Ah, here we go. Christmas done, and now the real cold sets in here up in the Great White North. Waiting for January to arrive, with its bone-chilling, ball cracking, couldn't-dig-your-bike-out-with-a-back-hoe snow and ice. So what's a poor soul to do?

PLAN, me lads, plan. Plan that next trip for when summer shows her glad face with warmth and green leaves, and your wife shouts at you to get your bug-eyed-self the hell out of the house before you drive everyone NUTS.
Remember that feel of the wind in your face, the marvelous taste of questionable food in places you swore you'd never be caught in, and best of all - that sudden puckering located somewhere in your pants when you realize that the totally, gloriously, unexpected is what you just rode into.

Ah, yes. Put on some heroic music in the back ground, fire up "Google Earth" and look up some place that looks soooo perfect, that surely you can find some ridiculously long out-of-the-way road to get there.

So what direction will it be: south to the Moab, west to the coast and rainforest, or wait, north, north and west to the Queen Charlotte Islands.

So, me lads, what place in the Great White North will you travel to this summer?


Dream sweet dreams,
Peace,
Narly

Oh Narly Narly Narly,
dreaming sure comes easy for some folks....
just reading your mail made me go all the directions You mentioned, one after the other. Ended up between 2 meter high walls of freshly fallen, crispy white snow on the outskirts of a tiny village, (not more than 10 shabby brick/mud dwellings) in the most far away Mongolia ! Absolutely lovely! I·m sure to go back there one day, if only I can find it again!
Thanks for your maps and travel tips. Bye for now.... I·m of to another dreamplace, not far from the one You liked so much!
Love and peace,
Dan

The 2008 bike show hits Edmonton on January 12th just to take the riding bug up one more notch.

Rick

Both the Calgary and Edmonton Bike shows are slated to have the new/old Honda 08 Varadero (1000cc) and the 08 TransAlp (700cc) on site. Apparently these aren't going to be sold in the US. While these are old hat in the UK and Europe, we haven't had these for years, so it will be interesting to see if these generate further Harley 'sales' (used!!)

I'm in "planning mode" as well...! Nothing like winter in Juneau, Alaska to make you realize how much you miss riding!

Anyhow, I'll be picking up my new 2007 Ural Gear-Up in January from the dealer in Oregon, and bringing it back up on the ferry from Bellingham, Washington.

My planning is to take a 2-week tour with it in June, heading N from Haines, AK with the son in the hack, and the wife on her TW200 for a 3-4 day trip around to Skagway, AK with a few stops along the way.

They'll hit the ferry back home, and I'll take the Ural up to Dawson for the Dust 2 Dawson Dual-Sport "get-together". From there...who knows...but I will have approximately 8-10 days of motoing around Alaska until I have to be back in Haines, AK to catch the ferry home.

I've got mileage planned out, and routes in my head, but I am afraid to actually PLAN anything...I wanna just "go with the flow".

__________________
Ride the World!
2007 Ural Gear-Up
1984 BMW R65

Figures,,, Newyear's eve and the cold starts to roll in. So what better way to spend the evening, than to spice up the egg nogg (more rum please), settle back and start planning the summer ride agenda. This, ofcourse, means what farkles and gizmos will there be to greet the first greening of spring (prima vera) and the ride-to-be.
Let's take stock of the existing pile of pretties and reflect on hard learned lessons.
The bike. Something new, something old, or something borrowed. Easy answer to that one. Ain't broke, don't fix it. The 2002 klr has been a willing steed. No more, no less in the power catagory (don't really need any more, wouldn't want any less). Change the oil, check the chain, tread and rad.
The seat. Last two years, I just stretched a piece of non-slip grippy material over it, and all was well. An considering the sheepskin. Only possible disadvantage is what the hell happens when it gets wet. Might just try the sheep skin, might think on it somemore and stick with the proven material.
Something new - the gps (garmin 76c). Ah, isn't a marvelous thing finally knowing where the hell you really are, as apposed to making that glorious wild-ass-guess. I do beleive I will take this along.
Just one little fixed blade knife for everything. In this case, a Gerber "big rock". Very light, 4" blade, nice shape for cutting up your steak dinner. That, a spoon and a bowl. Screw the fork.
New armour - been thinking about the Bohn extreme body armour, rather than the build-in stuff in my Joe Rocket textile 3 jacket. Sure would be nice to be able to take of the jacket, ride in the wind and not feel like a skin-graft-receipant-to-be.
How about ESS ice goggles - I do beleive it's time for a pair of these.
New stove and pot.... Nah, the old coleman peak 2 will still do, and the one pot/bowl with lid will do.
Definitely a new pressure guage. The old one, although good, fell apart. Must remember to wrap this one before sticking it into the tool tube. The old thumper, thumper the last one into the afterlife.

Enough for now... time for more egg nogg.

Peace,

Narly

East...about 6500 kms east...to Europe and the Alps for another five weeks of some of the best riding in the world.


With no vacation left after my five week tour, wherever a day or two ride will take me round trip; not far.

__________________
All the best,
Alex

Alex's BMW Motorcycle & Global Touring Page
SmugMug Site
Alps Motorcycle Tours - Priced Right


- If motorcyclists claim to be individuals, why then do so many of them ride in packs?

Damm.
Spicy's in Alaska (where we're all trying to get to go to), Dan's wandering about Mongolia (where most of us will never get to, outside of dreams), Global Rider has his sights (rightfully so) set on the Alps, and I've got cabin fever.
STAG06 and RIG are right. Heading for the bike show. Sit on bikes I can't afford, smell that new bike smell. Look at other "bikes" and chuckle (it's O.K., they got bugs in their teeth too). Most of all, soak in that pervasive atmosphere of anticipation.
Who knows, might even get to try on some new gear.

Narly

Acually, I am planning on visiting you guys! I live in Asheville, NC and am planning on spending six weeks riding to Dawson, Chicken, Fairbanks to the Circle, Kenai and then return south via Banff and the Badlands. Will try to wind up the trip at the HU meeting in Stecoah, NC. That is about 80 miles from my house. Come on summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
Ride Safe!
Kurt Nugent

My Motorcycle Travel Site
My Photography Site
Where is Kurt???

You guys coming up for D2D???

__________________
Ride the World!
2007 Ural Gear-Up
1984 BMW R65

Yep! But it is not "you guys". I am coming solo!!

__________________
Ride Safe!
Kurt Nugent

My Motorcycle Travel Site
My Photography Site
Where is Kurt???

Excellent, we'll seeya there! (I'll be the dufus on the Ural GearUp)

__________________
Ride the World!
2007 Ural Gear-Up
1984 BMW R65

Haven't I read some posts by you on the ADV message board?? I'll be on an '06 GS fully loaded with everything Touratech has ever sold. I'm a Touratech junkie...expensive, but worth every penny!

__________________
Ride Safe!
Kurt Nugent

My Motorcycle Travel Site
My Photography Site
Where is Kurt???

Ayup, that'd be me!

__________________
Ride the World!
2007 Ural Gear-Up
1984 BMW R65