An Alaskan Motorcycle Adventure How-To

Every adventurous motorcyclist dreams of riding to a far-off destination like Alaska on the spur of the moment; just drop everything and take off for a month or a year. If you’re not going on an organized tour, though, the reality requires some serious planning. Especially if you have just returned to motorcycling after a lapse of 28 years as I had. From two years prior to leaving on a 10,276-mile, 10-week Alaska journey until returning home, here’s a little of what I learned.

After taking a refresher MSF RiderCourse and test riding several bikes, I settled on a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure for the trip. It has qualities of both street bikes and dirt bikes, like a Jeep on two wheels. In the 18 months that followed, I read a number of books and watched videos about handling a big bike on- and off-road. I became a regular at my local dealership, BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County, and went on several of its organized weekend campout rides. Practicing for the big trip with a few smaller ones really helped my skills and planning.

Denali National Park, Alaska
Denali National Park is majestic beyond description. Although you must take a basic park service school bus into the park, it’s worth it to view the pristine wilderness and abundant wildlife. For more photos and dialogue on this epic trip, search YouTube for “Steves Alaska Adventure.”

Pondering if I should ride with someone or go it alone, I talked to other riders with lots of experience. The consensus was that if you have a solid riding buddy who can go with you, then it might work; otherwise, you’re better off alone. Traveling alone gives you the option of changing plans on the fly (as I would later do) without the possibility of the other person not wanting to do what you really want to. And as I would learn, although I was not riding with someone, I was never really alone.

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As for the safety issue of riding solo, either a Spot or DeLorme inReach satellite communicator solves the issue of summoning emergency medical help or sending texts anywhere in the world. With the tracking turned on, they also allow friends and family to follow your progress on their computers. I considered the more expensive option of a satellite phone, but correctly assumed that I would not be away from cell coverage for more than a couple of days.

Skagway Alaska
My waterfront campground in Skagway was a short walk to the downtown area and an excellent brewhouse.

Prior to leaving, I learned some sage advice from Rene Cormier, a hearty soul who rode his BMW Dakar 650 around the world over four years. His idea of a plan was not to have a plan. I focused my research on reading The Milepost (a must) and The Adventurous Motorcyclist’s Guide to Alaska along with the accompanying Butler map to figure out a general route to travel. But my “no-plan plan” was to pick only the day of departure and the day when I would start heading back, with passage on the Alaska Marine Highway for the run from Haines, Alaska, to Bellingham, Washington. That way each day turned out to be a fresh adventure.

Thompson Pass, Valdez Alaska
Thompson Pass, near Valdez, is draped in waterfalls from glacial melt.

I had assembled a good core of camping equipment, but scanning threads on the web and reading helpful books prompted me to get more stuff like bug spray, mosquito netting and supplies to sustain me in the event of a breakdown. I began a packing list a few months prior to leaving on the big trip and modified it as needed after each local campout. Leaving mid-June from Southern California, I had to prepare for temperatures ranging from below freezing in Alaska to over 100 degrees, and from sunny skies to fire-hose intensity thunderstorms. It was worthwhile; almost everything got a workout.

Don’t worry too much about forgetting something; there are plenty of places to get what you need. I learned this the hard way when a sloppy packing job left me needing to replace the tent that fell off my bike somewhere along the way. (Lesson: dry bags shrink when they lose air—“burp” them before tying down.) As for cameras, GPS units, tracking devices and all the rest, get them well before the trip and test them on your overnight camping trips. I had a few new gadgets I never used since I couldn’t be bothered to figure them out once I got on the road.

If you’re planning to camp and cook, the bike won’t have as much capacity left over for non-necessities. I ended up shipping 25 pounds of DSLR photo gear home on my third day, for example, keeping only the compact camera that I had gotten for the trip, because the heavy bike was just too challenging on gravel. If you plan on spending every night in a hotel, you can take more stuff.

Denali Highway
I carried more than some, I did camp out more than 50 nights and rode in temperatures from triple digits to near freezing. The Denali Highway is a world class destination; from this photo you can see why.

Hotels or camping? For some riders, particularly those traveling with a significant other as a passenger, hotels are often the way to go. This requires careful planning and making reservations during prime summer travel times. Camping and cooking meals, on the other hand, keeps costs down and virtually eliminates the need to plan where you’ll spend the night. As a single rider, I could always find a campsite, although I looked for a motel when the rain was coming down. Another advantage to camping is that if you like an area and want to stay another day or two, you won’t have a problem.

I came across a very wide variety of motorcycles on my trip, everything from a ’46 Harley to a trove of BMW GS bikes, to 350 enduros to Gold Wings pulling trailers. I even saw one traveler on a sportbike. Naturally, the bigger bikes stayed on the pavement, or more correctly in Alaska during the summer, on the paved roads with long stretches of gravel pavement base in the process of being graded. Yes, there were a couple of stretches of unrolled rough construction that could cause a pucker, but going slow will get you through.

