GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

from east coast on gs...doable? or i'm i crazy?  :?

one way: 4466 miles

(http://www.variders.com/gs500/alaska.gif)

Quote from: JetSwingfrom east coast on gs...doable? or i'm i crazy?  :?

I would wait til next Spring if I were you. :lol:

Quote from: callmelenny

Quote from: JetSwingfrom east coast on gs...doable? or i'm i crazy?  :?

I would wait til next Spring if I were you. :lol:

you really really really think so??  :?

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Yea ...alaska has like 500,000 people ... how do you think they all got there ... yup ...  :lol: ... they rode a GS ...
Cool.
Srinath.

lemme know when you pass through ohio, i'll tag along.

Quote from: seshadri_srinathYea ...alaska has like 500,000 people ... how do you think they all got there ... yup ...  :lol: ... they rode a GS ...
Cool.
Srinath.

sooo...that's why we can't find any gs here. i'll have to bring back some with me if i ever go up there

Crazy?  Naw.  As long as you have the time (and the GAS MONEY) and plan for possible tire changes, etc. you should be fine.  Assuming that you go sometime near the middle of the year, and that your bike doesn't have TOO many miles on it.

Just one thing about the route.  You GOTTA catch the rest of the offical "AlCan" going either one way or the other:

(http://www.bbburma.net/Maps/PrinceGeorge_DawsonCreek_WatsonLake.jpg)

I understand that it starts in Dawson Creek.  Upper Liard looks like the point that's pretty much common to both routes.

When my Dad rode to Alaska from Arkansas last year on his ST1300 he took the AlCan in both directions.  I asked him why he didn't do something like the route you posted on the way back ... he said his map (road atlas, probably) didn't show any towns, and he was worried about gas.  If it were me, I'd take both routes.  :thumb:

Quote from: JetSwingfrom east coast on gs...doable? or i'm i crazy?  :?
one way: 4466 miles

I did a similar trip with a small group in a van in 1986, along a very similar route.  We left from MA, went up to the arctic circle, then down through CA, across to CO, and then back home.  A few things to note:

We took 8 weeks to do it.  This is not a small trip if you want to see anything along the way.  We stopped at pretty much every national park (cheap campsites, great scenery), and more or less every amusement park anywhere near our route that had a roller coaster.  If you're making the trip, there are too many things that are worthwhile to stop and see to just pass by.  We spent a lot of time sleeping in the van and driving through the night so we could spend a day or two someplace fantastic.

It takes a -huge- amount of planning.  We had a detailed plan, maps for every segment, arrangements for where we were going to stop/camp, prearranged park tickets, event passes, how and where we were going to get mail/do laundry/shower, etc.

We needed a lot of gear.  We had a storage unit on top of the van that contained clothing, camping gear, food coolers, and pretty much anything you might need for a trip that long.  Even if you're not planning on camping, I don't see how you could carry all of the stuff you'd need.  Water, if nothing else, might be an issue.  Note that even during the summer, the temps are going to be vastly different as you head north and to higher elevations, so you'll need a variety of weather gear.  I recall that we drove through snow on July 4, I think we were somewhere around Lake Louise in Alberta at the time, up in the mountains.  Dunno how the GS would handle high elevations and steep grades (at what altitude would the mixture get too rich?), but there's a big section of tall, pointy bits along your route.

Fuel will probably be a challenge for you.  We were in a van with an extended range tank and a reserve fuel tank, and we had to be careful in a lot of places.  I specifically remember on the route up through the Yukon there were signs that read "Fill up here, next fuel 270 miles."  They weren't kidding either...you'd find nothing more than a wide spot in the road with a Husky gas station.  There are vast spaces where there is -absolutely nothing-.  You should definitely verify that you can tote enough fuel to make it between stops, or you'll need someone in a support vehicle.

While on the subject of a support vehicle:  THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF TRIP YOU TAKE ALONE.  I can't stress this enough.  There are stretches of road along your route that see about 2 cars a day.  If you run into trouble, that is going to be a potentially life threatening problem.  Many of the roads would qualify as "unimproved" anywhere else in the country, and you'll find yourself going over several bridges that are not much more than felled logs originally put there by the loggers/gold rushers and paved over (barely) and roads that haven't seen new pavement in decades.

