Moving on up. I got ???'s

[ADVBMR]

fixed

Originally Posted by bigskyguy

lets get ready to rummm mobile!

[AK_Troyer]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

The weirdos really come out of the woodwork during forest fair, possibly the best people watching event in all of Alaska.

Fortunately for us, the weirdos at Forest Fair aren't from Girdwood...they just wish they were.

BigSky: the 700" of snow we've had this winter is just above average for us...we're still 20 feet away from the record. PM me if you need any info on G'wood.

[Brendon@TMS]

Just to chime in here

Welcome to Alaska! I hope you get the job, Girdwood is a great little town and Alaska is an amazing state to experience!

I'm The Motorcycle Shop, you're local BMW, Ducati, KTM, Triumph, Kawasaki, and Husqvarna dealer.

WE AREN'T KTM STREET CERTIFIED, keep this in mind, that means we can't get any LC8 motors, or their big singles. We can get the EXC's, but that's it for KTM street bikes. KTM has changed in the past few years, starting with the buyout by TATA, and it's made it...difficult...to say the least, on dealers anyways. When they're pressuring you to purchase new tooling every year and pushing 20 LC8 bikes, it's a big tough pill to swallow.

The KTM LC8 is such a fantastic motor and bike, but they are everything but easy to work on. An absolute joy to ride, but a PITA to own, unless you like teching your own stuff (nothing wrong with that btw).

That said, I'm happy to get you all the parts you need, and I'll certainly try and help where I can, tires, oil, chain, sprockets. We don't have the computer, but you don't need a computer to adj the valves.

I'd strongly look at the new Husqvarna's, great price point, and they're releasing a new 650 single that's supposed to be bad to the bone. Husqvarna is owned by BMW now, great dealer support which means I can support you!

Obviously BMW is in the mix for "best AK bike" also the new Triumph Tiger 800, and 800XC are a good dollar value, great engine note, and road handling.

When you get up here, come on by, I've got most of my 2012's on the floor, I'd be happy to chat with you.

Regards,
Brendon

[marbee40]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

As one post mentioned, its a double fine area, not cheap. They also frown on lane splitting here in AK, and its been a very hard habit for me to shake

Wow! Seward Highway went to double fine? OUCH! Kinda takes some of the fun out of "spirited rides" eh. Those dang Troopers are NO fun, especially in a no-fun-zone.

Lane splitting isn't just frowned upon, it's actually illegal by statute. Which reallllly bums me out cuz I spent many years in SoCal perfecting my skills. I think you'd be more likely to get squished up here cuz the locals would freak!

IMHO you can't go wrong with any bike that just plain goes up here. Plenty of asphalt to run around on. BUT, if you don't get a DS at some point, you'll likely miss out on bitchin rides like D2D, etc as your F-Zed ain't really set up for it. If you're looking for a street legal 450, better get one down south cuz it ain't happening up here....not via DMV anyways. Also, only a handful of street legal DB's are ever for sale up here. (KTM, Husky, etc, not withstanding).

Good luck with the job and Girdwood is an amazing place, as is the surrounding coutryside.

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by Brendon@TMS

That said, I'm happy to get you all the parts you need, and I'll certainly try and help where I can, tires, oil, chain, sprockets.
Regards,
Brendon

Good to know, thanks Brendon.

Originally Posted by marbee40

Wow! Seward Highway went to double fine? OUCH! Kinda takes some of the fun out of "spirited rides" eh. Those dang Troopers are NO fun, especially in a no-fun-zone.

Lane splitting isn't just frowned upon, it's actually illegal by statute. Which reallllly bums me out cuz I spent many years in SoCal perfecting my skills. I think you'd be more likely to get squished up here cuz the locals would freak!

Yeah man, the 55 mph zones are double fine zones for sure. I think it even says it on the speed limit signs. Of course they are a bit hard to read at 90 mph.

Between 10 years in SoCal and 2 years in Latin America, I dont think I can ride without splitting lanes. I was a the end of big line of traffic in town on Old Seward and out of habit, just split right to front. I wondered why everyone was honking, yelling and flipping me off. Some of those folks need to mellow out a bit.

