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Snub13
| Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 03:58 pm: |
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OK, just a little teaser on our Alaska trip. Ride report and pics soon. Rented a Uly from Alaska Rider Tours in Anchorage, seven days into our 15 day trip the rear wheel bearings started to go, AK Tours swapped out the Uly with a 650 VStrom..... I'll compare and contrast later, it was still a great trip. AK Tours was great to work with ans gave us a trip to remember! Went to "Dust 2 Dawson" an ADV ride into Dawson City YT. Kicked some Canuck but in softball and killed alot of bugs! Tim PS: We did make it to the Arctic Circle on the Uly, very cool.....should have seen the looks from the Beemer crowd, "you came up here two up with those little tires....." |
Bearly
| Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 04:08 pm: |
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Thanks for the report Snub13, albeit a bit sad for the Uly. Do you remember how many miles were on the Uly when the wheel bearing went south? |
Dano_12s
| Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 06:15 pm: |
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Snub,looking forward to more details.Have fun, be safe.Sounds like a trip of a lifetime. |
Snub13
| Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 06:29 pm: |
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The total mileage on the rental when we swapped it out was 7834 (2274 by us). The bearing did not go totally south, the rubber seal was pulling away from the race. We were headed for some very remote (ie, no cell coverage) areas and did not want to get stuck. AK Tours sent it to the "House of Harley" Anchorage H-D (across the parking lot) for repairs and they said it was ready to let loose, so it was wise to swap out. We had a similar situation last year and were "stranded" in Atlantic City. Ours was much worse as the bearings were completely gone. Our mileage was around 10k when it went. Oh, well back to work. I'll post pics soon. Tim |
Supertoon
| Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 02:03 pm: |
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Snub, we are going up July 21st for a 9 day loop. I almost rented a Uly but opted for the Strom. Any comments on the Strom (luggage, comfort, weather protection) would be helpful,we are two-up as well. Sound like your relation with AK rider was positive. We are self-guided so no chase vehicle! Look forward to hearing your story and seeing some pics! |
Snub13
| Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 06:20 pm: |
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Hey ST, you're trip sounds familiar. The Strom was er.....no Ulysses! Less power (I know it's only half the engine size but I didn't think it would be that noticeable). Less ground clearance (thank God for the belly pan and the center stand, there would have been bashed cases and pipes in the first 50 miles!). The suspension is also not up to the Uly, bottoms out early and often. The pegs are higher and the bars are lower (so tight fit). With the shield in the highest spot (of three...I tried all of them) there is wind turbulance at the top of the helmet (like someone grabbed your head and wiggled) but that is as good as it gets, any lower and the buffeting is unreal! Having sadi that it (the shield) provides good weather/bug protection. The seat is not too bad but it lockes you into one place and limits much movement, my wife felt the same about the back seat. The rear seat back rest is not very usefull. There are two metal panniers that are smaller than the Uly bags and only come off with some work from the inside, take a bag liner (we used some really big Ziplock bags). They provide a tank bag that is big. No rear bag but there is a rack that you can bungie stuff to (you can also bungis stuff to the top of the panniers) Now.... That sounds bad, but you get used to it. It never said no, never did anything that made my but pucker (up to 90 mph anyway), has great fuel range (5.8 gallon tank). It handeled some really bad dirt/gravel and never complained (well except with the suspension) No Worries......you WILL have a great trip! Where all are you headed? Tim |
Supertoon
| Posted on Thursday, June 28, 2007 - 08:13 am: |
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We fly into Anchorage on the 21st, next day we take the train to Seward for a day cruise than back up to Anchorage. Next nite in Denali then on to Fairbanks for two nites. (day trip up to Cheney hot springs!) Then on to Tok (with perhaps a side trip to Chicken time permitting) Next day we head to Valdez and stay right on the waterfront. We will then back-track a bit to Paxton then the following day to Palmer. On down to Seward for our last nite then back up to Anchorage to return the bikes. I will be the only one on a big trailey, my buddys opted for electraglides, so not too much dirt We rented stroms for one day on France once, a 650 and a 1000, and found them to be a lot of fun. You are right about the buffeting thou, did a 1 hour ride on the highway and I thought my head was going to bobble off! Thanks for the info on the bags, I just bought a waterproof duffel (about 24" in dia. and 42" long) and I am hoping to be able to bungee this to the rear rack. Trips like this seem so far in the future during the planning stages, but yikes, we are leaving in about three weeks! |