On our trip, while heading up the Alcan highway through the Yukon (recommended speed 35mph due to road conditions), and we broke the rear axle.  I will never forget the experience of watching our left rear wheel pull out ahead of us (with about 2 feet of axle still attached), while we were swerving around on 3 wheels and some grinding metal.  We sat on the side of the road and waited for about 6 hours until the -next- car passed us.  They stopped, took 2 people into the nearest town (Watson Lake, Yukon...about 120 miles away, south of Whitehorse).  The rest of us waited another 6 hours or so on the side of the road until their return (they got a flat tire on the way back to us).  We spent about a week in Watson Lake until we could get repaired enough to get underway again.

All that said, taking a trip like that is unbelievably cool.  Just make sure you're well prepared.  For a lot of that trip, you're going to be in no-man's-land...you can't just pull into a service station.

Sorry this got so long.  If you're interested, I can post other thoughts.

Doing a trip like that sounds really cool. Although after reading what Badger has to say, I will stay right here in Milwaukee. Where there is a Wallgreens on every corner. God bless the USA. ~Lee Greenwood

Quote from: BriggsDoing a trip like that sounds really cool. Although after reading what Badger has to say, I will stay right here in Milwaukee. Where there is a Wallgreens on every corner. God bless the USA. ~Lee Greenwood

Heh...I'm not trying to discourage the trip.  It definitly is an unforgettable experience...seeing the auroras light up the entire landscape and reading by the 2am sun near the arctic circle are things that will stay with me forever.  I'm just saying that it is something that requires a little caution, appropriate preparation, and contingency planning.  Bad things can happen when there is no one else around for 100s of miles.  I think it would be a brilliant thing to do with a small group of motorcycles and a support vehicle for anyone that can spare the time to do it.  I definitly think riding through the Badlands in the Dakotas would be an awesome experience on a motorcycle, or tooling around Arches Nat'l Park, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming...

let me first say, this would be all about the adventure. if something goes wrong, that would be a part of it.

holy cow, badger, your trip was 20 years ago!!  :mrgreen:
i know of a girl (a model) who has done the alaska trip in 2 weeks (from colorado) ALL BY HERSELF!  :o  she is the one who inspired me to think about doing the trip again.

i think it'll be simple and safe. hundreds of people have made the trip on a bike. all i have to do is research and ask around (eg. advrider.com). it wouldn't be too hard to find a safe route.

kerry, there's also a ferry you can take a part of the way. you'll be on the ferry for 2-3 days. you camp on the deck. get to see stuff you can't by riding. that's something you can do one way.

so i'm thinking the trip could be too much for the gs...do i'm thinking about getting a low mileage vstorm 650. i think it would be a perfect bike.

ok, i've got one tag along, who else?  :mrgreen:

i'm planning this trip for next year too...i'm from toronto, ontario...so maybe i can join you if you don't mind...

Quote from: Frosti'm planning this trip for next year too...i'm from toronto, ontario...so maybe i can join you if you don't mind...

are you planning to ride the gs?

I called my Dad to get his impressions of the road, the gas stations, etc from last year.  He said that the whole AlCan is paved, but that there are usually a few spots where construction crews are redoing the road because of frost heaves, etc.  Not major hole-digging, more like resurfacing.

He also said that he remembered being able to get gas every 125 miles or so.  (Not that he needed to get it that often on his 1300....)  He said it would be wise to allow for longer stretches, especially if you happen into headwinds, etc.  But when I mentioned that the newer GS models hold 5+ gals and that some can go 200+ miles before hitting reserve, he said there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Dad mentioned a nice, big campground (showers, etc) in Watson Lake as you come into town (from the east, I assume).  He said that just about every town has one or more campgrounds ... but that with such short summer nights you can ride as long as you can stand it.

He echoed Badger's thoughts on preparing for a full range of weather.  As far as the GS's performance at higher altitudes, I've "been there, done that" - up to 12,095 at Independence Pass in Colorado - with stock jetting and air filter in my '99.  It would probably handle that altitude a little better now with my drop-in K&N, but I don't remember feeling "crippled" or anything.