Prince William Sound, Valdex Alaska
From the dock at Valdez, the view across Prince William Sound is of glacier-topped mountains. This area gets as much as 30-40 feet of snowfall per year. The Sound is full of marine animals and a boat ride is an absolute must.

Being alone, I avoided side trips with technical off-road stuff. I had no trouble with the terrain as far north as Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay), or on the mostly gravel Denali, but I did try to avoid the rain which makes the gravel there very slippery. In Fairbanks, I met one couple riding a BMW K 1600 GTL who were well into their 70s and retracing their same ride route from 30 years earlier. In short, the best bike for the ride is the one you have.

Dalton dirt
The Dalton is kept wet to suppress dust. Pre-run: lavish on spray cooking oil. Post-run: get to the coin-operated car wash ASAP.

The pre-trip prep for my bike included fresh tires to take me to Fairbanks and Adventure Cycleworks, where I had reservations to get fresh Heidenau K-60 tires for the gravel road to Prudhoe Bay and the Denali Highway. I changed the oil before leaving so I could make 6,000 miles before having to do any maintenance. For emergency repairs, I read up on what tools to take and discussed spares with my dealer. A mandatory flat tire kit and mini-compressor saved me on the Dalton Highway (a.k.a. “Ice Road”) in a desolate section of tundra when a razor-sharp rock found its way between the knobs of my fresh tires. I was also very glad I had mosquito netting to go over my hat. Very glad.

Prior to hitting the Dalton Highway, a 900-mile round trip with legendary goo and constantly watered gravel that bonds to everything, I used a tip from a dirt-biker friend and generously coated my bike with spray cooking oil. It made cleanup at a coin-operated car wash upon returning to Fairbanks much easier, although far from effortless. And my concern about not being able to get the 89-octane (mid-grade) fuel that the R 1200 GS requires was solved by getting a bottle of octane booster and augmenting the regular-only fuel dispensed in the remote areas. I was only caught once without the coveted tonic, but the fuel-injected bike still ran fine.

moose cow and her calf
Seeing a moose cow and her calf at the side of the road is not uncommon. Keep your camera with a long zoom in your tank bag.

The sights and scenery were spectacular. Every day I would come across a spot worthy of a National Geographic cover. I kept my expenses down by camping as much as I could, only eating in an upscale restaurant twice in 10 weeks, and by avoiding upscale hotels when I wanted a roof over my head. I used my “saved” money to take a boat trip in Valdez to view marine life and the Columbia Glacier; to take a flightseeing trip to a wilderness area so I could photograph bears hunting for salmon; and to go whitewater rafting in Denali.

Although the riding and the scenery were breathtakingly beyond expectation, the most outstanding part was meeting people from all over the world. When you’re on a motorcycle, you belong to a fraternity of riders; you share a bond of commonality. Sometimes you meet someone who you will ride with for a few days or even weeks. I can now say that I have open invitations to visit folks in the U.S., Canada, South America, Holland, Germany, England, South Africa, Austria and France. Camping together, sharing a fire and a brew with those who have a common love of travel and motorcycles, makes for an international family of friends.

the Columbia Glacier, Alaska
I took a tour boat from Valdez to the ice field surrounding the Columbia Glacier, seen in the background. The walls of the glacier are four stories tall, seen here from a distance of 2 miles. We saw whales, sea lions, otters and eagles.

Even people who were not on bikes contributed to the adventure through gratuitous acts of kindness. There was the couple in the Jeep on the Dalton who left me a can of Fix-a-Flat when I wasn’t sure if my plug would hold; the woman just leaving work on a commercial fishing boat who gave me a fresh salmon; the guy at the next campsite in the Yukon who came running over with a red-hot glowing log to help me start my campfire; and certainly the folks at House of Harley and the MotoQuest headquarters in Anchorage, who welcome and help all motorcyclists.

I returned home refreshed and invigorated. I also came away from my trip with a better understanding of myself and a new respect for our ancestors who lived off the land. Meeting people from other parts of the world, I learned to open my eyes and heart to appreciate these new experiences. I also learned that the adventure motorcycling bug is infectious and delightfully addictive.

As for the final question folks asked: “What would you do differently?” The answer is simple: “I would leave sooner.”

Alaksa Flat Tire
Heed the advice to be prepared with tools, water and food. A rock shard, shaped like an arrowhead, punctured my fresh tire 100 miles from Prudhoe Bay and any help. Practice fixing a flat before you leave.

(This article Going North was published in the March 2014 issue of Rider magazine.)

