Rick's Alaska Motorcycle Trip - P1 of 7

2012 Solo Motorcycle Camping Trip to Deadhorse.
Detailed trip blog is at:
rick3foxesalaska.blogspot.com/
SPOT Track map of the entire trip is at:
new.spotwalla.com/trip/b2ef-3...

[@Tygerlady99]

I watched all 7 parts, first on my own and then with my husband. Amazing trip & amazing sights.

[@krisb8781]

Thnx. It looks like a very interesting trip. I plan to take a solo trip around lake Michigan 1000 miles over four days. People like you are an inspiration to people like me,

[@jimwortham8634]

, have seen a lot of Alaska videos I think personally I enjoyed yours the best thanks so much

[@GfrfireMedic2]

Great ride. I just finished watching your awesome adventure. My wife and I rode our first week long motorcycle trip exploring western NC and Eastern Tennessee. We are from Farmville,NC bout 1.30 east of Raleigh.

[@alaskanarcher1616]

Wow! I just found your videos. Thanks for allowing us to tag along. I had heard that Connie’s weren’t very good on dirt and gravel but you made it look easy.

[@akashbrar6630]

Amazing trip, Rick. Favourited and liked so I can watch the other ones soon.

[@Alaskandualsport]

hey Akash I just rode the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on back almost hit a grizzly going 70 mph please check out my video's and subscribe to my channel

[@aldoluvs]

Saw some of your videos! Great trip! Thank you for sharing!

[@littlefarmer32]

Cool trip, I will be riding north, all over the North, next year. Planning for a good ride in June

[@checdm]

hermoso paisaje!!! saludos desde Argentina.

[@jonm3540]

Thanks. The family gathered 'round the iPod to watch the ending! I've been on many a m/c adventure, but nothing like that. Definitely on my to-do list! Come ride the Allagash in Maine sometime. There's some pretty neat wilderness up here in New England. I sent the video to my b-in-law who has the exact same bike and I'll bet he's drooling right now! Thanks for sharing!

[@richardmourdock2719]

Love how the bears always give a slowing motorcyclist the "Hey, what are you looking at?" look.

[@DJR100]

Very enjoyable to watch.

[@robertprotomanni]

Love your videos. They have inspired me to plan some long trips. Where can I find details regarding clothing selections and how you kept your hands warm.

[@kathyfann]

Thanks so much

[@ekhaat]

What an awesome trip

[@nasilamak2201]

Can you please do a video about what you pack for your motorcycle trips. Thanks.

[@ggnutsc]

Thanks for sharing your trip Rick, I enjoyed it a lot!! One might almost get tired of seeing bears if you had to make that trip on a regular basis Lol!! Cheers... Greg

[@w2ville]

I sure wouldn't want the bike to break-down on those roads with bears. Thanks for the video.

[@jelee0871]

Hey there.. like many others I found your videos and really enjoy them I work nights so around 0100 when things die off I sit back and watch your rides. I plan to do much same. Retire in August and plan several same rides. I ride a goldwing. Long trips like yours I pull a trailer. My wife has a lot of stuff. Just wondering what line of work you are in to be able to take off so much. I work in a hospital ER. Cant take much more than 2 weeks off due to weekend coverage. Once retire I can go at my pleasure. Saw you did april departure for west coast ride and hit snow in higher elevations. Same here. Prefer cooler riding. Hate the heat. Look forward to more of your ride videos.

[@JimThomasOutdoors]

I made a similar trip back in summer of '83. Nearly 100% of the Alaskan/Canadan Hwy was gravel back in those days. What percentage of the Al/Can Hwy is now paved ? Beautiful... sure brings back some fading memories :-)

[@petarb45]

One of my dreams is to visit Alaska. Not sure if it is gonna happen since I am half a globe across the world. So I checkout this series every once in a while... @Rick If you see this, I hope you are safe and sound!

[@demotorrijder1643]

Just do it, im half a globe across the world too and in 1,5 month im there. If that is your dream, live it.

[@magnetometer]

I’m disappointed you didn’t roll images in from Stewart BC, just this side of Hyder. Cute little town with tons of character.

