P-Rock here once again.
It's 6 weeks and counting until launch, and both Blackie and I can't wait to get rolling.
This will be a short update post to let you all know that sentiment has indeed won out for the routing on the way up. In looking at the maps we decided on a hybrid route shown here:
View Larger Map
This route allows us to go over the top of Lake Superior without adding too many miles. While I suspect that we'll have a whole multitude of other route changes before and during the trip, we've pretty much settled in on this one for now.
P-Rock, out.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Route is Set and We Have A Name!
P-Rock once again.
Last week (Okay, it was two weeks ago now - we are so overtaxed for time) Blackie and I took some time to sit down and refine our routing for the trip. Also, tops on our agenda was to come up with a name for this ride. The list of candidate names was long, and many of them quite funny. After not too long of a discussion, however, we arrived at:
Simple yet descriptive.
On the routing part, keep in mind that what we're showing here is a plan, subject to constant change as we get en route. Our thinking is that if we can get ahead of schedule (by some number of miles, not necessarily whole stops), we will have flexibility later to add things to the trip, or to take additional R&R time. One key change was that we concluded that starting an adventure such as this by trailering out to Chicagoland is just plain lunacy - so we will be starting in Allentown and riding the entire way there and back. New mileage total is around 10,500 in about 25 or so days.
The Trip North
We discussed several alternatives for the route north, including the straight shot to Chicago, a route through Buffalo and around the north end of the Great Lakes and a route that goes up through lower Michigan to the UP of Michigan and then across Wisconsin, Minnesota and a hard right turn into Canada. The latter route won out, although the trip over the top was a sentimental favorite. We have also added a ferry trip to Juneau, which should be very interesting. Blackie and I will have to wrestle to see who gets Sarah Palin to ride on the back though :)
Due to some limitations with waypoint count in Google Maps, we had to split the trip into two links. Thus the above link is only half the story. Also, for some reason Google can't handle the ferry trip from Skagway, AK down to Juneau, but handles the return ferry ride to Haines just fine. Go figure. Trust me, I tried everything to get it to use the ferry, considering you really can't drive to Juneau anyway. Also of note is that on the trip from Fairbanks out to Manley Hot Springs we plan to head north on the Haul Road (The Dalton Highway) as far as the Arctic Circle. The "halfway" point - if you will - is Denali Park near Cantwell, Alaska - from there we will make a few more stops then head back.
The Trip Home
After visits to Anchorage, Homer and Valdez, we'll start trekking back via a different and very scenic route. First we'll take a 150 mile long gravel highway called "Top of the World" through Dawson City, Yukon Territory as an adventure ride on the way back to Whitehorse. We'll then proceed down to the Cassiar Highway and head south through BC, stopping along the way at Stewart BC with a side trip to Hyder, AK - the most southern city in Alaska. Then on to Jasper, the Icefields parkway, Calgary (the Calgary Stampede will be on when we are passing through!) and down to Motorcycle Mecca, Sturgis. We'll miss the Sturgis rally by a few weeks, but it'll be cool to see the place and to tour South Dakota including Mt. Rushmore. From there back to see P-Rock's mom in Marengo, and back home.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
I see we have a couple of followers (finally!) after the last post - my sis Brenda and my cousin Chuck. And also one sarcastic comment from my most loving daughter in the world! Keep the comments coming, and one of these days Blackie will post up here - I promise!
Last week (Okay, it was two weeks ago now - we are so overtaxed for time) Blackie and I took some time to sit down and refine our routing for the trip. Also, tops on our agenda was to come up with a name for this ride. The list of candidate names was long, and many of them quite funny. After not too long of a discussion, however, we arrived at:
Ride to the Wild
Simple yet descriptive.
On the routing part, keep in mind that what we're showing here is a plan, subject to constant change as we get en route. Our thinking is that if we can get ahead of schedule (by some number of miles, not necessarily whole stops), we will have flexibility later to add things to the trip, or to take additional R&R time. One key change was that we concluded that starting an adventure such as this by trailering out to Chicagoland is just plain lunacy - so we will be starting in Allentown and riding the entire way there and back. New mileage total is around 10,500 in about 25 or so days.
