Going for a ride.

[Caladin]

I'm leaving on a motorcycle trip in about an hour. Not as big as my previous ones, but likely more challenging. If you would like to see where I'm headed you can follow my progress HERE. Hopefully I see a few fellow FZ6 riders out there! :rockon:

 

[Norbert]

cool! where are you going?

 

[Caladin]

Well, I made it home today (12:30am). After 9 days and 7674km (4768mi). What an amazing trip! Absolutely spectacular. Can't wait to share some of the 550+ pictures I took! A ride report will take a while though.

It will likely take me a good 2 weeks to really get the bike clean. There is so much mud EVERYWHERE. Even stuck up behind the radiator on top of the motor! The bike took a serious beating on this trip with well over 1000km of gravel/mud/dirt. And yet, other then likely needing new shocks it has come out still running like a champ. Just shy of 93000km on her now. :thumbup:

I'm curious if any one actually followed along on my SPOT tracker? I only spotted one other FZ6 along the way. And only a handful of sport bikes. But I wasn't really in sport bike territory.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Do you change out your oil & filter doing these monster rides?

Looking forward to your trip report, considering your last one was probably the best ever that has been posted on this forum.

For those who missed it, click on the link below. Warning.....lots of pictures! LOL...

http://www.600riders.com/forum/touring-traveling/25440-caladins-2009-trip.html

 

[Norbert]

I followed! I couldn't believe where you were going!!!
You can see the same roads on Google Street View.
I saw a lot of nasty mud, but very nice scenery.

Those Google folks are pretty hardcore, now that I think about it.....

Glad you had an awesome and safe trip!

 

[Caladin]

Do you change out your oil & filter doing these monster rides?

I did on my very first trip in 2007. I changed the oil near the half way point. But that was a much longer trip (22,788km / 14,160mi). I don't really think its a big deal to have extended running times for most trips. Considering you tend to be mostly lumbering along on the highway. I will be changing my oil asap now as I'm sure I put more wear on my clutch this trip then in the last two.

Looking forward to your trip report, considering your last one was probably the best ever that has been posted on this forum.

Wow, thanks for the huge compliment!

 

[Caladin]

I followed! I couldn't believe where you were going!!!
You can see the same roads on Google Street View.
I saw a lot of nasty mud, but very nice scenery.

Those Google folks are pretty hardcore, now that I think about it.....

Glad you had an awesome and safe trip!

Cool! I had no idea you could check it out with street view!

 

[Extremity]

I followed! I couldn't believe where you were going!!!
You can see the same roads on Google Street View.
I saw a lot of nasty mud, but very nice scenery.

Those Google folks are pretty hardcore, now that I think about it.....

Glad you had an awesome and safe trip!

Fun, off topic fact - Google hired an outside company for the streetview images. If you go down a busy street with lots of glass storefronts, you can see the reflection of the car with the camera. It's actually pretty cool, they have a big camera mounted about 3 feet above the roof. I forgot the company's name but they should be pretty easy to find and they specialize in stuff like this.

How cool would it be to work for them with your Fz6? Somehow mount a 360 degree camera on your seat cowl or something and just get paid to ride all day! :rockon: As far as I know, they are paid very generously and on TOP of their pay the company covers their gas, food, and hotel expenses. Sick job!

 

[Norbert]

Google street view is all over!!

They went to the Dalton Highway in Alaska, all the way up to the security checkpoint at Prudhoe Bay oil fields. It's about 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 1,200 miles from the North Pole, close to the Arctic Ocean.
This ride is popular among the advrider/BMW GS/too-much-money-on-their-hands riders.

Google Maps

 

[Caladin]

Google street view is all over!!

They went to the Dalton Highway in Alaska, all the way up to the security checkpoint at Prudhoe Bay oil fields. It's about 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 1,200 miles from the North Pole, close to the Arctic Ocean.
This ride is popular among the advrider/BMW GS/too-much-money-on-their-hands riders.

All I saw was BMW's and dual sports on the Dempster Highway. I plan to do the Dalton eventually. I didn't have the time this go around. That is why I opted for this route to the Arctic circle.

 

[Norbert]

All I saw was BMW's and dual sports on the Dempster Highway. I plan to do the Dalton eventually. I didn't have the time this go around. That is why I opted for this route to the Arctic circle.

I would like to ride up to Prudhoe Bay, too.
Would you ride there with your Fazer?
I've read plenty of trip reports about that on advrider.
Seems like a dual sport thing.

 

[Caladin]

I would like to ride up to Prudhoe Bay, too.
Would you ride there with your Fazer?
I've read plenty of trip reports about that on advrider.
Seems like a dual sport thing.

As long as it doesn't rain I should be ok. The Dempster isn't exactly FZ6 territory either. I don't think it's a lot different from the Dalton.

 

[Caladin]

I finished throwing together a write up of my trip. Its in the touring section now. Here is a link to save you the clicking.
http://www.600riders.com/forum/touring-traveling/32904-caladins-2010-trip-arctic-bound.html
Be warned... lots of pictures :rockon: