First snow!?
Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 67
As short as our riding season can be for most people in Alaska... Alaska has more motorcycles, and more Harley's "per-capita" than any other state (thats a fact reported somewhere I seen). And when I said "a short season for some riders", thats not true for all Alaska riders. There are guys that ride trikes all winter long (sub-zero and snowing like hell!), and Urals (Russian motorcycles) with sidecars. I've even seen dualsport 2-wheelers with studded tires in the middle of winter up here! Even a fair-weather rider here rides until it drops into the low 40's. In the spring (March if were lucky)... if its above 38 degrees, the bikes are everywhere. Amazing how warm 38 degrees can be after a few months of freezing arctic weather!
Alaska riders are a pretty proud bunch with a huge appreciation for this amazing God-given land to ride upon. Surprisingly enough, most bikes up here are kept in mint condition. Other than the sometimes dirty/dustry road construction areas, the weather is not that hard on the bikes. The only dirty bikes you really see up here are the BMW GS guys. They're like those "hippies" that drive Subarus... wearing thier grime like a badge of honor, LOL!
Got to love riding in Alaska, but I have to admit... I wouldn't mind a few weekend rides to Daytona, Sturgis, or Laughlin once in awhile. Or to cruise around the strip with just jeans and a t-shirt. We don't get to do that often up here.
Alaska riders are a pretty proud bunch with a huge appreciation for this amazing God-given land to ride upon. Surprisingly enough, most bikes up here are kept in mint condition. Other than the sometimes dirty/dustry road construction areas, the weather is not that hard on the bikes. The only dirty bikes you really see up here are the BMW GS guys. They're like those "hippies" that drive Subarus... wearing thier grime like a badge of honor, LOL!
Got to love riding in Alaska, but I have to admit... I wouldn't mind a few weekend rides to Daytona, Sturgis, or Laughlin once in awhile. Or to cruise around the strip with just jeans and a t-shirt. We don't get to do that often up here.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 594
Likes: 1
From: Florida
Alaska is an awesome place to live, but it certainly isn't for everyone. The winters are long, cold and dark. You have to find "something" to do, or you'll get cabin fever quick. For me, it's snowboarding and snowmachines (snowmobiles, not snow-blowers! LOL!). The summers here usually make-up for the winters (although not the case this summer). From March into October you can ride. But peak weather in June-July might bring you a handful of days in the 70's. Other than that, high 60's are the norm (up North in Fairbanks it gets warmer ...80's). That might sound too damn cold for most of you guys, but when you live here you get used to it. All those heat problems you guys gripe about coming from your 07 and up Twin-cams... never experienced it up here. You almost never ride without a leather and chaps, and never get too hot.
I spend alot of time in the summer camping and offshore fishing too. Halibut, salmon and other indigenous fish... (check out my boat in "my garage").
I've seen more snow in Ohio winters, and colder temps in Wyoming winters. But those are only "isolated events" throughout the winter months. In Alaska, it starts in October and stays through March-April... It's a cumlative effect. Colder, darker, deeper!!
The bottom line is... you have to do some time here in Alaska to understand it, appreciate it and fall in love with it. Or, you'll hate it and head for the equator!
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 594
Likes: 1
From: Florida
Hit me up when the time comes and I can give you more details for your time in Alaska.
I'm a former Alaskan with strong ties still to the state. I started riding while I was living in Sitka. I usually had two bikes, one street bike and one dual-sport enduro type. We rode those year round. Riding an overgrown dirt bike in the snow isn't much different to riding on dirt. Just colder.
Great place to live, but the winters will grind you down unless you've got something to keep yourself occupied with. Lots of guys hang around in the bars as their main hobby.
Great place to live, but the winters will grind you down unless you've got something to keep yourself occupied with. Lots of guys hang around in the bars as their main hobby.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 594
Likes: 1
From: Florida
I'm a former Alaskan with strong ties still to the state. I started riding while I was living in Sitka. I usually had two bikes, one street bike and one dual-sport enduro type. We rode those year round. Riding an overgrown dirt bike in the snow isn't much different to riding on dirt. Just colder.
Great place to live, but the winters will grind you down unless you've got something to keep yourself occupied with. Lots of guys hang around in the bars as their main hobby.
Great place to live, but the winters will grind you down unless you've got something to keep yourself occupied with. Lots of guys hang around in the bars as their main hobby.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,308
Likes: 9
what is this thing snow that you people talk about? heard my dad talking about it once in the 50's...said it was like rain but frozen? do you put cardboard in front of your oil cooler like northern truckers do to their radiators? i would sure hate to see it snow and force me to wear long pants when playing golf in january!!
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,277
Likes: 4
From: Austin, TX - Some call it heaven.
The last time is snowed really hard in Austin was back in 85. Still remember that day. We get ice once or twice a year, and a little dusting now and again that's usually gone by noon, but it's been 25 years since we had a good hard snow that stayed overnight. Shut down most of the state.
We have maybe 20 days of winter a year here, when it gets down below 40. But they are spread out between Dec - Feb, and there's usually plenty of good days between them. Of course the trade off is 2 months of triple degree weather, with no rain all summer.
My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Alaska for three years when I was a kid. I can still remember the brutal winters and have no desire to ever go through another. But I'd love to tour there some day, I bet there are some pretty spectacular rides up there.
We have maybe 20 days of winter a year here, when it gets down below 40. But they are spread out between Dec - Feb, and there's usually plenty of good days between them. Of course the trade off is 2 months of triple degree weather, with no rain all summer.
My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Alaska for three years when I was a kid. I can still remember the brutal winters and have no desire to ever go through another. But I'd love to tour there some day, I bet there are some pretty spectacular rides up there.
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 594
Likes: 1
From: Florida
The last time is snowed really hard in Austin was back in 85. Still remember that day. We get ice once or twice a year, and a little dusting now and again that's usually gone by noon, but it's been 25 years since we had a good hard snow that stayed overnight. Shut down most of the state.
We have maybe 20 days of winter a year here, when it gets down below 40. But they are spread out between Dec - Feb, and there's usually plenty of good days between them. Of course the trade off is 2 months of triple degree weather, with no rain all summer.
My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Alaska for three years when I was a kid. I can still remember the brutal winters and have no desire to ever go through another. But I'd love to tour there some day, I bet there are some pretty spectacular rides up there.
We have maybe 20 days of winter a year here, when it gets down below 40. But they are spread out between Dec - Feb, and there's usually plenty of good days between them. Of course the trade off is 2 months of triple degree weather, with no rain all summer.
My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Alaska for three years when I was a kid. I can still remember the brutal winters and have no desire to ever go through another. But I'd love to tour there some day, I bet there are some pretty spectacular rides up there.
Last edited by AK BAGGER; Oct 4, 2010 at 02:06 PM.
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