The Trip North
We discussed several alternatives for the route north, including the straight shot to Chicago, a route through Buffalo and around the north end of the Great Lakes and a route that goes up through lower Michigan to the UP of Michigan and then across Wisconsin, Minnesota and a hard right turn into Canada. The latter route won out, although the trip over the top was a sentimental favorite. We have also added a ferry trip to Juneau, which should be very interesting. Blackie and I will have to wrestle to see who gets Sarah Palin to ride on the back though :)
Due to some limitations with waypoint count in Google Maps, we had to split the trip into two links. Thus the above link is only half the story. Also, for some reason Google can't handle the ferry trip from Skagway, AK down to Juneau, but handles the return ferry ride to Haines just fine. Go figure. Trust me, I tried everything to get it to use the ferry, considering you really can't drive to Juneau anyway. Also of note is that on the trip from Fairbanks out to Manley Hot Springs we plan to head north on the Haul Road (The Dalton Highway) as far as the Arctic Circle. The "halfway" point - if you will - is Denali Park near Cantwell, Alaska - from there we will make a few more stops then head back.
The Trip Home
After visits to Anchorage, Homer and Valdez, we'll start trekking back via a different and very scenic route. First we'll take a 150 mile long gravel highway called "Top of the World" through Dawson City, Yukon Territory as an adventure ride on the way back to Whitehorse. We'll then proceed down to the Cassiar Highway and head south through BC, stopping along the way at Stewart BC with a side trip to Hyder, AK - the most southern city in Alaska. Then on to Jasper, the Icefields parkway, Calgary (the Calgary Stampede will be on when we are passing through!) and down to Motorcycle Mecca, Sturgis. We'll miss the Sturgis rally by a few weeks, but it'll be cool to see the place and to tour South Dakota including Mt. Rushmore. From there back to see P-Rock's mom in Marengo, and back home.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
I see we have a couple of followers (finally!) after the last post - my sis Brenda and my cousin Chuck. And also one sarcastic comment from my most loving daughter in the world! Keep the comments coming, and one of these days Blackie will post up here - I promise!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Equipping For The Trip
P-Rock here
I thought I'd take a little time to talk about some of the trip planning for our Alaska run. Those of you that know Blackie and I know that we are compulsive-excessive planners. In my humble opinion, there can't be too much of that for this trip.
First off, consider some of what we will be dealing with, considering this is a 7000+ mile trip in three weeks before you add in any side trips:
* Rough terrain, unimproved roads, road construction.
* The elements: snow, rain, wind, hail, thunder, heat, cold are all very real possibilities.
* Nature: small and large animals including buffalo, elk, caribou, bears (black, brown/grizzly), mountain goats, moose, deer, opossums, ground hogs and worst of all, black flies and mosquitoes.
* Accommodations and food. Laundry and hygiene needs.
* Basic maintenance items: Fuel and oil, tires and air, mechanical.
* Bike-to-Bike communication, Emergency communication, entertainment.
Our average day will be over 350 miles, or 7 hours of travel at 50mph average. The good news is that as we head north, we get more daylight each day. The bad news is that we need to keep close track of our progress as compared to the plan to make sure we get back in time to still have jobs. In a future segment we'll discuss the route itself and some of the planning that goes into that, but for now just assume that anything we put forth before we leave is subject to constant change.
There's an old adage about Alaska: There are two seasons... Winter and Road Construction. As you can imagine, the winter conditions up there can take a tremendous toll on the roads, and the summer is short - so a lot of work has to be concentrated into a short period of time. Because of this, we will have to take into account what sorts of delays we will have each day. Much of this information comes from other people we will talk to each day, and also from various travel resources. One of the more important ones is The Milepost. The Milepost is the premier Alaska/Canada travel guide and is indispensable in helping to understand what challenges are in front of you each travel day. Blackie and I each have a copy and access to the latest info via the online version as well. Again, more on this and the travel planning in another post.