My Dad says you're definitely not crazy.  Well, no more crazy than he was.  Whether you choose to go on a GS500 (which he admits could get a little old) or a V-Strom or whatever, he would like to hear more about your eventual plans and experiences!

your not gaining anything useful with the vstorm, it's fine for the ocasional gravel parking lot or driveway, but as far as being a street bike with off road capabilitys, it isn't.   the gs will be fine, your not going to be doing 90 the whole way in face you'll probably be struggling to hit  60.  

for some good reads about adventure riding...
http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?cPath=7&products_id=4093
if you don't know who Ron Ayres is you better stay home, cause you havn't done enough research.


http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?cPath=7&products_id=4809

also serch on here cause i posted about going up there before and i had a list of good websites that had alot of good info.

kerry, thanks for the info. do you know what percentage of the roads in alaska is paved?

and how far did you dad go up?

i haven't done much planning except figuring out the maileage. i want to go either in the spring or late summer/early fall. i heard that the summer is the worse time to visit (crowded with tourists and mosquitos). spring of next year might be too early for me (have to save up enough) so i'm thinking towards the summer's end.

Quote from: Kerrybut that with such short summer nights you can ride as long as you can stand it.

i know...that's so cool  :)

get a aerostich, you'll apriciate the goretex.

Wow, that trip seems amazing and suicidal all at once. I think you could do it on the GS with the right amount of planning and cojones. I say you go for it.

I'd go with you... but It would be Texas to Virginia to Alaska. I think that comes out ~8000 miles one way.

Quote from: seshadri_srinathYea ...alaska has like 500,000 people ... how do you think they all got there ... yup ...  :lol: ... they rode a GS ...

All of them on one GS.   :mrgreen:

Quote from: Roadstergal

Quote from: seshadri_srinathYea ...alaska has like 500,000 people ... how do you think they all got there ... yup ...  :lol: ... they rode a GS ...

All of them on one GS.   :mrgreen:

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Quote from: AlphaFire X5I'd go with you... but It would be Texas to Virginia to Alaska. I think that comes out ~8000 miles one way.

just say you're scared...

I'm from Texas. I get cold when it's 65 outside.

Quote from: JetSwingholy cow, badger, your trip was 20 years ago!!  :mrgreen:

Great.  Now I feel old.  :)  The World's Fair was in Vancouver in 1986 (I have a commemerative yo-yo from the event...somewhere).  I have absolutely no idea what else was going on in the world that summer...I spent the entire time without a tv, radio, newspaper, etc.

Quote from: Badger

Quote from: JetSwingholy cow, badger, your trip was 20 years ago!!  :mrgreen:

Great.  Now I feel old.  :)  The World's Fair was in Vancouver in 1986 (I have a commemerative yo-yo from the event...somewhere).  I have absolutely no idea what else was going on in the world that summer...I spent the entire time without a tv, radio, newspaper, etc.

:lol: you should have said "once upon a time"...

i don't know...2 month seems like awefully long trip. 3-4 weeks sounds good to me.

Quote from: KerryI called my Dad to get his impressions of the road, the gas stations, etc from last year.  He said that the whole AlCan is paved, but that there are usually a few spots where construction crews are redoing the road because of frost heaves, etc.  Not major hole-digging, more like resurfacing.

Yep...it was paved when I was there, although parts if it were of dubious quality.  I recall that we got a pamphlet that pointed out that the "recommended" speed was 35mph due to road conditions.  It may be much better in recent years...as it was pointed out, I was last on that road almost 20 years ago, although I was in Whitehorse two years ago, but I came at it from the Alaska side.  

Quote from: KerryDad mentioned a nice, big campground (showers, etc) in Watson Lake as you come into town (from the east, I assume).  He said that just about every town has one or more campgrounds ... but that with such short summer nights you can ride as long as you can stand it.

That's exactly where I stayed for about a week.  Nice spot.  They had a volleyball net and everything...running water, showers, and a power outlet (having the power outlet might have cost more).  I distinctly remember there was a snack bar where you could get like a 2 foot chili dog for short money...it was probably the best chili dog I ever ate (although this was after being stranded in the middle of nowhere for the better part of a day, so it might have been attributed to starvation).  Even in the middle of summer, swimming in the lake was coooooold!  There was one other set of campers the week we were there, they stayed for a day.  IIRC, Watson Lake has an impressive collection of road signs on display from all over the world.  I probably have two rolls of pictures of them (hey, there wasn't much else to do).

Quote from: KerryAs far as the GS's performance at higher altitudes, I've "been there, done that" - up to 12,095 at Independence Pass in Colorado - with stock jetting and air filter in my '99.  It would probably handle that altitude a little better now with my drop-in K&N, but I don't remember feeling "crippled" or anything.