[ADVBMR]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

I wondered why everyone was honking, yelling and flipping me off. Some of those folks need to mellow out a bit.

I got caught in an awful traffic jam in south Anchorage (on Klatt Road) a few years back and rode the shoulder at about 10 mph until I went by an unmarked that lit me up. He was a rider and let me go but as I was talking to him you wouldn't believe the hoots, hollers, and fingers that went by. The officer explained "one vehicle, one lane" but the ditch looked just as good to me and had I thought about it I might have taken the alternate route. But as I thought about it later I realized that other folks would have been agitated either way. Definitely could use a little mellowing.

[Skyd1v]

Couple of summers ago I got stuck in traffic out on the curves past Fort Rich on the Glenn. (accident on the ER hill). It was one of those really rare hot summer days and the KLR actually began to overheat. This was before the T-bob install.

Decided to get onto the shoulder and ride up to the weigh station to shut down and let it cool off a bit. You would think I was riding with a hammer in hand smashing windows with all the honking and swearing from the cars I passed.

Not 5 minutes later, as I sat letting the engine cool and THEY were passing ME, a few of them had to honk and wave the "salute" again! Yeah, some mellowing would be nice...

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by Skyd1v

You would think I was riding with a hammer in hand smashing windows with all the honking and swearing from the cars I passed.

Not 5 minutes later, as I sat letting the engine cool and THEY were passing ME, a few of them had to honk and wave the "salute" again! Yeah, some mellowing would be nice...

I still dont quite understand this about people in the US. Its a motorcycle. What good is riding a motorcycle in traffic if you cant split lanes? If youre in a cage and you block, honk, flip off a guy splitting lanes on a moto in Bogota or Caracas traffic, youre likely to get a gun waved in your face, at best.

[marbee40]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

I still dont quite understand this about people in the US. Its a motorcycle. What good is riding a motorcycle in traffic if you cant split lanes?

Agreed 110%. I truly miss lane splitting, especially at lower speeds when traffic is backed up. But I DON'T miss the SoCal traffic one little bit!

[friar mike]

moving back from England I had to contain myself from lane splitting or as they called it "filtering" it was hard and I my have done it a time or two with out thinking. or maybe I was.

[bigskyguy]

Just wanted to say thanks to all of ya for the advice. It looks like my wife and I will be moving to Girdwood after all. I'm thinking I'll probably sell my bikes down here and avoid having to move with them. I'm thinking a jet boat might serve us better . I will be kieeping my little 76 CB 360 tracker for zipping around town tho (that is, once I finish building it). It's going to be a busy summer. Ugh

[Wheeldog]

Originally Posted by bigskyguy

Just wanted to say thanks to all of ya for the advice. It looks like my wife and I will be moving to Girdwood after all. I'm thinking I'll probably sell my bikes down here and avoid having to move with them. I'm thinking a jet boat might serve us better . I will be kieeping my little 76 CB 360 tracker for zipping around town tho (that is, once I finish building it). It's going to be a busy summer. Ugh

There's "real jobs" in Girdwood in the summer???? You gotta be working for the gov't eh???

[Av8rPaul]

Congrats man, Girdwood is a really cool place. There's a lot of riding you could do on your big FZ, just more on a dual sport. If you decided to sell it after you get here and upgrade, say to a KTM Adventure (hee hee) you shouldn't have too much trouble selling it. Once riding season hit I priced my Buell 1125R right and sold it in 2 days.

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by bigskyguy

I'm thinking I'll probably sell my bikes down here and avoid having to move with them. I'm thinking a jet boat might serve us better .

So you’re gonna give up riding for a boat that ya gotta tow all over the country just to use it on weekends or sumthin’? Wrong.

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by bigskyguy

I'm thinking I'll probably sell my bikes down here and avoid having to move with them. I'm thinking a jet boat might serve us better .

The 40hp jet outboard opens up a lot of good, relatively uncrowded fishing to you. But if youre going to give up the bikes, be prepared to buy a 160 hp mountain sled. Epic snow machining up here this past winter. Turnagain Pass was off the charts, all winter long.