Weather will be an important consideration for each travel day. We will always have a destination goal, but weather may have something to say about that. Obviously the first consideration will be our safety. The higher elevations can have snow and summertime is typically the rainy season along our route. Road construction where roads are dirt/mud can be very slick, and with our loads (which can tend to the top-heavy side) handling a big touring bike can be quite a challenge. While we both have motorcycles with full fairings and windshields, they are not 100% effective and heavy rain, snow, thunder and low visibility can reduce our speeds or even stop us entirely. As far as gear is concerned, we will be equipped with waterproof rain gear, cold weather gear, warm weather gear and two helmets each in addition to our standard clothing. One expectation is that we will likely transition each day from a cold weather gear start to warm weather gear later and possibly rain gear, then on long days back to cold weather gear near the end of the day.
Nature presents some interesting challenges along the way. Of course we need to make sure we steer well clear of all the large animals. Many of them use the roads to migrate from shelter to food/water sources - and because there are very few roads - this concentrates them along our route so a constantly vigilant eye is required. Small animals can be a hazard both as road kill in the path and darting in front of us as we travel. Black flies and mosquitoes are a constant problem when not moving, so good high percentage DEET repellents are essential. We had considered doing some camping along the way, but right now that's not high on our list of options. Camping requires us to carry a whole lot more gear, and we also would need to be more cognizant of dangerous animals overnight as well as weather issues. One advantage to camping is that you have a lot of options for your stay (like, everywhere!) and it's pretty cost effective.
Our accommodation plan is to try to stay a day (sometimes two) ahead and book each night's stay at the end of the previous day. This will allow us to more definitively adjust plans based on known changes in weather, known construction and room availability. One thing is for sure, in most places there are quite a number of mom-and-pop motels, lodges and B&Bs - the information we have today is that reserving a room a day in advance isn't usually a problem. Having a room somewhere also addresses most of our hygiene and food problems too. We plan to take about a week's worth of clothing with us, so that we will only need to find laundry facilities a few times during the trip (as well as after every close encounter with a grizzly).
Bike maintenance can present some unusual challenges. We talked for a long time about own-vs-rent bikes for this trip - and brand. For one thing, renting a touring motorcycle for three weeks is an expensive proposition - on the order of $2500.00!! For that money you get a basic touring rig - no frills - and unknown quality of maintenance. There are some good rental outfits out there like EagleRider, but frankly we both trust our own level of maintenance much more than leaving it to someone that's in a for-profit business. A set of tires typically last about 10,000 miles +/- on a motorcycle such as this, so we both are opting to leave with new or nearly new tires. Blackie by virtue of his brand new motorcycle, me by virtue of my wallet. Since the BMWs need an oil change every 6000 miles, we're going to leave with less than 2000 miles each on the clock since the last oil change, and we've built in a day in Anchorage to get an oil change and address any other non-critical maintenance items.
As I mentioned above, one big discussion was the brand of motorcycle. While Harley Davidson was near the top of the list, we decided that the BMW was a better choice for a number of reasons, including better reliability, more load carrying capability, and an overall better design. Now obviously this is subject to a LOT of debate, especially by HD flag wavers, but our research drove us to this conclusion. One advantage HD has is that there are about a half dozen dealerships with service and parts between the continental US and Canada. BMW has one directly on-route in southern Canada (and a couple more within a few hours of the route), but two dealerships in Alaska (Fairbanks and Anchorage). So what we have done in addition to the obvious tire repair kit and powered tire inflator is to add some common parts that can put you out of commission into our kit. Because we both have the same model of BMW with many many common parts even considering the age difference, this helped out a lot with costs for parts we intend to take along. This way we hope to be able to fix any "routine" problem and if it's more than we can handle, we call for help or leave a bike behind and go two-up to find help.
Communication takes several forms. We've removed smoke signals from consideration, so for bike-to-bike we will be using FRS radios. My bike already has a COM system installed, so I will have full push-to-talk, mike and speaker capability. Blackie may get a COM system installed as well (with bluetooth, the lucky SOB - I have wires and more wires), or just go handheld. My bike also came with a CB Radio, which we plan to use for emergency purposes and to get road reports. Lastly, we both have similar GPS systems, ipod capability and I have AM/FM/Weather Radio/XM Radio as well. I think we'll stay entertained :)
OK, thats enough for today, as you can imagine we are putting a whole lot of effort into this to make sure it's an excellent experience. P-Rock, OUT.
