Bike shop visit, fork cleaning, and test rides

July 7^th, 2026

Fairbanks, Alaska

Woke at 8:00 am and got ready.

Did some online checks for opening times and to plot my route to the bike shop.

Got the bike uncovered and went over it again to see if there was any leakage overnight, and then cleaned everything again just to make sure there was no older signs of leakage left.

Rode bike over to the shop, which was not that far away, but I tried to take streets with more lights and stopped harder and purposely hit smaller bumps to make the suspension work harder.

Arrived at the location and could not see any signs of leakage, so I decided to just pursue finding the proper cleaning tools and fork socks as I think the problem was just dirt in the seals.

Inside I found the fork socks, only had one size, and when I looked up the forks on my bike, they are actually bit larger.  Socks are for 44-50mm, but bike is 43mm, but should be close enough.  They were $30, which was not a bad price based on the research I had done before I left.

I then went up to the counter to ask about the fork cleaners and saw them on the pegs behind the counter, so when my turn came, I said that was what I wanted.

Guy asked which type, as they make two different types of cleaner.  The one I knew about, was basically a better version of the plastic bottle cut out I had made myself, but the other was a larger piece, but easier to use supposedly, and he claimed cleaned better and lasted longer.

I decided to buy the better one, and then since the other kind was cheap, bought it as well, so I have both options (I know the one kind does work, but the other type did look easier to use).

All in it cost me about $65 to get all the stuff.

Since things are looking good, I am going to go ahead and try riding the Dalton.

He had mentioned they could do a seal job on the bike, but did not sound confident they could do it in next 24 hours when I mentioned I had to leave sometime the next day.

I did ask, and he was already in process of doing it anyway, if they had the parts on hand to do the job, should I require it later.

They do have all the seals and such, though he was not sure about a few bushings, but also noted that those many not need replaced anyway, so could likely re-use them.

It is good to know they have stuff, so if I do have a problem again, or the problem cannot be fixed by cleaning, then I can come in and get the repair done.

If things go badly on the Dalton with the seals, then I can come back down to Fairbanks and get it fixed, and possibly call ahead to schedule it depending on how far up the road I am.  Could take a day or two to return, so gives them time to schedule it.

Once done I rode back to the hotel and immediately used both cleaners to clean the forks again.

I first used the new type and it was much easier to use, and it pulled a decent amount of fine grit out of both seals.

I used the other one after, just to see how it worked, and much more difficult to get around the fork, but it does work, though both times it came out mostly clean since I had used the other one first.  The other one also has a end to clean the dust cap seal as well, which I did, though those had been cleaned earlier as well and were easy to clean, so not much was found on them.

I then put stuff away, and then found a fixed a few other things on the bike.

I mostly tightened a few bolts or screws that I felt were getting loose.  Also found one of the clips in the instrument panel had fallen out.  Nothing I can do to replace it without buying the part, but also not too worried, the panels fit together so tight they are not going to move.  Might rattle a bit, but bike is already a rattle trap.

I also found one of the bolts holding the battery tray was missing!

That I was able to replace from the box of spare hardware I had bought many years back thinking it might be a good idea to have some spare bolts, nuts and washer along. 

Also found the few things I had left in the tray under the seat had mostly bounced out!  I do not recall what all I put under there, but the tube of graphite was stuck in the fairing, the packet of hand cleaner was down beside battery and other things were barely hanging on.  Other then a spare wire harness for the GPS which was secured better, I decided only to put the shop towel back in there as rest of it bounces around too much.

The bikes tool kit is there, but is secures down into its spot.

I then took the bike for another long ride to have lunch and see if the better cleaning helped.

Was going to stop at a Greek food truck, but when I reach it, was very busy, so decided to look elsewhere.

Ended up back over by the laundry place, and recalled a place there that had been closed that day, and it was open today.

Pizza place, and they had decent food for very reasonable prices!

Once I had eaten, I rode the long way back on the highways to the hotel, and did not find any signs of leakage. I could just detect where the tubes had compressed as there was a slight blur of the chrome where the oil seal had moved up and town on the tube.  This seems normal from what I recall seeing on the bike in the past when I would clean it.

I do thin when this trip is over though I should probably have a seal job done anyway, if anything to replace the seal oil that has been lost.  Not sure how much, but guessing a decent amount was leaked out.  The front still feels normal, so not worried about it, but will put it on my list to have done later in winter.

I then put on the shock socks and secured them best I could.  They barely fit over the outer shock tube, and fit perfectly on the inner tube.  I cannot really secure them with the zip ties they included as the under lying tube does not provide anything to secure against, so would just be pressure against the tube wall, not sure if that would hold it, and if it did slip off, then the zip tie would be loose on there and could get caught up in the seal.

I would also like to be able to remove them nightly to clean under and check them.

I took the bike for a test ride around the airport, which provided a decently bumpy road surface to get the suspension moving.  Also rode past a few places with some old beat up planes just sitting there.  Lots of old planes sitting around edges of various properties, but this place had them lined up and on display.

When I reached the hotel, as I feared, one side had slipped up and off the outer tube, letting the seal area be exposed, so not going to do any good.

I will see how it goes first day of riding, but may have to try the zip ties anyway, but that may not help.

Will just have to monitor and check on them often when in bumpy and dirty spots.