I just mentioned this because if I took a normally aspirated airplane up to 10,000 and didn't lean the mixture it would sputter and die on me.

Quote from: KerryMy Dad says you're definitely not crazy.

Definintely not crazy.  I just wanted to encourage caution.  There are a lot of places along the way where if something does go wrong, it can become a really big deal.  Just make sure you have a plan, realize that a lot of the things you might take for granted don't hold up in that area (like cell coverage, repair stations, etc.).  The distances between things can be pretty severe.  If nothing else, I'd recommend carrying basic survival gear...plenty of water, portable shelter, first aid, tire repair kit, that kind of thing.  Just in case.

Jetswing / Kerry

What mapping software is that?  

I'm taking a trip to Vegas this weekend (from Tucson, 800 miles RT) and would like to map/mark some stuff on the way....

Thanks

Don't make me say the S word!   :P

Kerry has Streets and Trips.  I do, too, and like it muchly.

Quote from: JetSwing
:lol: you should have said "once upon a time"...

i don't know...2 month seems like awefully long trip. 3-4 weeks sounds good to me.

I was in school, so I had the whole summer.  What better time to pop up to Alaska?  We spent a lot of time hitting amusement parks, national parks, beaches, monuments, landmarks, prairie dog towns, roadside attractions, and that kind of thing.  We also swung south around the Grand Canyon before heading back, so it was a very circuitous route.

If you're going to go, certainly go at least as far north as Denali.  I wouldn't bother with going all the way up to the arctic circle (there's a sign...it's not very interesting), but if you get a clear day McKinley is brilliant.  I could probably dig up some digital pix of my last trip up to Alaska (2003) and post here if folks are interested.

post em!

Quote from: RoadstergalKerry has Streets and Trips.  I do, too, and like it muchly.

btw: S&T2006 was just released (Oct 6).  Now has voice prompted directions and better integration with GPS units, trip rerouting...

at the German GS-500 forum, there is a loooong thread that was started by a young guy who just recently returned from a trip which lead him from the city of Dresden, Germany all the way to Egypt, more than 7.500 kms (4.700 mi) on a '89 GS-500. :o

Some interesting pics can be seen at page 9 (http://www.gs-500.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=221683#221683) of the thread. Although the thread obviously is written in German, the pics are sure self explaining!

Love the spare tires...

Not a bad idea considering the "Odd Sized" (according to local moto shops) tires of the GS.

I think doing that trip would be the experience of a lifetime...  Part heaven, part hell, and all adventure...  So, yeah...  You're totally nuts.  Prepare, prepare, prepare, and DO IT!

Make it a race like the Cannon Ball Run. GS style  :P

Just pushed some pics up.

Pics of the Misty Fjords (from floatplane):
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/mf1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/mf2.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/mf3.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/mf4.jpg)
You can only get here by floatplane.  We landed on top of one of the lakes.  No roads.  No people.  No noise, but for the cooling of the engine.

Pic of a random mountain in the Yukon (it pretty much all looks like this):
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/yukon.jpg)
We were in a rented jeep (just came off the mountain behind us).

Pic of the Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau):
(http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/alaska/mendenhall.jpg)

While I was at it, I posted a fairly large pic of my GS for anyone interested (after all, this is a motorcycle board, right?) here (http://home.comcast.net/~badgr/GS500F.JPG)

Holy crap. Those German guy's pictures are awesome!

Badger, your's are GORGEOUS!

Now I want to do some big long trip.

that german guy's trip looks awesome...

the mighty power of the WHITE rims!  :lol:

Quote from: BadgerPics of the Misty Fjords

Fuh-Jords are sweet!


I totally want to go on a trip like this too...  Except when I think about the hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of boring crap.

I just drove (yeah drove, shutup :nana: ) from LA to Lake Havasu City to Las Vegas to Fernley (near Reno) to Reno to Shasta to Olympia to Seattle...

Some of it was really sweet and I'm really happy I was able to see it... The rest was boring and crappy.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5Badger, your's are GORGEOUS!

Most of those lake pictures are of lakes on the tops of mountains (note the waterfalls).  The whole area looks like that (Misty Fjords).  There are no roads there, so you can either tool around the base of the cliffs by boat, or you can land on top of the lakes on floats.  Otherwise, it's pretty much completely inaccessible.  I think the glacier picture was taken from the rainforest across the canal.