I thought I'd take a little time to talk about some of the trip planning for our Alaska run. Those of you that know Blackie and I know that we are compulsive-excessive planners. In my humble opinion, there can't be too much of that for this trip.
First off, consider some of what we will be dealing with, considering this is a 7000+ mile trip in three weeks before you add in any side trips:
* Rough terrain, unimproved roads, road construction.
* The elements: snow, rain, wind, hail, thunder, heat, cold are all very real possibilities.
* Nature: small and large animals including buffalo, elk, caribou, bears (black, brown/grizzly), mountain goats, moose, deer, opossums, ground hogs and worst of all, black flies and mosquitoes.
* Accommodations and food. Laundry and hygiene needs.
* Basic maintenance items: Fuel and oil, tires and air, mechanical.
* Bike-to-Bike communication, Emergency communication, entertainment.
Our average day will be over 350 miles, or 7 hours of travel at 50mph average. The good news is that as we head north, we get more daylight each day. The bad news is that we need to keep close track of our progress as compared to the plan to make sure we get back in time to still have jobs. In a future segment we'll discuss the route itself and some of the planning that goes into that, but for now just assume that anything we put forth before we leave is subject to constant change.
There's an old adage about Alaska: There are two seasons... Winter and Road Construction. As you can imagine, the winter conditions up there can take a tremendous toll on the roads, and the summer is short - so a lot of work has to be concentrated into a short period of time. Because of this, we will have to take into account what sorts of delays we will have each day. Much of this information comes from other people we will talk to each day, and also from various travel resources. One of the more important ones is The Milepost. The Milepost is the premier Alaska/Canada travel guide and is indispensable in helping to understand what challenges are in front of you each travel day. Blackie and I each have a copy and access to the latest info via the online version as well. Again, more on this and the travel planning in another post.
Weather will be an important consideration for each travel day. We will always have a destination goal, but weather may have something to say about that. Obviously the first consideration will be our safety. The higher elevations can have snow and summertime is typically the rainy season along our route. Road construction where roads are dirt/mud can be very slick, and with our loads (which can tend to the top-heavy side) handling a big touring bike can be quite a challenge. While we both have motorcycles with full fairings and windshields, they are not 100% effective and heavy rain, snow, thunder and low visibility can reduce our speeds or even stop us entirely. As far as gear is concerned, we will be equipped with waterproof rain gear, cold weather gear, warm weather gear and two helmets each in addition to our standard clothing. One expectation is that we will likely transition each day from a cold weather gear start to warm weather gear later and possibly rain gear, then on long days back to cold weather gear near the end of the day.
Nature presents some interesting challenges along the way. Of course we need to make sure we steer well clear of all the large animals. Many of them use the roads to migrate from shelter to food/water sources - and because there are very few roads - this concentrates them along our route so a constantly vigilant eye is required. Small animals can be a hazard both as road kill in the path and darting in front of us as we travel. Black flies and mosquitoes are a constant problem when not moving, so good high percentage DEET repellents are essential. We had considered doing some camping along the way, but right now that's not high on our list of options. Camping requires us to carry a whole lot more gear, and we also would need to be more cognizant of dangerous animals overnight as well as weather issues. One advantage to camping is that you have a lot of options for your stay (like, everywhere!) and it's pretty cost effective.
Our accommodation plan is to try to stay a day (sometimes two) ahead and book each night's stay at the end of the previous day. This will allow us to more definitively adjust plans based on known changes in weather, known construction and room availability. One thing is for sure, in most places there are quite a number of mom-and-pop motels, lodges and B&Bs - the information we have today is that reserving a room a day in advance isn't usually a problem. Having a room somewhere also addresses most of our hygiene and food problems too. We plan to take about a week's worth of clothing with us, so that we will only need to find laundry facilities a few times during the trip (as well as after every close encounter with a grizzly).
