Alaska trip update…

I am finally allowing myself to get excited about riding off to Alaska next week. In fact, I’m having a hard time wiping off the huge grin on my face, causing much puzzled looks from those not in the know. :) YES, I leave on the 21st of July, which is next Monday!

Most of my trip preparation is done. All I need to do is pack and take care of some last loose ends.

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Now to the important part:

My friend dropped off the satellite messenger last night. This is a device that can send an “OK” signal with a simple message:

SPOT Check OK.  All is well and I am continuing on with my journey.
ESN:0-7406077
Latitude:47.67
Longitude:-122.1188
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:07/11/2008 23:47:13 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=47.67,-122.1188&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It can also send a pre-configured “Help” message of this format:

This is a HELP message. If l do not contact you by phone within 12 hours contact emergency svcs. with my location.
ESN:0-7406077
Latitude:47.6701
Longitude:-122.1187
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:07/11/2008 23:49:49 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=47.6701,-122.1187&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

I have set up two distribution lists which will receive each of these messages:
alaskaride2008@lists.adventuresinfinite.com
alaskaride2008redalert@lists.adventuresinfinite.com

The former will be used to send the OK messages to as well as brief updates about our journey on the road (which I will also try to post to LJ when possible). The latter is a list for sending the Help message to, to which I will add only close friends and family who accept the responsibility of taking action should I ever need help (I don’t really expect to use this button).

This post is to ask you if you are interested in being added to the first trip update list. This is the list which will only receive updates and “I am OK” messages along with my GPS location. If you want to be added, please send me with your email address. (I do not really expect anyone to volunteer to be on the Help list).

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All of you can follow my progress on this map which is updated realtime every time I hit OK on the device:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=0JLrU0BbQGJ6gPqYm2nXYFx98Jl6lyxV0.

Another location where you can see trip updates is our ADVRider thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=355138.

Our tentative route: http://adventuresinfinite.com/Motorcycling/Alaska2008.htm

I will also try to make LJ voiceposts and am counting on you fine folks to decipher my accent and transcribe them. :)

Some of you didn’t know who Sarah was, and rightly so because she lives in PDX and I don’t believe I’ve ever posted a photo of hers. She rides a KLR650, is one of the coolest people I know, and I’m delighted to be doing this journey with someone who is so much fun to be with.

So here goes. :) Two dorks on a mission – we’re going to cover thousands of miles, break hundreds of hearts, consume tens of beers and encounter zero bears and mosquitos. Ha!!

Rant…

People who think that I shouldn’t ride to Alaska because “it’s too dangerous” or “you should try something easier and closer to home first”, pretty please stop projecting your own fears on to me and FUCK OFF.

I’m not an idiot, and I’m taking every possible precaution to protect myself and to ride within my abilities. I do not need to explain any of this to you or try to reassure you, because frankly – it’s none of your fucking business.

Shopping list… (morphed to Alaska shopping post)

[More Post-dating.]

I thought I’d list all the bike-related stuff I need to pay for this summer, and now I’m depressed. :(

Must Have
GS rear brake pads $35
New tires for GS (2 sets, one street, one knobby) $300 (one free from Seattle Cycle, I hope)
Extra gear shifter, brake lever, clutch lever, tubes for GS $$
Gerbing battery harness for heated vest for GS – $8
Heated grips for GS – Just need installation

Want to Have
Aftermarket rear shock for SV $400
Braided steel line for SV ~ $50 – Needs installation
Air bag for helmet $45 – Changed my mind about this
Helmet medical information carrier system (fancy term for a sticker pouch for the helmet) $9
Action camera $100
Camera mounts for both bikes – Helmet mount works fine.
Ridewest BMW/PSS 2-day Adventure Camp $375 (If I could have just taken the dirtbike class and saved my money, I’m going to be very, very pissed off.)
Trollhaugen $89
Trackdays – 1-2/month $200 each – not a priority at the moment

Nice to Have
GPS unit $500? Have to buy this week
Humvee graphics – Got over it.
Slip-on pipe and jet kit for SV ? – Not a priority at this time.

New additions
– Liners for Zega boxes. Some options are this (OMG expensive!),  this (better) or this (don’t like the size and would be harder to place into the bag). I need to measure out the boxes when I get home too. I *think* they are the 40 liter ones, but I’m not 100% sure. (Handy Thread Link)
– A bunch of ni-MH batteries

TODOs
– Map route on Streets and Trips and decide where I want to be at the end of every day
– Print out maps and laminate them
– Get Canadian visa (this week)
– Get immigration paperwork sorted out, call border crossing offices and talk to lawyer (this week)
– Put together toolkit and make sure I have everything I need to take apart everything on the bike
– Practice taking tires off and patching/replacing tubes
– Practice using all the thingumajigs I’ve bought for the trip
– Get clothes sorted out

Only three more weeks!! O.O *eek*

I give up!

