Hello to this great board,

I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a first time long-distance rider with dreams of taking a trip from San Diego to Prudhoe Bay, and then down to Tierra del Fuego, starting this August. I'm 26 and have been riding an SV650 for three years.

I am planning on purchasing an F650GS for this trip, as I don't want my adventures to end when the asphault does. I am fairly set in my choice of bike, as all the research I have done has told me that taking a big R1200GS, for example, through Central America is unnecessary.

My concern is on the initial portion of the trip: San Diego to the Arctic Ocean. I know only about 1,000 of the 10,000 miles of that portion of the trip will be gravel, and I have received some advice from people who have done this route before that I may fatigue quickly on such a small bike on the long stretches of paved highway. However, since I *know* I want to continue south after getting back down to San Diego, I see the initial portion of this trip as an "evaluation", a time to test out my skills and work out any kinks in my setup before I leave the English-speaking world.

Am I really going to be miserable on the Alaskan highway on such a small bike? My goal is not speed, but to enjoy the journey. Will I often experience days where the route is so bland that I just want to haul it all day to cover 700 miles? I can't imagine this to be the case, but for a first-timer this is all new to me.

Thanks to all for your help.

-Chris