Bike maintenance can present some unusual challenges. We talked for a long time about own-vs-rent bikes for this trip - and brand. For one thing, renting a touring motorcycle for three weeks is an expensive proposition - on the order of $2500.00!! For that money you get a basic touring rig - no frills - and unknown quality of maintenance. There are some good rental outfits out there like EagleRider, but frankly we both trust our own level of maintenance much more than leaving it to someone that's in a for-profit business. A set of tires typically last about 10,000 miles +/- on a motorcycle such as this, so we both are opting to leave with new or nearly new tires. Blackie by virtue of his brand new motorcycle, me by virtue of my wallet. Since the BMWs need an oil change every 6000 miles, we're going to leave with less than 2000 miles each on the clock since the last oil change, and we've built in a day in Anchorage to get an oil change and address any other non-critical maintenance items.
As I mentioned above, one big discussion was the brand of motorcycle. While Harley Davidson was near the top of the list, we decided that the BMW was a better choice for a number of reasons, including better reliability, more load carrying capability, and an overall better design. Now obviously this is subject to a LOT of debate, especially by HD flag wavers, but our research drove us to this conclusion. One advantage HD has is that there are about a half dozen dealerships with service and parts between the continental US and Canada. BMW has one directly on-route in southern Canada (and a couple more within a few hours of the route), but two dealerships in Alaska (Fairbanks and Anchorage). So what we have done in addition to the obvious tire repair kit and powered tire inflator is to add some common parts that can put you out of commission into our kit. Because we both have the same model of BMW with many many common parts even considering the age difference, this helped out a lot with costs for parts we intend to take along. This way we hope to be able to fix any "routine" problem and if it's more than we can handle, we call for help or leave a bike behind and go two-up to find help.
Communication takes several forms. We've removed smoke signals from consideration, so for bike-to-bike we will be using FRS radios. My bike already has a COM system installed, so I will have full push-to-talk, mike and speaker capability. Blackie may get a COM system installed as well (with bluetooth, the lucky SOB - I have wires and more wires), or just go handheld. My bike also came with a CB Radio, which we plan to use for emergency purposes and to get road reports. Lastly, we both have similar GPS systems, ipod capability and I have AM/FM/Weather Radio/XM Radio as well. I think we'll stay entertained :)
OK, thats enough for today, as you can imagine we are putting a whole lot of effort into this to make sure it's an excellent experience. P-Rock, OUT.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Dingman's Shakeout
P-Rock here
Last Sunday was one of those beautiful April days in the high 60s - you know the ones - they're sandwiched between the 40 degree rainy windy days. Blackie and I made plans to go put some mileage on the LTs. Blackie to run up his break-in miles, and me to shake out any issues with all the maintenance
work I've been doing lately.
So we decided to load up the cameras and ride up to Dingman's Falls, near the NY/NJ borders in PA. An excellent ride up and a chance to test our camera skills at the falls. Blackie took us up some nice back roads over Blue Mountain to Rt 209, then up to Stroudsburg, and into the Delaware Water Gap up to Dingman's.
For those of you that know us, Blackie is the real photographer, I'm a rank amateur - but I still enjoy capturing those great shots. Once we got to the falls, the place was pretty much empty, so we stopped and took some shots of a smaller waterfall, then up to the big fall
s where we climbed up and took shots from every angle. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful water is. We had some very challenging light conditions, but I caught a few shots worth showing, which are included here. On the way back down we encountered several other groups on their way in, and one thing was in common with everyone. Every single person with a digital SLR was carrying Canon equipment. Some pretty good stuff too.
On the way home, we switched steeds for about 20 miles to check out the differences between the older '01 model (mine) and the new '09. I have to say that the '09 is a very smooth ride and the
refinements in the dash, controls and small change in steering rake have really tweeked it in the right direction. Also the '09 seat is very nice - although I think it'll get even better after a little more break in (which I may have accelerated with my bulbous you-know-what). One thing is
for certain, both of these bikes take motorcycle visibility to another level entirely. Between sheer size, lighting and profile, it would be very hard for a cage to miss us rolling down the highway.
