This is a great trip.
I have done it in summer and I have done it in heart of winter. I much preferred it in winter. But let's stick to summer riding. I have advised many riders on this journey. I always start with this.
It is not hard, nor is it rocket science. Remember. There are guys who do it on Electra glide Ultra 900 lbs HD's with wife and gear on road tires (close to 1500 lbs total) with no issues. The Dempster is awesome. The almost 1600 kms of gravel the Dempster is from the junction of road to Dawson city is well maintained. Your enemies will be dust when dry and meeting the trucks from Inuvik. They drive like they own the road and in many ways they do. The plus is that you can see the cloud of dust a mile away. Pull over, wait till they go by, let the dust hurricane dissipate and resume. Trust me! You cannot ride through it.
They use Calcium chloride to control dust. but it goes away kind of quickly. Two things will make or break your trip on the Dempster. The rain and the weather after you clear Eagle Plains. the rain will turn the road into soup that can be simply impossible to navigate if they graded it not too long before you ride on it.
Also about graders. Depending on the crew and the skills of the operators they might leave a winroe so high that it is impossible to ride across.
If it is in your lane make sure to be stuck on the right of it. You do not want yourself and incoming traffic stuck together in a narrow lane together. there is a road crew station near the entrance of the Dempster. stop and ask about condition. the guys are great and if they are not too busy you might be stuck there chatting and drinking
.
Eagle plains! If you have never done the Dempster, reserve a room at the Eagle Plains lodge. Awesome place to rest and get your shit and bike checked and ready to go to Inuvik and fuel. Fuel, fuel fuel fuel when you can. Remember that. They also have great food. Sure It is expensive but you do not do this journey to save money. If that is your goal, do not go. you will regret it. But if living, being in awe of the Ogilvie and Richardson Mountain range, the endless tundra, the permafrost as far as the eyes can see and the camaraderie you will experience on the road with other travellers are your focus; it is a memory you will carry to your last breath. Also make sure to stop in Fort McPherson to rest and fuel at the northern store.
Tires. Each time I have left Victoria I did the whole trip on road tires. On one set. If carrying extra tires is a must for you; do. The road is shale and might slice the rubber. Your call. But personally? I do not believe it is needed. But if carrying a spare set of donuts adds safety to you and that you enjoy the look of the over prepared adventurer, by all means do it. tires can be expensive in Dawson city. There are also a couple places you can leave your extra rubber along the way. I would suggest to sleep at the Air force lodge in Watson Lake on your way up. the owner is a rider. German guy.
https://airforcelodge.com/
Awesome dude. You can leave your tires there (He did not mind then) to put them on when you come back. again! Your call. also make sure you stop at the Braeburn lodge in whitehorse.
https://www.facebook.com/gianormousfood/
they have the world's best and biggest cinnamon buns. The size of your head. take one with you. you can feed of this monster for three meals.
I have been all over the north, and my opinion is that the Dempster is the true last Adventure ride left. The alaska Highway is paved all the way and is a nightmare composed of camera toting, straw hat wearing, map reading, slow as %$#@! motorhome and camper driving twits. If George can do it on his 45 foot Class A motorhome towing his Escalade without issues, do not try to approach this with your bike as an adventure trip thinking it is going to be trip where your mind and heart make love all day with risk, uncertainty, adventure conditions and the ever smiling doubt of whether or not you will make it to the end of the day.
You can also go north doing the two part Canol highway. But this is small bike country and roads (Read track)
this old pipeline road will leave you breathless and scared all day. My type of road. Between the sound of your self-doubt and the branch crackling sounds of bears roaming around, bugs the size of a B-52 Bomber that will fly away with your lunch after chewing a piece of skin the size of Grandma slice of apple pie and a litre of your curled blood, your mind will constantly ask "At what point did this sound like a good idea?"
But if you ride something no bigger than a 400, have enough Rotopack to fuel you the US army corps of engineer on your way there. Just kidding! Not really, you can exit the Canol and reach fuel station and stores at a few points. But they are hard to see and you do not want to miss them.
I think legend says that the grizzlies have learned to wait there at these exit points to see an " I look and act like an adventurer but have no clue what I am doing" motorcyclist go by pushing his DRZ400. Guaranteeing them their next dinner. LOL!
Joking aside (Am I?) stick to the dempster if you have never been in these Parts. I have been living on Vancouver island for 35 years. the ferry from Port Hardy to the Prince Rupert is great. But it robs you a a few thousand kilometres
of inland riding that offers breath taking scenery and that is a must.
My tires of choice for me have been each time the Metzeler Tourance EXP on my 1150 GSA or 1200. I made it up to Inuvik and back home on one set no issues. EVER! I kept my PSI at 45 on rear to minimize flex on the soft Dempster which in turn reduced heat and ultimately sidewall flex that the shale loves to bite on. I ride at no more than 100 KM/h. not only to enjoy the scenery first but to give my tires a break. My buddy had TKC 70 and also made it back.
I know plenty of guys who took off on Karoos, TKC 80's an 805's as well as 706's and they DID NOT MAKE IT back having to change their tire on their way back in a shop charing a mortgage payment an hour, or wanting your girlfriend for three hours in exchange of a tire install.
People on the Dempster all the way to Inuvik will stop at every stopped vehicle. People are great. You will meet people who walk it all, bicycle it all, drive and ride it all. shoulders are mostly non existent but the ditches are wide and mostly flat.
you can pull over in this easily if mechanical attention is needed or the urge the take a whiz is more important than the scary realization that these huge flying monsters could fly away your manhood and/or jewels.
Bug spray on your manhood might sound crazy, but it works!
) feels better if you are circumscised. let me know if your try this. I have not! LOL!!
All in all it is not that hard, but sure is the best there is left. Use common sense, prep your bike the way it deserves as it carries precious cargo. (YOU) and realize that you are in the middle of nowhere, with mother nature spreading her beauty on an amazingly beautifully painted canvas that most people will ever see.
As for your bike. They use calcium choride on it. This eats through metal, aluminium causing permanent damage. Use Amsoil MP metal protector and spray it all over your bike. I mean everywhere. This stuff dries to a yellowish tint and cannot be power washed with soap and water. But spray a light petroleum product on it like WD40 and it melts away. It will protect your bike 100% it looks like shit while you are on the raod as the only clean part is your headlight, but you will look badass.
I have over 75K of winter riding, salt and that chloride shit on my Dakar and there is no rust.
https://www.amsoil.ca/p/amsoil-mp-me...BoCUkwQAvD_BwE
Hope all this helps. Like I said, I offered this, assuming you will do the dempster. do not worry about time of year. May to September. You will either deal with heat, rain, bugs and dust the earlier you go, or cold, maybe snow late in evening or early morning and/or frost. I prefer the later as the road is better.
Good luck. Have fun, live lots, laugh hard and love harder. Tomorrow may never come
Paul Iceman Mondor
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