Secured and covered the bike and came inside to finish video.

Once done, I was exhausted again, so took a 2 hour nap and then woke to write up this and yesterdays blogs.

Will skip dinner tonight, not even hungry, lunch was too much, but was going to walk over to get something to drink, but now its 8:00pm, not sure I want to bother.

Will figure it out and then either do it or not, then just have to upload all todays work on the very slow internet here and then pack up a few things and go to bed.

Will not be in a rush to leave tomorrow, with the long daylight still, I can ride much later, so do not need to rush out the door.

No plans for tomorrow other than to head north.

I have already marked all the fuel stops and possible camp sites and hotel spots (which are likely all booked up anyway), so will just ride till I feel close to stopping and pick a spot.

Catch ya down the road.

Todays Route:

Gold mining history

July 6^th, 2026

Fairbanks, Alaska

Woke normal time today and got ready.

Went out and checked on the seals I cleaned last night, but did not expect anything since bike had not been ridden.

Pulled off cover and got bike ready though as I would be taking it out for a short ride today.

Sorted stuff inside and worked online a bit, then gathered up some of the cameras and a small backpack along with some other stuff to take with me.

Changed into the bike gear as trip is too long to ride without it.  I only do that for a few blocks at most.

Rode over to the northeast corner of town near the highway that heads north out of the city to have lunch.  I had found a sandwich shop there that looked interesting.

Place was in the parking lot of a Lowes, so busy place, but found parking near the place and went inside.

They seated me at the bar, ordered drink and food, and then waited.  Very slow, but the food was really good, but I would say a bit over priced for what it was and portion sizes.  But I did enjoy it.  Had some fries with sauce and toppings and a Cuban sandwich.

Back on the bike, I then found the highway and headed north.

After a few miles I pulled off at a viewing stop for the Alyeska Pipeline.  This is one of the sections where the pipe runs above group, supported on moving supports to allow for expansion.  About half the pipeline runs above, and half underground, depending on the ground conditions and various factors.

Walked along the pipe to see the displays about the various types of pigs they use for cleaning and testing the pipe, and then got back on the bike to go the last mile to my destination.

Today we are visiting the Dredge 8 gold mining site.

The site was used from 1927 to 1959 (with a break during WWII) to dredge mine the gravel layers of soil for gold.

This required the use of water and steam to first thaw and remove the top soil layer to reach the gravel layers below.  In this spot that was roughly 80-90 feet of soil that was thawed and washed away.

They diverted a river upstream to bring water down, creating a man-made river of sorts for many miles to allow the water flow over the gravel area where the dredge would float.

The barge like structure had the dredging arm and processing on board and would navigate up to the banks and then start digging up the gravel, sorting and processing the found gold and depositing the tailing out the back onto the previously dug sections.

They were very successful for a long time with this type of mining, though it sounds like larger chunks of gold would get missed and tossed out the back, so later groups would come check the tailing piles for stuff.

The operational costs combined with the restrictions on gold possession and the total price control the US Government had over gold finally shut the dredge down in 1959, and it was left there, where it sits today.

So, the site, which is privately owned, and the ownership predates statehood, has been built up as a tourist site over the years with some additions brought from other locations and created for the site.

You start your tour sitting underneath an above ground section of the Alyeska Pipeline, and a presentation is done about the history and creation of the pipeline (currently done by an old guy that actually helped build it, before he went into gold mining himself).

This is actually a decent background on the pipeline and its history and even current usage of the pipeline, which right now is scheduled to run for another 15-20 years, at which time it will be completely disassembled and removed per the conditions of the original building permits and permissions from land owners.

It is interesting in that the original pipeline took way longer to build than expected, and cost way more than budgeted, but still made its money and has lasted far longer than its expected 20-year plan. (49 years currently).

After this talk, everyone walks over to board a small steam train that was built onsite to move people around.  The trains are modern creations if I understood it right, but they were built to specs from the same early 1900s time period.

They actually have 2 trains, though only running 1 of them right now.  Each train has at least a dozen passenger carriages, so the groups can get quite large.  (There were 3 full tour busses, a few smaller vans and plenty of cars to feed the group I was in.)

The track wanders through the forest at a very slow pace, you could probably walk just as fast, but that gives the presenter time to give history on various mining types and people from the early days of the mining in this region.

They also have a visual presentation on screens in each passenger car.

Along the way the train will stop for demonstrations of various mining techniques used in the region, most appear to be recreations using original equipment restored to operation that was found or used in the area or even on the original mining stakes that made up the current land ownership.

You eventually arrive alongside the Dredge 8 structure, which sits, slightly sunk, in a pool of water that is what is left of the man made river system they had made, though I am sure at times it might dry out completely, the winters usually keep it full, but the dredge is also partially beached as that was how it would be left for periods of time when it was not in use to prevent it from sinking too far.

It sites slight off level, with the back-end dipping about a foot lower than the front and even has a slight tilt to one side.

The train stops and they talk about the way the dredge would have worked, and someone on board points out and holds up various artifacts as they are mentioned.

You can also see some building in behind and off to sides, many are original buildings brought over from the original mining camp that was located a few miles away, but had to be removed at one point for a land use change, so they were brought here to add to the sites charm and history.

