An adventure tour.....

[railroad bob]

dude, you have no idea how bad i want to do something like that. or the Road of Bones to Magadan, or the TCAT.

unfortunately, being the primary caregiver for one 7 and one 6 year old, that pretty much precludes anything like that happening for a few years. once they get bigger though...

if you do take a trip like this you have to keep a log for us. any idea what kind of bike?

-dan

Het Dan, whats TCAT?

[rakeNtrail]

My old ass hurts just thinking about a ride like that!

[railroad bob]

Hans, you are likely to be familiar with this site,

http://www.advrider.com/forums/index.php

There is a wealth of info here, ride reports, planning info, shared experiences, etc.
Some of these folks, scratch that, a LOT of these folks are serious riders, and have done some amazing trips.

I've started spending a little time on it, as there is an Alaska forum, and good info on riding here.

I was able to score another Harley this year, a 1992 FXLR almost identical to the 91 FXR.
I'm considering getting some dual sport tires and riding the piss out of it on some of these awesome gravel roads.

One of my goals is to ride to Prudhoe Bay from Fairbanks. I've been wanting to do that for a very long time.
But my Harley has been in the L48 for a long time, now it will be more doable.

Let me know if you get serious about something like this.

[hansgoudzwaard]

Good luck with your new purchase.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/index.php

I have read the forums there, and you are right, there is sooo much info there, and good reading.

Some time ago I read this build log. Good detail on the process for anyone thinking of a dual purpose bike.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=657449

I have done some searches on travelling the Dalton Hwy. Your distance would be about 500 miles.


Dual Sportster to the Arctic Circle....http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=706541

[railroad bob]

Actually, from Fbx to PB, you use 3 hiwys. Steese leaves Fbx, and 15 miles later at Fox turns north to Circle City on the Yukon River.
The Elliott hwy starts there and goes to Manley Hot Springs. After it goes past Livengood, it bends and turns to the west.
Just past Livengood, the Dalton Hwy starts.

The 500 miles is pretty accurate tho, from Fbx to PB.

I've driven part of the haul road in a pickup at different times, different years. More of it is paved now, and there is always construction on it in the summer.

This summer I saw several bikers on it, on a variety of bikes, mostly dual sport, but some Harleys too.
One guy from OZ riding a new model Bonneville was pulling a small trailer he built.

ADVRider has a lot of RR for this road in the Alaska section.

Surfing there, I found these links below, that have a ton of first hand experience riding Latin America,
and crossing the Darien Gap.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317793
Ride Report links

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416326
Shipping a bike from Panama to Colombia

[hansgoudzwaard]

Bob

I was wondering about the size/weight of the bike you bought. Once you have the tires for off- road travel, I'm sure it would be nice and stable on gravel.

I still have a '97 Buell m2, that I enjoy riding. I'm still fairly new at this.

I have been reading a lot of the RRlinks and the Darien gap travels. The site is full of good info from dedicated SA travellers.

[railroad bob]

The bike specs at 575 dry weight. I've been looking for tires, but a problem is the 16in rear wheel.
It is a solid from a Fatboy. The dual sport tires require tubes, so I think a different spoked rim is needed.
I have a new one, but it is 18in with a low profile 200 Avon on it.

I think if I get a 16in spoke wheel, I can find a tire to try out. Otherwise I might have to get an 18
and longer shocks, but I haven't had a chance to see if the axle to swingarm pivot length would be roomy enuff for an 18.

I've ridden on gravel before, no problem. I'm more concerned about slippery/mud situations. One reason I've
always left the mid-controls on my HD, I can brake/shift while standing if needed, not easy, but I can do it.

Thinking of doing the D2D run this summer, or maybe the Haul Road. I'm just getting antsy to do a ride like that.
With the second bike, it is more doable now.

Got what I think is a good deal on it, guy was asking $4000, preferred Harley mechanic or someone knowlegable about Harleys to buy.
Traded a truck that I wanted to sell and a 1986 Honda V65 for it plus a little boot. Bike runs good except it needs a carb tune up, seems to run a little rich.
It's had some motor work because the nose cone cover has screws and not rivets, and a Super E carb.
Rode a few times this year, put a tank of gas thru it, seems to be pretty strong runner.

I want to put it into a few difficult situations and see how it does. I know it isn't a full blown dual sport with high clearance and long suspension,
but what the hell, it has 2 wheels and a freaking motor, I don't see any reason to limit the use just because it's a Harley, or because it's a damn cruiser.

