As some of you may know,I am planning my trip up to alaska/NWT and Yukon. I am riding solo and camping all the way there and back,leaving on or about June 6. I should be back by the end of June. Everyone told me I was crazy to ride a busa up there as I will be attempting to get to the Artic circle up the dempster Highway,infamous for eating riders alive and spitting out thier humiliated and bruised egos.
So,I bought an " adventure" bike, a CBF 1000. My bf started modding it for me,different racks installed,lowered,kickstand,windscreen ect.ect. Being an adventure bike it sat pretty high with it's weight carried high something I am not terribly comfortable with. Even lowered it was still a bit tippy for me. It was a struggle to push the bike around and since I have torn my rotator cuff,painful.
Being a Honda, my BF was very happy sussing out mods ect. He does NOT like my suzy. No matter though.
Anyway,I have had many a wonderful touring trip on my busa,its all set up for this and I am very comfortable on her. I really liked the CBF but as the date started to get closer I was not pumped about this epic trip. I think I even started to dread the departure date. Why? I think because I didn't want to go on the CBF,but on the busa.
Something I am comfortable on,know what to expect and can move around a bit easier. Also, lets be honest here, I don't live at a pay scale that affords 2 bikes. So with a extremley heavy heart, I put the busa up for sale. I had lots of interest and had a lovely young man come over and really wanted it.
But while we ere in the driveway and I was extolling the virtues of my bike and some of the great times I have had on it, I started to cry,it was quite embarassing. We left it that he would check out insurance and get back to me. I was getting more and more depressed and started to ignore the emails coming in for the bike.
I finally just sat and tried to organize my thoughts feelings and emotions. I realized that I was taking the CBF to please my BF who had been putting money and many hours of work into the CBF and I was feeling guilty and beholden to him for his hard work. And I capitulated to all of those who declared with conviction that I couldn't make it to the Artic circle on a busa,I was crazy to try.
I made my choice after much thought and I removed the ad for the busa,put the adventure bike up for sale, and now I can't wait to go. From much experience, I know how fantastic my busa isto tour on from the vibe free bars to the super comfortable stock seat and the endless effortless power and the relaxing low hum of the engine as it propels me forward in supreme comfort and style.
Will I make it up to my goal on a busa wearing street tires with almost zero dirt skills,don't forget I have 800 kilometeres of dirt/gravel roads to ride to make the epic part of my trip. The Dempster Highway from Dawson City Yukon north to Inuvik is harsh and unforgiving,it does not suffer fools gladly.
I am going to try my very best,nothing will make me prouder of myself than to accomplish this difficult feat on my own on a bike that everyone says is terribly ill suited for the task at hand. Yes, its epic enough that i just do this ride on my own,over 3 weeks riding and camping on the road in the north.
But to tackle the Dempster will be the pinnacle. Now, as badly as I want this,if the weather conditions are such that it will be too dangerous and risky to attempt,then I will not, since I will be alone, I have no one to look out for me or pick up the pieces if I crash,I will have to be satisfied with completing my journey as it stands.
What I would hope from my org brothers and sisters.....support ,that I am NOT crazy to do this, I am MORE than aware there are better bikes out there for his type of riding,but anybody can do it on a KLR or a Beemer,with aluminum side cases ,knobby tires, GPS,Spot trackers,full tool kits and the knowledge to tear down thier bikes at the side of the road, in my mind it kinda takes the challenge and. yes, risk, out of the whole equation.
What I hope from the orgsters......words of support. I don't want to hear that i am going to die up there( yes, someone said that to me) this is ridiculous,foolhardy an impossible task. Just tell me I can do it. I am determined and sometimes resourceful....lol, and I can do nothing more than my very best with grit and luck on my side.
I will also ask for any and all suggestions on how I can protect my rad and oil cooler and some sort of plastic covering or protection for my plastics on the way up the Dempster,the flying rocks for trucks can seriously damage a bike. These mods must be clever and inexpensive,as I have sold alot of my belongings to pay for this trip.