After switching back to our own horses, we rolled down I-80 to PA 715 near the crossings, then took a beautiful ride down 715 back to 209 and back home. It was a total of 175 miles for me, a bit more for Jeff as he had to come up my way to start out. All-in-all a great day (I had raccoon eyes- a sure sign things went well) and with no LT issues at all, I'm a happy camper and I know Jeff is too.
Monday we both went to a local bike apparrel store and purchased armored mult
i-season jackets. I think this will be a great investment . With shoulder and elbow armor, it should really save the bacon in the crash we all don't ever want to be involved in. Pretty stylish too. I tried one jacket on that Jeff said "made me look like superman". After a big smile and the urge to buy it on the spot, I went with the more practical option for our trip.
I hope you all have a great Easter (if you are the type the celebrates Easter, that is) and we'll be back with more soon.
P
Last Sunday was one of those beautiful April days in the high 60s - you know the ones - they're sandwiched between the 40 degree rainy windy days. Blackie and I made plans to go put some mileage on the LTs. Blackie to run up his break-in miles, and me to shake out any issues with all the maintenance
work I've been doing lately.So we decided to load up the cameras and ride up to Dingman's Falls, near the NY/NJ borders in PA. An excellent ride up and a chance to test our camera skills at the falls. Blackie took us up some nice back roads over Blue Mountain to Rt 209, then up to Stroudsburg, and into the Delaware Water Gap up to Dingman's.
For those of you that know us, Blackie is the real photographer, I'm a rank amateur - but I still enjoy capturing those great shots. Once we got to the falls, the place was pretty much empty, so we stopped and took some shots of a smaller waterfall, then up to the big fall
s where we climbed up and took shots from every angle. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful water is. We had some very challenging light conditions, but I caught a few shots worth showing, which are included here. On the way back down we encountered several other groups on their way in, and one thing was in common with everyone. Every single person with a digital SLR was carrying Canon equipment. Some pretty good stuff too.On the way home, we switched steeds for about 20 miles to check out the differences between the older '01 model (mine) and the new '09. I have to say that the '09 is a very smooth ride and the
refinements in the dash, controls and small change in steering rake have really tweeked it in the right direction. Also the '09 seat is very nice - although I think it'll get even better after a little more break in (which I may have accelerated with my bulbous you-know-what). One thing is
for certain, both of these bikes take motorcycle visibility to another level entirely. Between sheer size, lighting and profile, it would be very hard for a cage to miss us rolling down the highway.After switching back to our own horses, we rolled down I-80 to PA 715 near the crossings, then took a beautiful ride down 715 back to 209 and back home. It was a total of 175 miles for me, a bit more for Jeff as he had to come up my way to start out. All-in-all a great day (I had raccoon eyes- a sure sign things went well) and with no LT issues at all, I'm a happy camper and I know Jeff is too.
Monday we both went to a local bike apparrel store and purchased armored mult
i-season jackets. I think this will be a great investment . With shoulder and elbow armor, it should really save the bacon in the crash we all don't ever want to be involved in. Pretty stylish too. I tried one jacket on that Jeff said "made me look like superman". After a big smile and the urge to buy it on the spot, I went with the more practical option for our trip.I hope you all have a great Easter (if you are the type the celebrates Easter, that is) and we'll be back with more soon.
P
Friday, April 3, 2009
Prelude, Part Deux
P-Rock here.
I've always been one to enjoy getting my hands dirty learning and doing things mechanical. The new BMW motorcycle is no differ
ent in that regard. In the past few weeks I've had it reasonably disassembled multiple times for maintenance and improvements. This last round of work was by far my most ambitious. I had to install a new pair of shocks, a GPS and associated wiring - including an XM satellite receiver tied into the bike's communications system, remove my antique 6 CD changer which was taking up valuable clothing (beer) space, a set of highway pegs and a new set of speakers.
So I proceeded to tear the beast down to it's undies and get started. As you can see it was quite the project, but the end result will be worth it. In order to accomplish all of this work I had to remove the left front, right front, nose, instrument panel and right rear bo
dy panels. Then I had to remove the seat, passenger seat, the "Stingray" which houses the radio and com system and the gas tank. I then performed some surgery on the front and rear speaker assemblies to install my new Polk speakers, removed and replaced the front and rear shocks, bolted on the highway pegs and then installed a new shelf for the GPS. This all took place between Friday and Sunday last weekend.
