Great video! I have been hoping to ride my 2020 V-Strom 650XT Adventure model from KY to Deadhorse for a few years now. At age 75, I had better hurry and pray that I make it before time runs out. Your video will help me greatly with accessories, mods, and gear. All of my BMW friends have no interest in riding up there, so it looks like it could be a solo trip. I first drove my car to AK in 1976 when 900 miles of the Alaska Highway was gravel. I went through 6-7 flat tires, 1-2 throttle cables, one broken windshield and one blown motor (in Ontario) on my VW Beetle. Those happenings gave the trip LOTS of character! I hope my proposed bike trip has different kinds of character next time, lol!
I hope you get a chance to do this trip on your V. Tell your beemer friends to get on the saddle and join you, they'll really enjoy it. I think the Alaska highway will treat you much better these days. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I truly appreciate it.
Great video Terry, i thought i already prepped good for my rides, but this is something else. But then again i did not travel to those remote areas......yet! Will watch parts 2+3 later.
Thanks Erik. I'll bet you do prepare about the same. It just looks more dramatic when it's documented on video! You are correct...."YET". Thanks as usual. Looking forward to April.
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm sure!!! Jeff...
Terry, You know you are doing an effective job with your videos, when in video number 8, when you wrote the comment about 4000 something miles the word, “finally”, I knew what you were referring to! A moose! I realize that I am late to the party but your Alaska series was excellent and brought back great memories of my trip with my brother in August of 2015. I pulled a trailer with my Honda VTX from St. Louis. Only, we did not see one bear. I really appreciate your number 1 recap video and look forward to parts 2 and 3. I want to return again, this time on my Suzuki 650, and get to Prudoe Bay. Clint
Clint, Yeah I couldn't believe I only saw that one moose on the whole trip. And then seeing all of those bears along the way, and then you didn't see a single one! Odd. That trip kinda' "sticks with you" doesn't it? You just wanna' do it once a year and I'm sure it would be a different experience every time! Thanks so much for watching. And I hope you make it back there again...and to Prudhoe Bay too.
Thank you very, very much. I really appreciate the great comment and thanks so much for subscribing and taking the time to watch. I'll check out your videos too.
Don’t know if it was mentioned but, you should keep the spot on your person. If you are thrown from the bike and can’t get back to it, you can still activate it. Great video, thank you so much.
Kavika, I agree with you and don't really have any excuses as to why I don't keep it attached to my jacket, but hopefully, if I ever need it, it won't be a time when I wished it was not on the bike! Thanks.
@@TilTheRoadEnds I activated one in the Middle East. I was hit by a Lory. Landed about 12 meters from the bike. In the middle of nowhere. Broken neck, fractured facial bones and jaw, leg and internal injuries as well as brain trauma. I was barely able to activate it. I sat in the hot desert sand storm for an hour before they were able to find me. After spending the better part of two years in the hospital, I let people know, they don’t work if you can reach it, you can’t reach it if it’s not on you. Any ideas on when your next Alaska trip is?
@@Kavika-xh1qj Wow, that must have been a terrible experience. So glad you survived. If I can do a trip this spring (depending on what the COVID rules are) it will probably be the Dempster Highway in Canada. Then possibly next year, return to the Dalton Highway in Alaska.
A HUGE thumbs up for disabling mid-roll ads. Those stupid ads in the middle of a video are annoying like hell and I think they interrupt the thought process one has a one watches the video and try to take all the info in. Thank you!
I couldn't agree with you more. Every time I watch a video and an ad pops up in the middle, a new cuss word leaks out of my mouth! Currently, none of my videos are monetized. I hope you are enjoying them and I really appreciate you watching. Thank you.
Hey guys, how in the world do you ride anywhere in Alaska with all those darn mosquitoes? What did you do to protect your radiator? Im looking to get of these stock tires. I need something i can do the gravel roads with too. I do highway miles but im on the edge of the desert with lots of dirt roads rocky road. Suppose a front fender lift would be in order too. Tire ideas?
MGW, There were only certain areas where we noticed large amounts of mosquitoes, but it wasn't all that bad...we got lucky I guess. I've heard sometimes they're really bad. I did attach a radiator screen to help with some of the smaller rocks, but it wouldn't help with a hit from a big rock. I think I show it in this episode. I now have a few thousand miles of experience with the Heidenau K60 and the Motoz Tranctionator GPS tires. They're both really good tires. I highly recommend both of them. Thanks for watching and commenting.
