Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska - Episode 3

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

I watched all three videos this evening and was enjoying them immensely..... until the crash! Thank God (literally) that you are okay and hope to ride another day! I'm planning a trip to Alaska from my home in Minnesota either this summer or next! Your videos are inspirational and serve to remind me that I can't take getting there in one piece for granted!

[@SerendibRider]

Sierra Foxtrot Gulf : Thanks for stopping by. Yes, thank God indeed. It was a miracle to have survived the crash. We returned 3 months later, picked up our (repaired) bikes from Fairbanks and rode them back home peacefully. Unfortunately I was not in a mood a film the return journey. But the incident didn’t kill our spirits either. This summer we did a 12 day 5000 mile loop covering Colorado Pikes Peak, Arizona, Nevada, California etc. Video coming up soon.

[@mjd9813]

@@SerendibRider im glad you drove your bikes back! some people would never ride again!

[@SerendibRider]

Mahmoud j. If you are truly passionate about riding, then this as just a minor mishap! :) Thanks for watching.

[@ceciliacaldera5382]

A week ago we arrived from tha trip from sinaloa México, it was 16720 km from home to proudhou bay, it was fantástico, i would do it again. Congratulations on your travels

[@MikeBrown-fz6rl]

Great video! You guys have great attitudes to be able to bounce back from the accident. I'm sorry that happened to you. Keep riding free!

[@KYPresto]

Thanks for sharing your adventure. Sorry for your mishap, but it was still inspiring and informative. My trip to Deadhorse is summer of 2022.

[@vsbiker]

Glad your ok , bike can be replaced. You still had a Great Adventure !!

[@jeckyll71]

Glad you guys came out OK and strange to read that you crashed so far apart. From the video description I imagined that you were together and went down at the same time. Also read that you ended up completing the trip when you picked up the bikes. Good to hear (and glad to hear that the S10's are ride-able again, I have a 2012 myself, great capable long-haul tourer!). Keep the shiny side up, who know's maybe we'll see each other around Vancouver someday ;)

[@SerendibRider]

jeckyll71 .. thanks for stopping by. Yes I should have ideally learnt when my partner crashed first. But the surface was so tricky, the loose gravel layer was deceiving. The S10s are bomb proof. Both our bikes fired up immediately after the crash. My friend’s bike engine overheated because the radiator fan was stuck. Mine stopped after a few minutes because of an electrical issue . I saw sparks flying from the wiring harness behind the headlight. Otherwise we could have actually ridden back to the shop in Fairbanks. :)

[@thewanderingpinto5979]

Ouch! Glad you guy are okay! We were just a couple of days behind you on the Dalton. We drove it June 27-30th 2017. Not on a motorcycle,but a 1978 Ford Pinto! Check our our adventure.

[@SerendibRider]

The Wandering Pinto .. thanks for stopping by. Looks like you guys were having the adventure of your life time. Awesome!! We hope to go there again ... but we will take it easy and slow next time.

[@thewanderingpinto5979]

Yes we did have the greatest adventure of our lives. Plan to do it again in a few years. Yes slow and easy is the best. Good luck on your next adventure!

[@BarryMDHo]

A very well done and inspiring account. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the combination of video, pictures, music, and text. You artfully shared well selected snippets of your challenging journey allowing the viewer to experience alongside. A dramatic, scary, accident just before the finish line made your story all the more thrilling, making it even more of a tale worth telling. Of course, more importantly, you both ended up safe and sound, and able to achieve your Artic Ocean arrival goal. Well done! Only motorcyclist truly understand why we choose to partake in such challenging journeys, exposing ourselves to the associated discomforts and risks of two wheeled travel, particularly to very distant and arduous destinations like Alaska (Artic Ocean In particular). If motorcycling and riding one to Alaska were easy, anyone could do it, or at least more actually would. Most don't, can't, or won't. Neither are easy and both are fraught with great risk. That is what drives most motorcyclist's, the challenge. You did it, so congrats! Ya, you had a tumble, but bikes repaired, bruises healed, some lessons learned, and so glad you are back up on the horse and ready for your next adventure. Hats off to you and your riding friend for having successfully taken a journey that most ohers dream of but never will. Thanks for sharing too.

