Wrapup Alaska Prudhoe Bay Trip

So 3 rd time to Alaska by motorcycle. Took 25 days 9451 miles about $500 gas $1961 motel rooms another $500 misc. I wanted to go to Deadhorse this time. I waited around in Fairbanks for better weather to run up to Deadhorse , it only got worse. Everyone hangs out at University of Alaska they let motorcyclist stay for $40 a night. Lot of guys had turned around said it couldn't be done. So me on my little 700 with street tires took off early on a Thursday, 14 1/2 hours later I was in Deadhorse . I think I was the only one that got to Deadhorse that day, besides the other 2 bikes that had left from Coldfoot. Turned around the next day and came back. Now right out of Deadhorse is the worse part of road took 2 1/2 hours for me to do the first 50 miles. It is so rough I set throttle lock at about 15 miles an hour I could not hold throttle steady. So another 14 1/2 hour ride back to university. The bike needs a new tire new brakes sprockets and chain, it got me home. I could not get the sidebags released I had to take then apart from inside to get them off and then I could clean mud dirt gravel out of latches. from inside. Here is a link for pictures.
https://picasaweb.google.com/114294...&authkey=Gv1sRgCMLki8Dh3LHuQQ&feat=directlink
So road conditions change constantly , the week before it was dry and and dusty they warned me I better have a spare air cleaner because of dust. In my ride I had pouring rain and slop mud to drying packing down mud . The semi trucks just run this road every day on street tires all summer long, the road has a hard bottom. The stories I heard guys camping in Coldfoot waiting out the weather ,one old guy camped along the road just out of Deadhorse for 3 days , he rode up in dust then the rain hit he ended up taking 4 days to get back. He had the large KTM with what looked like street tires. A guy from CA on a 400 Suzuki 2 tires and some gas strapped to bike and a backpack on his back rode up , hard going up and worse coming back he said but he did it it like 10 hours each way.
So I have done it , don't think I need to do it again. But then you never know.

Great story, great adventure! Reminds me a bit of the guy who did Key West to Prudhoe Bay on a Ninja 250.

You had the guts, you got the glory!

What bikes did you take the other two times? Were the tires you had the original factory street tires?[never mind I see in the pictures awesome] You made me a believer, but then you have some dirt experience in you background yes? Now I doubt the BMW crowd will allow you come to any of their get togethers you would embarrass them :-(, especially when you tell about the GS rider and his son's experience.... course the X was just a tool in the hands of a good rider but it shows you do not need a BMW or KLR to do an off road trip...

Will review your pictures [ heck I've seen them when you posted before...so forgetful I am] and dream about next summer, but then doubt if I'd attempt the haul road like you did if weather is bad. Need to get off my butt and get some dirt experience. Thanks for the posting. I've enjoyed the posts and updates all summer but thanks for the wrap-up so I could see all the pictures again and drool some more. If I don't make it it will not be the Bikes fault, you just showed us all the X with a good rider can tread where BMW, KLR, KTM, Vee/Wee, and others go and with a lot more comfort and for less $. With what I saved over the $28,000.00 KTM I saw at the CO HU gathering I could almost pay to have a back up vehicle follow me up and back to Alaska, and still have more money to spend. You took away all the excuses other than the rider himself and that is special. Thanks

I like pic of борщ с котлетами

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Kudos to you for doing that on street tires! Correction; kudos for doing that. period, full stop.

Awesome! What a ride. Thanks for all your posts.

gboswellsac said:

What bikes did you take the other two times? Were the tires you had the original factory street tires?[never mind I see in the pictures awesome] You made me a believer, but then you have some dirt experience in you background yes? Now I doubt the BMW crowd will allow you come to any of their get togethers you would embarrass them :-(, especially when you tell about the GS rider and his son's experience.... course the X was just a tool in the hands of a good rider but it shows you do not need a BMW or KLR to do an off road trip...

Will review your pictures [ heck I've seen them when you posted before...so forgetful I am] and dream about next summer, but then doubt if I'd attempt the haul road like you did if weather is bad. Need to get off my butt and get some dirt experience. Thanks for the posting. I've enjoyed the posts and updates all summer but thanks for the wrap-up so I could see all the pictures again and drool some more. If I don't make it it will not be the Bikes fault, you just showed us all the X with a good rider can tread where BMW, KLR, KTM, Vee/Wee, and others go and with a lot more comfort and for less $. With what I saved over the $28,000.00 KTM I saw at the CO HU gathering I could almost pay to have a back up vehicle follow me up and back to Alaska, and still have more money to spend. You took away all the excuses other than the rider himself and that is special. Thanks

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I had a 1300 FJR for the other 2 trips. One time my riding buddy had a GS the other time a Goldwing. We made it to the Arctic Circle, easy ride on a dry day.
Don't over estimate my dirt riding skill, it has been over 40 years since I raced around dirt. I do ride a lot of gravel be it on a Goldwing FJR or the NC 700 X.
I really wish I had taken the side cases off, the mounts got all jammed up with mud gravel . Everything I needed I could have fit in the frunk. Lighter is better. It has been a month and maybe I will head back to Alaska next year again. After a 3 day clean up the 700 did not really suffer any damage.

It was neat going through all the pictures again (and some I don't remember). If I remember correctly, you moteled it the whole way. Why the pic of the tent in #161?

itlives said:

It was neat going through all the pictures again (and some I don't remember). If I remember correctly, you moteled it the whole way. Why the pic of the tent in #161?

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I moteled all the way. Good ?? about the tent picture, just looked like a nice spot. I think I did mention I had been attacked by a bear 10 years before only about 10 miles from that area.

what next said:

I moteled all the way. Good ?? about the tent picture, just looked like a nice spot. I think I did mention I had been attacked by a bear 10 years before only about 10 miles from that area.

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I also missed that mention, all the more reason to praise you for the trip. I have only been close to a black bear and he, thank god, was more afraid of me and took off. Probably good he did as there was perfume in my pants ....... I'm planning to motel it next year near the end of May, but I'm too old to sleep on hard ground, and it will be cold that time of year. Thanks again for the Pictures and report, gives me a big inspiration to try it my self but maybe not the Haul road... :-(

You have awesome trip and good report of the trip but adventure have great entertainment for the tourist and maybe I will also go for the adventure in next season..