - 253 miles
7/11 Whistler to Issaquah - 228 miles
Day 17 - Started out in the 50's and overcast. Then progressed to clear sky and 70's. A very nice day for riding and the road had some twisty sections. Michael's fuel pump failed again mid day. The pump was hot to the touch almost like it was having to run a much higher duty cycle than normal to keep the pressure up. We had fitted up the auto fuel pump that we got when we were in Anchorage so it was plug an play. We had a pretty good spot in the ditch to work on the bike and the weather was nice. Took about 45 minutes from start to finish. During this time not a single person stopped to see if we needed help. Not that we needed help this time but I was surprised.
Day 18 - Mid 50's to low 90's. The best ride of the trip. Riding the Sea-to-Sky highway. Lots of twistys and mountain scenery. The road was a little rough. It was in the 90's when we got to Whistler and that is getting a little warm with the riding suits. Whistler is a very popular ski area and in the summer it is still very active. We stayed in the village close to all the activities. The most impressive thing going on is the downhill mountain bikers. They ride up the chair lift and then pretty much let gravity bring them back down. The bikes are very sophisticated. Full suspension and disc brakes front and back. Nicest hotel we stayed in but they charged us for underground parking and there was no free wi-fi access.
Day 19 - last day of the ride back to my parents house in Issaquah. The ride from Whistler to Vancouver is a very scenic rid but I would not ride it again until 2010. Whistler is the site of the 2010 winter (February) Olympics and they are widening the road. The road is two lanes now and it is going to four lanes. About 40 miles of construction non-stop. Th
ere are a few places they cut the current road in to the side of a cliff. A lot of rock needs to be blasted out or tunnels put in. At any rate it is a mess and will be this way through summer of 2009. The next challenge was getting through Vancouver and over the border. It was in the mid-90's and it was very hot riding. I drank a quart of water waiting in line 20 minutes at the border crossing.Once back in the US we road the Chuckanut drive road along the coast. This was mostly shaded and 15 degrees cooler from the breeze off the ocean.
We met a guy on a Buell that had ridden the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. He said it was not that bad with good weather. He did hit a pothole in the paved road south of Whitehorse that bent his rear rim so bad it would not hold air. A lot of bikes not use tubeless tires. The rims are aluminum alloy and he was able to bend it back so that it would hold air.
8 korr 2007
Day 15 & 16
7/7 - Watson Lake to Fort Nelson - 314 miles
7/8 - Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek - 286 miles
Day 15 - The best day of riding to date. Temperature in the low 50's most of the day with only a little rain. Heated grips and heated vest made it comfortable. For the first time in a while we got to use the sides of the tires. Traffic was light. We are far enough east to be in the Rocky Mountains and the scenery is spectacular. We rode the length of the Muncho Lake Provincial Park and the north end of the Stone Mountain Provincial Park. Today we saw bison, black bear, caribou, stone sheep, and deer. Talked to a guy on the KLR650 today that was headed north and had a helmet camera. He says he turns it on in the morning and records all day. Takes about 10GB of data for each day of riding. We stayed in a B&B in Fort Nelson run by a couple from Russia. They were both paramedics working for one of the energy companies that drill gas wells in the area. If there are more than for workers on a project (building road, drilling, building more pipeline) there must be a paramedic on site. So they go from project to project and are just there in case something happens. I asked them what they do most of the time. The answer was to study more for more paramedic certifications. I don't think this assignment is very desirable in the paramedic world. They fed us dinner at no cost. They were great hosts and we talked for several hours after dinner.
Day 16 - The wettest day of riding so far. Temperature in the upper 40s. Not much to say about riding in the heavy rain. I did stay dry and warm other than my feet. I did not get my waterproof socks or rubber over boots on. I'll wear the waterproof socks tomorrow. Dawson Creek is the beginning of the ALCAN highway. Here is a picture at the center of town with the mile 0 kiosk.
