Get the magazine "Milepost", it will cover the road in detail and give lots of tour information on the trip. My wife and I did the ALCAN in 2004 in our truck/trailer, what a wonderful trip.

 

For anyone planning to do the Alaskan Hwy, get the book called "The Mile Post".
It has EVERYTHING you'll need to make the trip.
website-www.themilepost.com
I bought my '08 version at Dawson Creek- Mile 0,visitor info centre.
It cost 30-ish dollars but worth every cent. 800 pages of everything you want to know about the highway and access routes.
Wife and I drove 4500 kms in 10 days in August in a rented cage.
Started from Edmonton and had to turn around at Watson Lake Yukon.
Someone said "See God's Country" Soooo right.
If you've never experienced the mountains, it is definatly as MUST DO.
Depending on where you start, you'll need at least 2 weeks on the Highway alone.
Road was in good shape, except for the occasional construction areas.
Watch out for the loose gravel that catch you by surprise!
One little pebble cost me a extra $200 on my rental. Chipped windshield.
One bonus we found.
Its far enuff north that commercialization has not taken over.
For British Columbia, try some searches for Provincial parks, there all over there.
Try Google Maps-satellite view to get a good look at the area. Also try Google Earth it is amazing too!
Saw all kinds of bikes making the trip, made me jealous to think mine were at home in the garage.
For a trip like this " Its NOT the destination, but the JOURNEY"

Good Luck

Kim

You beat me to it DDeuss, took me to long to type!!

 

Its not a trip that most could up and do w/out any planning and preparation. For me it would be at least a 9000 miles round trip that better reflect a plus minus days of about 15 or more days extra. In other words if the calculation of 450 miles a day would get me there and back in 20 days I need to include about 15+ extra days for a total of 35+ days. There will be some days, especially on the ALCAN hwy where you cannot go 70 mph. Or you want to sleep in and/or spend a day taking in the sites. Or breakdowns. Couldn't imagine what amount of monies someone would need to save up. Anyone know what the speed limit is on the ALCAN? I think its about 1500 miles long, yes/no? (Its 1552 miles or 2237 kilometers, just looked it up.)

Along with the reccomendation of the Milepost book I found this book on the subject:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/gre...over_large.jpg

I have throughly enjoyed the personal accounts I have been able to locate on the WWW, especially the guy who rode his sporty all the way and by himself, pulling off into no where's to pitch his tent. Sounds like the ultimate motorcycle adventure. You, your motorcycle and mother nature.

Here's a thread from a web site with pictures of road conditions:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=373644

I can see the advantage of those BMW GS1100 being a popular ALCAN motorcycle. Wonder how sensible an Ultra would be and/or putting on semi- knobby tires for the gravel hard pack(which is no problem when dry but slick as snot when raining and wet)?

 

Well, it happened to me. I was heading to Alaska on the AlCan and noticed that the starter was getting slower, and the headlight was dimmer. And it was way out in the middle of nowhere. It was during the day, so I unplugged the headlight. Then took off. Had to leave the motor running if I stopped anywhere, cause starter wouldn't start the bike.

Made it to the next campground, and luckily they had a vacant campsite with power, I rented for the night. I carried a small trickle charger with me that I brought for just such an event. So I plugged the battery in to the trickle charger and charged it overnight. Got up the next day and drove the remaining couple hundred miles to Anchorage.

Had a new stator put in at HD in Anchorage.

You can go quite a ways on just the battery if you unplug the headlight.

I did not really want to camp on the trip, but carried tent and bag just in case I had to, so they came in handy.

I also carried a rifle for wildlife protection. You could at that time. Had to declare it at the borders. I would not want to camp without a rifle.

 

Two of us went to Ak in 78 from Norfolk Va , on baggers of course , we took the entire month of August off .. At that time the Alcan was not paved all the way .. Very slow going at times ..

I have been told , or read somewhere , it is paved all the way now , true or not , I cant say ..

4700 or so for me each way , take nearly a week just to get there .. Two possiblities of me going in 09 , doubt either will werk out ..

Definetly my bucket list to do again ..

 

The gravel sections were both on the Canadian and Alaska sections. We were able to gasup whenever we needed, which was every couple of hundred miles, but we did travel in the daytime. I don't believe you can take guns across the border, but we never came close to needing one. People were great, animals non-threatening.

 

Been over that road a dozen times or more over the years,never on a bike.
You won't have to worry about gas in the summer months and you won't have to worry about getting stuck in the middle of no where! There is plenty of tourist traffic on the road in the summer.
Cell phone service is spotty on the Alcan.
The only gravel you need to worry about is construction and since the season is short,they try to get as much done as possible in 4 to 6 months.
I also recommend getting the Milepost. Use it to plan your trip,write the info on paper and leave the book at home unless you want to pack a 10# catalog on your bike. That's your call.
No hand guns in Canada! Long guns can be transported through Canada but you need a permit and a gun lock. You are not allowed to use it,so why take it. Check with Canadian customs for details.
You also might think about riding one direction and taking the Ferry one direction. Ride up and on the way back,go to Haines and catch the ferry and take it to Vancouver,B.C. or Anacortes,Wa. Get the info at alaska marine highway. Any questions? PM me!
Harley dealers in Fairbanks,Wasilla,Anchorage and Soldotna. May be one in Whitehorse,Yukon not sure about that.

 

Thanks for all the information! We are considering taking the ferry back. As for the gun I guess if a bear is a problem I can offer him my wife he will return her she is meaner than HE. J/K

 

I'm in the middle of researching an Alaskan trip. We have a motorhome and would love to do the trip that way but we don't have the time it would take to drive it all the way there and back from North Carolina. But I did buy a video entitled "Alaska By RV" and it showed there are sections of the Alaskan Hwy (Alcan) that are very smooth, but then there are sections that are TERRIBLE ranging from good gravel, to an awful mess of gravel. Also there is construction down the highway in very many areas at one time and they say that's the norm. It's challenging even for an RV. But, I think it would be a fun challenge either way you go.

 

I'm planning to ride from So California to Skagway and back next August (09). I'll be able to take the whole month off work. I'll be with some friends until Canada then solo from there.