Snub13
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 09:52 am: |
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The ride into Seward was great! If you get a chance (not sure with the train and all) go to Exit Galcier. The Parks Highway (to Denali and Fairbanks) is nice. Check out the highway North of Fairbanks (past the turn off for Chena Hot Springs) toward Livengood. Nice sweepers and mountainous. Chena is nice. Look out for moose! (that goes for all of the roads in AK) Tok is an interesting crossroads town, Fast Eddies has good food at good prices. Chicken is worth the trip. There is only a little bit of gravel road just before Chicken. Nice sweepers here also. We liked Valdez but didn't have time for sight seeing. It was also quite overcast and foggy. Worthing Glacier and Thompson Pass and Keystone Canyon are very cool. The hotel in Paxon at the intersection of the Denali Highway reminded us of "The Bates Motel". We stayed at the Tangle River Inn (20 miles {all paved} into the Denali Highway) Very nice place, nice people good food. We drove through Palmer, there is construction about 20 miles outside of town but it's not too bad (the road is fine but it stackes up the traffic). The "Noisey Goose" (in Palmer, across from the State Fair Grounds)) has very good food and pie. You shouldn't hit too much dirt on those routes (unless you made a slight side trip and left you're buddies for awhile). Or you could go crazy! Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle to Chena Hot Springs = 441.5 miles. If youre only going to the Circle, there are enough gas stops that you don't need a spare tank, but it's good insurance! stop at "The Hot Spot" for a burger, it's just North of the Yukon River. You'll be able to bungie the duffel without any problem, lots of hook points. Have a great time! Wish I was going back! Tim |
Electraglider_1997
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 11:31 am: |
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Luckyduck. Blue ice on those glaciers. What's the story on that? |
Snub13
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 02:24 pm: |
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Not sure about the ice, probably something to do with the age / purity of the ice....very cool though! Oh, by the way, it dosen't get dark in the summer. The pic with the wife and me in the gravel lot with the lake and the mountains was taken at 12:12 AM! That's about as dark as it ever got for us. |
Lduly
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 03:25 pm: |
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I'm leaving tommorrow for the circle. We are leaving Minnesota for Vancouver, then north to the circle, then Alaska Highway home. Thanks for the photos. |
Snub13
| Posted on Friday, June 29, 2007 - 05:27 pm: |
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Thats awesome! Be careful and have a great time! The Haul Rd. isn't as bad (IMHO) as the stories you hear. The truckers were cool and moved over as far as they could and slowed down. Watch out for the graders and construction areas. Tim PS; I'll post a couple more Haul Rd. pics when I get home. (Message edited by snub13 on June 29, 2007) |
Desmo900
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 01:30 am: |
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As with water, this color is caused both by the absorption of red and yellow light (leaving blue). The absorption spectrum of ice is similar to that of the liquid except that hydrogen bonding causes all peaks to shift to lower energy -- making the color greener. This affect is augmented by scattering within snow, which causes the light to travel an indirect path, thus providing more opportunity for absorption. |
Crusty
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 06:38 am: |
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One of my dreams is to have my picture taken at that sign after I rode there. I can't do it this year, but one of these years, I'll get there. Thanks for the thread and the pictures. |
Snub13
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 10:11 am: |
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Gas stop just North of the Yukon River The McCarthy Rd. is worse than the Haul Rd. and Top of the World Highway put together. 60 miles (each way) of the worst road I've ever driven! But you can't beat the views! The road follows an old rail bed and when they grade it (which didn't appear too often to me) rail spikes and other sharp things stick out. There are a lot flats on this road. We made it through the whole 16 days without a flat, I still can't believe that! The ride is worth it, McCarthy and Kennecott are very interesting. No tour buses and very off the beaten track. After the 60 miles of hell, the only way into town is a foot bridge. if you get there by car or van you walk across and take a shuttle. Bikes can ride across. Another great ride is the Top of the World Highway (from Tok, AK to Dawson City, YT). Mostly gravel (deep in spots) some chip seal. Closed in winter. The border crossing Dawson City From the Top of the World Highway you have to take a ferry (free, 24-7) across the Yukon River. There is a yearly ADV bike run called Dust to Dawson, some of the bikes that made it this year.