You stay at speed lol, being faster than the blood birds is your only hope. Repellent and nets help along with smoke but if they can catch you they will.
It was very true. I nearly fell over when I tried to step away and my feet didn't come with me! I think I could make a whole video about all of the idiotic things I've done related to my motorcycle trips. Probably not something I should be writing here about....but Oh well...it is what it is! Thanks so much for watching Guy. I really do appreciate it.
Just came across your video. I am riding a 2018 Strom 1000xt and doing the Canadian cousin of Prudhoe Bay this June. Riding the Dempster Hwy to the Tuktoyuktuk and the Arctic Ocean. Thanks for your video and what worked for ya. 👍
W2R, I just returned from the Dempster trip a couple of weeks ago. I was denied an opportunity to actually ride the Dempster. The ferries were still closed, plus there were blizzards for a couple of days that closed the Dempster just north of Eagle Plains. So, we couldn't even make it to the Arctic Circle either. I'm very, very curious to know how your Dempster ride went. Did you get lucky or were you denied just like many others I met on that trip. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.
@@TilTheRoadEnds we must have just missed each other. The ferries across the Peel and MacKenzie rivers opened just a few days before we tackled the Dempster. We lucked out with the weather as well. No rain up or back to Tuk and road was dry and dusty. We rode from Dawson to Inuvik on June 20, then to Tuk and back to Inuvik on the 21st and then back to Dawson on the 22nd. Two long days on the way up and back but glad we did it like that. We missed any bad weather and had mostly clear skies. Ate at “Grandma’s Kitchen” in Tuk and got a bit of a history lesson from her husband, John. Twas awesome.
@@want2ride135 I'm really happy for you. Wish we had just a little bit of your luck. I'll be uploading a series of videos on the trip to tell the whole story. Thanks and congratulations on your success.
WOW!!! What an awesome video series! Thanks for doing this. A group of us are planning to do this ride in 2022. I live in the Denver area and would love to meet with you to discuss more about it. How can I contact you or give you my contact info in a secure manner?
Hi DOB5280, Thank you! You can shoot me an email at - vstrom1956@gmail.com. That's the email I use on my website - tiltheroadends.com. Thanks again for watching.
Hey friend, i loved this whole series. I got my first adv bike last summer and am still breaking it in. Would you say the tire change from the stock street tires to the note all terrain tires made a huge difference? How is riding the off road tires on the highway. I ride 80-90% highways
Hi Michael, I'm so happy you enjoyed the series. I'm not sure I would use the words "huge difference". In my mind the 50/50 tires made a difference and in the real world, I'm pretty sure they did make a difference. But the road conditions on the Dalton that day weren't too bad and I don't think the K 60's were really put to the test. To my surprise, the K 60's handled the pavement well. I was a bit more cautious, not knowing what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise. I've heard the same from other riders about the K 60's too. I'll be testing the Motoz Tractionator GPS tires on the Africa Twin this spring too. I'm reading some good things about those tires. I bought a set a few weeks ago and my buddy Kevin will be riding on those tires up to Tuktoyaktuk and I'll be riding on a new set (relatively new) of K 60's on the V Strom along side him. It'll make for an interesting comparison. Maybe a future Motoz vs Heidenau video??? Thanks so much for watching and enjoy that new Adventure bike!
Are there SW Motech Part numbers on your two plates you used for the RotoPax gas container mounting? I'm having the worst time trying to locate them. Your videos are wonderful. Just the viewing I've been looking for!
Rick Smith Rick, the only thing I can come up with is the mounting plates did come with the RotoPax locks when I bought them from RotoPax. Hope that’s helpful to you. Thanks for watching and always happy to help.
Terry - recently found your channel and want to say thanks for putting together such thorough, informative and entertaining video series. I’ve watched all your videos and look forward to the remainder of the Dempster videos when they are released. One quick question on your V-Strom - do you have aftermarket cruise control or a throttle lock installed? I don’t believe that model came stock with cruise did it? Thanks again for the great videos!