[@SerendibRider]

Barry Ho, thanks for watching and leaving a detailed comment. Much appreciated. We have got our bikes back and they look brand new. We intend keeping them for few more seasons. Angelo and I are planning our next trip to Florida from Vancouver BC. Now that we have ridden north to south and east to west, we want try the diagonal route across US! More details soon.

[@BarryMDHo]

Hey TSR, yes it was nice to hear that the bikes are all fine and good as new. Will look in on your Florida trip once you post. B safe. I'm looking to take a 2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R (set up for touring; wind screen, saddle bags, heated grips, etc.) that I am getting this spring, out to your neck of the woods for a solo trip. I seem to need to get out to do a Revelstoke, Galena Bay, Nakusp, New Denver, Kaslo, Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar loop, on my way to Osoyoos and Penticton every so often. I've generally taken cruisers there, such as a Victory Jackpot, but trying the KTM this time, starting here in Winnipeg via HWY 1 to Calgary (first day), then HWY 1a to Lake Louise, before back on HWY 1 to Revelstoke (day 2) and the fun roads (for the next week or so, depending if I go all the way to Vancouver or the island). On the way back I usually take HWY 3 through Crowsnest Pass and the Kootenay Valley up to Banff via HWY 95/93. Wonderful roads as you likely know. Early June and mid Sept are the best, with less summer traffic. Oh, check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/marMg5x_qc6hmdU as he too did a trip to Alaska on a Tenere, and did a great KZbin series about it that you might enjoy. Cheers!

[@SerendibRider]

Thanks Barry. These are awesome routes you have picked. Doing them on a Super Duke 1290 is going to be a blast! Hope you get time to enjoy the scenery while riding this street rocket .:) I have ridden all these routes. In fact I did the Castlegar, Caslo, Nakusp route twice in the same season because I couldn't get enough riding the twisties along Kootenay Lake the first time. HWY3 is my favourite route heading east and done it numerous times.Don't miss the Duffly Lake loop if you come to Vancouver. Its a must-do route if you have done it yet. (Vancouver-Whistler-Pemberton-Lillooet-Lytton-Hope-Vancouver). I did follow Craig's trip to Alaska. We were riding around the same time along with Tewster2 and co to Alaska.

[@BarryMDHo]

The Serendib Rider, thanks for reply. Funny to hear you've enjoyed those routes too!! Yes, I have done the Whistler, Sea to Sky, and then North loop on 99, but only toward Kelowna not south toward Hope. Will keep that part in mind. Lol thanks for nice words re 1290 SD. Looking forward to setting it up for touring so a good all arounder. The Tenere is a superb choice for touring. Btw I've had the chance to tour parts of WY and CO a few times, twice on motorbike and once in a Nissan GTR, and you are in for some great roads in those parts if you go that route on way to Florida. Once South of CO roads are going to get pretty hot I suspect.

[@jonbaker7370]

Very useful information. We are leaving for Alaska Next Wednesday.

[@SerendibRider]

jon baker , thanks for watching. Have a safe trip and remember to have fun!

[@michaelcox5739]

so sorry to hear about you crashing,such an Awesome video,I really loved watching it,I love to ride motorcycles and nature as well,nice to see that other people enjoy the same

[@SerendibRider]

Thank you michael cox.

[@shakabenji]

Keep on riding ...tough guys :-)...ride on

[@davidrouton997]

Headed that way next year. Appreciate your account and glad you guys are doing well. All things considered, you could have been hurt worse and farther from your destination.

[@SerendibRider]

David Routon: thanks for the comments. Good luck with your travel plans. Remember to take it easy on Dalton hwy and to lower tire pressure on the last 100km stretch. Rise safe!

