| Author | Message | ||
     Unclerichie |
Has anyone gone to Alaska 2up? I'm going this summer with my wife and debating getting a GS or a Uly. I'm curious to hear about people's experiences doing similar trips and also about whether or not the Journey bags and Trunk provided enough space for two peoples stuff and camping gear. My hunch is that the GS would be better for the trip but the Uly would be a lot more fun to own in the long run (ie commuting, weekend rides, twisties, etc.). | ||
| Seanp |
It's going to depend on how high-maintenance your SO is. My wife and I rode from FL to CT to WI two-up last summer. We were able to pack for a week, but we were staying in a hotel, so we didn't have to worry about camping gear. We ended up shipping some stuff home, too, to lighten our load for the return trip. That worked well, and there are pak-n-ship places all over the country. If you can do it, try to do a test-run, even if it's in your house. Pack the bags with everything you think you'll need for the time you'll be gone. Then try to live with just that stuff, under similar conditions to your trip. (No need to camp in the backyard or anything, but you know what I mean.) There are a lot of things to consider when taking a long trip 2-up. It's good that you're thinking about it now - we started planning about two weeks before we rode.  | ||
| Supertoon |
We did a paved loop starting in Anchorage, up to Fairbanks, down to Valdez then back to Anchorage on a V-Strom 650 rented from Alaska Rider. We had two medium size alum sidecases and a waterproof duffel on the rear luggage rack. I weigh 200 and my wife 115 and everything went really well. The bike was plenty powerful and we had enough room for 8 days on the road. We really where glad to have our elec vests, they are a must. I think the added weather protection from the larger fairing on the Wee is a plus for any AK trip. We where lucky, no rain and no mosquitos for the whole trip! The trip was amazing, you will love it! Spectacular scenery, nice people and the best salmon I have ever eaten! We broke away from our Harley group from time to time and did some dirt loops and the Strom was fine. I you plan on doing more dirt, do the GS, however on pavement the Uly is way more fun! Sorry one of the pics is bad, had bugjuice in the lense!   | ||
| Jlnance |
It would be hard to beat a GS in Alaska. Much of AK isn't paved, the rougher the terrain, the better the GS is going to look. I seem to recall some reports, from someone who went to AK, of the extremely rocky terrain knocking holes in the Uly tires. Whether that's an issue depends on where you'll be going. The Uly is a fantastic 2 up bike. For the parts of your trip where you're on paved roads, I suspect it will be better than the GS. | ||
| Hughlysses |
IIRC the first Uly/Alaska adventure posted about here a couple of years ago was also one of the first catastrophic rear wheel bearing failure threads. He wound up having to truck the bike several hundred miles for repair. Bearings, rear wheel, swing arm, axle and rear caliper all had to be replaced. HOPEFULLY the new wheel bearings released by the factory last year will prevent this. The Pirelli Scorpion Syncs can definitely be punctured by rocks. M2NC found that out at Buelltoberfest last year. I loaned him my plug kit, but the plug didn't hold long and he later found that the inside of the tire was torn up from the puncture. I'm sure there are suitable Uly tires for Alaska, but I wouldn't rely on the OEM tires. | ||
| Jlnance |
I too have had a puncture with an Sync that I was unable to repair. I now run Continental Road Attacks. I can't comment on their pluggability, as I've never had a puncture. That's probably a good comment on their durability. Unfortunately I suspect they would be horrible off pavement. The original D616 tires are probably better than the Syncs for dirt roads. They might be a better choice for Alaska. | ||
| Unclerichie |
I'm not planning on doing a ton of dirt b/c it will be difficult 2up but I'd like to explore some nooks, crannys, and out of the way campgrounds while we're enroute and up there. My SO is pretty game. She was a backpacking and mountaineering guide for a few years so she's low maintenance, doesn't need a lot of stuff, and doesn't mind being stinky and uncomfortable for periods of time but I also know it's a lot more fun to be drivin' than sitting on the back. I want her experience to be as good as possible. The plan is for her to fly into Calgary so we can do the Jasper, Bamff, Lake Louis thing then head north to explore. After some time in AK she'll fly home from Anchorage. She doesn't have as much time off as I do and that leaves her out of some of the more tedious stretches of the trip. | ||
| 4dwuds |
A Battleaxe will take a beating  it was on my M2 when I bought the bike. (Message edited by 4dwuds on March 03, 2009) | ||
| Froggy |
I ordered a pair of the Rhinotire lined tires the other day, I can't wait till they get here so I can try them out. They would be perfect for Alaska. | ||
| Rotorhead |