Hi Scott, Thank you very, very much. No, I do not have cruise control or any throttle lock. Luckily I haven't had any serious issues with my throttle hand getting sore, or going numb yet! I really appreciate the comment.
See that's the trouble with marathon rides(Florida to Alaska), you always want to do them again. While the the Yamaha tracer 900 gave a similar experience as your Vstrom 1000 - no calamity of any sort - I'm working on the prep of a 2017 Harley Davidson Fat Bob to challenge myself. Maybe Sturgis first.
"Ain't that the truth"(wanting to do it again). It's a fun "challenge" to put yourself through. Prep is half the fun! Best of luck to you on your return to Alaska!!!
CR, I didn't keep very good records overall and the motels were probably more expensive than if I'd booked them in advance. Each night was booked only one day in advance. Probably about $1500 in motels alone. Plus other expenses (gas etc.). Maybe a couple grand...in that range.
@@TilTheRoadEnds ah ok, Motel cost I was expecting for sure, I have Yamaha Royal Star Venture, like Goldwing or ultra glide, Will that be good on gravel road in Alaska? Or even when going prudhoe Bay? Do I need to have Adventure Bike ? I haven't seen anyone going there on touring bike yet
@@archuk786 My buddies, Kevin and Jim, who I met on that Alaska trip, rode a Royal Star and a Harley (not sure which Harley). They rode as far as the Arctic Circle on the Dalton. They both said they would never ride bikes like that up there ever again. They really regretted it. The tires on the Royal Star were shredded by the Dalton and Kevin had to find new tires in Fairbanks. There are some videos out there somewhere on RUclips of guys riding cruisers on the Dalton. I've seen them. So, it can be done. However, I would highly recommend a good, comfortable, durable and well prepared and checked out Adventure Bike. I think you'll just save yourself a lot of grief by doing so. If you check out my Alaska The Solo Trip series (Parts 4 and 5) you'll see their bikes. Happy to help anyway and anytime I can. Appreciate the comments too.
@ClassicRoads I'm getting ready to do this trip. We are riding from southern indiana to Prudhoe Bay. I have budgeted $10k for the trip. I have the same bike as in the video, a vstrom 1000xt adventure, with the same modifications. I sold my 2001 yamaha venture to purchase the vstrom for this trip. I wouldn't even consider riding the Dalton on my venture. It's just not the right kind of bike.
I hope your trip goes well. I just completed my Iron Butt ride this July 4th 2023 from eastern PA to Deadhorse AK, to Key West, FL back to home. 11,978 miles in 17.5 days. Solo, on my 2015 Victory Vision. I will say this: 1) I watched many RUclipsrs before doing this for some guidance. 2) I didn't ride beyond my capabilities like some of these idiots. 3) I stayed at hotels every night, Note - check into hotels before 9pm in the rural areas of Canada, they roll up the sidewalks and after 9 you can be out of luck. 4) I was very, very, very, did I mention very fortunate with the weather during the trip in Alaska. Sorry if this seemed a bit "wordy". ENJOY YOURSELF. @@ryanbrown621
Most definitely. I didn't install them for riding in the dark. They're mainly for other traffic to see me coming. A deterrent to keep vehicles from turning in front of me, cutting me off etc. etc. A safety feature if you will. As I mentioned in the video..."I like to be seen". But if I am riding in the dark, they sure light up the road ahead of me. An added bonus! Thanks for watching and I really appreciate the comment.
Did you need the a gallon of gas that you carried on the bike. I am planning another trip to Alaska. The first trip I carried a half gallon of gas from Phoenix to Fairbanks to Phoenix. Never used it. If I saw gas I bought gas. You could probably simplify a little by not using the navigator, an unnecessary complications. There are only 2 ways to Alaska.
I actually didn't need the extra fuel. I came close at one point along the way, but found a gas station in time. However, I'm still glad I brought it, because that's how I met Kevin when he ran out in The Yukon (not sure if you've gotten to that part of the series yet). Since then (and because I had the fuel) we've become very good friends. Next time, I'll need the fuel as I plan to go all the way to Deadhorse. You're right, the main routes into Alaska are pretty simple but it really helped through Calgary and Edmonton etc. as I can get turned around and misdirected pretty easy. I also enjoy keeping track of the distance to my next stop, altitude etc. But I do understand where you're coming from. Thanks so much for the comments and advice. I really enjoy discussing things with fellow riders. That's what's so much fun about doing what we do! Best of luck on your trip to Alaska # 2.
