bike trip question

[dallio]

i have a question concerning a bike trip to Alaska. first i was wondering if anyone has ever made this trip? i am from PA and my wife and i would like to do this trip sometime. the google maps says it is around 4000 miles, so i figured it would take about a week to get there. then i noticed that it looks like around 1500 miles through the Yukon with any towns, gas stations and maybe even unpaved roads with little or no maintence. what can you guys tell me?

[Barrycuda]

i have a question concerning a bike trip to Alaska. first i was wondering if anyone has ever made this trip? i am from PA and my wife and i would like to do this trip sometime. the google maps says it is around 4000 miles, so i figured it would take about a week to get there. then i noticed that it looks like around 1500 miles through the Yukon with any towns, gas stations and maybe even unpaved roads with little or no maintence. what can you guys tell me?

 

See if you can reach out to MILES on this forum, I am sure others have been to Alaska as well,but if I am not mistaken, he did that trip.

[Freebird]

Yes, I think that Miles did it recently and Gary N. also. Maybe one or both will see this thread.

[dallio]

thanks for the reply. i am still just a trial member and don't have anyway of getting to there profile page to ask them direct. like you said maybe they will see this thread and be able to give me some advice. i have a cousin that lives on one of the lower islands and he has made the trip to PA but that has been a while ago and i really wanted to go to the main land.

[MikeWa]

Hi Dale

Welcome to the forum. Sign up and become a full member. There is a ton of friendship here. And besides that we love to rib a Harley rider from time to time. You may find someone who has taken or is looking to take the trip you are posting about.

 

Mike

[Miles]

Okay, Dale...here I am.

 

Yes, I have been on motorcycle trips to Alaska several times, including one two months ago in December, on studded tire sidecar rigs.

 

So, either PM me once you join as a member, or...just ask away. BTW, the cost of membership here, all of $ 12.00, is the best money spent now-a-days.

 

Ask away...

Edited February 5, 2013 by Miles

[pmelah]

Okat, Dale...here I am.

 

Yes, I have been on motorcycle trips to Alaska several times, including one two months ago in December, on studded tire sidecar rigs.

 

So, either PM me once you join as a member, or...just ask away. BTW, the cost of membership here, all of $ 12.00, is the best money spent now-a-days.

 

Ask away...

 

 

ok Dale what Miles just told you is an understatement for the 12 bucks and this is hands down the best family ever to be apart of as for advice i would take Miles advice on long distance trips anyday as he holds several IBA titles and they dont call him Miles for nothing welcome to the forum and join the Family

[dallio]

first of all to mikewa, you will like this. i had an 06' rsv and loved it but i did not feel comfortable on it. it seamed top heavy, then i sat on a harley and it seamed to be lower to the ground and i tried it and so i bought an 09' last august. here is the good part, i met with my investment advisor the other day and he rides a rstd. he told me that the statistics show that 98% of all harleys sold since 2000 are still on the road today. the other 2% had made it back to the garage. haha:rotf:

[Miles]

Dale....I am waiting.

 

Questions ????

 

I have answers !!!

[dallio]

sorry miles, my wife said it was time for supper, cant miss that. ok, google maps had me going into canada in north dakota and once it got me to the yukon it looked like there were no towns for hotels or gas and maybe even no paved roads. what can you tell me about available hotels in that area and are the roads paved or dirt?

[lsutley]

 

 

You are almost a nest door neighbor. My wife and I live in Guys Mills, just 6 miles east of Meadville on rout 27 going toward Titusville. You will have to stop by when you have a chance for a chat.

 

Stick around and share the camaraderie with a great bunch of folks.

[dallio]

thanks isutley, i know where guys mills is at. sounds like a plan. maybe we can do a ride together this summer. have you ever been to tionesta's blessing of the bikes on german hill. first sunday in may. small country church but they usually bring in about 1200 bikes.

[Miles]

sorry miles, my wife said it was time for supper, cant miss that. ok, google maps had me going into canada in north dakota and once it got me to the yukon it looked like there were no towns for hotels or gas and maybe even no paved roads. what can you tell me about available hotels in that area and are the roads paved or dirt?

 

Dale, there is a lot to take into consideration. A lot depends on how many miles you "think" you will be riding each day. I have to "assume" that you will be riding your HD. But I would like to know specifics, such as year, model, miles on it, accessories, etc. All these things make a difference.

 

How many miles are you used to riding in a normal day...on a long trip? Can you do 500 + miles a day, with your wife on the back?

 

Yes, you will run into many long stretches where the paved road ends, and you are now on very hard packed gravel roads. You most likely will not run into "dirt" roads, unless you go over the Top of the World highway, into Chicken, Alaska. If you stick to the mainly traveled roads, where 93.14 % of the cars, trucks, and bikes go, then you will find hard packed gravel, or asphalt. Are you experienced riding on gravel roads? Are you comfortable doing that? The gravel is not deep...in most places.

