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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | JS5Owner - 2012-06-27 8:55 AM Rollin', What a trip. My mind is spinning with Qs. But the top two are: What would you do differently if you were to do it again? And, did you ever have the bike go down and rest on the tip-overs? That road looked gnarly to say the lest. Well done!!! Thank you! I don't think I would change a thing. A different front tire would have been nice in the muddy areas but then it would not have lasted through the rest of the trip. Bike didn't go down but I did have a few moments. I had a few times where I thought the front end was going to slide out from under me in the mud. And ridding on the larger rocks I thought my arms are going to get pulled out. In some of the areas I would have to stop and catch my breath and take a break. This was the most physically challenging ride I have ever done. Getting older isn't helping. . |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | jeffmack - 2012-06-27 8:56 AM awesome rollin glad it worked out for u.... not sure if u heard, im still reelin from our luck.... stuck for 6 days between 2 washouts of the alcan 3 weeks ago...one at destruction bay, one at Mucho lake. wasnt even allowed to leave the driveway for 6 days, then too boot a broken belt, put on 3 days before the trip, no scares, no rips, no rocks...either faulty or too tight, added 4 more down days...UUUGGHHHH. we still had fun....but really messed up the trip. congrats and enjoy! Sorry to hear that Jeff! All that planning and waiting to go. Damn. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Rollin' do you have any dirt bike experience? I have quite a bit and I find that with E3's, I can drift the rear and the front rarely gets unsettled, if it does it doesn't scare the O-CRAP-O out of me. Just curious, if you found it similar but it doesn't sound like it. That does look like a gnarly ride, would love to do it also, I need to scrape up some sofa money first. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 623
| Rollin
On your way south can I suggest a meal and or a night stay at DawsonPeaks Resort. 6 miles south of Teslin. Dave and carolin treated us like family during our 6 days alcan washout. Dave is a biker and lived the vision. They love bikers and their stories. Felt so bad for us but they made our captivity bearable!
Ride safe
Tell them Jeff the vision rider sent you... He will show u the stack of wood a split on my vacation!! Lol |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Glade your back didn't hear about the rear tire so I rake that was ok. Can't wait for you to catch your breath and see the photos. Say theres a bike wash here and the girls can stay for a extra two days to clean the vision |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | pollolittle - 2012-06-27 1:44 PM Rollin' do you have any dirt bike experience? I have quite a bit and I find that with E3's, I can drift the rear and the front rarely gets unsettled, if it does it doesn't scare the O-CRAP-O out of me. Just curious, if you found it similar but it doesn't sound like it. That does look like a gnarly ride, would love to do it also, I need to scrape up some sofa money first. No dirt bike experience but years of off roading with my Jeeps. I know that slow gets you home and speed breaks things and I know that engine braking is better than the wheel brakes going down hill on a muddy road. Easy on and off the gas. The E3 on the front did ok most of the time. It did not like the hard packed dirt roads that had a thin layer of mud on them. Those roads were scary. A good reason to go slow is if you crash and hurt yourself near Prudhoe Bay the nearest hospital is Fairbanks and that's 500 miles away. And that's if someone finds you. I know of two riders that crashed and broke bones and needed to be air-lifted while I was there. They were riding with a group. . |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | jeffmack - 2012-06-27 3:10 PM Rollin On your way south can I suggest a meal and or a night stay at DawsonPeaks Resort. 6 miles south of Teslin. Dave and carolin treated us like family during our 6 days alcan washout. Dave is a biker and lived the vision. They love bikers and their stories. Felt so bad for us but they made our captivity bearable! Ride safe Tell them Jeff the vision rider sent you... He will show u the stack of wood a split on my vacation!! Lol Thanks Jeff but I am at home. I got home last Friday night. 11,197 miles in 16 days. I'm still tired. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | johnnyvision - 2012-06-27 6:09 PM Glade your back didn't hear about the rear tire so I rake that was ok. Can't wait for you to catch your breath and see the photos. Say theres a bike wash here and the girls can stay for a extra two days to clean the vision Thanks Johnny! The Dunlop Winter Sport run flat snow tire is the best tire I have ever had on a road trip. Never lost traction on any road condition. . |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | The Dalton - the surprise to me about the Dalton Highway was that it never stopped changing.
It was never the same for more than a mile, It could be a paved road with deep dips, pot holes, frost heaves and broken edges and then change to loose gravel without warning.
The gravel may be small or large stones and sometimes just rocks, then there would be a hill climb on a mud road followed by a large dip and then a curve with construction equipment working.
Just when you thought the road was getting a little easier there would be a tanker truck spraying water on the road.
When it was dry there would be blinding dust and blinding sun at 3:00 am. I also had rain and fog and light snow near Prudhoe Bay. And a ride through the mountains twice.
It never stopped changing! And you get to do the road twice! On the return trip a hill climb becomes a descending dirt/mud road.
You also have to deal with the large trucks, construction equipment and work zones.