Hi WC. That's a tough one, because I can see advantages and disadvantages for both. If you drop your bike with hard cases, you run the risk of denting them or possibly knocking them out of shape, to where you can't close or open them. With soft cases, they can take a hit without that problem. I have used both, soft cases and hard cases. But I prefer having the full use of the permanently shaped, full space inside the hard cases. Especially for my application...wide open, maintained and some unmaintained, unpaved roads. Plus, I carry a lot of stuff in my cases. If I were riding single track or tight, rugged trails, I would definitely use soft cases. I also must add, I use both Givi and SW Motech hard cases and they've both taken some pretty hard hits and have come out of it just fine. The soft cases were Wolfman and they were fine too. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
Well...actually not good enough to get three repeated, duplicate comments...if that's what you meant. I think he just didn't think the comments were going through, so he kept sending them.
Carie, Interesting you ask that question. I'm currently researching that now. What I've found so far is, flying a drone in Canada requires getting an SFOC certification. Which means 20 hours of ground school, plus other testing. Even for non-Canadian citizens. It doesn't matter if one even has a Part 107 Certification in the US, as I do. The only way around it is flying a drone under 250 grams such as a DJI Mini. No registration or certification is needed in that case. I have a DJI Mavic Zoom and I'm not willing to go through all of that training and testing, so it looks like I'll be buying a Mini for my June trip to Canada. I'm hoping this information is still current because my source is from 2020. If I find any updates, I'll reply again to your comment. Thanks for watching.
Hi Aaron, sorry it took so long to get back to you, I was on vacation. It's a song from a royalty free website called "Premium Beat" in which you have to pay a fee to use it. The song is called "Acoustic Dreams" by Krisztian Vass. I also used the song in my video - "North Cape Part 7", at about 3:49 minutes into the video. Hope that helps.
Thank you Arthur. Yes, I did reduce the amount of gear I took...by quite a bit actually. I think the V Strom was pleased with that! Thanks so much for watching. It is greatly appreciated.
Respectfully I just can't watch this. I had to bail. Feels like you hand on the music volume knob turning it up and then down, up and then down, up and then down. Good content but the music levels up and down between narration forced me to leave minutes into it.
Kent, I appreciate and understand your comments. I will take that under consideration in future videos. Ever since I've been uploading videos on RUclips, I've found that it's a vicious circle trying to keep all of the viewers happy. What some viewers really like, others really hate. Respectfully and honestly, yours is the first and only comment about the music volume levels. To be fair, it's possible that others have found it annoying, but didn't take the time to comment about it. Thanks for the input and I truly am disappointed it irritated you so much that you chose to "bail".
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm sure!!! Jeff...
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm sure!!! Jeff...
![Lil Uzi Vert - We Good [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DrSfBULAsek/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video! I have been hoping to ride my 2020 V-Strom 650XT Adventure model from KY to Deadhorse for a few years now. At age 75, I had better hurry and pray that I make it before time runs out. Your video will help me greatly with accessories, mods, and gear. All of my BMW friends have no interest in riding up there, so it looks like it could be a solo trip. I first drove my car to AK in 1976 when 900 miles of the Alaska Highway was gravel. I went through 6-7 flat tires, 1-2 throttle cables, one broken windshield and one blown motor (in Ontario) on my VW Beetle. Those happenings gave the trip LOTS of character! I hope my proposed bike trip has different kinds of character next time, lol!
I hope you get a chance to do this trip on your V. Tell your beemer friends to get on the saddle and join you, they'll really enjoy it. I think the Alaska highway will treat you much better these days. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I truly appreciate it.
Man, you are outdoing yourself on the new videos. I can't wait to watch the next ones. Signed... You know who.
Outstanding video. Great info!!
Great video Terry, i thought i already prepped good for my rides, but this is something else. But then again i did not travel to those remote areas......yet! Will watch parts 2+3 later.
Thanks Erik. I'll bet you do prepare about the same. It just looks more dramatic when it's documented on video! You are correct...."YET". Thanks as usual. Looking forward to April.
Wow, just wow! What an amazing journey
Thank you Bruce. I really appreciate it.
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing
your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm
sure!!! Jeff...
