Day minus2-6/19/10-Sat, Prologue

Prologue

I’m returning to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay, AK for unfinished business!

In June, 2008, Lisa Landry and I rode V-Stroms up to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay, AK.  This is the northern most “end-of-the-road” in North America.  Prudhoe Bay is at the Arctic Ocean.  Lisa made it.  I did not.

I broke down on the Dalton Hwy/Haul Road, 58 miles from Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay!  Because of my ignorance of motorcycle chain maintenance, the chain failed and resulted in damage to the transmission.  I sat on the side of the road from 1AM to 5AM at the edge of the North Slope tundra while Lisa continued on to Deadhorse to get me help.

I ended up getting towed into Deadhorse and subsequently, the Vstrom was shipped back to Southern California.

Lisa rode home by herself.  I flew home with my tail between my legs.

So in order to finish this 58 miles stretch of dirt, gravel, mud and sand road going into Deadhorse, I must ride 9,000 miles, round-trip, from Southern California and back.

Akkkk!  I’m not ready.

Tanji Garage

I’ve been planning this ride for over a year and even then, there was not enough time.

This bike was rebuilt from “Salvage”.  This is V-Strom #2.  My original inspection of this “salvaged” bike indicated that all the damage was cosmetic (almost all the plastic skin need to be replace and the front sub-frame and the front headlights, headlight housing and windshield.  What V-Strom #2 had over my original V-Strom #1 was incredible aftermarket suspension.  It had HyperPro front springs and Ohlin rear shocks.  V-Strom #1 with stock suspension cranked all the way up was “bottoming out” on the Alcan Highway Frost Heaves.

To add CB communications, V1 radar detector, SPOT satellite tracking, heated clothing controllers, heated grips, heated gloves, cell phone power, volt meter, I had to add a new auxiliary wiring harness, new headlight harness, new un-switched block, new switched block and two ground blocks.