If this all works out I will post my smiling mug in front of the artic circle sign in several weeks.....Cheers!!!!
So,I bought an " adventure" bike, a CBF 1000. My bf started modding it for me,different racks installed,lowered,kickstand,windscreen ect.ect. Being an adventure bike it sat pretty high with it's weight carried high something I am not terribly comfortable with. Even lowered it was still a bit tippy for me. It was a struggle to push the bike around and since I have torn my rotator cuff,painful.
Being a Honda, my BF was very happy sussing out mods ect. He does NOT like my suzy. No matter though.
Anyway,I have had many a wonderful touring trip on my busa,its all set up for this and I am very comfortable on her. I really liked the CBF but as the date started to get closer I was not pumped about this epic trip. I think I even started to dread the departure date. Why? I think because I didn't want to go on the CBF,but on the busa.
Something I am comfortable on,know what to expect and can move around a bit easier. Also, lets be honest here, I don't live at a pay scale that affords 2 bikes. So with a extremley heavy heart, I put the busa up for sale. I had lots of interest and had a lovely young man come over and really wanted it.
But while we ere in the driveway and I was extolling the virtues of my bike and some of the great times I have had on it, I started to cry,it was quite embarassing. We left it that he would check out insurance and get back to me. I was getting more and more depressed and started to ignore the emails coming in for the bike.
I finally just sat and tried to organize my thoughts feelings and emotions. I realized that I was taking the CBF to please my BF who had been putting money and many hours of work into the CBF and I was feeling guilty and beholden to him for his hard work. And I capitulated to all of those who declared with conviction that I couldn't make it to the Artic circle on a busa,I was crazy to try.
I made my choice after much thought and I removed the ad for the busa,put the adventure bike up for sale, and now I can't wait to go. From much experience, I know how fantastic my busa isto tour on from the vibe free bars to the super comfortable stock seat and the endless effortless power and the relaxing low hum of the engine as it propels me forward in supreme comfort and style.
Will I make it up to my goal on a busa wearing street tires with almost zero dirt skills,don't forget I have 800 kilometeres of dirt/gravel roads to ride to make the epic part of my trip. The Dempster Highway from Dawson City Yukon north to Inuvik is harsh and unforgiving,it does not suffer fools gladly.
I am going to try my very best,nothing will make me prouder of myself than to accomplish this difficult feat on my own on a bike that everyone says is terribly ill suited for the task at hand. Yes, its epic enough that i just do this ride on my own,over 3 weeks riding and camping on the road in the north.
But to tackle the Dempster will be the pinnacle. Now, as badly as I want this,if the weather conditions are such that it will be too dangerous and risky to attempt,then I will not, since I will be alone, I have no one to look out for me or pick up the pieces if I crash,I will have to be satisfied with completing my journey as it stands.
What I would hope from my org brothers and sisters.....support ,that I am NOT crazy to do this, I am MORE than aware there are better bikes out there for his type of riding,but anybody can do it on a KLR or a Beemer,with aluminum side cases ,knobby tires, GPS,Spot trackers,full tool kits and the knowledge to tear down thier bikes at the side of the road, in my mind it kinda takes the challenge and. yes, risk, out of the whole equation.
What I hope from the orgsters......words of support. I don't want to hear that i am going to die up there( yes, someone said that to me) this is ridiculous,foolhardy an impossible task. Just tell me I can do it. I am determined and sometimes resourceful....lol, and I can do nothing more than my very best with grit and luck on my side.
I will also ask for any and all suggestions on how I can protect my rad and oil cooler and some sort of plastic covering or protection for my plastics on the way up the Dempster,the flying rocks for trucks can seriously damage a bike. These mods must be clever and inexpensive,as I have sold alot of my belongings to pay for this trip.
If this all works out I will post my smiling mug in front of the artic circle sign in several weeks.....Cheers!!!!
lease:GOOD LUCK