All I can say is wow Best Buy Alaska mod get ready really enjoyed you hit it on the head thanks so much
Jim, thank you. I greatly appreciate the comment. Hope it was a little helpful...or at least a little entertaining! Again, thank you so much.
Terry,
You know you are doing an effective job with your videos, when in video number 8, when you wrote the comment about 4000 something miles the word, “finally”, I knew what you were referring to! A moose!
I realize that I am late to the party but your Alaska series was excellent and brought back great memories of my trip with my brother in August of 2015. I pulled a trailer with my Honda VTX from St. Louis. Only, we did not see one bear.
I really appreciate your number 1 recap video and look forward to parts 2 and 3. I want to return again, this time on my Suzuki 650, and get to Prudoe Bay.
Clint
Clint, Yeah I couldn't believe I only saw that one moose on the whole trip. And then seeing all of those bears along the way, and then you didn't see a single one! Odd. That trip kinda' "sticks with you" doesn't it? You just wanna' do it once a year and I'm sure it would be a different experience every time! Thanks so much for watching. And I hope you make it back there again...and to Prudhoe Bay too.
Wow! You have really made your bike custom. Nice!
Yes, a few necessary mods. Pretty much have everything I want on the bike at this point. Thanks for watching Chip.
What timing, was just thinking of your ride last week. And also enjoyed the Ireland videos also.
That is good timing. Thanks Pete!
New subscriber! What a refreshing, informative, interesting and fun video to watch...I LOVE YOUR STYLE!
Thank you very, very much. I really appreciate the great comment and thanks so much for subscribing and taking the time to watch. I'll check out your videos too.
Good video and information!
Thank you. That's greatly appreciated.
Wow you sure did your prep work give you thumbs up on that
Thanks Jim. To me, that's half the fun!
Don’t know if it was mentioned but, you should keep the spot on your person. If you are thrown from the bike and can’t get back to it, you can still activate it. Great video, thank you so much.
Kavika, I agree with you and don't really have any excuses as to why I don't keep it attached to my jacket, but hopefully, if I ever need it, it won't be a time when I wished it was not on the bike! Thanks.
@@TilTheRoadEnds I activated one in the Middle East. I was hit by a Lory. Landed about 12 meters from the bike. In the middle of nowhere. Broken neck, fractured facial bones and jaw, leg and internal injuries as well as brain trauma. I was barely able to activate it. I sat in the hot desert sand storm for an hour before they were able to find me. After spending the better part of two years in the hospital, I let people know, they don’t work if you can reach it, you can’t reach it if it’s not on you. Any ideas on when your next Alaska trip is?
@@Kavika-xh1qj Wow, that must have been a terrible experience. So glad you survived. If I can do a trip this spring (depending on what the COVID rules are) it will probably be the Dempster Highway in Canada. Then possibly next year, return to the Dalton Highway in Alaska.
A HUGE thumbs up for disabling mid-roll ads. Those stupid ads in the middle of a video are annoying like hell and I think they interrupt the thought process one has a one watches the video and try to take all the info in. Thank you!
I couldn't agree with you more. Every time I watch a video and an ad pops up in the middle, a new cuss word leaks out of my mouth! Currently, none of my videos are monetized. I hope you are enjoying them and I really appreciate you watching. Thank you.
Hey guys, how in the world do you ride anywhere in Alaska with all those darn mosquitoes? What did you do to protect your radiator? Im looking to get of these stock tires. I need something i can do the gravel roads with too. I do highway miles but im on the edge of the desert with lots of dirt roads rocky road. Suppose a front fender lift would be in order too. Tire ideas?
MGW, There were only certain areas where we noticed large amounts of mosquitoes, but it wasn't all that bad...we got lucky I guess. I've heard sometimes they're really bad. I did attach a radiator screen to help with some of the smaller rocks, but it wouldn't help with a hit from a big rock. I think I show it in this episode.
I now have a few thousand miles of experience with the Heidenau K60 and the Motoz Tranctionator GPS tires. They're both really good tires. I highly recommend both of them.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
You stay at speed lol, being faster than the blood birds is your only hope. Repellent and nets help along with smoke but if they can catch you they will.
very well explained 👍
DAMN I spit my coffee out when you said you glued yourself to the floor 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 awesome video
It was very true. I nearly fell over when I tried to step away and my feet didn't come with me! I think I could make a whole video about all of the idiotic things I've done related to my motorcycle trips. Probably not something I should be writing here about....but Oh well...it is what it is! Thanks so much for watching Guy. I really do appreciate it.