Well, I guess it’s Kouba links for me. :|

Much as I hate to say it, I’ve finally decided to throw in the towel and lower the suspension on the GS by an inch. It’s crazy – I played in the dirt all weekend long at the BMW Adventure camp and was thinking exactly the opposite – “I finally own this bike.” “It doesn’t control me anymore.” and so on… I was so very comfortable riding it on dirt and gravel, standing on the footpegs, going over obstacles and things. And it was just a blast!

I dropped it many times, including one nasty crash where I flew off and landed on my head and literally felt my head bounch off of the inside of my too loose borrowed dirt helmet (thank heavens it wasn’t the Arai! That would have been an expensive crash.), but everytime I went down, I just got on up laughing like an idiot, picked up the bike and went on riding. I was crap at doing tight turns because turning on dirt seems to be the exact opposite of what you do on the street – instead of leaning with the bike, you push it away from you, and it was hard getting used to that. I also sucked at doing u-turns on a hill where again I crashed, this time with the wheels pointing uphill. There were many times – especially on Sunday – that I felt like Ewan McGregor doing that crazy off-road course in Wales in the beginning of Long Way Round and looking completely harassed and like he was going to cry. A lot of stuff I just simply could not do, like this one really tight trail with lots of tight hairpin turns.

Inspite of all this though, I was confident about my riding skills on the bike for the first time. And riding home on I-5 was a blast. The GS just chomps up the miles and unlike the SV, I’m so very comfortable ridng it long distance.

BUT as soon as I reached Seattle, I went to pieces again. Every time I had to deal with going over hills, I rode like a n00b. I dropped the bike at the gas station on Broadway when an asshat taxi driver reversed in front of me without looking. Turning up the hill to go into my alley was a nightmare because a car was coming downhill down that narrow one lane street, plus a group of kids were walking on the sidewalk right where I needed to turn, and I had zero confidence in my ability to stop diagonally uphill on a bike that I can barely touch my toes on the ground with.

Okay, I thought I was just having a bad day and I was really tired to boot. The next day would be better.

Only it wasn’t. While the GS felt right at home on the dirt, it feels really, really clumsy on asphalt. The front end is so twitchy that I’m constantly on edge and have a hard time keeping it pointed straight ahead when I’m going slow. Stop-go traffic – a reality of the Seattle-Redmond commute is *not* fun. The commute to work was okay, but riding back was pure HELL.

It was really windy across the freeway and I kept feeling like I had no control over the front end of the bike. The handlebars kept twitching with barely any input from me (believe me I wasn’t clamping down on them). While going over the bridge at 10mph, at times I felt like I was going to get blown clean into the other lane. I’ve rarely had this happen on the SV and that bike is way ligher than the GS (with the side boxes mounted, the GS is almost 45lbs heavier!) I’ve heard that the GS is very responsive to winds and you need to keep a very light touch on the handlebars, and I really did try, to no avail. At one point, I think I was praying – “Please just let me get home in one piece. I’ll never ask for anything again.” I also remember thinking that if this was how it reacted with a little wind in Seattle, how the hell was I going to manage it in Alaska in god knows what weather under god knows what road conditions?

I made it home in one piece but I was a complete nervous wreck. And you know, riding is supposed to be *fun*. Not stressful! Not scary! I don’t know if lowering it is going to make the handling any easier, but I have to try.

So Kouba links it is. If that makes me a loser, so be it.

I just hope I can get it done before Trollhaugen.

As it turns out…

While I headed out for the run today, I passed the spot where I dropped the bike the other morning. Now all this time I’ve been making excuses like that hill was way too steep or I barely had any room to manuever or it was a tight spot and so on…

Of course, in reality – to quote a phrase – “You could have landed a jumbo fucking jet there”.

*thoroughly disgusted*

Latest Score – Bike vs. Me 3:0

This morning I dropped the bike again for the third time this week, this time while getting out of the driveway of my building. I needed to turn left downhill and was stopped waiting for the road to clear. Only I was resting my weight on the downhill part instead of uphill and within a few seconds I felt the bike slipping away from me. I think I tried to stop it for a couple of seconds then let go. What I should have done is to accelerate across and get into the opposite building’s parking lot. Or something.

In any case, I lay there for a couple of minutes with my leg trapped under it feeling like a prat. A passing car stopped and two guys helped lift it off of me and bring it back to my parking spot. I was going to ride it anyway, but realized that the clutch lever had broken off – the handguard wasn’t positioned correctly to protect it.

I was going to ride the SV, but I was so ticked off that I just went back in, changed and rode the bus instead. It was probably a good idea because the gridlock on 520 was insane and it took a whole hour to get to work instead of the usual 20 minutes.

Here’s hoping I can find a replacement lever before this weekend, in time for the Adventure Camp.

So thus far, the score is 3:0 with the bike winning. I’ve got a pulled muscle on my side and a bruise on my leg from Sunday, while the bike’s got a broken lever and not much other damage. Of course, I also feel like a complete n00b and not someone with 3 years of riding experience.