Today was a bit of a wet day though.  It had started sprinkling lightly when we were at the pipe talk, and had continued on the early train ride, but just as we stopped at the dredge it started to come down much heavier, and the wind picked up and was blowing it into the cars.  It even hailed for a short time, small gravel sized stones.

During all this, the talk went on, and the poor guys on the dredge just got soaked, though they started taking umbrellas out to all the workers standing in various spots.

During this time, they also gave a demonstration of gold panning, several stations setup alongside the train had large pans of water and they would stand there (in the rain now) and show how the gravel was put in the pan, sifted and cleared with water until the gold was reached.

Once done, the train moved around to the other side of the dredge location where all the buildings were, and stopped again.

This time we all got off the train, and around the side of the building was a large covered spot with water basins and pans and bags of gravel all ready for us to all give gold panning a try.

They had everyone find a spot, then we dumped the bag of gravel and dirt into the pans and they then had someone at each basin to show everyone how to do it.  They actually used my pan as the demo as I was standing at the end of the long water basin.

We spent about 15-20 minutes sifting the dirt, getting the larger rocks out and the dirt to leave behind the small gravel and the gold.  I had a few challenges with some of the steps, and guy showed me the trick to get it to work.

I finally had the pan down to just a fine grain sand and when you swirled the pan just right several small specks of gold were indeed in the pan.

Took a few tries, but finally got the hang of the swirl to wash the dirt away and the heavier gold would stay on the bare pan.

Then had to carefully pick it up with a dry finger (harder to do since everything was wet, including us) and place it in a small plastic canister provided.

I ended up pulling about a dozen small gold specks from the soil, swirled it a few more times but did not see anything else, so if there was more, I had already washed it out.

Once you had your gold, you then went inside the big building next door which was mostly a gift shop selling tons of stuff, but also acted as a museum with lots of artifacts and displays about the history of the site and mining in general.

They also had a large area where they would weigh your gold and give you the approximate value (guessing based on current price of the day?)

From here you could also go outside to view the dredge again and walk down the path to get onboard.

I first used the restroom, then wandered the museum sections a bit before going outside and over to the dredge.

You cross a small bridge and board, and they have it roped off to prevent you from going into places that you should not be in (either dangerous, or tight spots, or few areas where they look to be storing stuff).

You go up a flight to see some more of the internal working, and eventually go up to the deck where the controls are for the dredging arm.

Spent a bit of time wandering and filming inside, then left to go back to the building.

As I expected, most of the people had waited to get gold weighed first as the lines were huge when I first went in.

Now the counter was mostly empty, so went up and had them weigh my few specks of gold.

Was told it was roughly $40 worth of gold.

Not sure how one would go about selling it, and guessing that would not be the price I would be paid.  No plans to try, will just put it back as a souvenir.

I then bought a soda and stood around for a bit, but was hot and stuffy inside (I was wearing my bike gear as there was no place to leave it, and actually had been nice when outside and it was raining, but now as overheating.

I used the restroom once more and then went outside to wait till we boarded the train, which was actually just a few minutes wait.

The train took us then back to the beginning, passing more old junk and the other train on the way.  Also passed several beaver ponds formed from the old water flows which also house other wildlife at various times of the year.

Once back, the tour was done, so everyone got off the train and moved toward the exit by the pipeline.

I got over to my bike, which thankfully had dried off a bit since the rain had stopped about 30 minutes back, and started to get bike ready to ride.

A guy came up to me and started talking, he had noticed the plate on the bike.

Spent probably 20-25 minutes chatting with him, till eventually his car (and his wife waiting inside it) and myself were only things left in the lot.  Even many of the staff had left as I saw a few getting in cars here, though think they also have parking elsewhere on the property.

Finally finished talking, gave him my media card and then we left.

Back on the highway we made quick time getting back to the hotel so I could change into regular clothes and set this out to dry out the rest of the way.

Worked on moving footage off the cameras, then went to dinner, walking over to Taco Bell again.  Really only place close enough to walk that does not require crossing a major road.

Then came back and worked on a video which I had mostly done before I decided it was time for bed.

Will get bike sorted in the morning and finish the video as I have no other plans tomorrow.

Todays Route:

Forking Fork seals

July 5^th, 2026

Fairbank, Alaska

Woke up around 7 and dressed to go look at the bike.

Spent some time removing the front fender and cleaning all the built-up oil and dirt from the forks.

Popped the dust cap seals up and cleaned around and inside the fork as best as possible, did get more oil and lots of grime.

Put the dust caps back into place and cleaned a 2^nd time to get any last bits of dirt.

Bike was still a bit oily, so decided I would run over to a nearby car wash and give it a good hose down.  There was still lots of built-up dirt all over the lower part of the bike and luggage, so probably good idea.

I found a car wash not far and also laundromat just a block away from there.

Gathered the dirty laundry and a few things and rode to car wash.

Spent about 5 minutes cleaning the forks and fender, and spraying the lower parts of bike off.  Also gave a quick spray to the luggage and front part of bike, enough to get heavy dirt and some of the bugs, but not all.

They went up a block to the laundry place.

Went inside and walked all over to find a machine.  1/3 of the machines were out of order and everything else was full, except one top loading washer.  Put my clothes in, and then tried to find changer. 

