Miami To Alaska 07

[Baileyrock]

We enjoyed many great roads and had many stops for them to take pictures. This is just one of them.

Well this trip does not include me or and VFR's, but my friends from Miami have joined me riding in the Deals Gaps area for several years now. I did get invited on this trip and last years from Miami to the southern most tip of South America, but I haven't been able to swing taking a month off for either trip yet! Maybe the next one! :rolleyes:

My friend Alex(the other Alex is TwistedGrip) and 5 of his good friends has loaded up the 5 GS1200 and 1 Triumph Tiger for the trip long adventure and to my delight stopped in Nashville to visit me one the way this past Friday.

Alex & me

We meet for dinner Friday then headed out for Nashville's Night Life. We ended up hitting the Honky Tonks along Broadway and although all the music is good we ran across one fantastic and entertaining band at our 4th stop and we stayed until the band was done.

Over dinner they were trying to talk me into joining them for at least a few days of the trip and I would have loved to, but I decided to just show them some of TN's best roads on there way towards Memphis. They are actually meeting another rider in TX before heading up to AZ to meet the last member of the adventure!

I meet them at their Hotel Sat. morning for breakfast. It was a Holiday Inn Express so I'm sure they know everything they need!

They were loaded pretty full, even with emergency food supply.

We were basically running my 400 mile loop to it's farthest SW point were we would go our seperate ways, but with all the stops we rolled into Waynesboro around 2pm(about the same time I'm pulling back into Leepers Fork).

After finding a place to eat in the town square we enjoyed a decent meal.

It started to rain lightly as we were eating and thunder started as we mounted up on the bikes, but guessing that our route would lead us in front of the storm we headed out. Amazingly enough this worked as we really missed almost all the rain only having to ride a short time on even wet roads. :thumbsup:

I talked them into one more hr of riding out of their way north to catch some of my favorite parts. When we stopped to say our good byes the sun was out and the roads clean in the direction they headed. Wish I could have joined them, but maybe the South America run next year. :thumbsup:

They are riding only one way as a container awaits their bikes in Alaska to be shipped home as they fly home. That gives them the full month to explore anything and everything along the entire way.

I'm jealous and wish them luck! :thumbsup:

[Guest]

Sounds like an awesome trip! I'm with you on the jealousy. The only times I can take that much time off work is in the winter when I'm laid off. :salesman:

[tbayvfr]

That's definitely what I call an adventure. I still have plans myself to one day make it to Alaska, hopefully I'll still have the VFR, + Sargent seat of course!

[SEBSPEED]

Sounds like a sweet trip, I wish I could go too!

Maybe if you had those hardbags painted you would've been more inclined to go! :rolleyes: :goofy:

[Hobie1dog]

Those guys obviously have their priorities in life in order.

Thanks for posting up the pics for us.

[Baileyrock]

Great group of guys and for the folks who don't know who the "Cuban Raft Team" is, they are a group of guys from Argentina who live in Miami. Every time we ride together in NC, GA, TN the locals think they are from Mexico because they speak Spanish so for fun I started telling everyone they rafted to America from Cuba! :goofy:

All in good fun! :thumbsup:

[skuuter]

Sounds like a great ride....I can't ever squeeze that much time off..... :goofy: ....new Triumph Tiger is a great bike also.....I need about 2 more inches of inseam though............ <_<

[superfunkomatic]

those beemers look so cool loaded to the nines like that. what an adventure, it'd be great to see some of their pictures when they return. those are the type of trips to tell the grandkids about.

i knew i forgot something in my emergency kit - a banana!

[Jon28]

Sounds like a blast.........I like the Tiger that is a sweet ride. My boss's husband just bought a brand new white tiger>>>makes me drool! I still love the viffer tho

[FlaminV4]

I would love to be able to make a trip like this someday!! I am definately jealous but wish them the best of luck on their trip!! Have fun and ride safe!!

[sirimiri]

Wow, BMW 1200 GS and nice BMW Pro Rallye textile jacket and pants! These guys are loaded! And their bikes, too!!!

All kidding aside, seeing this really gives me heart...for I very truly want to do something like this some day.... right now is not the time, but...there will be a window sometime in the next few years......

Wish them luck on our behalves! :thumbsup: y ¡Qué sigan el buen camino!

[Baileyrock]

Wow, BMW 1200 GS and nice BMW Pro Rallye textile jacket and pants! These guys are loaded! And their bikes, too!!!

All kidding aside, seeing this really gives me heart...for I very truly want to do something like this some day.... right now is not the time, but...there will be a window sometime in the next few years......

Wish them luck on our behalves! :thumbsup: y ¡Qué sigan el buen camino!

Can't be doing to bad to be able to take a month off! :thumbsup:

All the GS's had the 8.5 gal fuel tank options, only problem is the Tiger holds only 5 something gals! :goofy:

[Dutchy]

I did get invited on this trip and last years from Miami to the southern most tip of South America,

Miami to Ushuaia, now THAT is a real adventure.

Riding Miami to Alaska seems tame in comparison.....

OK, I admit, I'm jealous....

:P

As for a real cuban motorcycle

[sirimiri]

All the Gs's had the 8.5 gal fuel tank options, only problem is teh Tiger holds only 5 something! :goofy:

That's terrible.... they've going to eventually tire of they guy and leave him behind..... he'll have to fend for himself against all those crazy Canadians, waiting for the slow one to fall behind the herd....

[Baileyrock]

I did get invited on this trip and last years from Miami to the southern most tip of South America,

Miami to Ushuaia, now THAT is a real adventure.

Riding Miami to Alaska seems tame in comparison.....

