Riding to Alaska on an FJR, Would you?

[rockmurf]

Thinking about riding to Alaska from Fl but everything I read seems to give the impression that your bike is almost disposable after the trip and with all the plastic on the fjr I would hate to destroy the bike. Anyone have the experience of riding one to Alaska and any advice/problems etc??? Thanks

 

[Bluestreek]

Last June I rode mine all over Alaska including Prudoe Bay and the infamous Dalton Hwy. I say go for it. I'm glad I did. Its a trip I'll soon not forget.

 

[colorider]

I have not ridden my FJR up, but have my previous V-Strom and would not hesitate to take the FJR up if I make the trip again on a bike. It's a GREAT experience!!

 

[terrebandit]

This is something that I've wanted to do for years. Lifes responsibilities seem to always get in the way and I'm NOT getting any younger. My uncle did it when he was 65, so I've still got some time.

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...t=0&start=0 rockmurf, this is truly one of the finest Ride Reports on Alaska Riding that I have ever seen published anywhere: As good, if not better, than anything that has been printed before at Adventure Rider or at BMW GS Rider sites. MCML and Bluestreek did the Dalton under "adverse" conditions.

I had ridden the Haul Road four times in the mid-Eighties: Twice on a Shovelhead Harley FLH and twice on an Airhead BMW.

But I had an advantage by working for ALYESKA Corporation as a Pipefitter. I'd make use of the company's Meteorologist!

I'd never consider riding North unless I saw a completely bone dry window of opportunity to ride from Livengood to Prudhoe.

As far as I'm concerned: Steve and Joseph have written the definitive Instructional Manual on riding FJR's throughout Alaska!

 

[Toecutter]

Riding to Alaska on an FJR, Would you?

I would....

 

[dcarver]

It all depends on how much you love your FJR. It will come back battle scarred. So if your a spit n' polish Feejer guy, who agonizes over scratches, marks, dents, torn plastic, pock marks on the undercarriage and on leading edges, then no, don't take the FJR. Pretty much plan on dumping the bike somewhere along the trail.

As practice, to see how you really feel, go to your garage right now, take the bike off the centerstand, then toss it down to the ground, your choice as to which side. How do you feel now? Ambivalent? Hey that was fun? Then take the FJR to AK. On other hand, if you feel like 'Oh crap, that just cost me 600 bucks' and look at that broken mirror, bent slider, torn plastic, then you really should take a 'throw-away' bike to AK.

Me, I'm riding a totally farkled used DL650 that I have less than 6k into. Even if I have to leave the bike in AK it won't be all *that* bad. And bent bars, scratched plastic, warrior wounds to me, on that bike, are badges of honor well earned.

YMMV,

4 Dollars Please :lol:

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Thinking about riding to Alaska from Fl but everything I ride seems to give the impression that your bike is almost disposable after the trip and with all the plastic on the fjr I would hate to destroy the bike. Anyone have the experience of riding one to Alaska and any advice/problems etc??? Thanks

It depends (too) on where you want to go in AK. If you just want to say: "I've ridden to Alaska"; you can ride a prisitine sport-bike to Hyder AK without any undue scars. (you'll probably need to be a little careful about who you brag to, tho...)

por nada

 

[dangerdog]

Im going in May (from jville). Renting a klr for the last leg of the trip up the dalton highway, heard thats really the worst of it

 

[JR'SFJR]

I rode mine up last summer without problems, except for a blown fork seal, once back in the U.S. My friends thought it would be all nicked up, but thought it looked good. I washed it at a car wash when possible to get the dirt and calcium chloride off they put on the roads for dust control in road construction areas. I spent quite a bit of time detailing after I returned home. I put screen mesh from Home Depot over the radiator area for stones and cheap clear film over the painted area below the radiator.

There was a reasonable amount of road construction sections on the Alcan and Cassiar which you drive. Some are easy, just staying in the bare wheel track. If just graded, loose gravel can cover the complete lane, making it a little like marbles. On the Cassiar, I rode a long section that was just being graded, sloppy wet, clay like in places, slippery, and tricky to ride. Just went slow and took my time.

Someone else mentioned renting. In the same parking lot as the Anchorage Harley dealer, which is near the airport and Yamaha dealer, is a shop that rents all kinds of bikes, mostly dual purpose. You could ride up, rent a dual purpose for the gravel going north, if you didn't want to take the FJR.

