Greetings from Alaska.

[Kimber45 18]

Myself and an equally useless middle-aged fart are flying down to LA to take in the Anaheim II supercross race in late January.  We are planning a few extra days to go riding.  Made an account to learn more about the general area and rides, and to ask for advice and suggestions for our trip in exchange for any Alaska/Al-Can/Haul Road, etc., info I can offer.  Will make that post later when I figure out the best sub-forum.

As for myself, I’m a dirt and adventure bike enthusiast.  Love to turn a wrench and do modifications – such as putting aftermarket fuel injection on an R100GS.  The riding season up here is only mid-April to September so every Spring you feel like a noob when you throw your leg over for the first time.

The garage:

The Husky and the 890 in front of the Honda AT belong to a buddy.

Me:

[350thumper 336]

Nice bikes. I suggest heading straight to the desert where it's warm. It's beautiful out here.  

[Kimber45 18]

I am quite jealous that you guys/gals can ride year round.

Know any outfitter(s) that rent dual sports or dirt bikes in or around the desert?

My ruh-tard friend and I are much more off-road biased than on road.

Internet searches give me little to nothing.

 nothing.

 

[Bagstr 287]

Offroadocotillo.com

No personal experience. Web search of Ocotillo Wells (not the town of Ocotillo) show ATV MC and Razor Rentals. 30 minutes from Borrego Springs, CA.

Good Luck

[tntmo 887]

My daughter and son-in-law were stationed at JBER Alaska a while back, I spent a lot of time at Eagle River visiting them.  Rode up there a few years ago, great place to be on two wheels.  I hope you have fun at the SX event.

Here's a place to rent bikes, have not personally used it but a few people I know have and I have been on the fence putting up one of my rarely used bikes on the site.

https://www.riders-share.com/

There are always some dual sports on there, so that's a good place to start at the least.  

[Kimber45 18]

9 hours ago, Bagstr said:

Offroadocotillo.com

No personal experience. Web search of Ocotillo Wells (not the town of Ocotillo) show ATV MC and Razor Rentals. 30 minutes from Borrego Springs, CA.

Good Luck

Thanks for the suggestion.  

9 hours ago, tntmo said:

My daughter and son-in-law were stationed at JBER Alaska a while back, I spent a lot of time at Eagle River visiting them.  Rode up there a few years ago, great place to be on two wheels.  I hope you have fun at the SX event.

Here's a place to rent bikes, have not personally used it but a few people I know have and I have been on the fence putting up one of my rarely used bikes on the site.

https://www.riders-share.com/

There are always some dual sports on there, so that's a good place to start at the least.  

Thanks for your suggestion as well.  I will definitely look into both.

Appreciate the service of your family members.  My only connection to San Diego is being stationed there in the 90s with the Navy.

What bike did you ride to AK?  Solo or group?  Cassiar?  Dawson?

A lot of riders have Alaska as a bucket list destination.  For Alaskan riders it's kinda reverse.  Top of my list right now would probably be Utah BDR which is pretty accessible for anyone living in the States.

[tntmo 887]

3 hours ago, Kimber45 said:

Thanks for the suggestion.  

Thanks for your suggestion as well.  I will definitely look into both.

Appreciate the service of your family members.  My only connection to San Diego is being stationed there in the 90s with the Navy.

What bike did you ride to AK?  Solo or group?  Cassiar?  Dawson?

A lot of riders have Alaska as a bucket list destination.  For Alaskan riders it's kinda reverse.  Top of my list right now would probably be Utah BDR which is pretty accessible for anyone living in the States.

I rode a Yamaha Super Tenere up along with a buddy, he was on an Africa Twin.  Took the ice fields up to the AlCan on the way up.  Did Top Of The World to the Dempster up to Tuktoyaktuk, back down the Cassier.  Good trip.

 I did all my time here in SD with the USN, 1991-2017.  Never know if we were working next to each other.  

[Kimber45 18]

4 hours ago, tntmo said:

I rode a Yamaha Super Tenere up along with a buddy, he was on an Africa Twin.  Took the ice fields up to the AlCan on the way up.  Did Top Of The World to the Dempster up to Tuktoyaktuk, back down the Cassier.  Good trip.

 I did all my time here in SD with the USN, 1991-2017.  Never know if we were working next to each other.  

Don't under-sell your AK trip.  Getting to Tuk and the rest is a full-blown gold star, blue ribbon memory.  Hand salute for your service as well.

Any chance this was in or around 2018 and your Honda buddy's fork seals blew out?  Maybe stayed in Smithers, BC, on the way back?  Had a support vehicle?  

Ps.  Edited for poor splelling and grammerz.

Edited December 31, 2022 by Kimber45

[tntmo 887]

9 hours ago, Kimber45 said:

Don't under-sell your AK trip.  Getting to Tuk and the rest is a full-blown gold star, blue ribbon memory.  Hand salute for your service as well.

Any chance this was in or around 2018 and your Honda buddy's fork seals blew out?  Maybe stayed in Smithers, BC, on the way back?  Had a support vehicle?  

Ps.  Edited for poor splelling and grammerz.

It was 2018 and both of us had fork seal issues, but no support vehicles were involved.  
Yeah, was a good trip and I would like to go again.  Never enough time, weather caused some plan changes along with family events I wanted to get to.  
What command were you at here in SD?

[Kimber45 18]

4 hours ago, tntmo said:

It was 2018 and both of us had fork seal issues, but no support vehicles were involved.  
Yeah, was a good trip and I would like to go again.  Never enough time, weather caused some plan changes along with family events I wanted to get to.  
What command were you at here in SD?

Wasn't you then.  This group definitely had a third guy driving a truck & trailer.  Same trip though.  Been to Dawson many times but the Dempster is still on the to-do list.  Hopefully Canada will loosen their border restrictions soon.

And blown fork seals on a Honda Twin is basically standard operating condition.  I've done mine three times and the bike only has 28K.

I spent six months on Coronado failing out of a Winter BUD/S class.  Ended up on logistics ship stationed out of Goose Creek, SC.

How about yourself?  What can you do at one place for 25+ years and not move - medical field?

[tntmo 887]

7 minutes ago, Kimber45 said:

Wasn't you then.  This group definitely had a third guy driving a truck & trailer.  Same trip though.  Been to Dawson many times but the Dempster is still on the to-do list.  Hopefully Canada will loosen their border restrictions soon.

And blown fork seals on a Honda Twin is basically standard operating condition.  I've done mine three times and the bike only has 28K.

I spent six months on Coronado failing out of a Winter BUD/S class.  Ended up on logistics ship stationed out of Goose Creek, SC.

How about yourself?  What can you do at one place for 25+ years and not move - medical field?

 

I had considered doing the Dalton Hwy but really wanted to be in the first year of people riding to Tuk.  It was well worth it, and I don't think I would do the Dalton if I were back up there again....Dempster was where it's at! 

We got the fork seals fixed up with a few business cards slid up under the seals, his Honda never leaked again.  We did the same thing to my Yamaha, it helped for a while but it started leaking again when I got to the east coast.  I had to replace the seals.  All part of the fun.

I was an aviation mechanic, stayed on North Island over 20 years and finished up across the bridge on USS Essex.  Got pretty lucky staying in the same area.

Well when you get to SoCal, make sure you post up here.  May have people to join you on your rides, take you to the good spots.

[Kimber45 18]

4 hours ago, tntmo said:

Well when you get to SoCal, make sure you post up here.  May have people to join you on your rides, take you to the good spots.

For sure.  I've barely scratched the surface of the knowledge on here and already have several promising ideas.

[KTMrad 508]

I flew up to Anchorage and rented a Wee-Strom from Alaska Rider...did 3900 miles solo all over Alaska in 11 days, one of my best trips ever !

Edited January 6, 2023 by KTMrad

[Kimber45 18]

2 hours ago, KTMrad said:

I flew up to Anchorage and rented a Wee-Strom from Alaska Rider...did 3900 miles solo all over Alaska in 11 days, one of my best trips ever !

Glad you enjoyed your trip.  For six months out of the year Alaska is the most beautiful place on Earth.

I will now, with knowledge aforehand and malice in my heart, break your admin rule against posting memes.  Because this is how I must present a response to your comment about riding 3,900 miles in Alaska . . .