Christian ADV Rider Forum

Hi,

 I want ride from GA to Alaska next summer, and use the trip as a fund raiser for a Missionary group in Haiti. Any ideas on what kind of bike I should get?

Thanks!

It really depends on where in Alaska you plan to go and how much off pavement you intend to ride.


In my opinion a kawasaki KLR650 is a great choice if you intend to ride much off pavement. Easy to maintain and work on and there is a good parts availability just about anywhere. Set up correctly the KLR can be a pretty comfortable touring bike as long as you keep it under 60 or 70 depending on how you have it geared. I like the KLR because a fall normally does no do much damage to the bike (especially the pre 08s) and they are much easier to pick up especially if alone.

I have not made the trip but I chose my bike accordingly after much research and my experiences. Its always been my dream ride but I have not been able to afford it just yet.

A v-strom is a popular choice as well, I got one and went back to a KLR. I guess it just wasn't for me. Maintenance was a pain compared to the KLR and much heavier. The KLR had a higher fun factor for me. I could ride a lot further without breaks on the v-strom which was a plus. Thats pavement riding, I can actually put more miles at a time off the pavement on a KLR.  In reality tho most rides I go on are 130 miles before a break. Thats tank to tank on many cruisers and really a person needs to take a short break at that time anyway.

A Suzuki DR650 is right up there with the KLR in my opinion as well.
A mid sized (650) single cylinder bike is the perfect balance for all types of riding IMO

need some company from a couple Arkansans on KLRs along the way? 

one other thing to consider if the people who will be going with you.  When everybody is on similar bikes it makes traveling a little easier. There is no big issues with different bikes but every little thing makes a difference especially on a long trip.

Most of my riding is done with my wife and my best friend. We all ride KLRs. Since all 3 bikes take the same parts and tools we split the stuff up between bikes to save weight and bulk on the bikes. This way not everybody has to carry a full tool kit and parts on the bikes. It also allows for better tools and more spares for the common problems than a person would normally carry on only one bike.

We also have all the same gas stops. This seems like a small deal but it is a big thing for us. This way whoever leading does not have to wonder if somebody in the pack will run out of fuel before he/she does. The leader knows that if their bike can go 100 more miles then the other bikes can as well. This prevents us from running out of fuel and making a lot of extra fuel stops. When my wife had her honda 230 this was a constant issue. I never knew how far I could go before she ran out of gas.

Another thing is that everybody has the same cruising speeds. When riding from AR to Alabama with my father in law on his honda vtx1300 he could run 80mph comfortably all day. I could not on my KLR. This meant he seemed to be constantly speeding up or slowing down in attempt to ride my pace.

 These little things can all lead to fatigue either physically or mentally. Fatigue not only leads to less alert and more dangerous riding but also little nit pickey arguments between fellow riders. Lots of little things add up fast.

keep me posted on the ride. My wife and I may have to start planning and saving ourselves. If nothing else maybe at least tagging along part way. It is a rare occasion for my wife to get to ride with other female riders.

never been but i would think klr650 size and up unless you intend to ride dirt/gravel..but like another said its mostly paved..best i can do is may be send off some funds to help your cause with your mission work...spreading the word is what i think Jesus wants so i would help in that regard if you so desire or need some funds to help buy bibles..

i was thinking about this last night at work..2 things i would most definetly pack for any trip are a small tube of dieelectric grease and the smallest bottle of penetrating oil you can find