No, I’m still being stubborn and trying not to think about the kouba links.

Tire decisions…

I need to decide by tomorrow morning what tires I am going to put on the GS (need to order asap so that I can install them this weekend, in time for the Adventure Camp next weekend). I’ve realized that I will likely put about a thousand miles on it (max 2000) before I head to Alaska, so the tires I pick now will pretty much be the Alaska tires. Pre-Alaska, I will ride the bike mostly for commuting, and weekend riding with practicing on gravel, and the occassional 600+ mile trip. Let’s say it will be 80% street and 20% dirt, if that.

The route that I pick for Alaska will be mostly paved, some unpaved on the Cassiar highway, and completely unpaved, gravel, miserable road on the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Circle. I will also quite likely have to change the rear tire at some point in Alaska (at the only BMW dealership in all of AK and the Yukon, unless I decide to do it myself).

I have to pick between the Continental TKC80s and the Metzler Tourances.

TKC 80s
Pros:
– They are rated to be 50/50 street/dirt even though they look like they are 90% oriented to dirt
– Knobbies will be splendid for all unpaved, gravelly roads
– I’ve been told that they handle pretty well in the rain and are less likely to hydroplane because “the water has some place to go”
– I’ve been told that I should have those to go on the nasty muddy roads in AK seeing as I am a dirt rider novice on a big bike off-road and I need everything I can have on my side
– People who have used these swear by them almost religiously – “I will never use any other tire ever.”

Cons:
– Extensive street riding will wear down the knobbies significantly (although they say that they wear less on the 650 than the 1150GS because of the weight factor)
– I might be forced to factor in a tire change in Alaska if I go with these because of the wear factor (and I’d really rather avoid going to Fairbanks if I can at all help it)
– I only have people’s word for it that they are50/50. I haven’t seen any real proof of it
– Rear tire will only last 6000 miles

“Under spirited riding conditions on pavement I experience no traction issues. As for mileage you should get about 6k on the rear and 10-11k on the front. Personally I’d rather swap out tires just a little more often and avoid picking up my bike in the mud but hey that’s just me.

Given that you have very little dirt experience I would error on the side of caution and get the more dirt worthy tire for your trip to AK.”

Tourances
Pros:
– 80% street, 20% dirt – a lot of people use these for Alaska rides, and they would be perfect for commuting/weekend riding
– They will last at least 12000 miles, so no need to change a tire in Alaska

Cons:
– Not knobbies, so obviously not as good as the TKCs on dirt

“If it were me I would worry less about the edge case stuff (the Dempster represents less than 20% of the mileage for your entire trip) and get a tire that was pleasant to have for a majority of the trip and will easily last you until you get home.”

Price is not a factor, in a manner of speaking. There’s only about a $50 difference between the two. Of course, if I end up buying a new rear tire for the TKCs, that would be a bit more expensive. But I’m not taking the cost of the tires into consideration to make this decision because safety is obviously the most important thing.

Maybe things will seem clearer after I sleep on it. Any input is welcome.

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In other news, my friend Sarah from Portland is definitely onboard for the trip, so Alaska is a go! Now for the planning.

Rolling hills, pouring rains, hailstorms, flaming tetherballs… oh my!

Rolled back into town a couple of hours ago. Too late to do a writeup, but I did manage to upload photographs. The highlights are posted under the cut. Try and connect the dots. :)

This is my favorite one out of the best ride I’ve done in Oregon.

All photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/000redbaroness000/MemorialDay2008. And some under the cut.

(more…)

Inching towards Memorial Day weekend…

Getting ready to go to bed. I’m taking the day off tomorrow for a slightly longer long weekend. We are starting off super-early – around 8:00 AM – to leave for the Palouse. Yes, I did indeed say “we”. As part of my effort to try and be social, for the first time ever I am doing a long ride with other riders. I’ll report back on how well that worked out.

Here’s our intended route:

[Windows Live Local Route]  [.est file]

Tomorrow we will ride through the Palouse in east Washington and possibly stay at Pullman/Moscow for the night, or if we have the energy, push on south towards Enterprise in Oregon. On Saturday we ride back west through John Day park and towards Eugene. Fifteen miles south of this is Dexter, where we’re camping for the next two nights on someone’s land. Monday morning we ride back to Seattle.

They predict rain for all four days. The less I say about that now, the better.

Hope everyone has a good long weekend. Stay out of trouble!

Classic (?) quote of the weekend…

Yesterday I went to RideWest BMW for their annual gear/accessory swap thing. I took the bus there instead of riding, for many reasons I wont go into. I got there pretty late in the day so all the good stuff was gone (apparently folks were queing up down the street before they even opened). I was looking over what was left and saw a small Cortech tank bag with a map window, which seemed like a good size compared to the large one that came with my Beemer.

As I inspected it, this old guy who was across the table from me said – “You can probably use that as a purse!”