Turns out they do not have one, need to get change from counter person, who never seems to be at counter.  5 minutes later I had my $5 in quarters.  Went to insert first one and slot is jammed with another quarter?

Ask and the attendant is oh yea, out of order.  Well, think you could have put up a sign?  Or did they run out as so many were broken.

By now at least 4 more people were in looking, so decided to hell with this place and left.  There were a few people in there I saw checking at least 10 machines, and these tend to be high-capacity machines, so did they wait 2 months to do laundry or something?

I found another place across town, but its really just a 10-minute ride, so figured I would go over there.

Much larger place, much bigger machines and lots of them.

Found an empty machine, huge things, but no way to put money in.

Went to counter and asked.  They have some kind of cashless system, have to get a card from a kiosk to use on the machines.

So started process, had to pay $1 to get the card, and no, that money is not put on the card, just gone!  They had to add money to the card in whole dollar amounts.  As I had no clue what machine I was using, I could not figure out the price list, so assumed it was the smaller machine as I had not seen smaller.

Put $10 on card, when over to machine and it was $15 for a load!!!!

So put another $10 on card, then activated machine.  Since I was using cold wash instead of warm wash, I saved $1, so $14 for a load.

I walked around a bit and found smaller machines on other side, so I used way to large a machine, could have washed for $8 in smaller machine.

Once washing was done, went over to dryers and they were all $6 to run.  That gives you 25 minutes, but still!!

Then had some odd issue where I tried to use the card on top dryer and it did not work, but it had actually put the money on the bottom dryer.

Just cannot believe they took a simple process like washing clothes and over complicated it to this degree!

So now have a card with 20 cents still on it, never get used of course.

Also noticed here people with 5 or 6 huge bags of clothes, again, do they wait months between laundry?

Left the laundry as was going to eat at sub shop in parking lot next door.

Took a wrong turn and missed the connection between the lots, so had to get on street.

Did not turn into gas station as I wanted building on other side, but of course no way to turn in there, so had to go down and around the block to come back in the backside and find the building.

Then I managed to get inside 30 seconds before an entire tour bus dumped itself on the restaurant.

So busy, noisy place while trying to eat.

Once done I got out of there, managed to get in wrong lane and end up going a few miles around to get back to highway again.

Got back to hotel and checked the seals, they are all wet again!

Thinking it could just be from the car wash, water working out of crack, I dried it all up again.

I then let it sit awhile, and went to office to see if I could reserve two more nights at the room.  Thankfully they had the space, so reserved it, but did not pay yet.

Took the bike for 40-minute drive around the entire city on the highways that circle the town.

Once back, found it leaking quite heavily again, definitely still bad, the dust caps were not the issue (though probably bad as well as so much is getting out).

Went ahead and paid for the room nights.

So now I am $400 more out of pocket to wait as none of the bike shops are open on Monday!

Will call Suzuki on Tues morning, see what they can do, and also have a place across from the hotel, but looks more like just snowmobile place (50 of them sitting in lot).

If either can get me in on Tuesday, have the parts and fix it, then we are good.

If not, but can get me in on Wednesday, still good.

If not, then trip is over.

I might see if the shops in Whitehorse can do something, would take 2 days to get there, get fixed and still able to do the Dempster, but looking like the Dalton is not going to happen.

Guess we will find out in a few days.

For now, will spend tonight catching up on these blogs, doing a few other small tasks related to it and work on video stuff. 

Probably just walk over to Arby’s for dinner tonight, only thing close, and do not want to ride bike anywhere tonight, just mentally and physically drained right now.

A bit later I got to thinking, the small store card I was using earlier was not flexible enough to insert into the seal inside the fork, so I just cleaned the dust cap seal. 

I really need to clean the actual fork seal, and recalled something about a plastic bottle.

Some research found those references and the other data on the special tool made just for this; however, I could not find any confirmed location of that tool being sold anywhere here in Fairbanks.  Wal-Mart carries them, but not in stock here.

Amazon will take a week to get one here, so that’s not an option either.

So cut the empty water bottle I had down to approximate shape and went out and popped off the dust seals and clean everything, then tried that home made tool.  On the left side it went in okay, but really did not bring out much dirt.

The right side pulled out lots of grime, so still a bit unsure if they are clean, will test ride tomorrow and I am just not in the mood to gear up now and already paid for the extra room nights, so staying 2 more nights regardless.

Will still call on Tuesday, see if I can get someone bit more skilled to check it out, or perhaps they will have correct tool to try cleaning to see if that will resolve issue for now.

So, catch you down the road?  Guess we will see.

Northbound with crazy weather.

July 4^th, 2026

Fairbanks, Alaska

Woke at 8am this morning and looked outside.  Good and wet, but appeared to be done raining.

I tossed on my clothes and ran outside to check the bike cover; it always has a few spots where water collects.  Sure enough, a few pools or water.  Pulled them up and let them drain.  With the breeze, should be dry before I pack it up in an hour or so, unless it rains again.

Went back inside to shower and get geared up.  Then packed everything up and prepared it for loading.

Went down and was lucky there was still one luggage cart left, so took it down to the room and loaded it up.

Final check of the room and final visit to bathroom and we then left room and took cart out to the bike.

Removed cover, still bit damp, but nothing too bad.

Stuffed it in its sack and then removed the security locks.