[@GhostRider8463]

Excellent video. Bears are pretty much everywhere it seems, any close encounters at a camp site? I would love to take this trip one day

[@Alaskandualsport]

hey ghost rider I live and ride in alaska ,just did the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on the back subbed your channel ,,,please check out and subscribe to my channel

[@artemast6976]

How many miles do you have on your motorcycle odometer? I watched your "Rick's West Trip" That looked like a ton of fun, Just wondering have you had any breakdowns during the trip? Also any maintanace you did while on the trip?

[@ricksandyfox]

It's about 70,000 miles now. on the 3rd trip video to Newfoundland, I did have a wheel bearing go out on me. I also lost the speedometer core somewhere on the Tran-Labrador Highway. Outside of that, no major issues. The only maintenance was on the Alaska trip - I stopped in Fairbanks for an oil change.

[@cott10r]

how did your concours do? any problems & how many miles do you have on it? nice video too!

[@jonm3540]

Our family loved the video. I would've loved to have the whole thing on DVD! Btw...what happened to #7?

[@krisb8781]

Do you get back the same route, or ship the bike back?

[@Piezonno]

Very cool, have to watch the rest now.. Gas?? so many things to think about, lol

[@donkndave7811]

Hey Rick, Mind if I ask a few questions? Im in Concord, NC and will be doing the Alaska trip like you did. What tires were you on? I use Michelin PR4 at this time and am concerned about using them on the Dalton and other roads that are not paved. How much of the Dalton is not paved? How did you find conditions? How about other sections of unpaved areas? Is Denali hw paved? I will be on a 2002 Yamaha FZ1, all rigged for sport touring.Thanks, David Yawn( find me on Facebook)

[@ricksandyfox]

+DonknDave Hi,Dave. I use a PR3 up front, and a Michelin Commander II on the rear because the PR3 isn't available for my 16" rim. I get over 15,000 miles on the set. But you're right - they aren't made for mud, and the Dalton is about 25% paved. The conditions change daily, depending on weather and construction. I trudged through that muddy nightmare on the way north, and the next day on the way back I was cruising at 50 mph, and couldn't even find the muddy section. Sunny weather, and it was Sunday - there was much less road work going on. I didn't take the Denali highway because I had heard that it's almost rare to get a clear view of the mountain. Dan Armstrong recommended the Richardson Highway to Valdez instead. It was awesome! (all paved) Most other main highways are paved except for the Dempster Highway to Inuvik, the Liard Highway in NWT, and the Top-of-the World highway to Dawson. But even the paved roads will have sections of gravel where they are doing summer maintenance.

[@donkndave7811]

Oops! I didn't see your reply until I emailed you again. Sorry, bro! Ignore it if you want. Ha! .

[@clintcox4278]

Hey dave im in concord too.leaving for deadhorse on july 27 2017 solo.2003 650 vstrom.If you care to ride along call me 7043145509

[@AlexV3182]

Bears, bears, bears... Wonderful place to spend the night in a tent. )))))

[@glennchristianrobinson7334]

Searching for potential tent-camping spots in the rain, then you see bears. Tired and wet but carry on!!!

[@ppger44]

At 7:00, the piano music is really good.

[@prasadbhangale]

Hello Rick, Just finished binge watching the Alaska trip, all 7, in one sitting, thanks for sharing. I am contemplating the same trip next year and currently researching. I ride Vstrom and i am (was) concerned about it being a pavement oriented bike. Your v-log has successfully removed that doubt. I still have few things to ask you as a noob, here i go anyways: 1. Any breakdown or failure (apart from footpeg) on the trip? 2. Any fall on the trip? 3. Everyone is advising me to toe/trailer the bike from NC to WA/OR and then ride onwards, what's your suggestion? I will like to do door-to-door, but i am doubtful about my capabilities. 4. Any suggestions about Alaska-WA ferry? It looks like a waste of time after looking at your Canadian lakes detours. Sorry for the long post. Thank you for creating and sharing the v-log. RideSafe Prasad

[@prasadbhangale]

Also one more, which month were you out riding to Alaska, it was too rainy?