Most of the time there was one good lane, down the center. No one wanted to be by the edge. Trucks always get lane choice.
Within the first 10 miles I thought it would be more than I could handle but the Vision made it through. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | trying to be patient and wait for the full story/ride report, gonna be very interesting reading for sure. what a great trip! |
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Central Wisconsin | Rollin' - 2012-06-27 9:51 PM The Dunlop Winter Sport run flat snow tire is the best tire I have ever had on a road trip. Never lost traction on any road condition. Steve good to hear the Dunlop Winter Sport CT performed well for you. I just ordered my 2nd one, going to mount it later this year. Not sure if you saw this Bridgestone MT up front and Dunlop CT on rear post ?
Also, just wondering how some of your mods held up, like the mud flap and the belt guard?
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | Thomas - 2012-06-28 8:19 AM Rollin' - 2012-06-27 9:51 PM The Dunlop Winter Sport run flat snow tire is the best tire I have ever had on a road trip. Never lost traction on any road condition. Steve good to hear the Dunlop Winter Sport CT performed well for you. I just ordered my 2nd one, going to mount it later this year. Not sure if you saw this Bridgestone MT up front and Dunlop CT on rear post ?
Also, just wondering how some of your mods held up, like the mud flap and the belt guard? I think all the mods helped, Mud flap - I saw a Vision on the lower part of the Alaska Highway and his front cylinder fins were filled with mud. I never had any mud on the engine or oil cooler. Skid plate - I heard it bang a few times. Belt guard - There is gravel everywhere. I rode on a lot of gravel before I even made it to Alaska. On the Alaska Highway all the gas station lots are gravel, road repair=gravel and a lot of mud covered gravel on the Dalton. Headlight guard - Hit a bird on the interstate. May have helped. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | The Dalton Highway is 414 miles. There are 3 places to get gas. After you leave Coldfoot there is nothing to help you. Next gas 240 miles- 
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Tourer
Posts: 430
| Simply amazing what you did!
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Cruiser
Posts: 255
New Brunswick , Canada | Rollin....my 4 Corner tour is a drop in the bucket compare to your accomplishment..i tip my hat to YOU and keep on ROLLIN.. ;O) ;O) |
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Tourer
Posts: 323
Troy, NY | Very cool!!! What is your setup on the back for storage. That looks great! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | adirondacks - 2012-06-30 10:40 AM Very cool!!! What is your setup on the back for storage. That looks great! The box was made by Happy Trail.
Edited by Rollin' 2012-07-01 8:19 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | 20 10 Vision - 2012-06-28 9:55 PM Simply amazing what you did! Thanks Wolff! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | Lojak - 2012-06-29 11:21 PM Rollin....my 4 Corner tour is a drop in the bucket compare to your accomplishment..i tip my hat to YOU and keep on ROLLIN.. ;O) ;O) Thank you! I'm going to try, this ride wore me out. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 266
Hartland, , WI | 20 10 Vision - 2012-06-28 8:55 PM
Simply amazing what you did!
+1...Freakin Aye dude...absolutely awesome...!
Don't know if this adventure helped dispel the opinion that CHEESEHEADS are freakin CRAZY though  |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Vinner1 - 2012-07-05 4:19 PM 20 10 Vision - 2012-06-28 8:55 PM Simply amazing what you did! +1...Freakin Aye dude...absolutely awesome...! Don't know if this adventure helped dispel the opinion that CHEESEHEADS are freakin CRAZY though Wisconsin did give us Jeffery D. and Ed G. Must be the cabin fever effect...
Edited by varyder 2012-07-05 3:41 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | Vinner1 - 2012-07-05 3:19 PM 20 10 Vision - 2012-06-28 8:55 PM Simply amazing what you did! +1...Freakin Aye dude...absolutely awesome...! Don't know if this adventure helped dispel the opinion that CHEESEHEADS are freakin CRAZY though Thanks Vance! Crazy? .....Hmmmmm ....I have heard that..........more than a few times. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | A few more - In Coldfoot. One is not like the others - 
Early morning and riding north. Into the sun? (Pipeline on the left) 
Construction! Can't get away from it. 
Fuel it! In Prudhoe Bay, AK. 
The mid-night sun. My watch is still on central time. 3:00 am central, mid-night in Alaska. 
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Tourer
Posts: 430
| Rollin - looks like tall antenna you have in the picture next to the BMW. Is that an after market CB antenna? Do you use the CB much on your trips?
Looking at your pics sure makes me want to get up and ride |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | 20 10 Vision - 2012-07-06 9:17 AM Rollin - looks like tall antenna you have in the picture next to the BMW. Is that an after market CB antenna? Do you use the CB much on your trips? Looking at your pics sure makes me want to get up and ride It's a no-ground plane CB antenna. Never used the CB, had it just in-case of an emergency. My cell phone only worked in two places in Alaska. Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay is 500 miles. With the CB you might be able to contact a truck driver if you need help. . |
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