In case it wasn't obvious...I -highly- recommend going to see Alaska.  Parts of it (the majority that I've seen, actually) are just unbelievable.  Take it for what it's worth, though...I'm not a fan of hot weather and sandy beaches.

the cruise sounds like fun but i'd rather be riding and be on my schedule. anyway...why did you skip the big bucks bingo-rama?? :mrgreen:

how long was the cruise? and how long did it stop at each port for?

Quote from: JetSwinghow long was the cruise? and how long did it stop at each port for?

7 Days.  The itinerary was something like this:

Day: Port  [Arrive/Depart]
Day 1:  Vancouver, British Columbia [5:00 PM]
Day 2:  Inside Passage (Cruising)
Day 3:  Hubbard Glacier (Cruising)
Day 4:  Skagway, Alaska   [7:30 AM/8:00 PM]
Day 5:  Juneau, Alaska   [7:00 AM/4:00 PM]
Day 6:  Ketchikan, Alaska   [7:00 AM/6:00 PM]
Day 7:  Inside Passage (Cruising)
Day 8:  Vancouver, British Columbia   [8:00 AM]

In the future, I'd probably prefer to depart from Seattle and return from Alaska (or the other way 'round)...I ended up having to go through customs/immigration 6 times over the course of the week, and spent a lot of time waiting in various queues.

I rode in a pickup from Anchorage to Houston many years ago....look out for the mosquitoes....they're monsters up there.  I forget where in Canada it ended but they have this mossy ground cover called TUNDRA up there and it holds enough water to act as breeding grounds for those humongous buggers...did I mention that the mosquitoes are MONSTERS!  I recommend netting if you plan on sleeping outside in July-August.

Also here's a webpage with some tips....

http://www.danielcohen.org/2alaska/2wheelstoalaska.htm

Good Luck...it was the longest wheeled trip I've ever made!

I've been wanting to do this trip for sometime now.  I should be able to do something like this in the spring... or the summer.  But... eh-hem... i'll be riding a buell firebolt by then.  How long is best to give ourselves? A month?  Looks like i'll be getting a corbin too!

I'll keep an eye out to see who's still serious this spring, cuz i'm going...

i can't make it coming spring. i already have another trip planned for spring. summer is bad (read post above). so i'm thinking late summer of next year.

btw, nisus, i'm not so sure about riding firebolt to alaska if that's what you're planning to do. vast majority of the roads are still unpaved (the bike will be covered in mud). it better be reliable. also, the ground clearance...is it going to cut it?

Quote from: nisus1I've been wanting to do this trip for sometime now.  I should be able to do something like this in the spring... or the summer.  But... eh-hem... i'll be riding a buell firebolt by then.  How long is best to give ourselves? A month?  Looks like i'll be getting a corbin too!

I'll keep an eye out to see who's still serious this spring, cuz i'm going...

How long is going to depend on whether you're most interested in the destination or the trip.  It's going to take a minumum of 4 or 5 days or so just to get there if you make as straight a shot as practical, only stop for fuel, food, and overnights...and I think that would lead to some serious butt rot (it's like 1000 miles a day, no?).  If you craft the route, you can hit a lot of amazing things along the way.  Perhaps folks from the area can comment, but I think going through the Badlands on the N/S Dakota border on a motorcycle would practically be worth a trip in itself.  There are probably a dozen or so other areas that would fall close enough to a plausible route to make it worthwhile to include (Wyoming; Banff; Chicago, Minneapolis, Vancouver, etc.), depending on what you're interested in doing and how far "out of your way" you're willing to go.  

I wouldn't plan on less than three weeks...two weeks would probably be just enough time to make the trip without actually stopping anywhere.

non-stop straight shot ride from dc to anchorage look something like this:

miles: 4740 total miles, 700 miles/day
hours: 12 hours/day
time: 7 days (6 days if you ride fast)

to me, that's kind of unrealistic. that doesn't include any stops other than the stop at the end of the day.

for this to be a "pleasant" trip, you're looking at minimum of 3 weeks and preferably 3-4 weeks.

Quote from: JetSwingnon-stop straight shot ride from dc to anchorage look something like this:

miles: 4740 total miles, 700 miles/day
hours: 12 hours/day
time: 7 days (6 days if you ride fast)

to me, that's kind of unrealistic. that doesn't include any stops other than the stop at the end of the day.

for this to be a "pleasant" trip, you're looking at minimum of 3 weeks and preferably 3-4 weeks.