[@jimwortham8634]

Thanks goodness insurance kicked in that could be Mega expensive trip

[@rabara500]

The Greatest Pilipino Rider in the world Sir Rene Marquez.

[@douglasirwin1580]

Great videos, thanks for sharing! Glad you made it home safe. Before the unfortunate accident how did the bikes perform on the trip? Any issues?

[@SerendibRider]

Thanks for watching. The Super Teneres performed flawlessly without missing a beat throughout the trip and thereafter. Even after the crash, the engines fired up immediately, but the cooling fans were damaged and it would auto shut off after heating up. I haven’t had a single issue for the past 6 years with 85,000 KMs on the clock.

[@douglasirwin1580]

@@SerendibRider I live in Vancouver too. Would love to know where you bought your bike and which dealership did the repairs. Shoot me an email at [e-mail]. Thanks

[@SerendibRider]

douglas irwin, I purchased the bike from GA Checkpoint. Repairs were done by the Yamaha dealership in Fairbanks, Alaska. They did a good job.

[@edwardkneas2332]

Tenere 1200 is large and heavy and when loaded even with the best of skilled riders hitting loose surface gravel at 70 k's you both could have been killed. Jesus was watching over you both. I drove the Alaska highway in my diesel pusher back 2000, left in late May, Dawson creek was buried in deep mud much of the highway was dirt and heavy mud with earth moving equipment straightening and continuously repairing the road. great trip lasted 3 months. Thank you both sharing that wonderful travel video.

[@SerendibRider]

Edward Kneas, thanks for stopping by. Yes, it was divine intervention that saved our lives. Safe travels!

[@690ADV]

great video keep them going!

[@Pococnosurvival]

wow, crazy ending, thank god you were ok...how fast were you guys going when you crashed?

[@SerendibRider]

We were doing around 50mph..

[@jennydiazvigneault5548]

Glad you made it to the ocean but wow, that accident really sucks. So glad you both came out relatively ok. Do you think there was something about the bike that led to the severe damage. Would more crash bars have helped or better tires, maybe a different kind of bike? Any thoughts?

[@SerendibRider]

Thanks Joseph. We had already ridden almost 1000kms on gravel including top of the world and we had no issues. So bikes were not the issue. We in fact rode them back after the repair a few weeks ago. The damage was not that bad considering the speed at which we both crashed. Upper crash bars would have probably saved the fairings. In hind sight I think we should have a) reduced the tire pressure to about 20-25psi when the road surface changed to very loose gravel. Mitas E07s tires don’t perform well with regular tire pressure. b) or we should have dropped the speeds to about 50kph in the last 80km stretch when the road surface turned nasty.

[@stephenevans596]

Cannot say enough about your video's - just loved them. I'm 72 (yoa) & was in Alaska in July of 2015 & on the way there hung a sign in the Sign Post Forest about our 50th high school reunion that August in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. I was on a Yamaha FJR & could not make it past Fairbanks due to extreme weather. I now ride a 2018 Super T & love the bike with plans of going back in June of 2020. It was a sad ending for both you guys & the bikes as it all looked pretty nasty but you made it through & that's what counts. I also like the fact that you gave alot if information in your video's but even more so in some of the remarks (replies). May I ask a few more & I apologize if they have already been answered as I just missed them if they were. How many bottles of octane boost did you have & how often did you use them? (the FJR took regular) Did you have any trouble making reservations that late - as in the day before? Your dates of travel going up & how cold was it in September coming back? Last of all - you had camping gear but never did camp - was that due to weather or bugs etc? Again I thank you so very much for sharing this adventure as it was very interesting to watch PLUS it was very informative. I wish you guys only the best in future adventures.