 

My only concern with the bike you are riding is the belt drive. Getting a few pieces of gravel up in the rear belt pulley area, and you can shread a belt very quickly. There are people that have made belt covers just for this.

 

As far as motels availability, there are motels along the way, so it is just a matter of how many miles do you want to go each day, and will that fit into the logistics of motel locations.

 

I would say...offer me as MUCH info about your bike and yourself, and it will help me piece together the best advice for this trip.

 

The biggest obstacle on this trip to Alaska, is the fear of the unknown...of riding to...Alaska. Get over that fear, that concern, that...unknown, and you will most likely be fine. Other than long stretches of unpaved roads, and vast wilderness...bears, moose, wolves, and the ubiquitous mosquitos, you should be fine.

 

# 1 word of caution, do NOT underestimate the number of mosquitos in Alaska. The call it the state bird for a reason.

Actually, there was not a single mosquito in all of Alaska...as they were all married, and had very large families

Edited February 6, 2013 by Miles

[dallio]

thanks miles, i am 54 yrs old and in good health. i am a diabetic but under control. my wife and i did a ten day ride from pa up to PEI and rode around the island. total trip was just under 4000 miles. longest strech of the trip was coming home we did over 700 miles in 12hrs. chances are we will not be on my present bike an 09 HD ultra classic has 33000 miles on it right now. i expect this trip if i can find the time from work to do this will be later in life and i will most likely have a new HD but i am sure it will still be an ultra classic. love to ride and just thought this would be a chalenge. i have a cousin that lives in alaska, but not on the main land. he is on one of the islands and he had rode down to pa a few years ago and this is what got me interested. always interested in advise on riding trips and or just bikes.

[Miles]

thanks miles, i am 54 yrs old and in good health. i am a diabetic but under control. my wife and i did a ten day ride from pa up to PEI and rode around the island. total trip was just under 4000 miles. longest strech of the trip was coming home we did over 700 miles in 12hrs. chances are we will not be on my present bike an 09 HD ultra classic has 33000 miles on it right now. i expect this trip if i can find the time from work to do this will be later in life and i will most likely have a new HD but i am sure it will still be an ultra classic. love to ride and just thought this would be a chalenge. i have a cousin that lives in alaska, but not on the main land. he is on one of the islands and he had rode down to pa a few years ago and this is what got me interested. always interested in advise on riding trips and or just bikes.

 

Dale, okay...then you are not planning on doing the ride this year, is that correct?

 

If so, then we have lots of time to educate, and plan for the trip. An Ultra Classic is a good bike for this trip, but again you will want to find a way to keep the gravel from getting into your belt drive pulley on the rear. The front pulley is not a problem.

Your cousin lives on WHICH island? There are a 1000 islands in Alaska.

On a road trip like this, if you can handle doing 500 mile days, you will have NO problem finding a motel room. Travel to Alaska, for 93.14 % of the motorcycle riders, is limited to the summer months, and then you have to deal with all the RV's on the roads at the same time. Lots of construction on the roads then, as that is the only time they can do the work. When stopped behind a long line of RV's and cars for construction, just shift into first gear, and slowly putt up to the front of the line. The construction workers are used it it. You may get a couple car drivers to honk at you, but &*^& them, as you do not want to eat the dust of 37 RV's when the line starts going.

 

Understand that there is a LOT of hours of sunlight during the summer. Be prepared for sunlight up to 1:00 am, and maybe as late as 2:00 am. The sun only sets for maybe 3 to 4 hours during the summer, so...if you are like me, and you are not...then you can ride for 20 hours a day, and make 1000 + mile days.

 

WHERE in Alaska are you wanting to go? The usual places, or someplace off the beaten path?

Edited February 6, 2013 by Miles

[Barrycuda]

Dale, okay...then you are not planning on doing the ride this year, is that correct?

 

If so, then we have lots of time to educate, and plan for the trip. An Ultra Classic is a good bike for this trip, but again you will want to find a way to keep the gravel from getting into your belt drive pulley on the rear. The front pulley is not a problem.

Your cousin lives on WHICH island? There are a 1000 islands in Alaska.

On a road trip like this, if you can handle doing 500 mile days, you will have NO problem finding a motel room. Travel to Alaska, for 93.1465 % of the motorcycle riders, is limited to the summer months, and then you have to deal with all the RV's on the roads at the same time. Lots of construction on the roads then, as that is the only time they can do the work. When stopped behind a long line of RV's and cars for construction, just shift into first gear, and slowly putt up to the front of the line. The construction workers are used it it. You may get a couple car drivers to honk at you, but &*^& them, as you do not want to eat the dust of 37 RV's when the line starts going.