Loaded the bike, and about half way through is starts to rain, very lightly, but enough to start getting things wet.  Just cannot get a break, seems to always rain when loading or unloading for me.

Once loaded up, I took cart back, checked out of room and then back to bike to get cameras ready, route plotted and last gear on.

Got out of the parking lot and Google Maps said to go a direction that did not make sense, then immediately had me to a U-Turn.  Stupid thing.

Once back on the main road, took it up to another which brought me to the main highway.

By now it is actually raining, not hard, but enough to make things less than fun on a bike.

The fuel station I plan to use is about 15 miles up the road, so just made my way there.

Once at the fuel stop the rain had stopped thankfully, though nicely covered area, so filled the tank and then took bike over to the store to park.

Went inside to use restroom and look at food, but nothing jumped out at me so decided I would just eat later.

Got on bike and plotted my next stop at an old bridge on the old highway.  It’s about 20 miles round trip out of my way, but looks cool, so going to do it, plus I enjoy riding the old highways that get replaced by new ones.  They tend to still move good, but can be far less busy as everyone is on the new road.

I noticed that part of the old highway was the road the fuel station was on.  So followed it up through the north edges of Eagle River until it went into the countryside.

It eventually reconnected with the new highway (which was only about 1 mile to the west running a parallel course)

The new part took me another few miles before it split off again.

The old part of the highway follows the hills where it crosses the river at a smaller area.  The new highway was built across the estuary and wetlands, something they lacked engineering for when road was first built.  This cuts about 15 miles off the travel, but nothing around and exposed to all the winds coming in off the bay.

The old route has lots of trees around it and meanders up and down the small hills alongside the river Knik.

I saw my 5^th bear this morning along this stretch of road.  Young one, coming up out of the ditch to cross the road.  He did not seem to really notice me when I passed.  I slowed a bit as I was not sure if he would walk in front of me or not, but hardly gave me a glance, and crossed after I passed by.

Soon arrived at the old river bridge.  This is the original bridge that connected Anchorage to Palmer in 1936.  It was replaced years later by a more modern bridge right next to it, and later the highway was re-routed as I mentioned earlier, crossing a wider spot several miles downriver.

I parked the bike and walked up through the over growth to the bridge.

The bridge is an iron framed bridge with wood decking.  At some point they poured a layer of asphalt on top of the wood to provide a smoother surface, I guess.

Today the bridge is an historic landmark, and acts as a walking path.   Lots of graffiti art is on the road surface and parts of the bridge structure, and some amazing views off the bridge deck.

I only walked a short way onto the bridge for some photos, and then returned to the bike.

Rode across the newer bridge to check out the other side.

It has a long section of bridge that does not have the iron supports above it.  Did not walk much on this side.  Moved the bike across the road to try getting a photo and then got back onto the old highway heading up to Palmer. (Known as the Glenn Highway, name still applies to the modern highway today).

Arrived at the smaller river crossing in Palmer which also has an old bridge, this one converted into part of a bike path, so better restoration.  I did not stop, but should have it on video.

Back in Palmer I picked up the same highway I had ridden into the area a week ago and headed back south a short distance to the junction with Alaka Highway 3 which will take me north to Fairbanks. (The Parks Highway)

The first half hour of this highway is mostly urban, going through Wasilla, Meadow Lakes, and Houston.

You then get into the wilderness again.

By now the rain had mostly stopped and roads were dry.  Still very overcast, and while temperature had actually warmed some, it actually seemed colder?  Still getting a good wind coming in off the bay though.

Stopped a few times along the road for restroom stops till I reached my first fuel stop.  This one would give me enough fuel to maybe make it into Fairbanks, but definitely enough to reach a last fuel stop before a 50-mile gap of nothing leading into Fairbanks.

I bought something to drink and eat here as I was very hungry by now, but had not seen anything interesting to stop at, and being the 4^th of July, many places were closed, or packed with people.

While eating at my bike, I saw a Toyota truck with camper pull in with Brazil plates.  Talked a bit with the driver through limited English.  He and his wife have left Brazil in December and driven all the way to Alaska.

Strange that I have now met two couples driving up here from Brazil.

Back on the highway I headed north and soon came into the area where I should have been able to see Denali, the highest mountain withing the United States.  But the clouds were still heavy over the mountains, so could see lower parts, but not the peaks.  Not sure even which one was Denali.

Denali is somewhere in those clouds.

Over the next hour I saw several spots where you could see them, and clouds looked thinner each time, but never cleared out completely.

Did get quite a few nice photos and hopefully some good video as well.

I reached the Denali Park entrance where I originally thought I might stop, before I realized the holiday weekend.  As expected, the place was just jammed with people.

I stopped for a bit at a river with a nice pedestrian bridge over it and then hit the road north.

Reached the last town with gas, and while my range said it was possible, the margin of error was too close, so decided to top up now versus stress about it the last hour.

First pump I went too had an issue reading my card, so had to move.  Was wishing I had stopped at the Shell station only a few miles prior, this Chevron was a rundown dump.

Hit the road, and the road started to climb some, but also hit some pretty big road works.  Had to stop for a bit to wait for a pilot car, though oddly the road was two lane the whole way, nothing working on the road, and nothing blocking it, so not sure why they are guiding cars through it?

Not long after that we came into the edge of Fairbanks.

