BigJohn's Alaskan Adventure - The Trip Begins

[escapefjrtist]

By the looks of your Spot track, you're home John. Looking forward to buying you a beer and hearing all about the trip!

Congrats on completing the adventure!!

--G

 

[Pterodactyl]

According to the weather channel, John is dealing with 1 1/2 inches of rain, hail and very high winds.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Home at 1630 today after a 550 mile ride from Pterodactyl's. Windy the whole way but cool and only got spit on a few times from the threatening clouds.

Here are 88 photos in a Photobucket Slide Show https://s1237.photobucket.com/user/bigjohnsd1/slideshow/2017%20Alaskan%20Adventure?sort=2

https://johnlangdell.smugmug.com/Alaska-2017/

 

[Niehart]

John, give us you thoughts on gear and farkles when you get a second to breath.

 

[NorCal FJR]

Great pictures and congratulations on finishing an epic adventure.

 

[gregory]

Look like a great time, glad you made it home to tell us the tale!

This trip is on the books for 2019. Looking at your photos makes the wait all the much longer.

 

[FJRBandit]

Awesome BigJohn! Been following here and on FB. Congrats on completion of the Great Alaskan Adventure!

 

[bigjohnsd]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Niehart" data-cid="1370701" data-time="1498798240"><p>

John, give us you thoughts on gear and farkles when you get a second to breath.</p></blockquote>

Gear - GoreTex, good boots, the TCX Adventure boots I bought kept my feet dry, the Klim Latitude Jacket and Pants kept me dry in 14 straight days of rain. My LD Comfort riding underwear worked good but my legs got cold, I purchased a heavyweight Merino Wool Bottom garment in Whitehorse and wore it a lot. Electric Jacket and Gloves got a workout too, invaluable.

Camping Gear, My two person tent was ok but hard to get dressed inside when it was raining. 0C rated sleeping bag was sufficient though I did get cold one night when it was raining and 40F outside. My inflatable Sleeping pad sucked, i have purchased an inflatable twin air mattress at Wal-Mart along withva battery operated pump.

Farkles - Tool Tube made from 3" PVC worked great.

Tusk Aluminium Panniers kept stuff dry and were inexpensive. The Pannier bags sold with the panniers were invaluable too, I used four, one for cooking gear, one for tools and tubes and other stuff to big for the tool tube, one for riding clothing and one for street clothing. I expected it to be warmer than it was so I took to much light gear and not enough warmer stuff. In general too much stuff.

My TomTom Rider worked better than the BMW GSA Garmin unit. The Garmin kept losing power due to dust and grit on the contacts in its cradle.

I carried spare chain and sprockets and used them. I replaced one tube, Use d more chain lube than I expected.

My Shoei Neotec worked fine but the screens I had installed it the Top head vents became plugged with dust and bug parts, I had to clean after the Dempster. Pinlock wss invaluable.

Carry a set of tires, you may not need them, but if you do you'll really need them. All three bikes used up tires.

The KLR is an ideal bike, even as overloaded as mine was.

Hope this helps.

 

[hppants]

Even time for a Burlesque show? Dude, you are my hero!

Welcome back - I'm glad you made it safely. One day I will ride Alaska. In an FJR, I think now. But a KLR is possible.....

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Wow. You sir, are The Man. I will be sitting down with Pop soon to look at these pics with him.

I know where there is an excellent lightly used KLR for sale about 10 minutes from Pop's house. I have been thinking... Dammit John when Mrs. Redfish wants to know why I want ANOTHER motorcycle you better get ready for a phone call!

 

[Uncle Hud]

An adventure of the highest order, sir. (And latitude!)

Photos are GREAT.

 

[Teehaml]

NICE!!

What great adventure. Congrats on an epic journey. The slideshow said it all.

 

[bigjohnsd]

RFH & Pants; The trip could be easily done on an FJR with the exception of the 1,000 miles of gravel on the Dempster Highway to and ftom Inuvikand the Top of the World Highway from Dawson City to Chicken AK. The Top of the World would be doable on the FJR if it was dry, but you might have to sit in Dawson for a,day or two to get the Dry. On both the ALCAN and the Cassiar Highway there were long stretches of freshly traveled chip and seal, 20 KM long, usually not real heavy gravel, but someday disconcerting. Wet wooden bridges can also put a knot in your shorts! I'd try it on my FJR with the exception noted above.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I have no intention of traveling anywhere that has animals big enough to eat me but will not allow me to carry a sidearm. So Canada is out for me. I have to cross part of Canada to reach Alaska. So Alaska is out for me.

I would love to ride in Alaska but I have never had any desire to do so on a Sport Tourer. I have been looking at KLR 650s and BMW GS 650s for some time now. There are good reasons besides Alaska for me to own a bike like that. Your "celebrity endorsement" of the KLR is an unwanted push!

 

[Pterodactyl]

Fish, Ferry from Bellingham to Haines; connecting ferry to Whitier, AK; no riding in Canada required. You are missing out on riding in some of the greatest places imaginable by ruling out Canada. I've been back and forth between AK and the lesser 48 a dozen or so times and ride in Canada 2-3 times a year with nary a close call. Bear spray is permitted if you feel you need it.

 

[SacramentoMike]

". . . I'd try it on my FJR with the exception noted above."

Well Hell, then. NONE of us have any excuse for not going!

Good for you, John. Something to look back on fondly in your old age. Heck, you can start that now!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Thanks for the pics John, enjoyed them!

--G

 

[MCRIDER007]

My limited experience in riding on dirt roads was taking a full dress touring bike (Yamaha Venture Royale) with trailer to Inuvik and riding the entire length of the Cassiar Highway in one day on a ST1100...in the rain...back in the days when there was 112 miles of gravel. An FJR will do fine as long as the mud isn't too deep. My biggest concern would be tires, especially the NWT portion of the Dempster Highway since the highway department likes to dump deep shale on the road and the shale is like thousands of tiny arrow heads. If I were to do it again I would mount the hardest rubber tires I could find and fill them with flat proof.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I have no intention of traveling anywhere that has animals big enough to eat me but will not allow me to carry a sidearm. So Canada is out for me. I have to cross part of Canada to reach Alaska. So Alaska is out for me.

You can take your bike on a ferry from the lower 48 up to Alaska and bypass Canada...

https://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/regions.shtml

 

[petey]

My limited experience in riding on dirt roads was taking a full dress touring bike (Yamaha Venture Royale) with trailer to Inuvik and riding the entire length of the Cassiar Highway in one day on a ST1100...in the rain...back in the days when there was 112 miles of gravel. An FJR will do fine as long as the mud isn't too deep. My biggest concern would be tires, especially the NWT portion of the Dempster Highway since the highway department likes to dump deep shale on the road and the shale is like thousands of tiny arrow heads. If I were to do it again I would mount the hardest rubber tires I could find and fill them with flat proof.

When you say the shale is like a thousand little arrow heads, you are absolutely right. My last trip AK I had three flats and all from those little arrow heads.I was on street tires.