If your driving the ALCAN up and back and staying on the hard ball roads in AK the ULY will be better than fine. I lived in Fairbanks for a few years and actually purchased my Uly from the HD dealer in Fairbanks first (Uly in AK). If you feel like doing the Haul road, Mc Carthy road or Denali HWY get the road conditions before you go. Get this book http://milepost.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage &Itemid=1 and don't leave home whith out it. When they are grading the roads it can be a PITA to hop the windrow of dirt. If you really intend to do the unimproved roads of AK I would send a set of AVON Distanza's to Fairbanks HD and mount them and then ride them back. (they get this alot) If you damage a tire while in AK then you know you have a spare set back in Fairbanks. I'd do this for any bike I would drive to AK. When you take a look at the mile post page you'll see HD riders and goldwing riders that do all those roads 2 up whith regular street tires and have no issue. The choice is yours on the bike but being a 06 ULY owner and bought it in AK it is the best bike for the drive in and around AK. (bias opinion) As for the second rider... I get one side bag the wife gets the other and the trunk bag is for the tent, 2 small sleeping bags, tools, wet weather gear and spare parts i.e. belt bearings and leavers. Have the AAA card in the wallet and funny pretty dollars if things go bad in Canada. | ||
| Cyclone8u |
"I also know it's a lot more fun to be drivin' than sitting on the back. I want her experience to be as good as possible." Know your woman and know what keeps her happy. My wife and I have ridden through torrential downpours with no rain gear, taken her 100 miles beyond her threshold, and when we finally arrived home, she was smiling. The secret, I bought here a portable mp3 player. As long as she has her music, life is good. I just need to make sure I pack enough spare batteries for it!! | ||
| M2nc |
The Syncs are very thin skinned in comparison to the Dunlop D616. I took several trips on GA fire roads on the D616 with out an issue. The only flat was caused by a long nail. My first attempt on a GA gravel/rock road, I fractured the Sync on a rock which a plug would not fix. I change out my own tires and putting on a Sync is easy compared to the Dunlop. The Dunlop is a much heavier and thicker walled tire. I would recommend the D616 for such a trip. | ||
| Jlnance |
I want her experience to be as good as possible. I'm serious when I say this. If you take her with you when you test ride the Uly, she is going to want you to get one. Several people on this board have had that experience. Don't take her if you don't want that bike.  Two pieces of anecdotal information: When I was looking at bikes a few months ago, I sat on a GS1200 with a passenger on the back. Her synopsis is that the GS is very comfortable. The padding is better than the Uly, but there is less room. That was sitting still, we didn't actually get to ride that bike. My other story is more fun to tell. A different girl flies down to see me for a weekend. She hasn't been on a bike in years. Saturday we do a run out to the western part of the state that probably totals about 220 miles. The next day we did about 320 miles, including 100 in a torrential thunderstorm with no rain gear. She had a great time. 500 mile weekend for someone with no motorcycle experience is impressive to me. She returns home and tells her ex husband about the trip.  He proclaims the Uly a horrible bike and offers her a ride on a real motorcycle, his 1150 GS. He failed to impress her. Not simply in a "you're my ex husband and I'm not going to like your bike" way, she had specific reasons: The seat was small, and her legs were cramped. The bags on the GS interfered with the passenger comfort, and she didn't like the way it vibrated. (It would be difficult to describe how satisfying that is to me.  ) She has since ridden a 1200 GS and says that it is better than the 1150. She still prefers the Uly though. | ||
| Conchop |
Big people do not go well on a Uly 2 up. Period! One "biggun" is enough. One biggun and one so called normal sized person is still too much for the Uly. That has been a major disappointment for us as it seems the Uly can handle two so called normal sized people comfortably. So Momma has to stay off - which sometimes is OK. Still disappointing. My Vic's did not have this problem - never even knew she was there. The Uly groans and vibrates badly even with the spring loads maxxed. But - it still runs like a scalded dog. Curious, are there any reasonably priced cures for the '2 up hubba - bubba buzzy Uly blues'? | ||
| Crackhead |
golds gym? | ||
| Etennuly |
Conchop, I have a couple of passengers....who.....lets say are or were heavier than me, even when I was at 250+. We have had many great days at 250 miles or more. The hard part is getting on and off. The passenger must get on first, with the bike on hard level ground on the side stand, and then I slide my leg over in front of her. We fill the entire seat and the bike handles it well even with laden bags. The good news is that this year we are down a bunch in weight. Should be easier for those long trips. | ||
| Jlnance |
Chop that hasn't been my experience. I'm sure I'm over MGVW with most of my passengers, including the girl who did the 500 mile weekend with me. It works for me. | ||
| Longdog_cymru |
I had a R1150GS before my Uly. My partner, all 5'5" and 120lbs of her, could never manage more than 60 - 70 miles on the back. I fitted Sargent seats, (600 mile days for me), and Wunderlicht lower footpegs for her. It improved things marginally, but I still got bruised kidneys after 70 miles. I bought my Uly on January 2nd 2008 and took my partner for her first ride a week later. When we got home, I was ready for the worst. "What do you think"? I asked her. "My hands are cold" was the reply! We toured Ireland in the summer and on the longest day, 10:00 am until 6:00pm with a couple of stops for comfort breaks, snacks and fuel, she said she was just about ready to call it a day! A big success as far as I am concerned. Uly wins hands down! |
