New ride to Hyder Alaska

Leaving from Chattanooga next Wed or Thursday. Goal Hyder AK---get there have a beer and hamburger and head south. Been there before.

My cost on these trips usually cost $100 a day--gas/motel/eats.

Anybody want to go? I find scenery in Canada spectacular, also Canada can be a little more expensive than US. Chipped Visa card works for me, never exchange money.

My pace little more than 300 miles a day, ride in all weather.

Contact me @715-894-7857 John Grinsel


Good experience for non long distance/aging/never done it before. No trailer bikers welcome----do not think good idea for SilverWing trikes.

Professionall quality riding clothes work----maybe starting to be cool. I will start this trip with Mesh Jacket, later add liner/rain,cold rain Jacket----pants/ jeans, added long underwear----wet cold, old Joe Rocket rain pants----this trip RedWing waterproof Irish Setter----Glove, 5 or six pair---hate wet cold hands---also Aerostich rain over mitts.

Leaving the South,, my Darien Jacket and pants=just too hot.

Moose, the dog goes. I stop often.....old men have to pee a lot! Have towing insurance---bike still under warranty.

Old Style Motel 6 work for me as does McDonalds.

John, have a great ride! Would love to make a ride like that but my scoot is in AZ and I don't get back there until October. Ride safe.

Best wishes for a safe & successful ride, Mr Grinsel.

Please note that it is currently snowing in the Canadian Rockles.

Snow usually does not bother me---salt does.

Watch you don't get frostbite when you're stopping to make yellow snow.

John wants to knock off another 10k on his 300 so he can justify looking for another new bike.

But it also looks like a tempting ride, especially for an old fart like me who also needs to pee a lot.

adding miles does nothing to desire for new bike----50,000 miles and my bikes/scooters are ready to look for new home. Problem for me in US market---what is available that works for me gets less all the time.

Got a question for John and other touring riders. What do you do with all the bags packed on your rear seat and tunnel when you have to go into a store to shop? Do you just trust that no one will mess with your things? My wife and I are touring Idaho and Montana. We are able to store our gym bag with our clothes, medicines, etc under the seat, but need to take our helmets, jackets, and gloves into the store in the shopping cart. I do not have a top box yet. Maybe next year. I cannot see you having to take everything exposed with you into a store.

Having been at this since 1955----in US/Canada/Europe/Asia and ridng nearly everyday----I never worry about anything being stolen.  My bike when touring packed wth 2 Ortleib Rubber bags, some time hump bag with scooter.  Helmet  on mirror when parked, gloves on dash.   Nothing ever stolen---SilverWing is not something people want to steal.

Total loss to me----1959, Italy,  crappy suede jacket when I was taking nap.

Now, Moose, expensive dog, chained to side stand when  am eating---cold/raining, locked in vented top box.

Passport, etc on scooter, locked under seat---Motorcycle, valuable stuff in shirt/jacket pocket.

Easyrider wrote:

Got a question for John and other touring riders. What do you do with all the bags packed on your rear seat and tunnel when you have to go into a store to shop? Do you just trust that no one will mess with your things? My wife and I are touring Idaho and Montana. We are able to store our gym bag with our clothes, medicines, etc under the seat, but need to take our helmets, jackets, and gloves into the store in the shopping cart. I do not have a top box yet. Maybe next year. I cannot see you having to take everything exposed with you into a store.

How about a Pacsafe steel cargo net? https://www.amazon.com/Pacsafe-Backpack-Protector-Silver-Size/dp/B000FGVFP8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537268573&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=pacsafe+cargo+net

Easy, I second John's take on this. When touring solo on the SWing I have a top box, under seat storage and I put a duffle on the passenger seat. Tools, maps and water/snacks go in top box. NAV device (when not in use) critical items etc, go under seat, I leave room for gloves, jackets and shoes when I leave the bike (helmet is locked under the seat as well using the hook. The small duffle contains my clothes and it is tied down with a spider-web bungie device. Nobody has ever bothered my clothes/dirty clothes...  Wonder why?  LOL

leaving for Hyder AK---May take car. Looking in my garage yesterday, my CB300F has been ridden more than 10,000 miles since may this year---my new Mirage driven less than 500 miles in that same period----taking Mirage I can enjoy AC/heater/reclining seat for naps/radio/spare tires and no foam ear plugs----bike may need tires---hate wasting miles of use just to start trip with fresh....and only BMW and HD can expect dealers to may be have tire that fits! For scooter in US---Honda and Suzuki iffy---to me delays cost money/time---bike like CB300F again iffy to find tire on the run.

Regard- less will be using Motels-----think/hope next year will go back to lite camping/fewer miles in day. For me as retired military bases offer cheap camping----years ago transit rooms were cheap, too. Not now....military being run by "married mafia" make all the rules for themselve and often fat mama----downtown rates usually cheaper. Sad.

