I may post our ride report here later, but getting caught-up with work after being gone so long this summer is not allowing much else. See link for our trip report in Blog format. There are 30+ posts to the entire trip report

Enjoy.

http://2xadv.blogspot.com/2008/09/canada-alaska-2008-motorcycle-trip.html

I may post our ride report here later, but getting caught-up with work after being gone so long this summer is not allowing much else. See link for our trip report in Blog format. There are 30+ posts to the entire trip report

Enjoy.



http://2xadv.blogspot.com/2008/09/canada-alaska-2008-motorcycle-trip.html

Great adventure and I admire your spirit. I don't know if I would be capable of such a feat! Interesting to see that the BMW gave you problems but the Versys did great with the exception of flat tires.

Dallasdon,

Thanks for reviewing it. We were able to have the funds and time to do it this summer, so we had to do it once. Now we need to start saving again. Our next adventure will be a lot more mellow.

I'd be interested in a list of problems you had with the V and what you'd change about it.

The Versys ran well and worked well for the entire trip. I can not comment of what problems we would have had if the bike was still stock!
It is heavily modified if you look at the list of farkles on the Blog's 1st page. The things I would change are:
1. Longer Fender Extender. The Fender extender we bought was better than stock, but with the extender it was still only as long as my Stock BMW GSA fender, and I added an extender to that GS fender and it kept my GSA much cleaner!
2. Better Dual-sport tires. We used Avon Storm ST tires, but they were a bit soft when it came to sharp rocks/gravel.
3. A better air filter. The stock one is great for street, but any dirt roads and the stock filter was not appropriate.
4. Flashing brake lights. The stock LEDs are nice but some tail light and brake light flash would be better in the traffic we went through.

With all the farkles already on the bike you can see that we already covered most of the bases.

Awesome write up! Sounded like a remarkable trip.

Thanks for sharing.

This will be a blog that I will have to read from end to end.

How did you make the oil filter protector out of a drain grill? I'd like to see pictures of that.

--

Since it mostly can't be seen I was only worried about protection. I cut some of the rim off to keep it from touching the Exhaust pipes and cut 4 notches into it to allow a hose clap to squeeze it onto the filter. After our trip when we replaced the filter we found that the heat had molded it tight to the filter and we didn't need the hose clamp anymore.

Just spent the last hour or so reading the blog! Wow! to say the least. Some of the locations mentioned were known as i was in the area several years ago on a cruise - etc. Anyway, loved the story. Would love to try something like that sometime if I can ever manage it. Lots of driving to be sure, but fun I bet!!

did you ever come up with a solution for the air filter?

I never did find a better air filter solution. Wish we could!

Maybe just remove the airbox and put Uni filters in all the right places?

how often did you have to check the filter? also forgot to ask, did you end up changing tires and what did you finally go with. i've been on those big gravel roads up there, but i'm having trouble finding a tubeless set with an aggressive tread in 17". i'm thinking of changing tires in watson lake before running the campbell, dempster, etc. people think they can go up there and never touch gravel, but they forget about all the road construction and could end up with hundreds of miles of gravel through those zones depending on route. have been in that cassair mud. thanks

Great blog Eric. I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was nice to get a different perspective of the same places I was in June and July.

I did the Top Of The World June 30th on an 800# cruiser with street Avon's. The road was white with hail. :eek: It was quite the adventure keeping that pig up while hungover. I saw my first and only wolf up there near the info sign. You got some great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Bravo to your wife.

jdrocks,

In answer to your filter question: It was never really dry for more than a day on the bad roads so we were rarely in any dust. Mud yes, but not dusty. With only ~7K miles because of the ferry ride back home, The filter clean and oil before we left and after we got home was enough. There was not that much junk on the filter when we got home. Mostly just dead bugs.

siyeh and jdrocks,

Thanks for the comments. The only real problem we had with tires was on the V. The GSA I rode had no flats or significant cuts with Michelin Anakee tires. The STREET AVON Storm ST tires on the V got a nail puncture on Telegraph Creek road and had some embedded sharp little gravel that we picked-out after gravel roads.
We shopped for a long time for off-road tires for the V, but finally decided the Storm STs had the closest to a dual sport tread with enough reported longevity. They did last the entire 7K on a loaded bike. The string plug (with cement also) also lasted >4K miles! The mushroom plug did not last on gravel roads, so we went to string plug.
What is interesting is that on the roads we were on, the Storm STs on the V seemed to handle the gravel and slop as well as the Anakees on my GSA. The softer compound on the Storm STs vs. the Anakees appear to be a little more suceptable to sharp rocks and nails though.
If I were going again, I would do Storms to Watson Lake or Whitehorse, then MT-60 Corsas or Distanzias (even these choices are not as tough as I would wish) on the Campbell, Dempster and Dalton and then back to the Storms for the trip home.

Hi guys! You wouldn't recognize Bellingham today, your parking spot pit stop site is just a giant snow drift. May be heading south later this month, if I get down your way I'll give you a shout.

Cheers,
Bob

Great Ride Report, THANKS for sharin' it......we do a lota' 4 to 10 day trips each year (did 36,000 motorcycle miles in 08), so great to know that my newly purchased Versys should serve me well......:thumb: