I flew to Anchorage and rented a BMW F650GS for a week of exploring. Learned a few things about riding in Alaska.
It rains a lot. Good waterproof gear is essential! My Astars two-piece zip together was excellent, and I was thankful for heated grips and hand guards. My gear weak link was boots, and I had to improvise a boot cover using trash bags and duct tape, which worked surprisingly very well.
My trip would have been a lot more fun, and safer, with a riding buddy. I’ve done lots of great solo trips in the lower 48, but riding in AK is different…you need someone to ride with.
Maintain your bike’s chain every day! I neglected my chain and paid for it.
Avoid riding 110 miles of clay/gravel road when it’s been raining all night and it rains on you the entire ride.
You can do the gravel on a dual-sport tire but I would not have made it in the wet without DOT knobbies, and they were okay on the pavement. Whatever your tire choice, it’s essential that you have what you need to repair a flat.
I took camping gear but never did camp b/c the weather was so cold and wet. I’ll leave it at home next trip.
Most everything in the summer in AK costs double so be prepared for expensive lodging, food, gas, etc.
Alaska Moto Adventures http://www.rentalaska.com/index.html does a great job and has a fleet of BMW adventure touring bikes but it’s expensive at $150 per day, and you’re responsible for any bike damage no matter how minor. If you ride the Dalton Hwy to Deadhorse, the surcharge is $500 in addition to the daily rental charge. I will take my own bike next trip.
My pics are not too good b/c all I had was a cheap point and shoot. There are huge mountains in your face just about anywhere you look. And the coastal rides are very cool too. I didn’t see much wildlife b/c it was so wet, but glad not to see a moose or bear in my path of travel. I had daylight til at least 10:30 PM, and that was pretty cool too.
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Originally Posted by Bueller
