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BR46

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One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 

Ride around for a few weeks and then head back 

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29 minutes ago, BR46 said:

One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 

Ride around for a few weeks and then head back 

Just ride your motorcycle all the way to Alaska. You like adventure.

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5 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Just ride your motorcycle all the way to Alaska. You like adventure.

Only if you join us 

It's 4,300 miles one way. Do you want to join us on a 3 week 10,000 motorcycle ride?

 

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2 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Motorcycle seats are not like bicycle seats. They are more like sitting on a cloud.

You think you can do 500 miles a day for 3 weeks on a 45 year old Harley? 

I can't 

I've done many 500 mile days on that bike but I don't think I could do it for that many days in a row. One of the things that would probably do me in is eating every meal in restaurants. 

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58 minutes ago, BR46 said:

One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 

Ride around for a few weeks and then head back 

Treat the Northern Lights as a possible bonus, not as part of the plan.  Alaska is worthwhile on its own and trying to time the Northern Lights would be hard at best.  I'd probably enjoy a 3+ week roadtrip, but I think I would opt for a car/SUV instead, and ditch the motorcycle.  RVs are popular, but I can't imagine the cost in fuel plus the wear and tear on it.  A car/SUV though, would let you put in those longer miles in comfort, get in and out of sight seeing spots, and still be reasonably economical.  You might also consider flying into Anchorage and just doing a big loop or out and backs from there.  How much farther north would you really want to go beyond Denali or even Fairbanks?  

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11 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

ditch the motorcycle

These words you speak I don't understand. 

12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

RVs are popular, but I can't imagine the cost in fuel plus the wear and tear on it

We already put on thousands of miles pulling the race trailer all over the US. Some trips driving through the Smokies. Sometimes driving 20 hours non stop (only for gas and switch drivers)

The thought was to drive the motorhome to Seattle and visit a fellow sidecar racing buddy. Leave the motorhome in Seattle and take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 

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45 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

If you are taking your bike, I assume you are going in summer.  You will likely not see the Northern Lights on that trip because remember you will be looking at 18-20 hours of daylight then.

If you and you bike are okay of gravel road you should consider the North West Territories.  In the west side of it (east of Alaska) there is a new dirt highway up to Tuktoyaktuk.  You could then say you crossed the Arcric Circle on your motorbike and literally ride to the coast of the Arctic Ocean

We would probably go in May. I looked at the temperatures around that time and there's days that get up in the 50s. 

We've done many trips that we were lucky if the temperatures hit 60.

We will dress warm. 

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1 hour ago, Zephyr said:

If you are taking your bike, I assume you are going in summer.  You will likely not see the Northern Lights on that trip because remember you will be looking at 18-20 hours of daylight then.

If you and you bike are okay of gravel road you should consider the North West Territories.  In the west side of it (east of Alaska) there is a new dirt highway up to Tuktoyaktuk.  You could then say you crossed the Arcric Circle on your motorbike and literally ride to the coast of the Arctic Ocean

That sounds like an awesome trip!

The sun has been quite active lately, supposedly it's in an active cycle that could last a while, so your chances are better.  

I've seen both curtain and dome lights as far south as Vermont, but that's rather rare.  There were actually some dim lights visible in my neighborhood about a week ago, but i missed it.

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1 hour ago, BR46 said:

The thought was to drive the motorhome to Seattle and visit a fellow sidecar racing buddy. Leave the motorhome in Seattle and take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 

I like this but it sure seems longer than a 3 week trip.  Just the motorhome to Seattle and the ferry is over a week, correct? If you get off and on the ferry, ie not even to the "meat" of Alaska, that adds days and days.  Then up in the Anchorage area, out to Denali, and up to Fairbanks, etc., plus the return trip, seems like a month or more or RV, ferry, and motorcycle time. 

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1 hour ago, BR46 said:

You think you can do 500 miles a day for 3 weeks on a 45 year old Harley? 

I can't 

I've done many 500 mile days on that bike but I don't think I could do it for that many days in a row. One of the things that would probably do me in is eating every meal in restaurants. 

You would probably have stuff fall off a Harley on Alaska’s roads. Probably not a lot of repair shops up there either. Maybe take a BMW?

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4 hours ago, petitepedal said:

Well...they were spectacular a couple weeks ago..in northern mn..colder temps ...October November can be great..sun flares help..and what we noticed growing up..often it was windy :dontknow: not that it had effect on the atmosphere :blink:

They were across Alberta and parts of other provinces, depending on clarity of night skies. I would not see northern lights as guaranteed/daily phenomena, no matter where you to in Alaska or up north. Those who see it, sometimes have to hang out for several hrs. at night.  Or you go there...and see nothing in the end.

I missed the northern lights.  A number of locals have seen them, by chance, or hunkering down for hrs. in car somewhere in middle of the night.

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

I like this but it sure seems longer than a 3 week trip.  Just the motorhome to Seattle and the ferry is over a week, correct? If you get off and on the ferry, ie not even to the "meat" of Alaska, that adds days and days.  Then up in the Anchorage area, out to Denali, and up to Fairbanks, etc., plus the return trip, seems like a month or more or RV, ferry, and motorcycle time. 

We're retired 

2000 miles to Seattle so 3 days would be easy unless we stop in Deadwood and visit my friend Patrick. 

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1 hour ago, denniS said:

Or you could listen to Razor and do the opposite of what you want to do. 

WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!?  I just told him to take MORE time.  He is RETIRED, like he said.  So, in my eyes, take a month or more!   He hit back with a mad dash across the top of the country to Seattle :D   But, and you all may know better, the 3 day trip, plus several day ferry ride - and return - eats up two weeks of the three weeks.  Am I missing something or is that true?  Getting there seems to be a good reason to stay there for a while.

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