Once wiring was complete I buttoned her all back up (for now). I still have to install a steering damper, a new brake pedal and the trunk lock, but none of those require the major surgery this did. And you know, I did all this work and then had to leave town on business, so I haven't even had the chance to ride it yet with
all of the new goodies. I guarantee you it'll get a workout this weekend, so I can get the shocks adjusted to my liking. Also, doing this kind of work gets the bike all dirty and grimy, so it'll be bath time as well. All-in-all, a very satisfying experience. Of course the best news was putting the key in the ignition and having the bike start - no leaks, shorts or other issues - **AND** the GPS worked first time out, including the XM radio. WOOHOO!
Now where did I leave that beer?
P-Rock.
I've always been one to enjoy getting my hands dirty learning and doing things mechanical. The new BMW motorcycle is no differ
ent in that regard. In the past few weeks I've had it reasonably disassembled multiple times for maintenance and improvements. This last round of work was by far my most ambitious. I had to install a new pair of shocks, a GPS and associated wiring - including an XM satellite receiver tied into the bike's communications system, remove my antique 6 CD changer which was taking up valuable clothing (beer) space, a set of highway pegs and a new set of speakers.So I proceeded to tear the beast down to it's undies and get started. As you can see it was quite the project, but the end result will be worth it. In order to accomplish all of this work I had to remove the left front, right front, nose, instrument panel and right rear bo
dy panels. Then I had to remove the seat, passenger seat, the "Stingray" which houses the radio and com system and the gas tank. I then performed some surgery on the front and rear speaker assemblies to install my new Polk speakers, removed and replaced the front and rear shocks, bolted on the highway pegs and then installed a new shelf for the GPS. This all took place between Friday and Sunday last weekend.Once wiring was complete I buttoned her all back up (for now). I still have to install a steering damper, a new brake pedal and the trunk lock, but none of those require the major surgery this did. And you know, I did all this work and then had to leave town on business, so I haven't even had the chance to ride it yet with
all of the new goodies. I guarantee you it'll get a workout this weekend, so I can get the shocks adjusted to my liking. Also, doing this kind of work gets the bike all dirty and grimy, so it'll be bath time as well. All-in-all, a very satisfying experience. Of course the best news was putting the key in the ignition and having the bike start - no leaks, shorts or other issues - **AND** the GPS worked first time out, including the XM radio. WOOHOO!Now where did I leave that beer?
P-Rock.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Prelude, Part 1
Welcome to the Alaska on Two Wheels blog. This blog has been set up to track the preparation and trip from Pennsylvania to Alaska and back by our two intrepid travelers, Blackie (Jeff) and P-Rock (Pete). Jeff and Pete will both be contributing to the blog from time to time before the trip, and daily during the trip. This segment is being produced by P-Rock, and we will always identify the author when adding to the blog.
This trip was first discussed back in the early 1990's when Jeff, Pete, Bob and Wayne-O were on an 8 day canoe trip through Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. Through an incredibly clever combination of exhaustion (due to canoeing and portaging all day long for several days), wicked alcoholic concoctions (Captain Morgan and grape kool-aid comes to mind as one), and dehydrated food, we determined that we would someday embark on a motorcycle adventure from the lower 48 to Alaska and back. Here we are many years later, and Jeff and Pete are now preparing for this adventure. Our plan is to leave in early July from outside of Chicago, IL (at my mom's house). We will trailer our bikes to that location, eat one last good home-cooked meal and head out on the open road.
Jeff made the ultimate sacrifice and sold his beloved Victory Jackpot motorcycle in order to purchase a new 2009 BMW K1200LT touring motorcycle for this trip (and beyond). Jeff and I had decided a few months ago that this was the perfect platform for this trip, as the motorcycle includes excellent wind protection, heated grips and seats, a very comfortable riding position, great entertainment options and plenty of storage space.
Here's a picture of Blacki
e, on the new Beemer, fresh home from the showroom.
As you can see she's a beauty, and she's Black.