 

Understand that there is a LOT of hours of sunlight during the summer. Be prepared for sunlight up to 1:00 am, and maybe as late as 2:00 am. The sun only sets for maybe 3 to 4 hours during the summer, so...if you are like me, and you are not...then you can ride for 20 hours a day, and make 1000 + mile days.

 

WHERE in Alaska are you wanting to go? The usual places, or someplace off the beaten path?

 

Just curious Miles.....how did you get 93.1465% ? Where on Earth did that number come from. Oh...wanna pick your brain about a ride for me in march. Can I PM you? This way I won't bore the rest of the forum.... :cool10

[Gary N.]

Hello Dale, and welcome to our forum.

My wife and I did our Alaska trip in 2010 and I got to say it was the trip of a life time. I would do it again in a heart beat.

We didn't drive the bike all the way though. We left home here in southern Ontario on the 6th of June in our motor home and drove it as far as Edmonton Alberta where we left it and jumped on the bike. The only dead line we had was to be in Prince Rupert BC to catch the ferry up the inside passage to Juneau on June 20. I allowed a week to get from Edmonton across the Rockies to Prince Rupert because in June you can get any kind of weather in the mountains. You haven't seen the Rockies until you've seen them on a bike.

After catching the ferry our schedule was wide open and we didn't have anymore dead lines so we took our time. Retirement allows you to do that. I would have to say that we never did any more than 300 miles in a day. We always tried to figure out where we wanted to go and reserved a room on line before we left. There are a lot of tourist up there in the summer but we never had a problem getting a room. Sometimes we would only stop for the night and sometimes we stayed for several.

The only not paved roads we were on was the Top of the World Hwy. and also some large construction zones. Be very careful in the construction zones. They like to water down the road and turns to oat meal.

The Top of the World Hwy. is definitely not to be missed. Having said that I will worn you as I was. Don't go there if it's raining. It's about 100 miles of gravel and when it rains it turns to soup. And wash outs can be a problem too. We were lucky to have dry weather when we did it. My wife loved the ride. The dust not so much. When we got to our room in Dawson Creek she went right for the tub and took a bath. I went and washed the bike.

Everything is expensive in the far north so be prepared. Meals and lodging can run $250 - $300 per day easy. Gas wasn't too bad in Alaska but in northern BC and the Yukon look out. Especially in the more desolate areas where they have to run generators 24/7 for power.

Pick up a copy of the Mile Post. I wouldn't do the trip without it. Do a lot of research and planning before you leave.

Here's a link to a thread I posted here about our trip.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49470

If you have any specific questions for me you can email me at gary.n at live.ca

OH I wanted to tell you we put 5000 miles just on the bike from Edmonton and back not counting the ferry ride.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Gary N.

[dallio]

miles, that is correct, we will not be going this year. my wife and i would not have any trouble doing 500 + miles a day. right now i can get over 200 miles per tank of fuel and when we do even a day ride we will go through a tank of fuel and onto a second, unless we are riding with friends that don't or can't do that type of ride. all rides are still lots of fun. not sure which island he is on but i know it is one of the lower islands. i havent really done alot of riding my HD on gravel roads but i have rode on gravel roads before in PEI. i have a brother that lives in colorado and he is on a gravel road. we were there this last fall in a car but the roads were better then the roads in Pa. lots of time to plan. i am sure as the time gets closer i will have plenty of questions. thanks for the info about protecting my drive belt. good info. thanks miles.

[Miles]

Just curious Miles.....how did you get 93.1465% ? Where on Earth did that number come from. Oh...wanna pick your brain about a ride for me in march. Can I PM you? This way I won't bore the rest of the forum.... :cool10

 

 

Barry, that number...93.14...is always my go to number, as it is 90 + Pi.

 

90 + Pi = 90 + 3.14 (as a rounded off # for Pi), which = 93.14.

 

I could take it our several places to:

 

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679

8214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196

4428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273

724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609...

 

 

It is meant to be funny, not taken too seriously. Given my background in the sciences, it is fun to live a life in Pi.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Miles

[Flyinfool]

PI?

Did someone mention Pi?

I like pie.....

[AKRefugee]

My question is why do they always bake pies in round pans when everyone knows pie are square?

 

 

Ride Happy, Ride Safe

[playboy]

I've never understood the common denominator between pi and ice cream.

[Stoutman]

I've never understood the common denominator between pi and ice cream.

 

The common denominator between pi and ice cream is Coffee.

[Flyinfool]

The common denominator between pi and ice cream is Coffee.

 

No its not coffee, its hot chocolate with whipped cream.

This is because you can also put whipped cream on either pi or ice cream or both. This ties it all together nicely.

[XV1100SE]

Miles.... what kind of pi do you like? Blueberry? Apple?... etc . And with all the miles you've ridden.... where is the best place you've found for pi ?