So, I've been planning this ride for several years. The Iron Butt Association has a ton of rides for certificates if you enjoy that sort of thing. I happen to like using them as an excuse, so here I am. The Ultimate Coast to Coast challenge is defined as riding from Deadhorse (on Prudhoe Bay), AK to Key West, FL (or opposite, S to N route) in 30 days or less.

I have one friend that may ride some of the northern portion with me. He has been having issues with his bike, and isn’t sure how much, if any, he is going to do yet. If he goes, my pace will be a bit slower.

In a few weeks, at the end of June, I'll be leaving for Deadhorse, Alaska. I plan to go through Glacier National Park via Going to the Sun road, if it is open. If it is not open by the time I leave the house, I will use a direct route to Alaska. I will stage in Fairbanks, AK if I have to wait out any weather. Deadhorse is about 500 miles to the north, with half of that gravel. I have read that snow is possible in the passes in between at any time of the year, so I want to make sure that I have a fighting chance. I am planning on staying overnight in Deadhorse, but if the ride up goes well, I may just get my fuel and point it back south. This dated business receipt will be my start time.

From Deadhorse, I’ll just head south. I plan to do this trip at a brisk pace, with most days being approximately 1,000 miles. This means I only have a few hotel stays before I get back to my house for an overnight stay and oil change.

At this point, I’ll head down to Florida, and I will likely have at least one other rider with me, and maybe more. They will dictate my pace.

I’ve added some stuff to my bike in preparation for my run in the 2019 Iron Butt Rally. I’ll be using this trip to see how much of it works on a long trip. Here is a bit more on the gear and equipment I’ll be using.

Riding gear:

I bought a new HJC Modular helmet last fall when I got my new bike. So far, it is adequate, but I wish I could find a nicer one to fit my head.

I will continue to use my trusty old FXRG textile riding jacket. It is waterproof and includes armor in case of bad things happening. In May, I rode up to Duluth to try on some Aerostitch gear. I ended up buying some AD1 light riding pants, which are also waterproof.

I have several pairs of gloves, and I will be trying a waterproofing cream to see if they can be used for that.

I use Magnum “SWAT” style boots that seem to work well for me.

I will also be trying out some new under-gear. I purchased some LDComfort tights and long sleeve shirt. These are supposed to be very helpful in both hot and cold conditions if used properly. I certainly hope so.


For the bike:

I use an older style Hammock seat and adjustable rider backrest from HD. I also have a set of highway pegs that see a lot of use.

I have a barefoot *****’s cupholder on the handlebars for fluids while underway.

For GPS, my primary unit is a Road Tech zumo 590 mounted on a RAM mount to the handlebars. I also load the route into the Boom!, but that is for overview and back-up duty. It doesn’t quite cut it for features when compared to the Garmin. New this spring, I’ve added an old phone as a Wi-Fi device to run Waze or Google directions as well as weather and RADAR duty. Because of this not working well with gloves and my big fingers, I’ve added a stylus to use with them when needed. It is way more efficient that trying to hit the intended selection with gloved hands. I will tether it so I don’t have to worry about dropping it anywhere.

I have also added a motorcycle specific RADAR detector to the handlebars. I don’t know how much I will use it, but I would like to have a bit more awareness. In limited testing, I’m still not impressed, but it is there, anyway. I will have to remove it in the Yukon, as they are illegal there.

Next to that I have mounted a new satellite tracking device. I was fortunate to have someone give me their old Spot Gen3 tracker. The annual subscription is a bit lofty at $199, but I need it for the IBR next year, so I need to know how it works and what to expect. I will also be out of cell phone range for much of this trip, so it’s an added benefit here over my normal cell phone based tracking app called BubblerGPS. I will use both.

The single most useful thing I have added to the bike is a 4.8 gallon auxiliary fuel cell over the passenger seat. In testing so far, this takes my fuel range up into the 320-340 mile area. This will be a huge advantage next year, but will be very convenient on this trip too. It effectively cuts my fuel stops in half, and gives greater flexibility when choosing where to fuel.

I have also ordered a Madstad windshield to help with the Aeros. While I’m pretty happy with the LRS recurve I have on the bike now, I wanted a bit more width. I decided now was the time to try one of these fancy, yet fugly adjustable windshields. We’ll see how it works.

That’s about it for now. I will be doing a All in Iowa Saddlesore 1K tomorrow to see how most of this new stuff works together. Hopefully, I can keep cool and report back later.

Lew

 

Looking forward to your report!

 

 

Get ready for wet and cold weather. Ride safe

 

Dam Man. I thought my ride from Jacksonville FL (Atlantic Ocean) to San Diego California (Pacific Ocean) was epic. That was just a stroll compared to what you are embarking on. Good Luck. Give a shout when ya get to Florida, I'll buy you a beer or 20.

 

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...ay-2017-a.html

I did that one last year. It was quite fun! I'm not sure what Florida will bring at this point. Thanks for the offer!

 

 

Sounds truly epic. Looking forward to the report.

 

Sounds like fun. I would love to do something like this but work gets in the way sometimes. I am riding to the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky from Florida in two weeks.

FWIW I use an AirHawk seat cushion on long trips and don't know if I could do long distances without it.
The main benefit for Me living in Florida is it circulates some air between your *** and the seat so monkey butt is non existent.

Have fun my friend, I know I would.

 

I was starting to get concerned about Glacier NP being open. I had a plan to go around it on the way up and through it on the way back, but it wasn't plan A. Going to the Sun Road just opened yesterday, so we're back to plan A!


I will finish setting up the bike this weekend, and it should be ready to point North by Monday. Then, it's just waiting for the clock to tick down until Friday. I talked to my friend this week, and it sounds like he's going to Fairbanks. He doesn't want to do the Haul Road, and I won't debate it with him. He can spend some time riding around Middle Alaska, and I'll meet back up with him and head for Florida.


If anyone wants my SpotWalla link, send me a PM before Thursday. I don't like to put it out in public.