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Ride to Alaska (Read 251 times)

springman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2217 Spring, Texas Gender:	Re: Ride to Alaska Reply #30 - 09/02/16 at 21:17:22 MM, Bear tooth, Sturgis and your place all sound good to me.
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old_rider

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Backyard Bill
Productions

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flordia panhandle
Gender: male

Re: Ride to Alaska
Reply #31 - 09/03/16 at 07:53:27

Its not the distance (look up mary esther florida to kerrville texas), its the environment.

Here we have a gas station every 40 miles or so.... that would be one of the first things that would need taken care of, second would be tires.

Me, I could ride a whole trip with two sets of clothes (folks wouldn't want to stand next to me though), ok, overnight drying sometimes don't work if you wash your stuff in the nearest creek

and the weather is crap.

Cold... can I say that again... COLD.... is hard to prepare for, seeing as one has never experienced camping in freezing weather.....
60 degree days are great for slow riding on gravel, but those 26 degree nights are not what i'd like.

Yeah... preparation is the key, and researching what everyone else has done will prepare you for "just about" everything. Your skill level with the bike you ride will be THE most important thing you will have to work on.
Don't expect to just buy a dual sport and spend a couple weekends running up and down a sloped driveway will get you ready for a long trip.
Time in saddle, age and terrain will be your worst enemies. Do a few long rides on some back mountain roads, preferably gravel or dirt. Go camping in colder weather, or do both at the same time, just to see how your body can handle everything.
And if you can afford one.... a satellite phone. Even in todays day and age, cell phone reception isn't the greatest or even available everywhere. Look into leasing one if you can.... I would

Well thats my outlook on it

And what I would do if I was going to attempt such a feat

We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.

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springman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2217 Spring, Texas Gender:	Re: Ride to Alaska Reply #32 - 09/03/16 at 21:15:05 Thanks for the recommendations Oldrider. You are definitely addressing my weak spot, cold rain. I just do not know that I want to subject myself to that. All else is fine with me.
Back to top	06 S40 seat mod, airhawk, HD muffler, Shinko 712 140-90-15 rear tire, Shinko 230 front tire, versy cam chain tensioner, Rotella oil, Volar brake pads, EBC clutch & springs IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Ride to Alaska Reply #33 - 09/04/16 at 02:22:37 Good Grief,, I have DONE COLD, it Sucked when I was young, now it Hurts while it Sucks. I better be in One Gorgeous Place if I'm going try to pretend that I am enjoying myself while it's cold. Now, if I'm Wet AND Cold, well, I am not even gonna Try to pretend that I am having a good time,, and I could get grouchy,
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mpescatori

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Cavalco, yeaaah !!!

Posts: 3547
Rome, Italy
Gender: male

Re: Ride to Alaska
Reply #34 - 09/05/16 at 02:53:54

springman wrote on 09/02/16 at 21:16:28:

Mr. Pescatori, when are you going on your trip and how many days are you budgeting for it?

Ya calls me again "Mr." one more time...

Most on this Forum call me "Pesci"..., you know, like Joe !

The ride to Scandinavia can be done anytime, the Norwegains and Swedes actually hold the "Krystal Rally" in February every year

From Rome to Nordkapp...
Consider anything from 4500 to 6000 Km to go and just as many to return, depends on how much sightseeing you want to do.
Milewise, that's 3000 to 4500 miles to go and just as many to return.
My ideal journey would be 10thou Km = 6000 miles.

Ideally you'd want to visit Scandinavia in August; true, you've got the midnight sun in June and 1st half of July BUT you've also got rain, sleet and maybe some slush.
August is an inherently dry month, and I'd rather ride at 35°F dry than 60°F wet!

The same principles apply when riding the ALCAN. [Note: I had read it was all tarmac; I now learn a nice chunk is still gravel]
You'd rather ride dry&cold than warm&wet, the difference being dry&cold or sweaty&muddy... Grin

I still believe you can do it on a Savage, you just have to readapt the bike for the new environment:
- replace those lowered 11" shocks with 13" progressives,
- replace the belt drive with a 530 chain system,
- nice big fuel tank (4-6 gals, honestly!)
- nice comfy sprung solo seat,
- few items of luggage but well packed,
- big hefty heavy duty luggage rack,
- enduro style dual sports tires,
- low&narrow windshield that'll take the wind off your chest but which you will over, not through...

Let us know Cool

Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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mpescatori

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Cavalco, yeaaah !!!

Posts: 3547
Rome, Italy
Gender: male

Re: Ride to Alaska
Reply #35 - 09/05/16 at 03:03:57

By the way, from Spring, TX to Anchorage is, according to Googlemaps, 6600 Km = 4200 miles.

Not too difficult, just 42 fillups ! Cheesy

In this case I DO recommend you do some background reading with one of the books I suggested,
they will give you a mile-by-mile description of everything there is, town after town.

I crossed the US-Can. border in Sweetgrass and have made it up as far as Dawson Creek, every night is a new chapter!

As I said once before, I have Tricia Brown's book, very well written.

Wink

Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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mpescatori

Serious Thumper

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Romanum Thumperium
Cavalco, yeaaah !!!

Posts: 3547
Rome, Italy
Gender: male

Re: Ride to Alaska
Reply #36 - 09/05/16 at 04:37:50

springman wrote on 08/31/16 at 10:07:46:

My brother-in-law Steve and I have started talking about doing a ride to Alaska. Probably a 4 to 5 week ride. I have indicated that I could probably not take that kind of time off until I retire in another 6 to 7 years. But who know's, I might be able to do it as early as summer of 2020. This is obviously just in the talking stage right now but I am throwing it out there in case someone here has already done this and would like to give us some pointers or to let anybody that might be interested in joining us start thinking about it now. All of the accounts (not many yet) that I have read of people riding to Alaska indicate that a dual purpose bike has been used. I love the idea of doing it on the Savage but I understand that I may need to buy a different bike.

I have read your opening post again and would like to provide some more insight.

1. "Probably a 4-5 week ride"
YES if you intend to crate your bike and have it shipped home.
OR
realize it's a 4200 mile ride UP and just as many down...

2. " I might be able to do it as early as summer of 2020"
Check as many sources as you can and schedule your ride in the DRY season; this is wise especially in those areas where the road is still stabilized gravel.

3. Do "preparation/training runs", possibly in the winter, and ballast your bike to your estimated payload (or more)
i.e. two 5gal. jerrycans of water (one on each side) and oe 2:3 gal jerrycan on the rear shelf - see how you fare on dirt roads around home, etc.

4. Learn to "extemporize" your bike, i.e. improvise roadside repairs and temporary fixits.
Some are easy, such as having clutch and throttle cable doubles already attached to the handlebars, or a twin-battery system where one is "in use" and the other is "tender / backup"

5. Leaving Texas in June heading for Alaska? Texas riding gear may get you as far north as Calgary, or even Edmonton, but you may need winter gear from there on.
Find a point of contact (hotel or local motorcycle riding associaiton) and agree to leave some gear with them.

Else, "Spring has sprung" may have a totally new meaning...

HEAVY RIDING GEAR IN TEXAS, OR...

LIGHTWEIGHT RIDING GEAR IN ALASKA ???

Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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