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Snub13
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 11:03 am: |
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A couple more pics of the McCarthy / Kennecott area One thing I failed to fully explain earlier....I'm still in therapy, I will never hear the end of this from some of my buddies! Seven days (2,270 miles added by me) into the trip we noticed this! WTF!!!!! Some of you may recall my bearing issues at the Liberty H-D Open House last year. That was a complete meltdown, we rented a U-haul to get home and the whole rear end was replaced. Not wanting the same thing to happen miles from cellular coverage (or any U-haul stores), we called the folks at Alaska Rider Tours (where we rented the bike). The only bike they had to swap out with was a 650 Vstrom, Let me tell ya, it aint no Uly! Lower seat, higher pegs, lower bars = cramped cockpit! Good thing it had a belly pan and center stand, the suspension was cranked up all the way and it still bottomed early and often! Buzzy engine in all RPM, much less powerful, much more shifting (does this thing have any torque????) severe head buffeting in all three windshield positions. It only had a tank bag (that you have to remove to add fuel), two metal panniers and a rear rack so we had to send a bunch of our stuff back. Still, it got us where we were going, was stable in turns, has great fuel mileage (5.8 gal tank) and wasn't as uncomfortable as I make it out to be. It sure would have been nice to do the whole trip on the Uly. What is it with me and bearings? This is making me paranoid for other long trips! The Wee strom (Message edited by snub13 on June 30, 2007) |
Bertotti
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 01:51 pm: |
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What is the barren expanse about the forth pic from the bottom? Man I wish my wife was into these types of trips! |
Snub13
| Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 02:07 pm: |
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Those are "spoil piles". The dirt was mined and processed and after the copper was extracted, the left over dirt was dumped. I don't know what they did to "process" the dirt but not a single blade of grass grows in it |
Tankusaf
| Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2007 - 07:45 am: |
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Y'all are making me homesick! We lived there for 5 years and we own a house in Eagle River AK (just north of Anchorage) but are in Germany until 2010. When I retire from the Air Force I plan to ship my Ulysses to my original home in Kentucky then ride it to my happy retirement (until I join the Anchorage Police Dept) in Alaska. I bought my Ulysses (instead of a Harley) specifically because I was going back to Alaska in a couple years and new it would be the perfect companion. Tank |
Retired_cop
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 09:23 am: |
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Snub, How did you like the riding gear from Olympia? We pm'd about that before your trip and I'd like to compare notes although mine are not as extensive as yours. Tim |
Snub13
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 11:34 am: |
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Tank....Sorry to make you homesick! What a fantastic state! I'm not sure I'de want to "winter over" though. We drove through Eagle River a few times, your old neighbors said that you need to cut your grass RC.....The Olympia gear was AWESOME! No other way to describe it. The coat is (as advertised) waterproof. That was my biggest concern as i've purchased other stuff that was advertised as waterproof and was not. I don't know how they can put as many vents as they have and keep water out but it works. Speaking of the vents, they are great as well. They provide a ton of air flow without making the coat a sail / balloon like other coats I have. (When it starts to hail / rain (always nice on a dirt road!) you should close the sleeve vents! The armor is well placed and stays put. The pocket capacity is unbelievable too. the two front cargo type pockets and the back fanny pack type pocket are completely waterproof also. The pants are very comfortable. The whole leg zipper / velcro make on / off an easy affair. The velcro is very.....velcroy at first but it loosens up after awhile. On that note, we got a little water on our pants from the zipper / velcro area but I'm pretty sure that was just a matter of misaligned velcro. If your jeans stick out under the pant leg, they will wick moister up as well, we took to rolling our jeans up a few turns prior to donning our over-pants and that