Alaska Cancelled this year but not the fun

fjmartin · 07-19-2017, 06:03 PM

So my Alaska trip kept getting delayed as the weather in BC, Hyder, Yukon was just rain and more rain so we kept delaying and we finally ran out of time for my buddy. I guess I'll just have to do the big Alaska route next year as I had already been planning.
But just because this trip got cancelled doesn't mean my buddy and I couldn't get out for a mini-adventure. It started with us taking back-roads from the Seattle area down to Hood River, OR. This took us right past Mt. St. Helens and then as we hit Oregon we could see Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. We stayed the night at my buddies parents place and then we headed over the Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods to start the Washington Back-Country Discovery Route. This is a 6 section route that is mostly dirt and goes from Oregon to Canada straight up the Cascade mountain range. Each section is somewhere between 75 and 125 miles so the RX3 could make each section on a single tank. Each section ends coming into a town with food, water, fuel, lodging (hotel/motel or camping). Based on my buddies schedule he only had 4 days to do this trip so we used the first day to ride to Oregon, Day 2 we did the 122 mile section one and 73 miles of section 2 which is a total of 121 miles in length. We did some wild camping and then finished section 2 and the 75 miles section 3 the next day and rode home. Most of this BDR is made up of nice forest service roads but also has some narrow washed out stuff, logs and some seriously nasty climbs and descents with huge rocks. Those last ones took me down 3 times during the ride. Twice climbing and once going down. No real damage. Slightly bent crash bar that I was able to kick back into place and I cracked my windscreen as my added wind deflector put enough stress on it to crack on one of the offs. I used a special lexan/plexiglas glue that basically welds it back together and put some 3M clear tape over that. Seems to be holding. I believe this was crashes 33 through 35 for the bike. Still running awesome! I wrote up the story and sent it to CSC who put it on the blog along with some of the pictures. I hope you enjoy it.

http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=26166

jbfla · 07-19-2017, 07:07 PM

Thanks for the update, Joe.

No doubt that you will eventually make the Alaska trip.

Great ride report with photos on the CSC blog.

jb

Jay In Milpitas · 07-27-2017, 10:47 PM

"I believe this was crashes 33 through 35 for the bike."

Some folks record miles accumulated, some go by oil changes, others by tires worn out. I think Joe has broken new ground. Keep it up!

rjmorel · 07-28-2017, 12:42 AM

Great write up Joe and very nice pics. Any of you north westerners going to Sound Rider Rally in Hood Oregon end of next month? I will try and make it if work allows, get one last ride in before winter. rj

2strokecycle · 07-28-2017, 02:41 PM

The RX3 is a strong bike, I have had a great many offs as well and the worst damage was bent engine guards and that happened on a single track trail on a very wet and rainy day. I have even broken through ice on the bike (I ride all year in Pennsylvania) and it kept going like a champ, approximately 5K miles in a little over a year and most of the miles are fire roads and trails.

07-19-2017, 06:03 PM	#1
fjmartin Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Redmond, WA. Posts: 534	Alaska Cancelled this year but not the fun So my Alaska trip kept getting delayed as the weather in BC, Hyder, Yukon was just rain and more rain so we kept delaying and we finally ran out of time for my buddy. I guess I'll just have to do the big Alaska route next year as I had already been planning. But just because this trip got cancelled doesn't mean my buddy and I couldn't get out for a mini-adventure. It started with us taking back-roads from the Seattle area down to Hood River, OR. This took us right past Mt. St. Helens and then as we hit Oregon we could see Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. We stayed the night at my buddies parents place and then we headed over the Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods to start the Washington Back-Country Discovery Route. This is a 6 section route that is mostly dirt and goes from Oregon to Canada straight up the Cascade mountain range. Each section is somewhere between 75 and 125 miles so the RX3 could make each section on a single tank. Each section ends coming into a town with food, water, fuel, lodging (hotel/motel or camping). Based on my buddies schedule he only had 4 days to do this trip so we used the first day to ride to Oregon, Day 2 we did the 122 mile section one and 73 miles of section 2 which is a total of 121 miles in length. We did some wild camping and then finished section 2 and the 75 miles section 3 the next day and rode home. Most of this BDR is made up of nice forest service roads but also has some narrow washed out stuff, logs and some seriously nasty climbs and descents with huge rocks. Those last ones took me down 3 times during the ride. Twice climbing and once going down. No real damage. Slightly bent crash bar that I was able to kick back into place and I cracked my windscreen as my added wind deflector put enough stress on it to crack on one of the offs. I used a special lexan/plexiglas glue that basically welds it back together and put some 3M clear tape over that. Seems to be holding. I believe this was crashes 33 through 35 for the bike. Still running awesome! I wrote up the story and sent it to CSC who put it on the blog along with some of the pictures. I hope you enjoy it. http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=26166 __________________ 2017 BMW F800GS Adventure
	6

07-19-2017, 07:07 PM	#2
jbfla Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL, GA, NC Posts: 771	Thanks for the update, Joe. No doubt that you will eventually make the Alaska trip. Great ride report with photos on the CSC blog. jb __________________ 2016 Honda CB500F......2017 Triumph Street Twin 2014 XT 250........
	0

07-27-2017, 10:47 PM	#3
Jay In Milpitas Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Milpitas, CA. USA Posts: 775	Keeping score. "I believe this was crashes 33 through 35 for the bike." Some folks record miles accumulated, some go by oil changes, others by tires worn out. I think Joe has broken new ground. Keep it up! __________________ Horse holder at Madame Orr's House.
	0

07-28-2017, 12:42 AM	#4
rjmorel Join Date: May 2007 Location: Warshington Posts: 928	Great write up Joe and very nice pics. Any of you north westerners going to Sound Rider Rally in Hood Oregon end of next month? I will try and make it if work allows, get one last ride in before winter. rj __________________ Live Zong, and Prosper
	0

07-28-2017, 02:41 PM	#5
2strokecycle Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 17	The RX3 is a strong bike, I have had a great many offs as well and the worst damage was bent engine guards and that happened on a single track trail on a very wet and rainy day. I have even broken through ice on the bike (I ride all year in Pennsylvania) and it kept going like a champ, approximately 5K miles in a little over a year and most of the miles are fire roads and trails.
	1