I also needed to do something about a motorcycle as well, considering my only option was a V-Rod. not a great long distance tourer. I happened upon a nice used 2001 BMW K1200LT in New Jersey, which I ultimately bought, brought home and am spending copious cabbage on to get ready for the trip. The picture on the right is of my bike, which at first glance looks a LOT like Jeff's. Well I can tell you that BMW made a number of very nice improvements between 2001 and 2009! I do have to say that this is one of the finest riding motorcycles I have ever been on. It can be a little top-heavy at low speed, but once it's moving it's a dream to ride. Right now the bike is all torn apart in my garage for final upgrades. I will post some pictures of that i
n a few days. Since purchasing the bike, I have: replaced the rear brake and rotor, replaced the front brakes, replaced the battery, replaced the throttle cables, replaced the rear drive pinion bearings, added floorboards, added a shift peg and performed all of the major services. I now have to install new shocks, a new trunk latch, remove the 6 CD changer and replace it with an XM reciever tied to a new GPS unit, and add some new Polk speakers. Who says I have expensive hobbies?
Here's a picture of me replacing the fuel filter as a part of some maintenance performed last weekend.
At any rate, this is enough for the initial post. There will be more to come in the coming weeks as we prepare to head out on the open road. Jeff will also be contributing as time permits, and we'll document our planned route, activities we intend to pursue along the way, discussions on gear, spare parts, tools and such along with a wide array of pre-trip planning ideas (usually generated over a cold beer or wine session!).
Ride safe! P-Rock.
This trip was first discussed back in the early 1990's when Jeff, Pete, Bob and Wayne-O were on an 8 day canoe trip through Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. Through an incredibly clever combination of exhaustion (due to canoeing and portaging all day long for several days), wicked alcoholic concoctions (Captain Morgan and grape kool-aid comes to mind as one), and dehydrated food, we determined that we would someday embark on a motorcycle adventure from the lower 48 to Alaska and back. Here we are many years later, and Jeff and Pete are now preparing for this adventure. Our plan is to leave in early July from outside of Chicago, IL (at my mom's house). We will trailer our bikes to that location, eat one last good home-cooked meal and head out on the open road.
Jeff made the ultimate sacrifice and sold his beloved Victory Jackpot motorcycle in order to purchase a new 2009 BMW K1200LT touring motorcycle for this trip (and beyond). Jeff and I had decided a few months ago that this was the perfect platform for this trip, as the motorcycle includes excellent wind protection, heated grips and seats, a very comfortable riding position, great entertainment options and plenty of storage space.
Here's a picture of Blacki
e, on the new Beemer, fresh home from the showroom.As you can see she's a beauty, and she's Black.
I also needed to do something about a motorcycle as well, considering my only option was a V-Rod. not a great long distance tourer. I happened upon a nice used 2001 BMW K1200LT in New Jersey, which I ultimately bought, brought home and am spending copious cabbage on to get ready for the trip. The picture on the right is of my bike, which at first glance looks a LOT like Jeff's. Well I can tell you that BMW made a number of very nice improvements between 2001 and 2009! I do have to say that this is one of the finest riding motorcycles I have ever been on. It can be a little top-heavy at low speed, but once it's moving it's a dream to ride. Right now the bike is all torn apart in my garage for final upgrades. I will post some pictures of that i
n a few days. Since purchasing the bike, I have: replaced the rear brake and rotor, replaced the front brakes, replaced the battery, replaced the throttle cables, replaced the rear drive pinion bearings, added floorboards, added a shift peg and performed all of the major services. I now have to install new shocks, a new trunk latch, remove the 6 CD changer and replace it with an XM reciever tied to a new GPS unit, and add some new Polk speakers. Who says I have expensive hobbies?Here's a picture of me replacing the fuel filter as a part of some maintenance performed last weekend.
At any rate, this is enough for the initial post. There will be more to come in the coming weeks as we prepare to head out on the open road. Jeff will also be contributing as time permits, and we'll document our planned route, activities we intend to pursue along the way, discussions on gear, spare parts, tools and such along with a wide array of pre-trip planning ideas (usually generated over a cold beer or wine session!).
Ride safe! P-Rock.
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