Alaska: Off and Running (Day One)

Vallejo to Springfield, OR

06/12/2010, 507 miles



After getting up at 5:30 this morning filled with anxiety and guilt about leaving the cats, we set out up I-5. 10 uneventful hours later we arrived at the Best Western in Springfield, Oregon, off of exit 195a. I-5 is scenic in some parts but mostly a droning highway. The hotel is across the street from the Hop Valley Brewing Company. Bonus!

The Bandit turns out to be pretty comfortable for long trips. Janna is suffering a bit from the SV650 however. It's a small bike and a bit cramped. The bikes are really loaded down and I'm getting about 37MPG.


Day One

Janna is posting a more up-to-the-minute ride report on advrider.

Packed Up and Ready to Go

Starting mileage: 53223.


Final night before we set out for Alaska. The bikes are packed. I am excited, but very nervous. We prepared as well as we could. The bikes are old and have a lot of miles on them. I worry they are overloaded. Won't sleep a lot tonight.

What nice clean bikes.

Weekly Checks

I have a brief weekly routine to make sure the bike is in safe enough condition for another few days of weaving through traffic. This used to be my pre-flight check, and on an older bike it probably should be. But I found after months of daily checking, nothing much changed from day to day.

• Check the oil level, add if appropriate (tip bike or put on centerstand)

• Check tire pressure, inflate as needed - I put the Bandit at 36 front/39 rear. A sudden drop in pressure means a puncture.

• Clean fork sliders with mild soapy water, rinse and dry - prolongs life of fork seals
  

Ventura Headlight Guard

We were warned about a lot of potential dangers to ourselves and our bikes while en route to Alaska. One of these was flying rocks, presumably from trucks that kick them up from gravel roads. With that in mind I bought a few items I wouldn't usually be interested in for commuting. One of these was headlight guards from Ventura Motorcycle Accessories. The guard is a piece of plexiglass shaped to the headlight that attaches with velcro. $25 plus shipping. Even though it'll be light out 23 hours a day and I'm bringing a spare bulb, I figured better safe than sorry.