I haven't done a big trip yet...I saw this today and I'm go'in. I have a 2005 KLR650 with 3k on the OD.
Rain gear and you can pick up a 1-2 gallong fuel can in Fairbanks...or Dawson City if you're headed to NWT.
Thanks this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for...what the best month to go and how cold does it get etc...
ride in a northerly direction, stop when you get to a really big body of water. Seriously, a lot of regular bikes are suitable, but a dual-sport just feel mo bedda. There's lots of opportunity to camp, so take gear. A summer weight compressible sleeping bag and a backpacking tent with rain fly will be just fine. I can rain a lot and it can be cool, so rain gear and a heated vest is good. A jacket/pants combo that has waterproof/breathable membrane liner is better than stopping to put on rain gear. There are honda, Yamaha and Kawi dealer in Prince George. Tire selection for 130x17 tires can sometimes be chancy. There are good shops in Whitehorse. There are motorycycle shops in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. A guy I rode with in '95 found a knobby tire at a mostly snowmobile/ATV shop in Inuvik, NWT. Most people take a spare gas can, in case a gas station in middle of nowhere is out of gas that day and you need to get 100 miles further. Start with new tires and fresh chain. Keep chain lubed and it will last. Rain washes lube off chains lube often. Ignore this if you ride a bmw shaftie. Take a little first aid kit and extra tube and tools for changing a flat. Take an extra rim strip too. Distances can be great. Be prepared to do 400 mile days, if you are on limited time. You meet lots of other adventure motorcyclists along the way, so there's lots of comraderie and exchange of info about roads ahead. People are friendly in Canada, particularly so in the far north. Don't override your skills on muddy roads and you will get there. The Yellowhead highway, from Jasper to Hazelton, and Kitwanga, then the Cassier Highway north to Watson Lake is prettier and more interesting than the Alaska Highway from Dawson to Watson Lake. Taking Klondike Highway from whitehorse to Dawson, Yukon Territory, then Top-o-the-world road from Dawson to Tok is neat. Take time to ride down to Atlin Lake, B.C. - really beautiful area. Go to Borders or Dalton Booksellers, or whatever, and pick up copy of "Milepost" and plan your trip from that. It's the gospel on travel in that part of the world. Good luck. Hope this helps a little bit.
Leaving the lower 48 by mid-june is pretty good. You'll get warmer weather, but could run into more rain. If you ride the Dempster Hiway north to Inuvik, and camp over at Eagle Plains, about 22 miles south of the Arctic Circle, you'll see the sun still up at midnite at that time of year. If you plan your trip for early August to September, the weather can start to dry out a bit, but temps are cooler. When I was riding up there in '02, it snowed a couple of days above 700' elevation, so you might have to deal with little bit of that. It starts to get real pretty then, as leaves start to turn farther north. In my opinion, if this is your first trip, then the Milepost is a good investment to plan your trip and give you idea of what to expect. I went through it quite a bit before I took off on trip, made diary notes, etc., but ended up not packing the book on the ride.
If you want a breakdown of the Alaska Highways go to this site. Real good breakdown of mileage, and stop points on the important roads. Norm http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/highways.htm
May is drier than June....June is drier than July......July is drier than August. You get the picture! Expect reduced tire wear, expect a flat, expect rain, expect bugs, and expect to have a great ride. Alaska will not disappoint you unless you are a wimpy Starbucks kinda guy from NYC. Leave your lantern at home! Get a butt pad from Barb! I like the detail of the MilePost, but would only take the pages that apply to your route. Check out the "Dust to Dawson" thread in the Great White North Regional forum for local flavor and some good trip reports.
