Alaska Rock Chips?

2050 Views 27 Replies 23 Participants Last post by vanavyman, 7 d ago

gravedigger

Discussion Starter · Apr 21, 2019

Do I need to worry about rock chips and such on my Wing, during my ride up to Alaska and back? I'd hate to think the bike will be chipped up. Some people are telling me my bike will be beat to death.

Do I take my bike now to Line-X and have the lower front pieces coated for protection? do i install large mud flaps on the front and rear wheels to protect the bike and the trailer? The Escapade trailer will have the "bra" on the nose.

What is the TRUTH?

Joe

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ROUGH RIDER

· #2 · Apr 21, 2019

Rock Chips

Yes do plan on getting rock chips to paint and windshield. I have had a rock from a passing truck shatter the driver window on a pick-up truck as well as many windshield chips. This is all just part of the ride to Alaska. I would protect the headlights as they can be broken easily and are needed.

Reactions: 2

eddiepants

· #3 · Apr 21, 2019

Well when I did my trip to Alaska one of my fog lights in the lower cowling was totally destroyed from rocks . My brother lost one of his mufflers on his ST100.
And the dirt has some kind of glue in it because you will have to physically scrub it off .

Reactions: 2

Bulitt

· #4 · Apr 21, 2019

I did the trip on an old GS and there were long sections of the Alcan that were gravel just due to the constant construction due to the frost heaving and cold conditions the previous winter. You WILL be in rough road and gravel some of the way and the slurry the mud makes will fill every nook and cranny. It is just part of the deal.

I know a lot of guys ride their wings up there but I wouldn’t and I don’t think I would buy one that had made the trip. If I were going to do it again, I would buy an old GS or V-Strom and pack it like a packhorse and roll. Right tool for the job.

That sir.....is the truth!

Reactions: 5

gravedigger

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 21, 2019

So ... if I don't take my Wing up there, is there a company in Washington where I could rent a suitable bike for the trip up and back? I could store my Wing in the lower 48 and take another bike up to Alaska. Also, I wonder if there are gouded tours up and back.

Heading to Google ...

Joe

tamathumper

· #6 · Apr 21, 2019

Check out EagleRider.com for country-wide rentals, and HorizonsUnlimited.com for info on adventure bikes, gearing up, and just about anything you could want to learn about adventure biking.

Reactions: 1

MisterK

· #7 · Apr 21, 2019

gravedigger said:
So ... if I don't take my Wing up there, is there a company in Washington where I could rent a suitable bike for the trip up and back? I could store my Wing in the lower 48 and take another bike up to Alaska. Also, I wonder if there are gouded tours up and back.

Heading to Google ...

Joe

I have known a couple of guys who rode with these guys and had a great experience

https://www.motoquest.com/motorcycle-tours/

@dosxx and I are heading to Alaska June 14th. He is riding his VFR1200 DCT and I am on the Africa Twin DCT.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Reactions: 1

vanavyman

· #8 · Apr 21, 2019

If you are concerned with your Nice Goldwing getting messed up and have a little extra money pick up an 06-08 Goldwing for under $9000 for the trip. Get all the maintenance updated and ride. When you get back clean it as best you can and resell it. Loss will be a lot less than renting and the key is you don't have to worry about it. You can enjoy the ride. Good luck on your trip.

Reactions: 4

CAWing78

· #9 · Apr 21, 2019

I agree with buying another bike more suitable for the trip and then selling it when you return home. :wink2:

Reactions: 4

ATCguy

· #10 · Apr 21, 2019

Yes, your bike will be “destroyed”. I don’t mean mechanically unrideable... but forget about it ever looking great again.

Just like using pair of pliers to remove a nut from a bolt is the wrong tool for the job... so is your Wing for the trip you wanna take. Sure, you can do it... but I sure wouldn’t unless I REALLY wanted to go, and had no other options for doing it.

Head over to the ADVrider.com site, and spend a day browsing thru the hundreds of posts about riding up the ALCAN. You’ll find all the info you ever want to know from riders who’ve done it multiple times.

Reactions: 3

JDBRIDER

· #11 · Apr 21, 2019

I believe the only thing that you can be sure of on the trip is that no two trips are the same. Wife and I rode our wings up there in 2010. Me on my 02 pulling a coleman caboose trailer and her on her 03. Rode thru some construction, nothing serious except for mud. The mud washed off at a car wash without any trouble. Didn't brake anything and can't say either one of us even got a stone chip. We rode up thru Jasper and Lake Louise in late May. Lots of snow yet but none on the rode. We rode the Alcan from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks and the Top of the world Highway from Chicken to Dawson City and headed back to Wisconsin from there. About the only gravel we rode was on the Top of the World Highway. I don't think we met another vehicle on the Top of the World Highway. Probably because we went thru customs shortly before they closed. I would not hesitate to ride the trip again but that would maybe be a whole different story. We chose not ride to Prudoe Bay.

Reactions: 2

farmerbk

· #12 · Apr 22, 2019

Will depend a bit

On where you want to go, how lucky you are in construction, and what passes you....