7/8 - Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek - 286 miles
Day 15 - The best day of riding to date. Temperature in the low 50's most of the day with only a little rain. Heated grips and heated vest made it comfortable. For the first time in a while we got to use the sides of the tires. Traffic was light. We are far enough east to be in the Rocky Mountains and the scenery is spectacular. We rode the length of the Muncho Lake Provincial Park and the north end of the Stone Mountain Provincial Park. Today we saw bison, black bear, caribou, stone sheep, and deer. Talked to a guy on the KLR650 today that was headed north and had a helmet camera. He says he turns it on in the morning and records all day. Takes about 10GB of data for each day of riding. We stayed in a B&B in Fort Nelson run by a couple from Russia. They were both paramedics working for one of the energy companies that drill gas wells in the area. If there are more than for workers on a project (building road, drilling, building more pipeline) there must be a paramedic on site. So they go from project to project and are just there in case something happens. I asked them what they do most of the time. The answer was to study more for more paramedic certifications. I don't think this assignment is very desirable in the paramedic world. They fed us dinner at no cost. They were great hosts and we talked for several hours after dinner.
Day 16 - The wettest day of riding so far. Temperature in the upper 40s. Not much to say about riding in the heavy rain. I did stay dry and warm other than my feet. I did not get my waterproof socks or rubber over boots on. I'll wear the waterproof socks tomorrow. Dawson Creek is the beginning of the ALCAN highway. Here is a picture at the center of town with the mile 0 kiosk.
6 korr 2007
Day 12 through 14
7/4 - Fairbanks to Tok - 214 miles
7/5 - Tok to Whitehorse - 395 miles
7/6 - Whitehorse to Watson Lake - 292 miles
Day 12 - We decided not to ride to Prudhoe Bay. A combination of weather forecast and road conditions changed our minds about the ride. So this part of the ride will have to wait until the next trip. A good portion of the road to Fairbanks from Anchorage and from Fairbanks to Tok is in a green corridor. The road is cut out of the forest and with relatively flat topology you are riding in a tree lined lane. Not very scenic. The only animals we saw in Alaska were a few Dall Sheep outside of Anchorage and a few bald eagles. Miles ridden to date are 3,300. We spent the 4th of July in Tok, population 1400. The big event of the day was the mud bog competition. This far north fireworks are a big event on New Year's but not on July 4th.
Day 13 - Saw one black bear after getting back in to Canada. The 140 miles from the border to the south end of Kluane Lake was the worst road of the ride. The frost heave is bad and the road construction is very dusty where they don't have the water trucks running. At one construction section the pilot car pulled us to the front of the line. This was very much appreciated. Not only did we get ahead of 20 RVs, we were out of the dust. Once the construction section was done we then had a road clear of RVs ahead of us.
Day 14 - A pretty average day. Saw another black bear and had a good ride with temperatures in the low 50's but no rain. We did talk to a guy from Washington on a FJR1300 (high horsepower ultimate sport touring bike). He said he got pulled over by a RCMP because of excessive speed. He said the officer was very cool. The rider got off with a warning after the officer explained to him that the speed limit signs were in kilometers per hour.
7/5 - Tok to Whitehorse - 395 miles
7/6 - Whitehorse to Watson Lake - 292 miles
Day 12 - We decided not to ride to Prudhoe Bay. A combination of weather forecast and road conditions changed our minds about the ride. So this part of the ride will have to wait until the next trip. A good portion of the road to Fairbanks from Anchorage and from Fairbanks to Tok is in a green corridor. The road is cut out of the forest and with relatively flat topology you are riding in a tree lined lane. Not very scenic. The only animals we saw in Alaska were a few Dall Sheep outside of Anchorage and a few bald eagles. Miles ridden to date are 3,300. We spent the 4th of July in Tok, population 1400. The big event of the day was the mud bog competition. This far north fireworks are a big event on New Year's but not on July 4th.
Day 13 - Saw one black bear after getting back in to Canada. The 140 miles from the border to the south end of Kluane Lake was the worst road of the ride. The frost heave is bad and the road construction is very dusty where they don't have the water trucks running. At one construction section the pilot car pulled us to the front of the line. This was very much appreciated. Not only did we get ahead of 20 RVs, we were out of the dust. Once the construction section was done we then had a road clear of RVs ahead of us.
Day 14 - A pretty average day. Saw another black bear and had a good ride with temperatures in the low 50's but no rain. We did talk to a guy from Washington on a FJR1300 (high horsepower ultimate sport touring bike). He said he got pulled over by a RCMP because of excessive speed. He said the officer was very cool. The rider got off with a warning after the officer explained to him that the speed limit signs were in kilometers per hour.