My Swing does not have a top box so I use the under seat to store all our stuff. I am able to strap my wife's backpack to her back brace. When we stop to eat, we take our helmets, jackets, gloves, and her backpack with us. When parked at the hotel/motel I use a brake lock that the previous owner gave me when I purchased the bike last year. Even if it is unlikely that someone would want to steal my 2004 Swing/trike, it would kill our touring enjoyment. It would be a BIG BUMMER for me and my wife. I put a lot of time repairing it. Since I already have the brake lock, may as well use it.

Hey Easy, your wife must know how to pack light!!! I could not even do tours 2 up on my Goldwing, because the "love of my life" needs to bring the kitchen sink with her!!! Silver Wing was/is definitely out of the equation. I suppose I could have towed a trailer behind the GW but that ruins the ride IMHO. Have fun.

Returned from Hyder AK last nite----16 days from Chattanooga---took my Mirage.....car trip no fun, period. Did use AC/heater/recling seats, bottle to pee in.

Temps---90-20's F. Snow along road in some places, but not on pavement...so all safely bike rideable this late in season.

Saw: no big scooters, except one black SilverWing as I was leaving TN, one moped,3 50cc's in Canada, one electric car--no electric motorcycles/scooters. Harleys are the ones out there riding, cold, I guess GoldWing and GoldWing riders do not ride as their feet get cold and wet in their tennis shoes!----one real bad weather day only bike I saw HD

Canadians are good and careful drivers----stupid stunts done by pickup drivers! US.... have to watch Pickups and SUV's----they usually do not handle so well in wet//slippery and drivers think 4 wheel drive will save=haha.

Hyder still there----another building has fallen down, place where I usually stop for something to eat, no food service any more

Motels in Canada in better shape than in US. Food in both countries not very good. I exchange no money---VISA card with chip works for everything.

Since this was non motorcycle/scooter trip for me=really not fun or interesting...but I did it.

Next year, going back to my old way---bike, carry food MRE's work ok for me, camp/sleep outside, 200-300 mile days---no hurry.

Mirage fine, 50MPG US trip average---Electric Power Steering really sucks on long trip!

Saw lots of trailer bikers,too.

GHM-PM wrote:

Hey Easy, your wife must know how to pack light!!!  I could not even do tours 2 up on my Goldwing, because the "love of my life" needs to bring the kitchen sink with her!!!  Silver Wing was/is definitely out of the equation. I suppose I could have towed a trailer behind the GW but that ruins the ride IMHO.  Have fun.

Hey Glenn,
I purchased a gym bag and half the space was for the wife and the other half was for me. She also had her backpack which we strapped to her backrest. This was our first time touring in the states on a bike. We were dressed for the cold, but it still felt cold. Temps were on the low forties to mid fifties.
We traveled from Coeur d'Alene Idaho to Thompson Falls Montana, to Noxon, to Bonner's Ferry, to Sandpoint ID, and back to Coeur d'Alene ID.
I liked the ride, but my wife did not like the rougher ride of our trike.
We are back in Hawaii where temps are in the mid eighties and humid.

John,
Glad you made it safely back. Next year maybe do the colder states earlier in the year. Too bad you are not into taking pictures. The amazing sights only you have seen while traveling I can only imagine. Good luck next year!!

Peeing in a bottle in a car, that's old skool. Try a rubber hot water bottle, you've a larger opening to aim at and there's a ready made funnel round the stopper to prevent accidenta spillage and embarrassing splash back. A hot water bottle is easily hidden away flat under your seat after you've finished. So there's no suspicious looking bottle of amber nectar rolling around in the footwell, and I'm sure it's considered impolite in the South to keep the brimming bottle in the cup holder.

Glad you made it OK John! Sounds like a good trip albeit less adventuresome than doing on two wheels. Thanks for sharing.

Meldrew wrote:

Peeing in a bottle in a car, that's old skool. Try a rubber hot water bottle, you've a larger opening to aim at and there's a ready made funnel round the stopper to prevent accidenta spillage and embarrassing splash back. A hot water bottle is easily hidden away flat under your seat after you've finished. So there's no suspicious looking bottle of amber nectar rolling around in the footwell, and I'm sure it's considered impolite in the South to keep the brimming bottle in the cup holder.

OMG Meldrew. Maybe we should split this topic; Mr Grinsel's Wild Ride and The Effects of an Ageing Prostate on LD Riding.

Hot water bottle indeed.

this was at least my third trip to Hyder, but #1 maybe BMW K-75....but I have forgotten details, so not for sure, then Honda CB750 Nitehawk with camping trailer...sure remember lots of mud as I proceeded north on what was then unfinished road to "real" Alaska. Took 6 months to clean bike of mud once I got home, and last on scooter, Burgman 400...which I enjoyed riding. If I go that way again, will leave or start in Canada from Seattle.....this time I used back roads in KA/SD/ND and quite a bit in Canada---way back home I used Interstates and drove 300 miles more. I make no firm plans...just go....'cause it is there.

From US----Hyder would be nice slow trip with SilverWing and camping/self cooking. Plenty of Gas Stations....stopping every 100 miles for gas in unknown territory, 150 miles if you know where you are going.