@@TilTheRoadEnds you are welcome
Just came across your video. I am riding a 2018 Strom 1000xt and doing the Canadian cousin of Prudhoe Bay this June. Riding the Dempster Hwy to the Tuktoyuktuk and the Arctic Ocean. Thanks for your video and what worked for ya. 👍
W2R, I just returned from the Dempster trip a couple of weeks ago. I was denied an opportunity to actually ride the Dempster. The ferries were still closed, plus there were blizzards for a couple of days that closed the Dempster just north of Eagle Plains. So, we couldn't even make it to the Arctic Circle either.
I'm very, very curious to know how your Dempster ride went. Did you get lucky or were you denied just like many others I met on that trip. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.
@@TilTheRoadEnds we must have just missed each other. The ferries across the Peel and MacKenzie rivers opened just a few days before we tackled the Dempster. We lucked out with the weather as well. No rain up or back to Tuk and road was dry and dusty. We rode from Dawson to Inuvik on June 20, then to Tuk and back to Inuvik on the 21st and then back to Dawson on the 22nd. Two long days on the way up and back but glad we did it like that. We missed any bad weather and had mostly clear skies. Ate at “Grandma’s Kitchen” in Tuk and got a bit of a history lesson from her husband, John. Twas awesome.
@@want2ride135 I'm really happy for you. Wish we had just a little bit of your luck. I'll be uploading a series of videos on the trip to tell the whole story. Thanks and congratulations on your success.
Excellent post.... helpful. Would love to do Alaska
Thanks so much. Alaska is a trip worthy of doing. PS I've been keeping an eye on your videos too!
WOW!!! What an awesome video series! Thanks for doing this. A group of us are planning to do this ride in 2022. I live in the Denver area and would love to meet with you to discuss more about it. How can I contact you or give you my contact info in a secure manner?
Hi DOB5280, Thank you! You can shoot me an email at - vstrom1956@gmail.com. That's the email I use on my website - tiltheroadends.com. Thanks again for watching.
Hey friend, i loved this whole series. I got my first adv bike last summer and am still breaking it in. Would you say the tire change from the stock street tires to the note all terrain tires made a huge difference? How is riding the off road tires on the highway. I ride 80-90% highways
Hi Michael, I'm so happy you enjoyed the series. I'm not sure I would use the words "huge difference". In my mind the 50/50 tires made a difference and in the real world, I'm pretty sure they did make a difference. But the road conditions on the Dalton that day weren't too bad and I don't think the K 60's were really put to the test.
To my surprise, the K 60's handled the pavement well. I was a bit more cautious, not knowing what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise. I've heard the same from other riders about the K 60's too.
I'll be testing the Motoz Tractionator GPS tires on the Africa Twin this spring too. I'm reading some good things about those tires. I bought a set a few weeks ago and my buddy Kevin will be riding on those tires up to Tuktoyaktuk and I'll be riding on a new set (relatively new) of K 60's on the V Strom along side him. It'll make for an interesting comparison. Maybe a future Motoz vs Heidenau video???
Thanks so much for watching and enjoy that new Adventure bike!
Are there SW Motech Part numbers on your two plates you used for the RotoPax gas container mounting? I'm having the worst time trying to locate them. Your videos are wonderful. Just the viewing I've been looking for!
Rick Smith Rick, ill check this evening. I do know they came with the locks when I bought them. I’ll see what I can find for you! Thanks.
Rick Smith Rick, the only thing I can come up with is the mounting plates did come with the RotoPax locks when I bought them from RotoPax. Hope that’s helpful to you. Thanks for watching and always happy to help.
I wish they would up the ground clearance 2-3 inches ! I love the vstrom my 2009 was awesome my only issue was is the low ground clearance.
I know what you mean. But I haven't needed the extra clearance yet. You must do some more heavy duty off roading?
Terry - recently found your channel and want to say thanks for putting together such thorough, informative and entertaining video series. I’ve watched all your videos and look forward to the remainder of the Dempster videos when they are released. One quick question on your V-Strom - do you have aftermarket cruise control or a throttle lock installed? I don’t believe that model came stock with cruise did it? Thanks again for the great videos!