3 korr 2007
Days 8 through 11
6/30 - Valdez to Anchorage - 310 miles
7/1 - In Anchorage - 0 miles
7/2 - Anchorage to Fairbanks - 392 miles
7/3 - In Fairbanks - 0 miles
Day 8 - Riding back out of Valdez was cloudy and raining. Good thing we too some pictures the day before because we were in the clouds when we started to climb out of town. At one point it was so dense I could only see 30 yards in front of me. The ride to Anchorage was cool and wet. Going by the Matanuska glacier it felt like being in a refrigerator. As we got closer to Anchorage the clouds thinned and the sun came out. 13 miles outside of Anchorage Michael's bike stopped running. We had been pulled over to the side of the road for about 15 minutes when a van with a flat bed trailer stops. The gal driving is from Alaska Rider (http://w
ww.akrider.com/). She is just coming back from a tour. I think this was the chase van. The flat bed trailer is empty except for one bike. We load the bike on the flat bed and are taken to their shop in Anchorage. We get the bike unloaded and start working to figure out the problem. This was not the first time this had happened and Michael had had the bike in to the Honda dealership and they had not been able to recreate or fix it. The problem had not recurred since. This time we were more fortunate, we had a solid failure to work on. This bike has a carburetor but also a fuel pump. Typically gravity is all that is required to get the fuel to the carbs. The tank is designed so that the part of the fuel is lower than the carbs so a fuel pump is needed. With fuel hose removed and the starter engaged no fuel..... a bad pump. We take the pump out, connect directly to the battery and it works..... an intermittent pump. Put the pump back in and drive the three miles to my friends Tim and Lori's house. Park the bikes and go out to dinner.
I think we used all our good luck up today. What is the likelihood that a motorcycle touring company with an empty flatbed trailer would come along within 15 minutes of when you really really need them, they stop, and take your bike to their shop? They did not charge us anything but we both bought t-shirts. By the way we have not seen any other bikes stopped on the side of the road needing assistance.
Day 9 - We are at Tim and Lori's house, have a heated garage to work in, and Tim's truck to chase parts down. It is Sunday, no bike shops are open, but I don't know that it mattered. Michael's bike is not imported to the US and I don't think we could have found a replacement part. We decide on a small auto pump that puts out a few psi. Spend the day assembling the parts and fitting it. In the process of modifying the wiring harness we discover an intermittent section of wire in the wiring harness on the old pump....... good pump, bad wire. We cut out the 10" section of wire, splice in a new one and put in the original pump. We now have the bike back together and ready to go. We also have the auto pump configured with the right connections so we can swap out the fuel pump in 10 minutes.
Day 10 - We stop in Talkeetna on the way to Fairbanks for breakfast. Neat little town but very commercialized in the last 12 years since I was there last. It starts to rain after breakfast and it is in the low 50's F. The further north we go the warmer it gets. It is 80 F by the time we get to Fairbanks. Finally after 10 days of riding I don't need the rain suit. Tim and Lori's son, Charles is a firefighter in Fairbanks and we are able to stay with him for a couple of days. We go out to dinner and get some motor oil. We're changing oil a 10 PM. It never really gets dark this time of year.
Day 11 - We stay in Fairbanks. We went through the Museum of the North on the University campus. A nice museum that covers all the native culture and history as well as up through modern times. We also visited the Honda/Harley dealership and saw a Honda ST1300 that did not make it up the pipeline road. It had been crashed hard on the right side. The rider had two broken arms and a broken collar bone. We had already decided not to go any further north this trip and will not be riding the pipeline road to Prudhoe bay. A combination of weather reports and the problem with Michael's bike change our minds. There is always next time. And I think a smaller bike like the KLR650 may be the ideal bike for this kind of ride to Alaska. We are riding at 55-70 miles per hour. The KLR has a tank range of 300 miles vs. my current 200. Fuel mileage is closer to 60 vs 43. And rear tires last 12,000 miles vs 8,000. The KLR weighs at least 80lbs less and is much more off road capable.
We wrap up the day going to Trails End BMW. Run by world famous George Rohn for th
e past 40 years. What a character. We are warned at the Honda dealer to call first because if you just drop in you are a risk of getting an unfriendly welcome. Virtually impossible to describe the collection of bikes, parts, tires, cars, and stuff spread out in the yard, the house and the garage area. When you see the pictures you will understand. But George warmed up to us, gave us license plate frames for our bikes and let us take his picture with us.