Note that it is now just over 70 degrees (F) and we started the day at 53.  Been going up a few degrees every hour as I moved north.  Opposite of what I would have expected.

Sun is also been shining for few hours, though north of town it looks dark and menacing, which does not bode well for the Dalton being dry.

The motel I booked was just north of the Airport which lies on this edge of town, so was quick and simple to get off the highway and to the lodging.

Checked into the room, unloaded the bike and then took the bike over a few blocks to get food at Taco Bell.  Was almost 8:00pm, most of the other places were either closed for holiday or getting ready to close.

I arrived back at the room and noticed some oil drops on the roadway.

I went inside and ate and then came back out to cover bike and check for leaks, and that’s when I found the problem.

Both of my front fork seals are leaking.

The left fork was far worse, and had been splattering oil all over the fender and back onto the bash plate and around the fairing some.

Looking back at old photos, it appears it may have been leaking from early in the trip.  The right fork only started about 10 days ago from what I can see, though hard to say.  However, seems it really got bad on the left sometime after I left the camp at Whitehorse.  While I can see the oil stain prior, after that I start to see the splatters on the bash plate in images.

Can only assume the 84 miles of dirt road in Nevada probably did something as I did not have the issue prior to leaving Arizona.

I will try cleaning them in the morning, as that is a common issue with dirt getting into the dust cap seals, but the amount of oil that has come out leads me to believe it might be the seal inside the tube.

I took care of a few things and then as I was exhausted, I am going to go to bed early.  A lot to do tomorrow, so will get a good night’s sleep.

Todays Route:

Side trips and disappointments

July 3^rd, 2026

Anchorage, Alaska

Woke at 8am and showered and geared up.

Went down for breakfast since I had never done that yet just to see what it was.

Not much to choose from, but had a bagel with cream cheese and some cranberry juice.

Went over to the bike and uncovered it, and then moved it over to the area next to the stairs to reduce the amount of walking.

Spent about 30 minutes loading everything on the bike and securing it and then grabbed rest of the gear and went down to the office to check out.

On the bike we set our route for Seward Alaska and rode north.

Was a bit cool, made a few stops to use restroom, add layers and take a few photos.

We reached the junction of the highway and turned south again

This route was a short one, and scenic, but the road was just horrible.  Probably the worst surfaced road I have been on yet.

Arrived in Seward and rode down to the end of the town where there was a parking lot next to the water.

There are several statues and signs related to the Iditarod dog sledders which started from this area when the trail was first created.

I next rode over to a small waterfall at the edge of town before heading back into town to find some food.

The main street was closed down for some street fair, so went a bit farther up to a place I had seen on the way in.  Another burger place setup in an old bus.  They even have another bus that acts as the dining room.

Took about 40 minutes to get my food, but was a nice wait. 

Spent some time talking with a guy about my travels while waiting.

Once done eating, I got back on the road and headed north to the highway that goes back toward Whittier.

Road was bit nicer this time since it was warmer and not as rainy, but still tired enough I did not make too many stops, just a few to rest or use restroom, but still scenic.

I had seen some nice campgrounds here last time, so figured that would be a good stop for tonight.

That was wrong.  In my travels I have sort of lost track of time, and never realized this is the 4^th of July weekend.  Every person in a 200-mile radius is out camping this weekend!

Both campgrounds were full, and the few I had passed on the way had looked busy as well.

This means camping is out, and now I am going to have to do what I was trying to avoid, and that is pay the criminally inflated hotel prices around Anchorage.  I mean there are places charging close to $600 a night for a room that would cost $175 anywhere else.

I rode over toward a small town nearby and tried to find a place there, but only place open was the ski resort ($550 a night).

I then looked up in Anchorage, but mostly over 400 a night.  Finally found a place for $300 and decided to book it.  The only other option was to ride another 5 hours and try reaching Fairbanks, but likely have same issue there anyway this weekend.

Hotel is a fairly new place, but sits in a somewhat industrial area closer to the airport.  Not much around it.  Cannot see how they get these prices here.

Once room was reserved, I rode the hour up to the hotel and got checked in.

Guy running the desk saw the helmet and at least was cool enough to get me a ground level room.  And since it is a hotel vs motel, they had luggage carts that allowed me to unload the bike in one action.

I then went out to move the bike over to a better spot I can see from the room and got to talking to some guys from Denmark who are in a motorcycle club over there.

They invited me to link up online with them and if ever in that region to reach out and they can assist with things if need.

I gave him my card as well to follow along if they so choose.

I then asked the front desk about pizza places and he had the name of one nearby.

I checked them out and decided to just order a pizza from them, otherwise only option was to walk across the road to Burger King.

I had the video from last night that was almost done, so worked on it while waiting and finished it while eating the pizza later.

Now going to finish this blog, and then probably going to go to bed or at least watch something on TV, just word out today.

Catch ya down the road!

Todays Route:

Bike Maintenance Day and Editing Day

July 2^nd, 2026

Soldotna, Alaska

Up at 8am this morning and quickly got showered and geared up.

Today we will take the bike over for an oil change as we have done roughly 5000 miles since the last one which was done a few weeks prior to my departure on the trip.

I found a local shop that was able to get me in this morning and can do the job.

Doug’s Motorcycle Shop and Hauling Service.  He is located on the north end of Soldotna and works from a building at his home.

Was a short ride up there this morning, and arrived a few minutes before my appointment time of 9:30am.

Doug came out shortly after I pulled up and after quick introductions, he went over and opened up the shop and then pushed the bike inside and onto the lift.

We talked about various things while the worked on the bike.  Have to remove the crash plate to access the oil drain plug, so takes a few extra minutes to perform the job.

Doug works up on the oil fields near Prudhoe Bay, but has every other 2-week period off, so I was lucky he was in one of those and could get me in.

Once done, we rolled the bike outside and let it run for a bit to make sure nothing was leaking.

We then talked a bit more and I gave some attention to one of the horses in the pen next to the shop that came up to the fence.

Finally decided to get going, wanted to ride a few miles north toward Kenai to get the bike some exercise after the change and Doug recommended a restaurant in town to try.

Once back to the highway, headed northward, but I had noticed that I would arrive at restaurant just a few minutes before it opened, so decided to ride up to the last populated spot on the road before it goes into the wilderness. 

Turned around there, and then headed back and made a quick stop at the Visitor Center in Kenai to check out a fishing boat on display in the yard.  Walked around a few other displays outside and then drove over a few buildings to the restaurant.

The Burger Bus is a small burger place built inside an actual bus.  Looked to be an older 1960s era school type bus which was gutted and the kitchen built inside.  Bus was skirted like a trailer around the wheels and front and had an enclosed space built on the side to keep people out of the colder winds while ordering.  Original door was still the entrance and you ordered from one of the windows.

Checked out menu, then waited my turn to order, busy place already.

Once food was ready, I walked over to some picnic tables in the parking area and sat down to eat.

Got to talking with another guy there who was also travelling around the state, but in a pickup.

Food was excellent, and was priced nicely for this region.

Once done eating, I got back on the bike and then rode back toward town.  I decided to take the bridge over the Kenai River which Doug had mentioned just to see something different.

This brought me down to the loop road I was on yesterday, and came back into Soldotna from the south like then.

I stopped at the fuel station to fill the tank as was pretty low by now, and this would save me time in the morning.

Once back at the motel, we secured the bike and changed into normal clothes, then sat down to convert more videos.  Eventually had to lay down as I was falling asleep, and ended up taking a 2-hour nap.

Woke up, finished my conversions and then completed a video and got it scheduled for release in a few days.

Also did some packing and such during exports.

I took some time to research my plans for tomorrow, looks like I will make a fairly short riding day, not much for places to stay once I head north, only a few and most are just outrageously priced ($300+ a night for not that great a place).

Looks like I will be camping tomorrow, but found a decent campground and then from there I can hopefully make a long day’s ride and get well north of Anchorage region, prices are just crazy here for lodging, and those affordable are in sketchy parts of town.

 Going to try and knock another video out, might not complete it, but at least get it half way done so I can finish it tomorrow perhaps.

Catch ya down the road.

Day trip down the cost and market day

July 1^st, 2026

Soldotna, Alaska

Woke about 8am this morning and sat around for a bit to finish waking up.

Showered and got geared up and then grabbed the few things I would need on the bike for the days sightseeing.

Uncovered and loaded the bike and then plotted my route.

Rode a few blocks to the fuel station to fill the tank as it was almost empty.

We then headed south out of town and skirted along the coast for much of the distance, though the trees between road and coast block the view most of the time. 

But a few spots where you could see the water and across the inlet at the mountains on the other side.

Stopped at a view point for a few photos and then made my way south.

Came into Homer Alaska and found the road out onto the spit.

This 4.5-mile narrow spit of land stretches out into the bay and has several restaurants, shops and places to stay as well as the ferry terminals and lots of fishing options along it.

I rode out to the end (other than last short section which is part of a resort), and stopped at a public area to take some photos and watch boats coming and going and lots of people on the beach fishing. 

Talked a bit to a guy from Michigan here with his family before using the nearby restroom and then heading back toward the shops and such.

I thought about stopping for a snack, so pulled into one of the parking lots and looked over what was around.  I then decided to plot my next ride up to a small town north of here with a deep Russian heritage to eat at a small Russian restaurant.

However, as I was looking up the place, I found out that this year they place is not always open, and then you need to call and see if the owner will be cooking that day, and place orders ahead of time.

Since I did not even know what I wanted, and was hoping to get some advice at the place, and the hassle of getting there and not being open even, decided to just skip it and will find another place to try some Russian cuisine.

I looked again at the places around me to find a spot for lunch.  I decided to try a taco stand at the small boardwalk of shops right across from me, so rode over and parked again (very loose sand in this lot, could be fun getting out).

I walked up onto the boardwalk and decided to look over all the menus before I made a final choice.

One place was just pastries; another was closed for lunch.  Of the 3 open, the taco shop sounded the best, but by time I walked back over to it, the line was huge.  So, I decided the little shack at the end with the corn and other oddities would be it.

I decided to get the panini sandwich and a thing or mac and cheese.  I ordered and the girl asked me if I wanted a bowl or on the cob?  I thought perhaps she was asking about the size of the mac and cheese and I misheard, so said bowl.  Then clarified I wanted the panini and mac and cheese.