Keep in mind, their chip seal roads eat tires faster than expected. I put a new set on in Anchorage to be on the safe side. I like lots of tread. Changed them out at Yamaha. I took the rims off in the parking lot myself. $400 for PR's and $100 to mount and balance. Glad I did.

Someone mentioned taking a 650 BMW GS, which has a chain. I listened to a couple of people this summer with chain and sprocket problems. Riding gravel eats them up more quickly. If I were taking a chain drive bike, I would carry an extra chain and set of sprockets. There is a good ride report his month in BMW MOA about a trip to Alaska. A rider on a 650 GS started having problems with the chain on the Cassiar coming home. There just isn't much around for help.

GO!!! The hundreds of miles of mountains are incredible and lots of critters. This was my second time. Went the last time about 15 yrs ago on a BMW. I just might go again.

 

[Wee Willy]

I'd go on a whim. One of my MC dreams, this ride.

Cheers,

W2

 

[happyPuppy]

It is not that hard. The only suggestion would be use ferries when possible, it is awesome and places like Victoria Island are great. I did it twice in the 1980s and it was a lot different then. The worst are the RV'ers they crawl and can make it miserable , as bad as the bugs.

 

[What Next]

Done it twice on my 04 FJR no problem. In fact last week I was in your area Bradenton on the same Pilot Roads that had been to the Artic Circle. 14,000 miles so far on them and I can still see some wear bar.

Artic Circle is easy if you have dry roads, University of Alaska dorms in Fairbanks are great place to stay for around $40. Make sure you do The Top of the World Highway, stop in Chicken. Take a run down to Homer and The Spit. Valdez is a nice ride , watch out for cops here. Go to Whittier you get to go through a 2.5 mile train tunnel that trains use also. Tok has Fast Eddies great food and Roys motel right behind it. The Cassiers and Hyder one direction and The Ice Field Parkway the other way route. It will be 13,000 miles for you and figure 5 weeks . Both my trips 10,000miles 28 days and 25 days. Some of the must stops beside Fast Eddies are Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn just south of Fairbanks the real downtown Chicken, Hot Spot Cafe half way to Artic Circle we stopped on the way back. Dawson at one end of the Top of World Highway good place to stay and Whitehorse. Rooms are expensive but ask, alot of place have what they call sleeping rooms $80 to $100 for those. Been retired 3 years and made it to Alaska 3 times twice on the FJR. Heck if you have an odd man with you I'm ready to go back next summer.

 

[griffithds]

I spent the first 14 days of June traveling from Idaho up thru Canada, over to Alaska, down to Haines Alaska to take the ferry (4days), back to Washington, then on to Boise (home). I can't wait to do the trip again. Best vacation I've ever had on the FJR! My only recommendatons would be to not go unless you have a new set of tires.

 

[Gerry.GEG]

Thinking about riding to Alaska from Fl but everything I read seems to give the impression that your bike is almost disposable after the trip and with all the plastic on the fjr I would hate to destroy the bike. Anyone have the experience of riding one to Alaska and any advice/problems etc??? Thanks

Bikes are made to be ridden dude. Don't shy away from your dream ride because it might hurt the FJ.

Just do it. I personally wouldn't use an FJ to ride all the way to Prudoe Bay but, I commend anyone who does!

Good luck and once you realize life's short and there are always more bikes, you'll be able to keep it in perspective.

 

[Dave Migliore]

Riding to Alaska on an FJR, Would you?

I would....

i would, too - we could walk in and surprise ric-in-sac.

 

[101stpathfinder]

I'm doing the 48 plus next May. Leaving out of West Palm Beach to add some miles to the trip

so I can do the 10/10ths. The Canadian leg (10th day) to Hyder is a definite concern of mine.

Where in alaska are you headed? What time of year?

 

[rockmurf]

Everything is open. I thought originally I would go in June due to weather and bugs but it seems everyone has a different thought. I don't want to ride in snow (been there done that). Anyway I want to put myself in position to have the best time and safest ride. My fjr has 58k miles on it so it is not a garage queen but I don't see myself tiping it over and not being concerned about it. So, summing it up traveling on paved roads is no issue (weather not withstanding) and unpaved roads is a whole new ballgame. I don't have any off road experience and the few times I got stuck on dirt the fjr did not do well. Is 5 weeks what everyone thinks is a realistic time period to accomplish this? I do like to ride but realizing that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity I want to maximize it. Thanks everyone for their posts. I have read the writeups and other stuff from adrider etc.

 

[Patriot]

sure...I sent an email to John Ryan asking to join him next time he goes from Key West back to Prudoe Bay...I'm awaiting his reply...