Hi Scott, Thank you very, very much. No, I do not have cruise control or any throttle lock. Luckily I haven't had any serious issues with my throttle hand getting sore, or going numb yet! I really appreciate the comment.
See that's the trouble with marathon rides(Florida to Alaska), you always want to do them again. While the the Yamaha tracer 900 gave a similar experience as your Vstrom 1000 - no calamity of any sort - I'm working on the prep of a 2017 Harley Davidson Fat Bob to challenge myself. Maybe Sturgis first.
"Ain't that the truth"(wanting to do it again). It's a fun "challenge" to put yourself through. Prep is half the fun! Best of luck to you on your return to Alaska!!!
Are you able to tell how much cost was for your overall trip?
CR, I didn't keep very good records overall and the motels were probably more expensive than if I'd booked them in advance. Each night was booked only one day in advance. Probably about $1500 in motels alone. Plus other expenses (gas etc.). Maybe a couple grand...in that range.
@@TilTheRoadEnds ah ok, Motel cost I was expecting for sure, I have Yamaha Royal Star Venture, like Goldwing or ultra glide, Will that be good on gravel road in Alaska? Or even when going prudhoe Bay? Do I need to have Adventure Bike ? I haven't seen anyone going there on touring bike yet
@@archuk786 My buddies, Kevin and Jim, who I met on that Alaska trip, rode a Royal Star and a Harley (not sure which Harley). They rode as far as the Arctic Circle on the Dalton. They both said they would never ride bikes like that up there ever again. They really regretted it. The tires on the Royal Star were shredded by the Dalton and Kevin had to find new tires in Fairbanks. There are some videos out there somewhere on RUclips of guys riding cruisers on the Dalton. I've seen them. So, it can be done.
However, I would highly recommend a good, comfortable, durable and well prepared and checked out Adventure Bike. I think you'll just save yourself a lot of grief by doing so.
If you check out my Alaska The Solo Trip series (Parts 4 and 5) you'll see their bikes. Happy to help anyway and anytime I can. Appreciate the comments too.
@ClassicRoads I'm getting ready to do this trip. We are riding from southern indiana to Prudhoe Bay. I have budgeted $10k for the trip. I have the same bike as in the video, a vstrom 1000xt adventure, with the same modifications. I sold my 2001 yamaha venture to purchase the vstrom for this trip. I wouldn't even consider riding the Dalton on my venture. It's just not the right kind of bike.
I hope your trip goes well. I just completed my Iron Butt ride this July 4th 2023 from eastern PA to Deadhorse AK, to Key West, FL back to home. 11,978 miles in 17.5 days. Solo, on my 2015 Victory Vision. I will say this: 1) I watched many RUclipsrs before doing this for some guidance. 2) I didn't ride beyond my capabilities like some of these idiots. 3) I stayed at hotels every night, Note - check into hotels before 9pm in the rural areas of Canada, they roll up the sidewalks and after 9 you can be out of luck. 4) I was very, very, very, did I mention very fortunate with the weather during the trip in Alaska. Sorry if this seemed a bit "wordy". ENJOY YOURSELF.
@@ryanbrown621
Question: if you rode in Alaska during the summer, were the extra lights necessary?
Most definitely. I didn't install them for riding in the dark. They're mainly for other traffic to see me coming. A deterrent to keep vehicles from turning in front of me, cutting me off etc. etc. A safety feature if you will. As I mentioned in the video..."I like to be seen". But if I am riding in the dark, they sure light up the road ahead of me. An added bonus!
Thanks for watching and I really appreciate the comment.
Did you need the a gallon of gas that you carried on the bike. I am planning another trip to Alaska. The first trip I carried a half gallon of gas from Phoenix to Fairbanks to Phoenix. Never used it. If I saw gas I bought gas. You could probably simplify a little by not using the navigator, an unnecessary complications. There are only 2 ways to Alaska.