OK, I admit, I'm jealous....

:P

As for a real cuban motorcycle

Never mentioned a Cuban m/c Dutchy, just a raft! :goofy:

[Dutchy]

All the Gs's had the 8.5 gal fuel tank options, only problem is teh Tiger holds only 5 something! :goofy:

That's terrible.... they've going to eventually tire of they guy and leave him behind..... he'll have to fend for himself against all those crazy Canadians, waiting for the slow one to fall behind the herd....

Having had to abandon his motorcycle, the intrepid biker set off to find shelter for the night. Only to find the canucks on his path............

Nah, Canadians are really sweet,

ok , I can only vouch for some of your women..... :thumbsup:

[hondalover]

Since all the bikes are Adventure tourers I'm assuming they are headed to Purdhoe Bay, AK (Dead Horse). The Dalton Highway is 417 miles of mostly unimproved roads. I did the trek from Kansas City, MO in 2005. It was 9,910 miles in 21 days. I bet those guys beat that milage.

Baileyrock, that is no place for a VFR. I did it on a Concours and that wasn't a good bike for it either.

At the Arctic Circle we saw a man on a scooter from Argentina. We spoke a bit and he told us that the "water in Cold Foot bad". I'm guessing that was his turnaround point, because after that it's 244 miles of NOTHING. Unless you want to count Grizzlies and Elk. That man has balls of steel.

[Baileyrock]

Since all the bikes are Adventure tourers I'm assuming they are headed to Purdhoe Bay, AK (Dead Horse). The Dalton Highway is 417 miles of mostly unimproved roads. I did the trek from Kansas City, MO in 2005. It was 9,910 miles in 21 days. I bet those guys beat that milage.

Baileyrock, that is no place for a VFR. I did it on a Concours and that wasn't a good bike for it either.

That must have been a great adventure for you and I would love to try something like it one day, but I'm Not on this trip. They just came through Nashville to say hey on the way! :thumbsup:

[Bent]

Sounds like a great ride....I can't ever squeeze that much time off..... :pissed: ....new Triumph Tiger is a great bike also.....I need about 2 more inches of inseam though............ <_<

Elevator boots?....Nah, that's just not "you".... :goofy:

[BonusVFR]

Do I need an Adventure Bike - that is the real question? How about do I want an Adventure Bike?

[Baileyrock]

Do I need an Adventure Bike - that is the real question? How about do I want an Adventure Bike?

You need adventure, any bike will do! :thumbsup:

Just mount some dual sport tires on the Viffer and go. :pissed:

[Lee 2002]

Someday, once the kids are out of school and it is just the Wife and I.

I have been pricing GSes. A GS will definitely be my next bike (in addition, not trade). So many gravel roads, cow trails and abandoned rail right of ways to explore. Would love the adventure model like your friends have. I just need to get the Wife on the back of one with a trunk with added back-pad and let comfort do the talking.... then it might be a done deal.

Are they posting their adventures on a web site anywhere? I would love to follow along.

Shoot, if their route brings them through Kansas I would love to host them for a barbeque of Kansas beef. Argentina has tremendous quality beef but I think I could get a hold of some good Iowa corn-fed that would beat their steppe-grass fed beef from their native country. I bet a little alcohol could get the stories from motorcycling adventures flowing like a river.

[hondalover]

Someday, once the kids are out of school and it is just the Wife and I.

I have been pricing GSes. A GS will definitely be my next bike (in addition, not trade). So many gravel roads, cow trails and abandoned rail right of ways to explore. Would love the adventure model like your friends have. I just need to get the Wife on the back of one with a trunk with added back-pad and let comfort do the talking.... then it might be a done deal.

Are they posting their adventures on a web site anywhere? I would love to follow along.

Shoot, if their route brings them through Kansas I would love to host them for a barbeque of Kansas beef. Argentina has tremendous quality beef but I think I could get a hold of some good Iowa corn-fed that would beat their steppe-grass fed beef from their native country. I bet a little alcohol could get the stories from motorcycling adventures flowing like a river.

Lee, I thought that dealership setup looked familar. I was just at Engle's a few weeks ago and sat on the Adventurer. Can't see spending that much on a bike just yet. But I'm sure my time will come.

The riding buddy that I went to Alaska with has been salivating over the GSs since they went to the 1200. He rides a DL1000 (V-Strom) but would really like a shaft drive. He broke the drive chain in St. Joseph, MO on the way back from AK, 53 miles from home on a 10,000 mile trip.

[Baileyrock]

Someday, once the kids are out of school and it is just the Wife and I.

Are they posting their adventures on a web site anywhere? I would love to follow along.

Shoot, if their route brings them through Kansas I would love to host them for a barbeque of Kansas beef. Argentina has tremendous quality beef but I think I could get a hold of some good Iowa corn-fed that would beat their steppe-grass fed beef from their native country. I bet a little alcohol could get the stories from motorcycling adventures flowing like a river.

They are way past you already and I don't know if their Blogging or not, heard from them a few days ago from Moab Utah where they rented dirt bikes for the day to check out the area. I should here from them in a few days and will ask about if their posting their adventures. :thumbsup:

[Guest]

I was just reading in BIKE magazine that the new tiger is really going the way of the SUV. Nice to think about leaving asphalt, but it won't handle it. More like a big motard. Well, I guess if you can get a big tank and the right tires and suspension will take it there no problem bringing it, but it seems like there are better options out there if you're going to be really hardcore like these guys.

I think if i were going to do a trip like this I'd want the most off-road capable bike I could get. An XR650 or the like. Maybe that opinion will change as i get older.