took care of that. The pants get warm / hot if you don't take them off prior to any amount of walking around. If they can put so many water tight vents on the coat, why can't they do the same with the pants? That's a minor issue in the big scheme of things though. The vibrance of the green fades a bit when covered with thousands of bug carcasses and other road grime and the pants catch a lot of dirt as well. It is nice however when you get off of the bike and take the gear off that your cloths are perfectly clean. You could probably wear a suit and tie (as if to work) under them and no one would know once the gear was off. Well, except for the bug guts on your loafers! On that front, I got a pair of "Teknic Violator Water Proof Boots" for the trip that I'm very happy with as well. The look and feel like motocross boots at first but break in quickly. They are also water proof as advertised. Another thing about the Olympia gear, They break in quickly too, at first they are fairly stiff but now they fit and feel very comfy. Bottom line: I like it! |
Retired_cop
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 01:19 pm: |
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Snub, You took the words away from me...... Glad you liked it after I talked it up a few months ago. Try putting it in the bath tube and giving a good hand scrubbing to get the critters out and restore the color. |
Beachbuell
| Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 - 05:13 pm: |
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Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing. |
Supertoon
| Posted on Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 11:34 am: |
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Wow, what a great preview, now I'm really stoked to leave! Excellent pics.... |
Troyyz
| Posted on Saturday, July 07, 2007 - 12:05 am: |
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Excellent adventure!! Am trying to talk Maximum and the wifes into doing the same next year this time. Am pondering driving there from Colorado vice renting. Anyone done something similar from the lower 48? Thanks for the inspirational pictures. |
Snub13
| Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2007 - 10:17 am: |
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Troyyz; If you need any more encouragement, check out www.advrider.com There are a lot of people who have ridden from down here. Check out the "ride reports" section and under the "Regional" area go to the "Great White North" thread. Lots of pics and more importantly there is a lot of great info. If you need any help with the wives, drop a line and I'll forward it to my wife. She'll get them in line! |
Freyke
| Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2007 - 10:31 am: |
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Very, Verry, Nize... |
Lduly
| Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 08:33 pm: |
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I just returned from the arctic circle. Twin cities area in Minnesota to the circle and back, 12 days 7200 miles. Wheel bearing went out on the way back to Fairbanks from the circle. Thankfully it didn't go on the haul road!! I met Pete at Fine Tuned Wheels the day before when we changed oils and I got a new tire, he went up @35 miles with a trailer and took me back to his shop. The Far North Outpost HD/Buell actually had the bearings!! What a great trip, however I would suggest fly n ride if you want to see Alaska. If you do ride, take the Cassair Hwy . instead of the Alaska Hwy. |
Ikeman
| Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 10:11 am: |
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Tim, You're making me jealous! I'm hoping to make the trip to Deadhorse someday. By the way, where'd you pick up your Olympia gear - McKeesport BMW shop? I'm looking at getting the one-piece suit. Glad you had a good time. |
Rotorhead
| Posted on Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 05:46 pm: |
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I bought my ULY at the outpost HD/buell/polaris/honda they are great in the service area. Fairbanks is a small town so you have to jam them all into one place. They stop scheduled work on the local guys bikes to get the traveling guys back on the road. LDULY, DITTO: the Cassair Hwy over the ALCAN only becuase of the ALCAN being over-traveled by the RV's |
Troyyz
| Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 12:38 am: |
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Tim, Thanks for the words of encouragement. Maximum and I will get after the wives and might call you for the extra help. |
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