Well it began last September 2011 to start making the transition from a F650GS Dakar to a R1200GSA so I could make the ride to Alaska. Since that decision was made, I sold my 2001 motorcycle and bought a 2009 R1200GSA that will give me long range comfort on the Highway and SUV capabilities when the road turns into dirt and other horrors that I have read about. There were and are a lot of things that I have to workout before leaving on this trip, so I decided to give myself an entire Summer to learn my new bike, train myself, and then determine if I can do it.
I wanted a motorcycle that was great on asphalt and good off-road. Then I wanted long range per tank of fuel and this 2009 R1200GSA has a 8.7 gallon fuel tank. The GSA is suppose to give me pretty close to 40 mpg and if I burn 8.5 of that, I should be able to go 340 miles. Well I track my fuel consumption on fuelly.com and I have already done one leg that was 365 miles, 8.99 gallons burned, at a rate of 40.7mpg. Doesn’t that make you scratch your head? It did me. 8.7 gallon tank and I put in 8.99 gallons! So now I know I can do that, but I will also be mounting (2) 2 gallon Rotopax fuel canisters on the GSA just in case I put myself in a bad situation. That will give me another 180 mile buffer. In my research to date, the longest run appears to be 275 miles between fuel stops anywhere in Alaska, as long as they are open when I arrive. That being key!!!
The next item that I have taken care of this winter is training myself to ride in the cold. Is it fun? Not really because getting dressed with all the heated gear is a pain, but I have done things this winter that I never thought I would do. I have ridden in temperatures as low as 22 degrees at night and I was very comfortable with my Gerbing heated gear. Then I wanted a new riding suit that I could use as an outer layer to protect me from rain, heat, cold, and any major falls that I may have. It was a very difficult decision for me to make dropping $1100 dollars on this suit, but I did it. I bought a new Klim latitude Jacket and Pants. The lifetime warranty on being waterproof was the bullet that put me over the top making the decision. So now I will wear this suit fulltime, Summer and Winter, and carrying my heated suit to supplement the Klim suit when needed. Gloves are not an issue because my Gerbing gloves, treated, will be waterproof and they are also heated. I have plenty of warm weather gloves.
The last piece of gear that I need to ensure that is up snuff are my boots. They are Gore-tex and should be waterproof for life, but they are not. The last time I rode in the rain, both boots leaked. I thought it may be sweat, but now I’m thinking not so much. I contacted Morton’s Bmw and W.L. Gore INC. and the W.L.Gore has already told me to call them to get a RMA number. Morton’s"? Nothing yet! So over the next couple of weeks, I will be taking care of the boot issue.
Things that I need to do that I know about right now in time are listed below and I will start picking them off one by one.
1. Wire USB port to the motorcycle.
2. Install waterproof Iphone mount.
3. Install knobby tires on R1200GSA for learning purposes.
4. Practice changing tires on the bike.
5. Purchase Jumper cables. (Bike can’t be push started)
6. Replace center tank bag.
7. Practice riding bike fully loaded off-road.
8. Practice riding fully loaded in the rain.
9. Update all tools that I would need on the road.
10. Install TT-Raid box for extra storage.
11. Take a few overnight camping trips, long distance.
I think this is enough for now but I reserve the right to update the todo list as I find a new need that has to be filled. I almost wish that I was leaving this May to take the trip because I’m mentally ready to go, but I know that I’m really not ready. I still have a lot of research on routes to do and a lot of personally training to do to make sure that I can handle the majority of issue that might arise. I know that I will not be able to protect for everything, but I know I will prepare as best as I know how. I pulled off the California trip that was 10,500 miles on a motorcycle, so this trip of 15,000 miles I will be prepared for to.
Some cool links to read if you want to see some of my research are listed below.