[@ricksandyfox]

Hi, Prasad. 1. No breakdowns at all. I did have a wheel bearing fail on the Newoundland trip (3 years after this one) 2. Yes, I dropped the bike a couple of times, but not while riding. 3. I'm not into trailering. I like long solo rides and enjoy the solitude. If you have enough time to ride at a pace that is comfortable for you, you can cover any distance. Just don't ride beyond your own endurance capacity. 4. I was interested in "doing it all myself", so I didn't want to take a shortcut and use the ferry, but that is definitely an option. I think the ferry would allow you to see a lot of the mountains and glaciers that you can't see from the roads. It would probably also allow you to avoid Canadian customs if you aren't comfortable with that. 5. I left NC on Memorial Day weekend (End of May) and used up 4 weeks. It was rainy, but I don't know if it would be better later in the summer. I think the earlier season enjoys fewer mosquitos and flies. Good luck!

[@prasadbhangale]

Rick, thank you so much for clarifying my doubts. You are an inspiration... !!! 👍🏻 RideSafe Prasad

[@robertreaves130]

I live in Raleigh north Carolina

[@philparker2222]

What's the gadget on the left side under the clock with a wire coming out of it.

[@ricksandyfox]

That's a voltmeter.

[@ricksandyfox]

ricksandyfox Oops. I looked again - the voltmeter is to the right of the tire pressure monitor.

[@philparker2222]

I use to have an LED that would change colors to indicate the voltage. I found that the constantly changing colors became annoying :-) There was only one time that it was useful - when it showed RED. Again - very nice documentary. My favorite was the Canadian Rockies, but that huge hotel on Lake Louise ruined the entire vista. Amazing that that wasn't one of their national parks and left to be enjoyed for ever.

[@philparker2222]

Oh yeah - I forgot to ask you - what was your favorite and worst areas of the trip and wasn't there moments where you felt vulnerable, either from being so isolated or maybe a bear attack. It really was remote. It must have been interesting to finally get to the end at Prudoe Bay, but really, it reminded me of a work camp that I see on Ice Road Truckers. And lastly, what percent was unpaved or in poor condition?

[@ricksandyfox]

I think my favorite place was the Dalton Highway, not because of the majestic beauty, but for the remote wilderness aspect of it. The worst times were just due to the weather... Across Montana in a 40degree rain for hours, Minnesota in a flooding downpour... etc. I never felt threatened at any time, but a bit uneasy when a drifter came up to me as I was breaking camp in Valdez and asked if I knew anybody who could give him a ride out of town because the "police were hassling him". Yes, Prudhoe Bay definitely is a work camp, and it was featured on IRT. About 25% of the Dalton Highway is paved, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's good pavement. :-) Some areas were broken up with potholes, and a 20-mile stretch just north of Coldfoot was new, pristine smooth asphalt with freshly painted lines.

[@SteelHorseman]

I live in Clayton nc

[@TheWorldRealist]

Hi Few questions. What year the Concours? did you fit any particular tire for the gravel roads?

[@ricksandyfox]

It's a 2003 concours. I used my normal road tires for their long lasting tread. I got 15,000 out of the set before changing.

[@TheWorldRealist]

ricksandyfox I Have PR3's on my 2013 concours and everyone had a sweat on when we left the black top on a trip in Wyoming onto gravel. PR3's are great on wet road but in gravel squirm. I hate to think what they would be like on that mud. I just bought a KLR650 with 50/50 tires for the winter. Great Video!

[@Alaskandualsport]

hey pat sweeeeet looking bike,,subbed your channel I just rode the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on the back please check out my channel and subscribe

[@mikesimpson6757]

Are you from the Raleigh area?

[@mikesimpson6757]

I have lots of questions about your Alaska trip.

[@ricksandyfox]

@@mikesimpson6757 Yes - I live in Apex.

[@mikesimpson6757]

My wife and lived in Apex recently moved to Sanford. Planning a trip to deadhorse July 2020

[@graemesydney38]

Gee, you are brave looking away on a wet steel grid surface - traction been somewhere between zero and non-existent. 3:50 .

[@ricksandyfox]

It's here: (Rats - YT won't allow links in the comments) "Rick's Alaska Motorcycle Trip - P7"

[@tomf2026]

Beautiful but not my idea of fun. I commute 50 miles every day on a bike and no gear keeps you 100% dry. Yet to find heated grips that are 100% either....

[@user-kq3wg4up4y]

🐻と🏞️が👍️

[@Kujo1967]

Glad to see I wasn't the only person crazy enough to take a Concours up the Dalton. I did it on an 05 back in 2011. Already getting my 08 C14 ready to hit it again next year. Great video's and great pics!!