I thought the price was a bit high, so while waiting I looked over the receipt and turns out she has sold me some kind of corn curry in a bowl, along with what I wanted.  Not sure where she got it from, but decided it was far enough along I would just eat it, sounded like it could be good (Thai Curry Corn).

Everything arrived and it was all very good.  It was all very overpriced as well.

Once done eating I got back on the bike and headed north.  I decided I would skip going to the Russian village since I was not going to eat there, no other reason really to visit.

I plotted two side trips to ride two loops that would bring me back to the main highway each time, just to get off the main road, and closer to the coast, but again, mostly blocked views by trees or homes.

Once done with those detours it was a short ride back into town (last detour dropped my just a mile outside of Soldotna).

Once back at the hotel I got unloaded, secured the bike and then changed out of the riding gear.

I then got to work converting the 360 footage for use in videos so I can hopefully put a few more out in the next day or so.

While waiting for some exports to finish I was scrolling on Facebook and saw a post by a music group called the Harp Twins (Twin girls who play the harp).  They were giving a free concert at the park just down the street later tonight as the final stop on their Alaska tour.

I decided I would go eat at the same Mexican place I visited the other day for dinner, and then walk across the road to check it out.  Figured there must be something going on there today as the area was packed with cars and signs saying Event parking or no Event parking.

Grabbed my laptop and walked over to the restaurant and had a great dinner while I continued to convert files.

Once ready, I walked over to the park and saw signs for the Wednesday Market.

Looked like a local art/food fair.  At least 2 dozen food truck and quite a few vendor booths in the open park space. 

A small pavilion across the park was where the band was playing with everyone seated in front.

The group was doing a lot of talking along with music, and later included the Volfgang Twins as well on drums.  From the FB posts, I think the twins might be married couples that are both musical and touring, not sure though, not really looked up the history of the groups.

I also walked around the vendors a bit and talking to one vendor she indicated they do this every Wednesday and that half the non-food vendors had already packed up and left for the day, so it was much busier earlier.

I wandered a bit and then headed back to the hotel.

I noticed my mother had called while I was at the concert, so called back and talked while I walked.

Back in the room I took care of a few things and then got the laptop out so I could write this day’s blog and then will continue to convert files.

I have to be up earlier tomorrow to take bike over to a local shop to get oil changed.  So will try to get to bed bit earlier tonight.

Catch ya down the road!

Todays Route:

More editing and other tasks

June 30^th, 2026

Soldotna, Alaska

Woke a bit earlier today, but still slept in some.  Was around 10:00am.

Showered and then did some extra grooming as I needed to shave the head and face, been long enough.

Once done, then I called a local motorcycle shop to see if I can get bike in, and the guy said he could get me in on Thursday, so will get the oil changed and bike checked out before I head north.

I then finished the video from the night before and have it scheduled to release in a few days.

I then walked a mile over to a small restaurant selling lots of fried types of foods and odd sodas.

Had a thing of waffle fries with lots of junk on the top.  Was good, but way overpriced for the size.

Walked next to the Safeway and bought some more tea to drink in room rest of my stay, probably bought too much, but will get it all down, I am sure.

Back at the hotel room I then reviewed all my receipts, and balanced my accounts and paid off the credit cards again and verified all was good financially.

I decided I was not really hungry, so will just skip dinner and finish off the bag of chips I have as a snack, and work on more video stuff.

But first I needed to get last nights blog and todays done.

Rest of the night I will convert 360 footage and hopefully get another video at least started.

Tomorrow I am going on a ride for much of the late morning/afternoon to see a few places south of here.  Then will work more in the evening, I hope.

Till later.

Off the bike task day!

June 29^th, 2026

Soldotna, Alaska

Slept in today, like really slept in.  Woke just before 11:00am.

Showered and then put on the bike pants and by long sleeve shirt I had not used yet so I could take the rest of the stuff over to laundry place a block down the street.

Once I had all the dirty stuff bagged up, walked over to the laundromat.  Figured out the cost and changed a $10 for quarters. (Load was 4.25, but .25 for 5 mins on dryers).

I also needed detergent, left mine in room, so was another 2.50 in quarters.

Ran the single load and then took 20 minutes to dry, so was there about an hour.

Walked back to room and hung up the shirts which had a few damp spots to let them air dry, then laid rest on table to let dry if need, though could not feel any moisture on them.

I then grabbed my laptop and walked a few blocks more to a local Mexican restaurant.

Place was in small strip mall, 3 doors.  First one I could not see in, so thought it might be blocked, second clearly had a table in front of it, so went inside the third which had the lighted open sign next to it.

This door was actually for the bar; first door was the dining room.  But decided I would eat in the bar, was actually empty at the moment and bartender immediately struck me as a cool dude.

Sat at the bar, really high bar with really high stools.

Ordered a Coke and read menu and the bartender brought me chips and salsa.

Decided to get a big combo plate with 3 different items to have some variety.

Then worked on my video while we talked about other things.

Few others came in while there, and discussion was mostly about the World Cup game which was on the TV.

I finished food and then decided I would return to room, too noisy to do video editing in a bar.

Walked back and worked on the video and managed to get it uploaded that evening.

I then did a few other small social media updates and put away the clothes from earlier.

Then I started another video and had it mostly done by the time I went to bed about 1:00am.

Will finish in in the morning.