My wife and I went in 2015 on our 2008..which I am still riding.
We went up over the Top of the World (where we put down in a construction zone) and up as far as Fairbanks....(had hopes for arctic circle, but ran out of time) Hit some heavy construction and big rocks around Destruction Bay.

Long story short...if I was going back to Alaska (and I plan to in the next 3 years) I would ride my 1800 again. If I am going to ride all the way to Deadhorse....I would be looking for a V-strom or a KLR to ride from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. From what I have read...(emphasize 'read') a GL will struggle if you are picking a time that is wet. If you know your trip to Deadhorse and back would be dry, your 1800 should be fine.

The only damage to my bike that was beyond normal was the scratch on the bottom of the saddle bag from our construction zone incident (and the windshield I broke with my shoulder (and not a rock))

I think you would be fine. My email is good, I can give you more details if you are interested.

A trip of a lifetime. Look up passages from Kurt (BGBLK06) his dad (Touringon2) and several others I cannot remember off the top of my head.
The trip to Alaska is the trip of a lifetime!!! And half the fun is in the planning (Kurt). And there are many members that will offer all they can to help you make that trip memorable for you.

Best wishes, Ride on!
bryon

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Reactions: 4

gravedigger

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 22, 2019

tamathumper said:
Check out EagleRider.com for country-wide rentals, and HorizonsUnlimited.com for info on adventure bikes, gearing up, and just about anything you could want to learn about adventure biking.

Eagle Rider is all Harley. I would not ride up the Alcan Highway on a Harley.

Joe

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Reactions: 1

cycledude

· #14 · Apr 22, 2019

I have ridden to Alaska three times, the first time was 2007 on my wing and that was the best motorcycle trip of my life, we rode to the arctic circle and back then it wasn’t paved, no damage to my wing.
The second time was on my Yamaha Tenere and we rode all the way to Prudehoe Bay , no damage to the bike but it rained every day for the entire trip, some days it rained all day.
Third trip was also on the Tenere, a BMW that was with us broke down near Whitehorse Yukon Territory and had to be towed 200 miles, we were unable to get parts to fix it so we kinda jury rigged it so he could ride it 100 miles to put it on a boat home, the three day boat ride cost him $1,600.00

Reactions: 3

delusionalmechanic

· #15 · Apr 22, 2019

2

My wife and I did alaska in 2015. There is long construction zones (in excess of 30Km). Top of the world highway is not paved. The dalton had very little pavement north of livengood.

In my case the pavement is 6 miles from my house so I did not notice any additional rock chips. The bike came back in the same condition that it left both mechanically and aesthetically.

Personally I felt that the wing was well suited for our trip. I would think that 2 up on an ADV bike for 8000Km would be the wrong machine.

The best advice I could give to someone planing a trip to alaska is - Don't take any advice from anyone (through internet or in person) unless you can verify that they have actually been there themselves. The misinformation is rampant.

BTW your bike will get dirty.

There is a lot to see, Have a great trip.

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Reactions: 4

UNCLEJOHN

· #16 · Apr 22, 2019

I took mine up there pulling camper 13,600 miles never had bike that dirty !!!! But no damage !! When roads under construction there bad. Rocks the size of softballs . Cant miss them all . Would go again and take the wing !! Wont go to pruduo bay . Did top of the world 99 miles of gravel ! No damage . Thousands have done no damage and handfull with some. Your choice.

Reactions: 3

wingman05

· #17 · Apr 22, 2019 (Edited)

ROUGH RIDER said:
Yes do plan on getting rock chips to paint and windshield. I have had a rock from a passing truck shatter the driver window on a pick-up truck as well as many windshield chips. This is all just part of the ride to Alaska. I would protect the headlights as they can be broken easily and are needed.

I totally agree :agree: Parts of the ALCAN are always under repair because of melting permafrost and crumbling roadways. More than once was my windshield hit be a sizable rock kicked up by a passing vehicle. In 2017 there was a lot of road construction just past Teslin, YT going north to Beaver Creek, YT. Because of ongoing road construction and off and on rain storms I felt like I was riding a 950lb dirt bike with Uni-go trailer attached. Having said this, I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I plan to celebrate my 70th with a return trip to Alaska in 2022, this time, taking the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry out of Washington to Haines, AK, and riding the ALCAN and the Cassier Highway on the return trip. And by all means pick up the latest Milepost which shows ongoing and projected road construction along the ALCAN.

Reactions: 4

tamathumper

· #18 · Apr 22, 2019

gravedigger said:
Eagle Rider is all Harley. I would not ride up the Alcan Highway on a Harley.

Joe

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They used to do BMW R1200GS bikes, and that's the tool for the job. They still show them on their website.

231wingman

· #19 · Apr 22, 2019

There has been some threads in the past on the temporary use of Plasti Dip for paint protection.

I have not personally tried this but is something you may want to consider. From what I remember it’s been positive.

Reactions: 2

tamathumper

· #20 · Apr 22, 2019

Good point. Plenty of products out there for the track rats, too. Both film appliques and roll ons.

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