A better option might be to:

* Fly to Seattle.
* Buy one of the motorcycles that RG will be selling at the time
* Ride from Seattle to Alaska and Back (1 week?)
* Sell the motorcycle back to RG after she gets seller's remorse  :roll:  :mrgreen:  
* Fly back home.

i actually have thought about flying to seattle. then, rent a bike to ride up to alaska.

but...it just wouldn't be the same.  ;)

yeah, you'd miss all those wonderful cross winds across the plains.

Quote from: davipuyeah, you'd miss all those wonderful cross winds across the plains.

and the heavenly scent of cow manure...  :)

I remember reading something about a trans canadian hwy.  that might be something worth looking into, instead of going across the us.

Good question about the ground clearance... 4.35" on the firebolt, 4.7" on the GS, so that won't be an issue.  And by the way... the POS Blasts gave Buell the bad name on reliability, mostly.  Cycle World just gave the buell top marks on reliability.

But back on topic, i would definitely be going for the trip, not the destination, so yeah... lookin at 4 weeks atleast i'd say.  Very excited and i could do it late summer Jetswing.  Obviously have to play it by ear for a while, but like i said, i'm going... been lookin' forward to some "Easy Rider" action.

you only ave 4.7 inches of clearance?

well that's what suzuki's site says for the new GSF's... so if that's accurate for my '89, then i actually have less since i lowered the front of mine by about 1.5".

Quote from: nisus1Very excited and i could do it late summer Jetswing.

Thoughts:

* Keep a journal.
* Take lots of pictures.
* Blog your progress
* Bring good music.

Quote from: Badger

Quote from: nisus1Very excited and i could do it late summer Jetswing.

Thoughts:

* Keep a journal.
* Take lots of pictures.
* Blog your progress
* Bring good music.

you forgot one...post pictures and progress here everyday  :mrgreen:

Quote from: BadgerA better option might be to:

* Fly to Seattle.
* Buy one of the motorcycles that RG will be selling at the time
* Ride from Seattle to Alaska and Back (1 week?)
* Sell the motorcycle back to RG after she gets seller's remorse  :roll:  :mrgreen:  
* Fly back home.

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Maybe my Apt Manager will get back to me about the GS in the garage...  RG could fix that one and rent it out.   :mrgreen:

Wow 5,000 miles on a GS with SM bars and no wind protection, you are hard core, youd be like a gs legand

Quote from: kvgsWow 5,000 miles on a GS with SM bars and no wind protection, you are hard core, youd be like a gs legand

5000 miles would be just half way...unless i get stuck in alaska forever.

on long trips, i usually fall half sleep on my tank...very comfy  :mrgreen:

Quote from: Badger* Fly to Seattle.
* Buy one of the motorcycles that RG will be selling at the time
* Ride from Seattle to Alaska and Back (1 week?)
* Sell the motorcycle back to RG after she gets seller's remorse  :roll:  :mrgreen:  
* Fly back home.

Oh, I missed this one - obligatory :nana: .   :mrgreen:

For the record, my only seller's remorse is the 500F.

now...renting the burger would rock!  :mrgreen:

've been thinking about this actually

hmm..who knows

I recently went on a ride with a bunch of bikes, and one guy had a Firebolt. When everyone started their bikes up, it was great. I felt sorry for the guy on the Buell, though, because his bike shook at idle like an old man with Parkinson's.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5...one guy had a Firebolt. When everyone started their bikes up, it was great. I felt sorry for the guy on the Buell, though, because his bike shook at idle like an old man with Parkinson's.

I have a buddy that rides a firebolt and you look at it idle and those turn siganals are just bouncing like crazy.

The turnsignals? The whole BIKE was shaking! It was so sad! The fairing, seat, tail pieces, turn signals, handlebars; EVERYTHING.

It's like his bike was having a seizure.

Looks like the road does not require high-speed driving... but
If I had to do a trip like that, I'd go for a 17-teeth sprocket.

It's very cool to drive at 75MPH (120KPH) @ 5500rpm.

And fuel consumption reduction is noticeable too.

Marc,
who is able to drive 650Km for fun in a single day.

Here's a pretty good read about a guy who rode a DR650 to Alaska.



http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83480