Sport-Touring the Dalton Highway?

ROFL!
Yes, at times I wondered if the sun was shining anywhere in the world!

I was a bit concerned early in the trip when I was monitoring tire wear, but once I got away from the gravel roads, the tires seemed to stop wearing.
I made it home and then changed them after another couple of hundred miles. They had over 14,000 on them when I took them off.

Michelin PR3 front
Michelin Commander II rear

Rick... did u adjust tire preasure on gravel?

Hey Rick.. I dont often see where people asks the costs involved. My question is this : once your bike was rigged like you wanted it etc and u were on the bike ready to head out... from that point, til you got back ( gas, hotels, campgrounds, eats etc) what were your approximate expenses?

Awsome job !! well done..

What an awesome photo!
It kills me to see the things I missed in my big rush to go everywhere in one trip!
Salmon Glacier
Lake Maligne
This mountain
etc...

Looks like I'm going to have to go back....

I had received some advice on reducing tire pressure on gravel, but I never did.

I hadn't really ridden this bike on gravel before, I hadn't run these tires before, I needed to get the maximum mileage out of them if I was going to make it home on one set....

So with all those excuses, I didn't feel comfortable trying something new (for me) that far from a repair shop.
Even though I had a 12v compressor with me.

I'll always wonder if the Dalton would have been easier to handle with lowered pressure.
It sure kept me busy. :eek1

I just kept the details on the fuel....

Thanks for sharing. This is a ride I hope to make within the next 2 years

Rick,

Your videos are by far the most inspiring and helpful I have come across. I'm planning this trip in the summer of 2014 after I retire. The video gives me the clearest idea of what to expect and after watching them I've gained much confidence.

I'm curious about how you managed to keep the video camera aimed to capture all that nicely framed video. Did you have a lot left on the "cutting room floor" after editing?

Seriously well done stuff. I'm sharing it with my local "club", some of whom have made the trek already.

Many thanks!

Good job,loved ur R.R.i rode to Alaska back in July&Aug.on a F650gs,11,129 mi.round trip in 22days,ready to do it again.

Awesome videos. I come across so many on YouTube that aren't framed or explained; just random bits of video. Excellent job with the video footage and your narration to go along with it.

Near the end of your fourth video where you ride past the immense valley to your right as Louis Armstrong plays A Wonderful World was awe-inspiring. Excellent video as well as music choice for the moment.

Hi Rick, just sat and watched your videos back to back, they are amazing. I have always wanted to go there ever since my partner brought home a copy of , motorcycle tour and travel, home about 16 years ago. I was very intriuged by a black and white photograph of a road sign saying 240 miles to the next services. After we bought maps of the area we decided we would love to do it, unfortunately the trip never came off. Today watching your videos has rekindled that dream. When claire comes home tonight I will show her the videos and we are now in a situation where we can start and save and maybe do it at long last. Once again thank you Dave

Yes, framing was a challenge...
I did have a couple of clips where the helmet mount was bumped off-level and I didn't know it until later.
You can see in the beginning where I did a 180 to get a second look at a bear - the camera was tilted badly.
Also, when I got to the Northwest Territories and filmed the bison around the buildings, I didn't know the lens was dirty.

I got a Wi-Fi BacPac for Christmas,so in the future I'll be able to check the picture with my iPhone app before I take off.
I chose the middle setting on lens angle. The wide angle would have been better for some of the scenery, and the narrow setting would have been better for the wildlife. The bears that look like they are a half-mile away are just a result of the lens setting.

I had to use a "stabilize" effect with my video editor SW to reduce the camera shake that comes from using a helmet mount. In some of the scenic areas, I stood on the pegs to use my legs as an extra shock absorber, giving the camera a smoother ride. If you can see the bike's windshield in the clip, I'm sitting down. Otherwise, I'm probably on the pegs.

I also learned the technique of turning my head to the side for a shot while looking straight ahead toward the highway.

Thanks, Dave.
I would never try to talk someone into making a trip like this if they weren't interested in the first place, but for someone who has felt that spark of adventure, the "Call of the Wild", I would say do it sooner than later.

We all have friends who say they want to go with us on our adventures until it comes down to the big decision... then there's always plenty of excuses for not going.

There are a lot more dreamers than doers.

But that's OK - the majority of people will always prefer safety and security over the unknown - that's what makes us "special".

I had started planning to do a Newfoundland trip, then a California trip, and then the Grand Finale of Alaska, all spread out over 3-4 years. But the more I thought about it, I decided that being 60 years old, I don't know how many trips I have left, and I didn't want to miss this one. I have dreamed of going to Alaska since I was a kid. What better way than motorcycle camping?

Look at it this way - the sooner you go on your dream adventure, the longer you'll have to savor the memories and share them with your friends!

Awesome! I watched the first 6 videos, the 7th said "not available for this platform". I've used an iPad for all.

Hi Rick
Thanks for posting your great RR and fantastic video's.
I sat and watched them all back to back last night.
I dream of riding Canada and Alaska, watching your video's certainly makes you feel like you are.
Thanks again

Great videos. That looked like some tough riding for that kind of bike. I bet you were a better rider when you got back than when you left.

Thanks for taking the time to make the videos and share them with us. I learned a lot about what to expect when my time comes to make that trip. Well done.
An Aussie friend rode the Dalton about the same time this year and had the same weather. He was on a Bonnie towing a small trailer. I'll take my DR I think when the time comes.

Wonderful! I just finished watching all 7. Excellent videos

This has really inspired me to do an Alaska trip in the future.

Rick, I just got done watching all 7 video's. Excellent job on putting them together. I also rode to Alaska this past summer, from June 19 to July 17 covering 10,500 miles. I noticed in your 7th and final video that you rode into that bad rain storm in Minnesota. Do you happen to remember what day that was on your trip? On June 20th the second day of my trip I also rode into a severe storm and major flooding in Duluth. It took me over 3 hours to get out of the Duluth area due to many roads being closed due to flooding. I wonder if we crossed paths along the way? Thanks again for sharing, Fred.

LOL - Yes, it was the evening of June 19.
That was the clip about the zoo flooding and the animals escaping/drowning.
It just occurred to me that the animals were probably looking for a really old guy with a huge boat...

Here's my SPOTWalla with all the dates and times in EST:
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=45784f8ee1e21d690

On the SPOT track, you can see where I stopped in Superior at a Subway to grab some food and "regain my resolve".

I left quite a water puddle on the floor from my wet gear while I ate, then proceeded to Ishpeming for a dry motel room.