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INPUT on our NORTHERN WAY UP Trek

soph9

New member
We are planning this trip...next summer 2011....any input on the best way, route to take to ensure we hit these spots?



NorthernWAYUP.png
 
When in Fairbanks consider staying in the dorms at the U. of Alaska. Much cheaper than the local places, we'll store gear for you while you are on the haul road and it's a good place to meet other riders heading to Prudhoe or just back from the trip (over 300 riders stayed on campus last year including the Aerostich Tour). There will be a post in member opportunities that will tell you how to make a reservation after the new year.

Try to time your trip so you can attend Dust 2 Dawson in Dawson City, YT. It will be 23-24 June in 2011. Checkout this thread for more info: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=608837

Keep an eye on the Alaska regional forum of Adventure Rider. Lots of info to be had there from long time northern riders:http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=68

Do not focus on just getting to Prudhoe at the expense of seeing other great places. Manley Hot Springs; the Denali Highway; Kennicott Mine are all great dirt road rides. Don't forget the Kenai Peninsula and Homer. Take time to stop and smell the Fireweed.

If you expect to have a service performed on your bike while in Fairbanks or Anchorage you will be wise to try to make a reservation as far in advance as you can. There are a some small local shops that can provide good tire and oil/filter level service for far less than the BMW dealer. PM me for more info.

 
looks like...

If you are going to do Vancouver Island, that ferrys (BC) need to be checked out on schedules.. From Prince Rupert if you want to get to Juneau..you have to schedule with the "Alaska Marine Highway System. Goes from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan Petersburg, and the inside to Juneau, and on to Haines or Skagway.

Or... you could do the Cassiar Highway, See Hyder, AK at the end of the road.. go to Whitehorse and proceed to Fairbanks etc..
This all can be done in a loop. Ferry's then return by the highway through BC.

It is the ride of a lifetime... wilds and beauty. Gas is limited on the Cassiar and Dawson highway..check and plan your route carefully.

Welcome to the 'Great Land'.
Jim Dahl, Ketchikan, Alaska
 
great info thanks...the route is shaping up and will do about making appointments for service....as for the dust 2 dawson...we can't make it...wish we could but we leave Vancouver July 4th...we are bringing extra gas for those areas we will need it. I think we will skip Juneau not because we want to but because of time.

We are going to head for Dawson Creek right out of the gate and come down via Prince Rupert and the ferry to Port Hardy that way we can get our Vancouver Island ride in....for some reason we really want to do this part.
 
Ladies you need to go to the MILEPOST site

http://milepost.com

All the info you every needed will there, under the highway tab you will find maps that are printable with lots of info. Dr. Gregory W. Frazier also wrote a book "Alaska by Motorcycle" plus DVD good info. One thing he says is to book a room early or have a tent.

Have a look at Mike and Ruby's website.

http://www.unusvita.com/Index.html

The did a trip there a few years back and have great photos and a good journal under the Photogallery-Canada, USA, Yukon, NWT & Alaska.

If I think of anything else I will post it, been planning this one for a year should be going summer 2011.

Garry
 
Omg wow

Just checked out the BC Ferry costs from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy and with the motorcycles, we mortals and no accommodation on the ferry it will cost $746CDN. If we took the Skagway Ferry line to Prince Rupert then go to Port Hardy the Skagway Ferry costs $780USD....that's like $1800 in ferry costs....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..

Time will tell if we do this way down on the way home but I am really wanting to take at least the ferry from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy to ride Vancouver Island....or maybe not....reality of $$ might kick us in the ass.....
 
Love your report...so, we are on 650's how much extra gas would we need reading you were almost out yourselves? We were thinking of bringing 2 extra gallons for certain parts of the trip.
 
Best Rest Products makes a fuel carrying system that works great on the F/G650. You can carry either two or four extra gallons. Annie uses them on her 650GS and has found them easy to use. They put the weight of the fuel low which is a help. Check the link below. Here's a picture of Doris Wiedermann's bike using them on an F800GS on her winter ride to Deadhorse.

Peg Packers

P2250048.jpg
 
I thought about the Best Rest do you know if she only has the peg on one side? I guess if I used my 1 gallon rotopak and one of these we should be fine or we get another bracket and another 1 gallon to stack them. i think we are going to need two gallons each of extra fuel for certain sections of this trip.

When did Doris do this trip? Any RR?
 
I thought about the Best Rest do you know if she only has the peg on one side? I guess if I used my 1 gallon rotopak and one of these we should be fine or we get another bracket and another 1 gallon to stack them. i think we are going to need two gallons each of extra fuel for certain sections of this trip.

When did Doris do this trip? Any RR?

Doris wrote a book about the trip but it is auf deutsch (in German) (Winterreise nach Alaska); she made the trip in February 2009. ( http://www.doriswiedemann.de/english/singlepages/start.html) Key West to Prudhoe with a fellow rider named Sjaak Lucessen.

The Peg Packers come in sets; one for each side of the bike. Each side can be one or two gallons. It takes an hour or two to install them the first time, after that it is a ten minute job to install them or remove them and put the rear pegs back on. Our experience is with the one gallon version; I would be leery of using the two gallon version on the 650. Maybe it will fit without being a bother to the rider; maybe not.

If your 650 is like most, then you can count on a range of at least 220 miles on the fuel in the tank. Two more gallons is at least 110 more miles. A 330 mile range will handle any road I'm familiar with up this way. My GSPD with a 9 gallon tank gives me a planning range of 320 miles and I have yet to carry spare fuel.
 
so how much extra fuel do you recommend...doing the Dempster, Dalton and now maybe the Campbell....the peg packers are sold as single units..

Please Note: There are no left or right units, these are universal. Sold as single units, not as pairs.

would be nice if they were pairs for $110....
 

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Do not focus on just getting to Prudhoe at the expense of seeing other great places. Manley Hot Springs; the Denali Highway; Kennicott Mine are all great dirt road rides. Don't forget the Kenai Peninsula and Homer. Take time to stop and smell the Fireweed.

great advice... i particularly enjoyed the Cassiar and Denali Highways.

don't go on the kenai peninsula on july 4th weekend, the rest of alaska is there.

bring bear spray. :nod

ian
 
Fuel -

I carried 1.5 gallons on the 1150 GS, Dave carried probably 2.5 gallons, but the tank on his 650 Kawa seemed really small.

Fuel economy on the two bikes was actually about the same - Dave is a BIG guy and he carried a lot of unnecessary gear. My 1150GS was loafing with my minimal gear.

The real trick rig is having an integrated aux fuel tank. Stopping for gas just kills your time.
 
don't think we will be adding an aux tank for this trip...but we will be bringing along an extra two gallons once we get to the areas we will need the gas...we will keep the tanks empty until then. Our 650's get great mileage on Tar and decent back roads...but we are banking on our mileage to dip quite a bit while up north so better to be prepared then have regrets.
 
2 gals feels about right

The 1150 probably got 40ish MPG on what passes for roads up there, I'd expect your 650 to get closer to 50.

Have a wonderful trip
 
Hi Kevin -

And when you do stay in Fairbanks and The University Dorms (Showers, bunk beds and access to a laundry never seemed so nice before) AK Beemer (aka Kevin) is a godlike figure to the students who run the check in process. They roll out the red carpet and treat you with special discounts because Kevin figures large in their student lives.

He's a great guy, a wonderful source of current road information and a gracious host. :buds

I was merely pointing out that the defination of 'Highway' is somewhat more elastic up there than it is down here. :nyah
 
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