I actually didn't need the extra fuel. I came close at one point along the way, but found a gas station in time. However, I'm still glad I brought it, because that's how I met Kevin when he ran out in The Yukon (not sure if you've gotten to that part of the series yet). Since then (and because I had the fuel) we've become very good friends. Next time, I'll need the fuel as I plan to go all the way to Deadhorse. You're right, the main routes into Alaska are pretty simple but it really helped through Calgary and Edmonton etc. as I can get turned around and misdirected pretty easy. I also enjoy keeping track of the distance to my next stop, altitude etc. But I do understand where you're coming from. Thanks so much for the comments and advice. I really enjoy discussing things with fellow riders. That's what's so much fun about doing what we do! Best of luck on your trip to Alaska # 2.
Do you recommend a hard case or a soft case for the unpaved roads?
Hi WC. That's a tough one, because I can see advantages and disadvantages for both. If you drop your bike with hard cases, you run the risk of denting them or possibly knocking them out of shape, to where you can't close or open them. With soft cases, they can take a hit without that problem.
I have used both, soft cases and hard cases. But I prefer having the full use of the permanently shaped, full space inside the hard cases. Especially for my application...wide open, maintained and some unmaintained, unpaved roads. Plus, I carry a lot of stuff in my cases.
If I were riding single track or tight, rugged trails, I would definitely use soft cases. I also must add, I use both Givi and SW Motech hard cases and they've both taken some pretty hard hits and have come out of it just fine. The soft cases were Wolfman and they were fine too.
I hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
@@TilTheRoadEndsThank you.
How good was this?!!
Well...actually not good enough to get three repeated, duplicate comments...if that's what you meant. I think he just didn't think the comments were going through, so he kept sending them.
@@TilTheRoadEndsI actually meant how good was this video?@ they are absolutely fantastic!
Do you know if I you can take a drone into Canada from the U.S.?
Carie, Interesting you ask that question. I'm currently researching that now. What I've found so far is, flying a drone in Canada requires getting an SFOC certification. Which means 20 hours of ground school, plus other testing. Even for non-Canadian citizens. It doesn't matter if one even has a Part 107 Certification in the US, as I do. The only way around it is flying a drone under 250 grams such as a DJI Mini. No registration or certification is needed in that case.
I have a DJI Mavic Zoom and I'm not willing to go through all of that training and testing, so it looks like I'll be buying a Mini for my June trip to Canada. I'm hoping this information is still current because my source is from 2020. If I find any updates, I'll reply again to your comment.
Thanks for watching.
@@TilTheRoadEnds I love your videos by the way. It has inspired me to travel on my bike more now.
@@Carieon23 Thank you so much! Can't tell you how pleased I am to hear that.
Good video.we in the same hobby.
What is the name of the song and the artist for the opening song of this video? Please?
Hi Aaron, sorry it took so long to get back to you, I was on vacation. It's a song from a royalty free website called "Premium Beat" in which you have to pay a fee to use it. The song is called "Acoustic Dreams" by Krisztian Vass. I also used the song in my video - "North Cape Part 7", at about 3:49 minutes into the video. Hope that helps.
Nice video. Hopefully you changed the amount of stuff you brought ;-) your poor bike looks overloaded.
Thank you Arthur. Yes, I did reduce the amount of gear I took...by quite a bit actually. I think the V Strom was pleased with that! Thanks so much for watching. It is greatly appreciated.
Hey Art !!!! Art here !!!! He does have a great channel!!! 😀😀😀😀🏍🏍🏍👍👍👍🍺🍺🍺
Respectfully I just can't watch this. I had to bail. Feels like you hand on the music volume knob turning it up and then down, up and then down, up and then down. Good content but the music levels up and down between narration forced me to leave minutes into it.
Kent, I appreciate and understand your comments. I will take that under consideration in future videos. Ever since I've been uploading videos on RUclips, I've found that it's a vicious circle trying to keep all of the viewers happy. What some viewers really like, others really hate. Respectfully and honestly, yours is the first and only comment about the music volume levels. To be fair, it's possible that others have found it annoying, but didn't take the time to comment about it.
Thanks for the input and I truly am disappointed it irritated you so much that you chose to "bail".
@@TilTheRoadEnds If I find things too loud…I just turn down the volume. I love the videos dude! Keep on riding!
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing
your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm
sure!!! Jeff...
Terry, your getting very good at this movie stuff. Maybe you are missing
your true vocation. Well done on all three vidz. More to come i'm
sure!!! Jeff...