An Old Man Goes South: Alaska to Tierra del Fuego

I will be leaving Anchorage, Alaska, in a bit over two weeks (2 Sept 2023) for the Panama Canal, and perhaps Tierra del Fuego.  At 70, I don't want to commit to riding to the tip of South America until I see how I feel riding North America. The first post will be about bike choices, packing and trip planning.

Riding from the USA to Tierra del Fuego has been on my bucket list for several years but each year I find some excuse not to go.  I was all set to do the ride last year even having my GSA1200 being given a very thorough by a mechanic when my ride partner suddenly died.  He was 67 and had a cardio event while out on his mountain bike.  I am 70 and according to my doctors, healthy.  I can still log a serious amount of time on a motorcycle if needed.   So if not now when?  

Some friends have asked why a motorcycle?  Well, Robert Pirsig got it right over fifty years ago in ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE and to paraphase:  Traveling by motorcycle is like being in the scene while traveling by car is like watching the scene on a TV screen.  A secondary motivating factor is to avoid another Alaskan winter.  If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you I am not a cold weather person.

My departure date is predicated upon meeting the Alaska Marine ferry in Haines, Alaska, for my scheduled trip to Bellingham, Washington.  Haines is 800 miles (1300 kms) from Anchorage.  Now I have ridden from the US/Mexico border (El Paso, Texas) to Alaska three times over the years so I will not be missing any roads or scenery in the Canadian Yukon or British Columbia I have not seen before.  The passage from Haines to Bellingham takes three and a half days which will allow for ample wildlife viewing.  The ferry uses the Inside Passage which provides spectacular scenery and is isolated from the waves and weather of the north Pacific by a series of islands.  I plan to either camp on the fantale of sleep in one of the reclining chairs in one of the observation lounges.

From Bellingham, Washington, I will be taking a side trip to St Louis, Missouri, where my sister lives and I have three motorcycles parked in her garage.  I will be switching motorcycles in Missouri leaving my KTM 690 enduro and picking up my Harley Road King.  I will be guiding my sister and her partner on a motorcycle adventure tour of the national parks in Utah before returning to Missouri in early October.  I am planning on continueing south with my 690 enduro probably crossing the border somewhere in New Mexico in mid October.

I don't have a firm route in mind after the border except to head south working my way toward Panama.  I have ridden in Mexico before, especially the Copper Canyon area.  I worked for the US embassy in Mexico City back in the late 1990's and really enjoy the country.  Again, friends have expressed concern about cartels etc.  The biggest problems I have enountered are unlight cows or burros on the highway at night.  I don't plan on riding after sunset at any time on this trip.  I may spend a month in Guatemala working on my Spanish so sometime near Christmas, 2023, I figure I will reach the Canal at which time I will decide if I want to get the bike to Columbia and continue south.  According to google, it is 12,100 miles (19,600 kms) by road from Anchorage to Tierra del Fuego!

I have spent much time during the previous couple months trying to find the perfect bike for this trip.  Now we all know the perfect motorcycle (or any other piece of machinery) does not exist.  But knowing something and accepting it as fact are two different things.  Decision made here in Alaska will affect my ride six months from now.  Most modern motorcycles will make the trip to the Canal or even the 12,100 miles to Tierra del Fuego but each represents a set of riding characteristics which are compromises.  The question is which set of compromises are you willing to live with.

Don't ask me how but I find myself presently owning five different models of motorcycles.  Here in Anchorage I have a 2022 BMW GS310 which I purchased last June after the GS I was riding caught on fire up on the Haul Road about 100 miles north of Anchorage.  It is small, light and fun and would work great once south of the US border as most bikes are 250cc or less.  However, I am not a small person and I would like to take a bit more gear than it is comfortable hauling.  It would make the trip too much like a bare bones backpacking trip lasting 6-9 months.

In Missouri, I have three bikes parked in my sister's garage.  Each would work but for various reasons I wanted something else.  My 2020 Harley Road King is simply too heavy.  At 845 lbs (384 kgs) it would be a nightmare to fly or ship around the Darian Gap between Panama and Columbia.  My 2011 Kawasaki 650 would work great except it is primarily used by my partner for our trips in the lower 48 and I wish to keep letting her use it.  My 2008 BMW GSA 1200 may go as it is my favorite motorcycle but it has 97,000 miles (157,000 kms) on the odometer.  However, it has been thoroughly inspected by a knowledgable mechanic and he says it is good for this trip.

Finally, the bike I purchased for this trip is a heavily modified 2016 KTM 690 enduro with 11,000 miles (18,000 kms).  The previous owner is a local mechanic and he added a five gallon aux fuel tank so the bike has a total of eight gallons (31 liters) of fuel, a steering stabilizer, heated hand grips, large soft saddlebags by Wolfman, two GPS's, and an aftermarket seat since the stock seat on KTM's is known to be made using wood 2X4's.  The bike is literally ready to ride around the world.  

But it is difficult to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  The KTM 690 is known as one of the best (if not the best) onroad/offroad bikes made today.  Enduros are by their very nature a compromise.The very characteristics which make it great for riding on trails or in dirt make it uncomfortable for long stretches of paved road.  Being a thumper means it vibrates and being an enduro means it is tall.  If I find it too uncomfortable after riding from Alaska to St Louis, I will switch it out for my GSA1200.

Packing is also a challange for a trip of this nature.  Obviously, I need riding gear for weather conditions from cold rain here in Alaska to tropical temperatures through Central America.  The motorcycle gear is pretty easily taken care of with modern riding gear which uses goretex and abrasive resistent fabrics and electrically heated gear for cold weather.  For tiimes I am not riding I have decided on three sets of clothes which can be layered or mixed.  No cotton clothing allowed as I want stuff that will keep you warm when wet (wool or synthetic) and things I can wash out overnight in a motel sink.

I hope to record this trip and am still deciding on photography equipment.  My favorite camera uses film, was made fifty years ago and is now a cult object with members of the cult paying ridiculous prices (Leica M) and it will be left at home.  My decision as to a travel camera is a Fuji APSC model with a mid range (28-80) zoom and a ultra wide angle.  I am booked into a tour of Antelope Canyon in Arizona and the slot canyon calls for a fisheye or ultra wide.  The lens may be left in Missouri before heading south.