[@SerendibRider]

Hi Stephen, thanks for stopping by and Congratulations on your purchase. You can never go wrong with a Super T. I still have mine and have since done a few long trips I.e Pikes Peak Colorado, 7 wonders of Oregon etc. Have clocked 85000kms. Unfortunately I haven’t had the time to edit videos with my day job and business travel. Premium gas is available on most locations on Alaska... we probably used one bottle (200 ml) each as some stations had run out of premium. But next time o would carry two bottles to be safe. Super T isn’t happy on regular gas. We had booked accommodation well in advance. Finding a place in Fairbanks or Anchorage ion short notice shouldn’t be a problem. But places in Dalton Hwy or Prudhoe Bay will require advance booking due to the limited space. We were hoping to camp on our return journey through Denali and Anchorage. But it didn’t happen because of the crash. Alaska was a bit chilly in the nights in September, but not cold. However, it was cold and below zero in places like Dease Lake BC. Hope this helps.

[@mycycleadvmj333]

Great 3 videos. Thanks for sharing. Sorry about your accident. I am puzzled by how did you both crash at the same time? My body and I are planing the Alaska trip this summer on our BMW F800GS

[@SerendibRider]

MYCYCLEADV MJ ... thanks for watching. We are also still wondering how we both crashed in identical fashion but five miles apart. Weird, but it happened. The mysteries of Dalton Highway I guess? Good luck with your trip planning. The F800GS would be a good bike for the trip. Remember to reduce the tire pressure before you hit the rough stretch.

[@bobranger9382]

Beautiful in every way. glad your ok, nice to see a white boy with a brother. Good luck to you both .God Bless You Both Always

[@dalesears6410]

I am sorry to hear/see you had an accident. That is my nightmare for sure. But your accident was a wake up for me to be prepared for more then just riding. I do have a question. I ride a HD Road King and I am in the planning stages of a trip to AK. Would an emergency beacon be advised? What kind of meds did you bring in your emergency kit? I have read from other riders concerning extra tires and tools. Extra tires is not on my list but any must have tools besides a basic kit? Any other advise? What about camping vs rooms? Understanding that in AK that might not be safe in most places. I will be traveling from the Great Lakes area in the US, so saving some money would be nice. Thanks for the videos and info. Ride on!

[@SerendibRider]

Hi Dale Sears, thanks for stopping by. Alaska is not exactly a remote, wild and ‘off the grid’ place like many think. We never ran out of gas (premium gas could scarce in some places) nor did we find any place totally lonely. Credit cards are accepted everywhere. There is always traffic during summer and Alaskans are very friendly and helpful people. Fairbanks and Anchorage are large cities with ample places to fix your motorcycle or get a pair of fresh tires if needed. If your motorcycle is in good mechanical condition, a flat tire would be the worst thing you would have to handle on your own on the road. Though we never had a flat tire ( thankfully), we always carry a tire repair kit which includes plugs/strips, fix-a-flat can, 12v air compressor, pressure gauge etc. Other than a basic set of wrenches, screw drivers and tools specific to your bike that you would need to tighten if anything came loose, I would recommend some zip ties, duct tape, rags, extra nuts and bolts just in case any dropped off on the way. We bought oil/filters from the dealership in Fairbanks and carried out a service in a parking lot. We borrowed an oil drip pan from the dealer at a small cost for oil disposal! (They weren’t happy we did the oil change ourselves). For any other unforeseen events, make sure your insurance policy covers all costs. Ours did cover everything including hotel stay, towing, food, gas, repairs and flights back and forth. It was called a touring package which cost only $75 extra. Other advise; Avoid riding after dusk. Respect wildlife. Take it easy on gravel roads.. Ride with at least one more person. If you are riding alone, carry a spot tracker or a satellite phone. If you intend riding to Prudhoe Bay on Dalton highway, make sure you check the road conditions in advance. You could camp or rent a cabin along the way. Personally, I would not ride a HD beyond the Arctic Circle. The road could get tough and dangerous, especially during construction. Hotels can be quite pricey in Alaskan cities. But the Alaskan universities (Fairbanks and Anchorage) rent out their dormitories during summer which are quite reasonable. Suggest you camp in places you are familiar in the lower states and stay in motels or hostels in unknown areas. Ride with a buddy and you can share room costs. Let me know if you need any other help. Good luck with your plans! planning and preparation are the best parts of the trip for me. :)

[@dalesears6410]

Some excellent not info in there, thank you.

