Why did the endcaps go from $50 to $100? I'm not saying they're not worth it, but I was just wondering...

 

AlaskaBoy, when I rode up on the motorcycle I took what I thought was the most direct route by looking at the map (and sticking with major highways). I left my home (in Maryland) before sunrise and I was somewhere in Minnesota before I finally called it a day. This was back when I was young and had an iron butt, and I wouldn’t consider stopping unless I racked up at least 800 miles (and my speed seldom dropped below 75 MPH). I believe I crossed into Canada via a North Dakota town called “Portal” or something like that (early on my 2nd day). This ended up being a one way ride for me though, as I ended up flying back home (my motorcycle followed by trucking company about a month later). The cam chain tensioner broke and the cam chain skipped a few teeth when I attempted to start it one morning. This in turn caused valves to ram into the piston and ended up bending them in the process. So it ended up sitting at a Yamaha shop in Anchorage as I spent the rest of my vacation driving around in a rented Datsun pickup truck. The M/C shop couldn’t get my parts in time so I had it crated and processed for shipping back to my home while I acquired (through the help of some wired money from my parents) airline tickets for myself. BTW I’ll take back what I said about being in Anchorage in 6 days. I was in Alaska on the 6th day. I spent the night at a lodge somewhere between Anchorage & Fairbanks (a little closer to Fairbanks I believe). It was when I attempted to start my bike on the morning of day 7 when my engine died. I then hitched a ride with some BLM guys to Fairbanks. That is where I found a construction equipment rental place where I rented the Datsun pickup. I drove that back to pick up my bike & hauled it to Anchorage. Then I drove around to tour the state in the pickup after that. Given the size of the state there wasn’t a lot of road miles, and you weren’t allowed to drive on the pipeline haul road back then (I was hoping to drive above the Arctic Circle north of Fairbanks just to say I had crossed the line, but that was not permitted)...

 

2TV, sounds like you had a exciting and a very expensive trip. 1975 would of been around the oilboom(pipeline), right? Hopefully if you make it up here again you will have smooth riding.

There was a group of guys came up here last year or the year before(can not recall) but they had made it all the way up here with their bikes without a hitch. When up around Talkeetna a tourist had fallen asleep behind the wheel and plowed head on into the group, I believe 2 of them died and the rest got broken up and they had to ship the bikes and their friends home as cargo. That was a tragic end to a ride.

I used to ride(streetbike) but have not in along time. Not because of that or any other accidents just have not wanted too, except now. I want a Goldwing like my father-n-laws bike, now that is a cruiser built for comfort. AlaskaBoy.

 

It was an exciting trip to be sure, something I’ll never forget. The mud on the Alcan was 6” deep in places and keeping the bike upright was a challenge. Back then only about 90 miles of the 1200 mile Alcan was paved (sections here and there near significantly sized towns). This was in 1976 and I believe the pipeline was still a work in progress. If I recall you could drive to the town of “Circle” from Fairbanks and get within about 60 miles of the Arctic Circle, but the only way to get farther north by road back then was via the pipeline haul road and that was only open to pipeline construction personnel (so I was told). I had a ’75 (first model year) Gold Wing back then (bought it brand new and it was only 6 months old at the time), however because of the Alcan horror stories I decided to take my Yamaha TX-500 (twin cylinder) which was a lot lighter on that trip instead. I still have that Gold Wing, it has over 100K miles on it now, (I also have an ‘88 CBR-1000 Hurricane with 38K miles on it) but if I do any more long distance touring it will probably be on a new ST-1300 (a sport / touring machine) or something like that…

 

Jonsride was the track down in El Cajon?

 

BillDS650- Yes that is the track in El Cajon, but just went to the one at Lake Elsinore ( by the skydiving park) and I was the only rider on the track. It was fantastic. Twenty bucks and you can ride all day. Perfect jumps etc. And the best part is you don't have alot of riders to worry about. The quad track at this place is separate from the other motorcycle tracks ( which were busy) .I highly recommend it . My own private track for $20 ,its a deal. El Cajon isn't bad but you have a track that is more suited to bikes and on Monday, bikes and quads ride together so it can get alittle dicey. Jon