Ice Road Truckers
At one of several construction stops on the Dalton Highway, some real ice road truckers got out to admire my bike on their way to Prudhoe Bay with loads of diesel fuel. They were as interested in my GS and its journey as I was in their mammoth tankers.
Captain Cook State Park, Alaska
At Captain Cook State Park, I camped with Dave Coe, a rider I met from Canada. New friendships became a highlight of the trip.
Alaska's Denali Highway
The Denali Highway is an epic ride. If you look closely, you’ll see a rider off in the distance on the short paved section of road, giving scale to the enormity of Alaska.
Alaska motorcycle travel
I rode a bit with a couple from the UK who are in their third year of an around the world tour (guzzioverland.co.uk). The rain fly is topped with solar panels to help run the on-board refrigerator.
Haines Alaksa Side Roads
Exploring the side roads north of Haines. I stopped to soak in the beauty and solitude of the Alaskan wilderness.
Alaska Mosquitoes
At some spots in the tundra, the mosquitoes are so thick, you quickly learn that 100% Deet repellent is your friend.

14 COMMENTS

    • Um. No. You don’t always drive a bunch of miles every day. Sometimes a hundred sometimes 800. You can stay in a town for a few days …

  1. I rode to Alaska from Akron Ohio this year on my 2011 Victory Vision.
    13 days traveling 8,650 miles.
    I stayed on the main roads as my tires are basically slicks with minimal sipes carved into them to shed water.
    I really enjoyed the Yukon’s sites and people, but the roads were a challenge on my 900 pound bike.
    My final destination was Homer Alaska and I stayed at a very nice hotel at the end of the “spit”.
    I brought a tent and sleeping bag, but thankfully never needed to use them even though there were a few times when it was nearing midnight and I hadn’t found a place to sleep.
    Alaska was the last item on my motorcycle bucket list, and I sure am glad that at age 61 I finally got to go.

  2. Thanks for the great reading.
    Looking forward to my first proper adv trip in May 2015. Alaska – Argentina, My longest trip previously been 4 weeks. This trip is 7-8 months.

  3. was there in 04 w/ten pals. going back the last week of june till the first week in aug. from Denver and back, 2013 800gsf and 2013 800 triumph triple. cant wait, bob

  4. LOL…..Together we ridden all over the ALCAN 4 times on my 08 Harley Ultra Bagger. Nice and comfortable. My bride on the back and I have camped out in a tent, we’ve done the hotel route, and once even pulled a camp trailer. Most of the time our daily mileage is 400 min to 500 a day. No stress, Always fun. Its not a difficult trip. The roads are very do-able. We have shared our espresso coffee with many of the dual sport riders along the way. We love traveling on our Harley Limo. Visiting the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Los Vegas, Reno, the Red Woods. Plan, Prepare, Execute and enjoy. Don’t be in a hurry and you’ll be fine.

  5. Thanks for the insight Steve. I am heading that way shortly… just coming from a little bit further away (Australia). I think I’m going to run out of rideable season before I run out of time, but i too have merely a start point and the rest is “fluid”. Riding “Scarlet”, my 2009 BMW G650GS. After Alaska, will toddle around Canada and parts of the US for as long as the visa rules and money allow. J

  6. Your trips sounds like you had a blast. I am taking this trip in a month. I’m leaving may 23rd and coming back the end of June although I had till the July 10th till I have to be back to work so I’m going to stop and smell all the roses I can. I am also going to camp as often as I can. I have invested in some good quality gear so it should suit me well.
    Thanks for the read and info… Biker Bob

  7. At 60 I’ve been racing dirt bikes for 50 years. After reading this it seems I haven’t done anything. Now I’ve got a 1290 and some time and a little $ and this seems like living! Thanks so much for letting me tag along!

  8. Fantastic article. I am planning on riding to Alaska from Kentucky next summer. Learned a lot of things to think about from this narrative. Thanks for sharing.. Jim

  9. Hello Steven,

    I may be a bit late in reading your article but it was nonetheless most informative and useful to me. A big THANK YOU for sharing your experience.

    I am also relatively new to the world of motorcycles, deciding at 63 to get my first in 2020. Fast forward to fall 2021 and I have my first “long” trip under my belt – 4200 kms (2610mi., to and back) to the end of route 138 on the North Shore of Quebec (Canada).
    Next year’s plan is to cross Canada to Vancouver Island, and back. Looking forward to this IMMENSELY so I guess you could say I have the bug!

    The one thing that I garnered from you story is the lack of over-planning. For my 2021 trip I planned all my stays (moto-camping for about 90% of the time). This because of the on-going issues with COVID restrictions. Still a wonderful time.

    Long story short, this year I intend on…. going with the flow and let each day be… an adventure even more!

    Thanx and safe travels to all!

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