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

@@SerendibRider: Lots of great advice in the response to Dale Sears. Unless I can find someone willing and able to commit to a 7000 mile round trip in a very short time, the round trip I'm planning will be solo. I have yet to determine a destination. Prudhoe Bay is calling my name loudly, but I have friends on Kodiak Island who would be terribly bothered if I rode from Minnesota to Alaska and didn't come see them- and I don't have time for both! Either way I'd be in Canada from International Falls, MN through Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, White Horse, etc. Again, lots of great advice! Thank you.

[@SerendibRider]

Sierra Foxtrot Gulf : Suggest you pick the destination based on your type of motorcycle and riding skills. Prudhoe Bay will ideally requires a bike with long travel suspension and your ability to negotiate through loose gravel and mud at times. Also note that other than a sense of achievement that you reached the Arctic, there is nothing much to see or do in Prudhoe Bay. It’s a dry town with a bunch of oils wells and an expensive hostel/motel. The nearest medical facility or mechanic is 800kms away. What you will enjoy most is the journey to Alaska. Make sure you return via Cassiar highway through B.C. (Stewart/Haider). The road and the scenery are amazing. Wish you all the best!!

[@dalesears6410]

The Serendib Rider, that is what I needed to hear re: Prudhoe Bay. I still may ride up to Coldfoot or Wiseman but Prudhoe Bay may not be on my list in the final route! Haha. I appreciate the reply. Take care!

[@reewazkhanal]

Amazing documentation of the trip. Thoroughly enjoyed since Episode 1 all the way to this one. I appreciate all the insights you gave us of the trip. My brother and I are also planning the same trip in upcoming June 2018 from Seattle. We are also thinking of going to the Arctic ocean. How did you guys manage the Tour? Did you setup the tour time and date in advance or upon reaching Prudhoe Bay? Thank you very much in advance.

[@SerendibRider]

Reeewaj, thanks for stopping by and your comments. The trip was planned months in advance like all other long trips I have done. It’s easier when you have a plan in place, because it would be overwhelming to think and plan each day once you hit the road. I usually plot the entire journey on a spreadsheet with dates, route maps, daily night stops, distance between stops (usually around 500kms), attractions on the way, hotels/motels/campgrounds at each destination etc. I tend to avoid booking hotels in advance (unless cancellation is free) just in case something unforeseen happens on the way. I usually book the same morning or previous night when we are certain of the next day’s journey. I also include a rest day between every 5-6 days of travel. Breaks in between is essential. Hope this helps. Safe travels and make sure you enjoy it to the fullest. Remember to reduce tire pressure and ride slow as you get closer to prudhoe Bay. Lesson learnt! :)

[@reewazkhanal]

Thank you for your detailed answer. I was actually also wondering about the tour to the arctic ocean once you're in Prudhoe Bay, as I heard it was owned by some oil company and you need to prearrange their shuttle to be taken to the arctic ocean. Is that true? if so, how do you manage that? Prearrangement or upon getting there? Any help on that is appreciated. Thank you again.

[@SerendibRider]

Reeewaj: You can book the tour in advance online. Details are here/ www.deadhorsecamp.com/arctic-ocean-shuttle/

[@Doug_Morgan]

A sad end to such an epic adventure, thankfully you two had no long lasting injuries. Did you get the shop in Fairbanks to pack up the bikes and ship them down to Vancouver or did you fly back up later and drive them home?

[@SerendibRider]

Doug Morgan. Thanks for the kind words. Yes, injuries could have been much worse if not for the good quality gear we wore. It took Yamaha Fairbanks almost 3 months to fix the bikes. We flew back to AK in September and rode the bikes back home. It was a beautiful ride, didn’t film it unfortunately. Insurance covered all our expenses, including flights, hotels, food and gas. Technically we completed the round trip at half the cost. :)