i've been looking at that trip myself. came to the conclusion that my roadking will have it's picture taken with the arctic ocean in the background. don't know when but it looks like a must to me.

 

I posted basically the same question recently. I also have an Ultra.

I have more bad news for you. Unless my map skills are lacking, the Dalton Hwy is 500 miles with only one gas stop. That means 1000 miles round trip.
We then also have to solve the problem of 25o miles before the next gas stop.
I'm still checking for any off-road rentals out of Fairbanks. Most seen to run from Anchorage which adds a lot of miles.

 

I am also planning this trip in June/July 2010 from Virginia. Only plan to go to the Arctic Circle and maybe on to Coldfoot, so shouldn't have any problems with gas. I think as long as it isn't too wet, will be fine from what I have seen on the Dalton with my Ultra.

Looking at heading out to Montana. I rode Glacier and Going to the Sun Highway in 2007. Ready to do that again!! Want to do the Icefields Parkway and then hit the Alaskan Highway at Dawson Creek. Anyone have tips on other good rides along the way including in Alaska?

Jim
'07 Ultra

 

This is a great read. I would like to do that one day. Hope to see some pics on this one. Have fun.

 

+1 on www.advrider.com. Do a search for tejasbusa or crazytexan. This is a father/son team who did a 16 day Texas to Alaska to Texas trip. Dad rode a Hiyabusa! On mud roads.

 

There's a guy I just met the other day at a local hangout... he did the trip on a Rented Ultra and even told them his plans. The other two he went with were on two Sport Touring Bikes. He said it was wet and slippery - His name is BurnMan... if you want to PM me I'll give you his number. Nice guy.

He told the dealer he would send them a photo from his phone when he got there... didn't realize it was $12 per MB. Wound up paying out the wazoo for that photo... Ha ha...

 

You can buy gas at Deadhorse. There is a "gas station" run by Colville / Tesoro that carries low octane (86 maybe) gasoline. We go over there every week or so to get gas for our snowmachines. It's about 250 miles from Coldfoot to Deadhorse so you will have to carry extra gas with you.
I admit it sounds like a great adventure but even though I've ridden my Dyna from Florida to Alaska, I'll take a pass on this one. I've driven in a pickup the northern 150 miles of the Dalton Highway and you can have it. The truckers have one thing on their mind - and I don't blame them for it - speed.
Life is full of adventures though and I certainly will hoist a beer for you when you give it a try.
Oh yeah, the public road does not go to the Arctic Ocean. That road is part of the oil companies domain and I have no idea if you could get the okay to ride on it. BP runs that side of the Field so I'd check with BP in Anchorage to see what's up with that.
Best of Luck to you!

 

Go to a book store or order the current edition of, "The MILEPOST."
I did the ride from Oklahoma on my KLR 650 in 2002. I met up with a bunch of Canadian Vulcan riders in Calgary that were going to Fairbanks for a rally. They even had a chase vehicle. So while they were in Fairbanks doing their thing, I rode on up to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay on a, when I left, 40 degree, rainy day. The 500 miles took 14 hours, in cold, the rain, ( snow in the Brooks Range ) and with the road construction delays. A Picture of me and the bike at Deadhorse is in my Album. There are two hotels there. I stayed in the Oilfield Hotel for $70. You get 3 all you eat meals. I headed south the next day after lunch. It was a beautiful sunny 45 degree day. The trucks had the road packed down. What was mostly a white knuckle ride the day before was now like a super hiway. I hit 80 mph in some stretches. Even with construction delays, picture taking and visiting with north bound riders, I was back at camp ( North Woods Lodge- highly recommended ) in 11 hours. The return trip would of been easy on a dresser except for one of the construction zones. It was about 2 miles of wet grey slime on hardpack.
Road construction zones are the main concerns for street bike riders thru Canada and Alaska. Road workers can be putting down rock, gravel, chat, tar and gravel, or dirt. You can arrive right after the road has been watered down by the workers or after a rain. I was rained on at least once every day after leaving Calgary until the day I left Deadhorse. And on some days it basically rained all day. This was in early July.
In Whitehorse I met a group of GS riders. They had tried the Dalton on a rainy day and turned around after 35 miles or so. It was too nasty for them. I know the day that I went I would not have wanted on a big, top heavy, long legged BMW.
In 2002 there was a place to rent KLRs in Alaska. Check some of the Adventure riding sites. There are also bike specific sites like the KLR.
Good luck. It's a great ride.

 

+1

Maybe it can be done on a Harley, but I let others prove it. (It has been done on a Harley.)

I also have a KLR, and I wouldn't do it on that either, though many have.

A heavier GS would be better, either a R1200GS Adv. or a F800GS, if you travel light. Or a Katoom 990 Adv. Something like that.

There is so much good riding in AK and BC. Why go through the stress of the Haul Road? Those trucks are HUGE and in a hurry. (I never did the ride, but one of my KLR buddies has.)

(And from what I hear, AK97FXDWG is right: you can't ride to the Arctic Ocean. You can take a tour of the oil facility to see it, though.)

 

Here is a couple of VERY GOOD websites.
http://milepost.com/
http://www.explorenorth.com/library/roads/hwy37.html
http://mopedtrip.com/index.html
This one is guy back in 1978 rode a moped ..
Very interesting story plus with all the reading it was very well thought out.
took me 3 hrs to read thru the trip and plot it on a map somewhat.
I am planning a trip also when I'm not sure but it will be 2010 or2011 summer