Epic trip to Alaska/Yukon completed ,...Woo Hoo!!!!

theshnizzle

theshnizzle

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Just a quick post before I do a full ride report. After almost a month on the road,by myself,the trip is done. The bike performed magnificantly the operator almost as well....LOL. No mechanical mishaps,tipovers or flat tires.

Travelling in the far north is an epic experience,so wild and remote,with freindly folk everywhere. I took the roads less travelled and was pleased with my choice. I rode through days of rain,camped in the rain,rode through a hail storm on a very trecherous road,had hot weather in Dawson city and participated in the dust to Dawson adventure Rally for the summer solstice ........on a Hayabusa.

After riding the busa over the Top of the World hwy....a misnomer bty,a highway,it ain't....I was getting hi-5 ed from KLR andBMW adventure riders. Everyone was shocked that I was able to complete that road on a street bike with street tires.The border guard came out and the look on his face when I rolled up was priceless!

I saw soooooo many bears,black and grizzlys. Met many fantastic people. I did the whole thing on a total shoestring,you don't need boatloads of money to do it,but I seriously doubt anyone would tour like I did to stretch a dollar.

Thanks to all who sent well wishes,through pm and posting and to the one who said it sounded like my suicide note when I posted my intensions to undertake this adventure, break out of your fear bubble get your *** on your bike nd RIDE.

I DID IT......!!!!!! YAY !!!!
 
Congratulations on your successful journey! You're an inspiration to anyone that keeps finding excuses not to do the journey! Definitely looking forward to some pics.
 
Congrats, that's a truely epic trip. Looking forward to the full report.
 
Can't wait to read your full ride report n see pictures

Sent from phone
 
Amazing feat for sure!
It proves it's the rider on the machine that matters most
To do something of this gravity alone , on a tight budget , no fancy factory support , truly awesome
Cheers and have a well earned rest
 
glad to read you're safe and sound and had an epic trip!
can't wait for the full report and pic's!!!
 
It proves it's the rider on the machine that matters most
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um there was a fair bit of luck not shredding street tires on that road - no skill set prevents a blowout from a shredded tire. The wider street tires may have helped a bit by "floating" like a balloon tire.

When I was hitching the area - the ride I got had to replace all four tires on his car at the end of the ( then gravel ) CanAm Hwy - 1200 miles.

Still that's a gutsy journey solo on a street machine.
 
Now try that trip on a bike meant for those roads and you'll understand why they were so amazed. :D

I'm totally envious and hope to learn from your experiences and perhaps do a very similar ride myself within the next few years. (on a 354lb dualsport) ;)

Congratulations!
 
I have managed to grab a couple of teaser pics for you.........

This is the bike setup. A metal flat plate was made to accept a Givi plate and topbox. Then a extra beefy peice was added to hold the fuel cell., a kolpin/rotopax. Good for about half a tank. I carried my tarp poles on the inside of the side racks, you can see the ends sticking out the back like mini Gatling guns. Later I mounted my camp mallet above the footpeg,my maps behind the fuel cell and my rainsuit on the tail section.

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Holy Crap!! I think he is coming for me!! The busa saves me from an ultimatley painful demise!! Ok, he was pretty much ignoring me but the story tells better with a little excitment....

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The scenery was inspiring, beautiful and wild. Really lets you know how insignificant we are really are in this universe. Mother Nature.....

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( Please ignore various bits of laundry attached to my dry bag,but,hey!, it was cheap and effective...)
 
MacDoc said:
um there was a fair bit of luck not shredding street tires on that road - no skill set prevents a blowout from a shredded tire. The wider street tires may have helped a bit by "floating" like a balloon tire.

When I was hitching the area - the ride I got had to replace all four tires on his car at the end of the ( then gravel ) CanAm Hwy - 1200 miles.

Still that's a gutsy journey solo on a street machine.
Click to expand...

I will have to agree,I was lucky. Riding the TOW, I didn't even reduce my psi,which would have helped but I was just grimly hanging on and waiting for the end. But I know what the limits of rider and machine are and I stayed within them. After alll, there is no one around to help me pick up the pieces if it all goes south in a hurry. If on e decides to be foolish, its not just you who are inconvenienced but the ones who find you and feel an obligation to assist,ruining their vacation and their time,all the way down to loved ones at home who now have to take time off work,fly out,ship bike,rescue fallen rider..ect,ect...

I rode conservatively and with fuel consumption in mind....except coming home through the Prairies where I held the throttle open at a 100 miles per hour for 1,5 days....LOL ...fuel was cheap there...
 
Before I forget, the 2 side bags are 41 liters the topbox,55 liters. I carried a 20 litre drybag on top with stuff I didn't use every day. extra hoodie,microfibre,camp towel, and the like. All my camping kit,and clothes, plus toiletries,cooker, flashlights, utilities ect,dehydrated meals, are in the side bags. Topbox carried small cooler,leatherman,cup,water,food, lotsa PB and banana sammies on flat bagels, mini wheats, coffee,small compressible down jacket..( I did the trip without heated gear,much to everyones horror), compressible backpack,just stuff I needed to get to often and easily.

The bike had 2 new tires mounted the night before,an oil change and filter. Thats it. No special gizmos or gadgets or specialized mods. And she performed brilliantly......what a exceptional sport touring machine....love it !!!!
 
Beautiful pictures! Didn't you hate that rotopak taking up seat realestate?
 
Actually, it didn't at all. I am not that big rememberand I only felt it a little bit when I sat straight up in the seat. In a normal riding position, it was un noticable. I ran it empty until I got to the more fuel-less sections of my trip.then I filled it,at the most expensive gas station of course, and did have to use it along 37.

My rule of thumb was when it gets to half,start looking.
 
theshnizzle said:
Actually, it didn't at all. I am not that big rememberand I only felt it a little bit when I sat straight up in the seat. In a normal riding position, it was un noticable. I ran it empty until I got to the more fuel-less sections of my trip.then I filled it,at the most expensive gas station of course, and did have to use it along 37.

My rule of thumb was when it gets to half,start looking.
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I like to move my bum around, so even a dry bag on the rear seat needs to be on it's edge. Lol.

I'm a "the bike is half empty" rider as well, running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere is not my idea of adventure riding. ;). When I did the trans labrador highway last year, my spare gas can was always full, and the 412 kilometer section between hvgb and Port Hope Simpson had me topping off as soon as I was down the four litres necessary.

If the rest of your pictures are as nice I'm very much looking forward to seeing them. I'm off to show my sister the bear and mountain shots now.
 
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