7/1 - In Anchorage - 0 miles
7/2 - Anchorage to Fairbanks - 392 miles
7/3 - In Fairbanks - 0 miles
Day 8 - Riding back out of Valdez was cloudy and raining. Good thing we too some pictures the day before because we were in the clouds when we started to climb out of town. At one point it was so dense I could only see 30 yards in front of me. The ride to Anchorage was cool and wet. Going by the Matanuska glacier it felt like being in a refrigerator. As we got closer to Anchorage the clouds thinned and the sun came out. 13 miles outside of Anchorage Michael's bike stopped running. We had been pulled over to the side of the road for about 15 minutes when a van with a flat bed trailer stops. The gal driving is from Alaska Rider (http://w
ww.akrider.com/). She is just coming back from a tour. I think this was the chase van. The flat bed trailer is empty except for one bike. We load the bike on the flat bed and are taken to their shop in Anchorage. We get the bike unloaded and start working to figure out the problem. This was not the first time this had happened and Michael had had the bike in to the Honda dealership and they had not been able to recreate or fix it. The problem had not recurred since. This time we were more fortunate, we had a solid failure to work on. This bike has a carburetor but also a fuel pump. Typically gravity is all that is required to get the fuel to the carbs. The tank is designed so that the part of the fuel is lower than the carbs so a fuel pump is needed. With fuel hose removed and the starter engaged no fuel..... a bad pump. We take the pump out, connect directly to the battery and it works..... an intermittent pump. Put the pump back in and drive the three miles to my friends Tim and Lori's house. Park the bikes and go out to dinner.I think we used all our good luck up today. What is the likelihood that a motorcycle touring company with an empty flatbed trailer would come along within 15 minutes of when you really really need them, they stop, and take your bike to their shop? They did not charge us anything but we both bought t-shirts. By the way we have not seen any other bikes stopped on the side of the road needing assistance.
Day 9 - We are at Tim and Lori's house, have a heated garage to work in, and Tim's truck to chase parts down. It is Sunday, no bike shops are open, but I don't know that it mattered. Michael's bike is not imported to the US and I don't think we could have found a replacement part. We decide on a small auto pump that puts out a few psi. Spend the day assembling the parts and fitting it. In the process of modifying the wiring harness we discover an intermittent section of wire in the wiring harness on the old pump....... good pump, bad wire. We cut out the 10" section of wire, splice in a new one and put in the original pump. We now have the bike back together and ready to go. We also have the auto pump configured with the right connections so we can swap out the fuel pump in 10 minutes.
Day 10 - We stop in Talkeetna on the way to Fairbanks for breakfast. Neat little town but very commercialized in the last 12 years since I was there last. It starts to rain after breakfast and it is in the low 50's F. The further north we go the warmer it gets. It is 80 F by the time we get to Fairbanks. Finally after 10 days of riding I don't need the rain suit. Tim and Lori's son, Charles is a firefighter in Fairbanks and we are able to stay with him for a couple of days. We go out to dinner and get some motor oil. We're changing oil a 10 PM. It never really gets dark this time of year.
Day 11 - We stay in Fairbanks. We went through the Museum of the North on the University campus. A nice museum that covers all the native culture and history as well as up through modern times. We also visited the Honda/Harley dealership and saw a Honda ST1300 that did not make it up the pipeline road. It had been crashed hard on the right side. The rider had two broken arms and a broken collar bone. We had already decided not to go any further north this trip and will not be riding the pipeline road to Prudhoe bay. A combination of weather reports and the problem with Michael's bike change our minds. There is always next time. And I think a smaller bike like the KLR650 may be the ideal bike for this kind of ride to Alaska. We are riding at 55-70 miles per hour. The KLR has a tank range of 300 miles vs. my current 200. Fuel mileage is closer to 60 vs 43. And rear tires last 12,000 miles vs 8,000. The KLR weighs at least 80lbs less and is much more off road capable.
We wrap up the day going to Trails End BMW. Run by world famous George Rohn for th
e past 40 years. What a character. We are warned at the Honda dealer to call first because if you just drop in you are a risk of getting an unfriendly welcome. Virtually impossible to describe the collection of bikes, parts, tires, cars, and stuff spread out in the yard, the house and the garage area. When you see the pictures you will understand. But George warmed up to us, gave us license plate frames for our bikes and let us take his picture with us.
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