[@kathyfann]

I love watching your Trip videos they are such a wonderful time for my Husband and I now that He is bedfast we love your sharing the Details of The Road

[@cigarobsession]

Fantastic trip thanks for taking us along!

[@goodoldrodg9043]

Thank you rick. I've watched your videos on my grandson's PS4 and couldn't leave a comment. Tonight I'm relegated to the basement and my own computer so I'm taking this opportunity to thank you for giving an old guy hope that it isn't all over yet. You are now officially one of my idols.

[@mrbaysinger]

Wow, Rick. Beautiful roads, great video. Thanks for sharing!

[@ricksandyfox]

Thanks for the tip, Jon. I'll look into that. I'm thinking of doing Newfoundland & Labrador in 2014. I went to Nova Scotia in 2009 but ran out of time before getting to the island. Loved the ride from Bangor to NB on 9!

[@Ruffrydertitan]

I plan on watching the rest of the videos, I just finished up the first one. I appreciate the fact you did not put music over top of the natural riding noises, makes me feel like Im right along with you as I watch the videos. thx

[@NatureMadeInUtah]

Great adventure Rick, Enjoying all you videos.

[@CustersIceCreamStand]

Looks like I'll be watching the whole thing. Nice job.

[@7452]

Very nice videos, I'm a long distance bike rider but haven't tried Alaska. Planning a trip to Maine over the July 4th weekend from Iowa, not as exciting as your trip but the scenery from Pennsylvania, up state NY, NH, VT, ME are great. Turning in for the night but plan on watching more of your videos in the morning. Thanks for the time and effort to put together these great vide segments.

[@toddguillory692]

Wow dude! That was great. Tks.

[@ricksandyfox]

Yes, I had a Netbook PC and an external USB drive to copy everything to as my SD cards filled up. I have a 12V plug on the bike that I ran into my tank bag to charge batteries while I rode.

[@ricksandyfox]

Thanks, Joe. You might enjoy watching the video from my trip through Maine & Canada in 2008: YT won't allow me to put a link here, but it's called "Canada Motorcycle Trip".

[@edysalinas1]

You video is super, thank you for sharing!

[@KeukaRyder]

Good vid! Was surprised to see the Connie. Street tires? Europe for me next summer. Then, AK.

[@Bmcush]

Good job Rick. Ive had my 03 Connie since new and would love to take the same trip. I think I'll pass on the last leg to Prudhoe bay. I've done some really wild stuff in my life but 250 miles on wet clay on street tires isnt one of them! Good job!!!! Wild man COG

[@Alaskandualsport]

hey buddy I just rode up the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on the back ,,was a trip ,,,lol subbed your channel ,,,please check out my channel and subscribe

[@ricksandyfox]

I did it all on one set of Michelins. They had over 14,000 miles on them when I finally changed them out.

[@jflounsbury]

hey, Rick I rode to Maine, north to New Brunswick then to the Caspe a great ride but we ran out of time no New Foundland

[@sharkiesgirl8929]

where is your zagnut bar for all those bears? Big Bear really big bear.... John Candy.....Reminds you to be careful where you pitch your tent.

[@ricksandyfox]

Thanks for all the comments! I used a GoPro HD Hero2 for all the moving video, and an iPhone for some of the non-riding video. The stills were a combination of iPhone and a Nikon Coolpix 5700.

[@nessilian]

Earth is such a wonderful place :)

[@jamespuckett812]

I've seen a lot of videos of guys on BMW GS's and such riding to Alaska. Your is the first on a "Connie". Loved the video. I'm thinking about riding my 2000 Connie to Alaska one of these days. If I can legally carry a handgun (44 mag or bigger) into Canada that is. I lost count of the bears in this first video.

[@user-vq4sn5rf3s]

Hi Rick I like it

[@ugadawgs98]

What a great trip. I am interested in some of the camera logistics. What was your process with the GoPro because I am sure you had dozens of gigs of video in the end. Did you download the files along the way to a device or just bring loads of microSD cards? How about power. Did you run a hard wire to the camera or keep swapping and recharging batteries?

[@ricksandyfox]

I think technically the Alaska Highway is now 100% paved, but there are a lot of sections under "maintenance", which translates as "dig up all the pavement down to the gravel so we can pave it later". So I would say it's realistically 90%-95% paved. Of course, there are also paved sections that are in dire need of maintenance...

