ALASKA 2000

This is a "picture book story" about me (Eddy) and my brother Maurice driving our motorcycles from the San Francisco area to Alaska and back. Originally I wanted to do this trip on my own in 1999. Then Maurice mentioned joining me on a motorcycle trip and it was decided to do the trip together in 2000. Maurice and I are from the Netherlands but I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996. We picked end May / begin June as the optimum time for weather reasons and it turned out to be a good pick. We decided to drive all the way up through Canada, following the famous Alaska Highway and take the ferry through the Inside Passage back down. I own a Honda Transalp that has been very faithfull to me on previous trips and I was able to get my hands on another identical Transalp for the trip. Below is the story of the trip, day by day and with lots of pictures. You can click on the small thumbnail pictures for a 'full size' (768x512) picture.   Enjoy!

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Thursday May 25 - Day 1 - Fremont CA (Home) to Redding CA - Trip: 233 miles

Ready for take-off

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 Maurice had arrived a few days earlier to be able to adjust for the time difference (9 hours) but I was stupid enough to work until the last day before we left. I should have stopt working at least one day earlier to be able to pack in a relaxed manner and start the trip well rested. We wanted to make lots of miles that first day but after only 233 miles I gave up. We drove on Interstate 5 in very hot weather and the combination of circumstances got me in trouble concentrating so I called it quits! Better safe than sorry.
I noticed this first day that through the additional weight of the luggage, the chain was less tight and "pinged" against a screw of the Scottoiler (automatic chain oiler). Since I mounted the Scottoilers the same way on both bikes, both of us had the 'problem'. I judged it to be not critical. Of course the screw would get damaged but not in such a way that the Scottoiler would drop off and the chain is of such tough material that it didn't show any wear. Actually, my chain was wearing for another reason that I wasn't aware of until a few days later....