[hansgoudzwaard]

This is insane!!

http://www.sjaaklucassen.nl/

[curt]

bob back in ww2 soldiers rode harleys and indians lots of places there were no roads bet youll do fine

[railroad bob]

bob back in ww2 soldiers rode harleys and indians lots of places there were no roads bet youll do fine

Agree, I'm not concerned...
Just don't want to get in the slick shit and lose it, ya know? PITA picking it up. Sliding in it is kinda fun tho, after ya go down.
Especially snow.

Here are a few pix from Oct 2011, a trip in New Mexico.

Starting into Turkey Creek

Starting off-highway.jpg (127.1 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

Riding in to Turkey Creek Campground on the Gila River in New Mexico.

Partway to Campground.jpg (150.11 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

Partway into the campground

Deep Canyon.jpg (121.78 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

Parked in the shade beneath a Sycamore tree, a REAL old-timer.

Campground.jpg (223.47 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

On the way out of the campground. Check your backtrail.

Leaving Campground.jpg (151.89 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

Heading toward the highway, a ways to go yet.
View of the Gila River Valley, looking toward Arizona.

Gila Valley.jpg (131.95 KiB) Viewed 1703 times

[railroad bob]

About the video above...

I didn't watch it all the way thru, but a few observations...
1. Apparently some ad for a company, lotsa panning over the stickers.

2. Filming the bikes on the road was cool, at first, then you realize the truckers are moving way over to give them room, which puts the trucker at some risk.
This can be a trecherous road. When the graders go thru after it snows, they have to push the snow off the side, and to have room for the next snowfall, they push it way past the shoulder,
as far as they can. The surface looks nice and smooth, but past the shoulder it is soft and sucks the tires off the packed gravel or pavement. When the trucks move over, they are getting close to the edge.

3. When the bikers go by and then return to park in front of the camera, you realize they are doing the filming. They park in the view, but are so busy
"performing" for the camera, they don't watch the road behind them as they get off the bikes and start unhooking the cords, etc, probably for their microphone system, or heaters.
On a road like this, it would be very easy for a truck to lose control and sideswipe them while going by. NOT COOL, not at all.

4. Apparently they are at some pull out, because I saw a truck pull onto the road in front of them as they were dismounting.
They could have set up the camera farther from the road for better safety.

I don't have a problem with them riding the road, but I think they were not focused on safety, and their actions could easily have put others at risk.
I also think they are likely very experienced riders, but do not recognize the unique features of the Haul Road, and the unusual dangers.
80% at least of the traffic on this road is heavy trucking, and the drivers are earning a living.
I think sometimes riders get focused on "doing the ride" and don't recognize the concerns of the people who do this all the time for a living.

It is NOT just about the ride, it is about consideration and respect also.

My 2 cents worth, off the soapbox now.

[Maxthegardener]

Kinell that vid hans is mental!!

Bob stop posting shots of your trips mate......in the lower 48... blah blah blah blah....finding it very upsetting

[hansgoudzwaard]

RRB, I agree with all your points . Being an extreme adventurer does not entitle stupidity.

I see you take the road less travelled. I was in Arizona last spring, Flagstaff, Jerome, Prescott, etc. Taking the Redrock Canyon trip to Sedona is worth doing.

[railroad bob]

Have traveled some roads in AZ, and the road to and from Jerome, with the view of the valley below, the mountains to the east,
and the historic bulldings is very nice, very interesting.

I keep a list of potential destinations and trips, just added Redrock Canyon to it. For some reason, I have never traveled the area south of Flagstaff,
just crossed at Cottonwood or Phoenix going east/west.

Found a ride report by someone who rode from Tok, AK (pronounced TOHK, guess what the favorite relaxation activity is there!) to Chicken, AK, Jack Wade junction
and over the AK/Canada border to Dawson, with photos.The shots posted showed a fairly wide packed gravel highway. wide enough for 2 pickups to pass easily.
However, yesterday I met a store clerk who grew up in Eagle, north of Jack Wade, and she mentioned she heard there were several bike wrecks this past summer
on the Taylor Hwy, which runs up to Eagle.

[railroad bob]

Good luck with your new purchase

So far, I'm very pleased. Traded a motorcycle I didn't like riding and a pickup I had been trying to sell.
Sorry about it being upside down, it saved and opens properly on the computer.

1992 FXLR 127K.JPG (102.73 KiB) Viewed 1690 times