[@jamesM-tk4yb]

Rick, at the end of your videos, you have a map that shows your route. What is that ap? Is it GPS live? Or do you just map it out before you go? I'm enjoying your videos! Thanks in advance

[@ricksandyfox]

Hi, James. That's a screenshot from the SPOTWalla website. I carried a SPOT Messenger with me on all 3 trips so my family could watch my progress in 10-minute increments. Every night, I pressed a button on the Messenger to place a green flag on the webpage. You can see each one individually, and click on a dot or flag to see the date, time and speed at that exact spot. It's very informative for me to be able to see where I camped, stopped for a meal, ran out of gas, or took a side trip. Here they are: Alaska:----- spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=45784f8ee1e21d690 West:----- spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=93f35342a6c74a297&refresh=no Newfoundland:----- spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=d55c5567c6bc5397e There is a menu at the top of the page to adjust the level of detail. Thanks, Rick.

[@jonm3540]

Nothing for this year?!? Lol my b-in-law is watching part 7 right now....I was right, he was drooling all,over himself counting the days till spring! You've got a couple of "groupies" up here!

[@NatureMadeInUtah]

What kind of camera are you using ?

[@jflounsbury]

you can mail your gun to a sporting goods store in Alaska. Seems like you rode a lot of rain, what did you do for rain gear?

[@philparker2222]

How did you do the animations of the road and your journey you took day by day in the beginning of the video.

[@ricksandyfox]

I downloaded a free program called MapCreator 2.0 from www.primap.com

[@philparker2222]

Excellent. Will be perfect for my videos.

[@sendesilva1857]

what was the road that you were on where there was so many bears?

[@ricksandyfox]

The highest concentration of black bears I saw was on 37a in British Columbia, on the way to Stewart and Hyder.

[@ppger44]

How many tire changes have you made on that trip?

[@heiligermannbar1162]

what kind of budget were you looking at to do something like this?

[@jimwortham8634]

That is a great question also love to hear about any possible motorcycle breakdowns car issues ETC

[@ricksandyfox]

I came back a slightly different route. you can see the entire trip map at the end of P7.

[@denisutkin5565]

What is your trick to riding so many miles in one shot? My max was 600 miles in a day.

[@ricksandyfox]

Just have to keep the wheels turning. Minimize the duration of fuel stops, Keep all your water and food on the bike so you can eat while filling up. Have a water bladder in the tank bag with a long drinking tube so you don't have to stop for a drink. Modify whatever it takes to make the bike as comfortable as you can. I've changed bars, pegs, seat, windshield, grips, adjustable wind deflectors on the fairing...

[@irishrover63]

So many black bears at the road side, why do they come so close? Just watched the first, but intend watching them all.

[@Alaskandualsport]

hey buddy I just rode the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on the back almost hit a grizzly going 70 mph,,lol scared the crap out of me,,lol subbed your channel ,,,please check out my channel and subscribe

[@theonlyhaykel]

WAW THATS NICE

[@Alaskandualsport]

Hey buddy I just rode the dalton on my wr250r with the wife and gear on the back almost hit a grizzly going 70 mph ,,,lol,,,subbed your channel please check out my channel and subscribe

[@didierelfassi2554]

You like to travel with great distances, I also like to travel distances but with Harley Davidson

[@ricksandyfox]

I have a Tourmaster Sentinel rain suit, Aerostich glove covers, and some cheap boot covers to go over my "waterproof" touring boots. :-) It's a hassle putting all that stuff on & off, but when I hit the big mud areas, I was glad I had an extra layer on to catch all the crud and keep my riding gear reasonably clean.

[@michaelkurz9067]

duct tape always good for a quick fix

[@ricksandyfox]

That would be a problem... I would have liked to carry, but crossing into Canada is a show-stopper. They aren't "firearm-friendly" and you would probably spend a lot more time at Customs than you would like. :-) I think the bears are more friendly than the Mounties would be - LOL

[@carmelosciuto2314]

👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋💪✌️

[@Fresc222]

You'll never get into Canada with a handgun. Just carry a knife and call it a "tool". If you say your knife is for self defense or a weapon it's illegal.

[@mikesimpson6757]

Canada does let you bring handguns into the country. They have to be revolvers or single shot with barrels 4 1/4 inches long or longer. No conceal carry.