Alaska to Patagonia..September 2013

arunnangla

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Hello All,

I am Arun from London.
Planing a trip Alaska to Patagonia coming 1st week of September 2013.
If any one planing this same route in sometime please let me know.

Need some advice and info...

Love to meet someone who did the same route..
whats sort of bike/medical insurance i need to cross broders for this trip ?
GPS map for my Garmin zumo 550 ?
Thinking to buy ALPINESTARS DURBAN GORE-TEX jacket and pant hows ?
I am using BMW r1150gsa 05 need some one to advice what sort of good change i have to do in my bike for this trip.
Very basic tool kit for r1150gsa , Side stand switch protection.
i have one thought to sale this bike and get 800gs..but cant sale my bike in good price and get 800gs.

i am sort of person who not plan just on..and start travel...but this time need littel bit planing not too mouch haha.

I need a Alaska visa on British passport ?

This is just a start...need more help and advice..so please buzz me or drop me a line any time.

Arun Nangla Photographer
e-mail - nangla@arunnangla.com
0044 7928 106107 - London
www.arunnangla.com
 
Hi. Another photographer eh. I did the trip in the other direction in 2010 ... on ... an 1150GSA. Took about 2 months.

GPS. Nope. Visas. Nope. Carnets, nope (as long as you're not visiting particular countries) Medical insurance (Fraiser Nash) checked on borders, nope, except yellow fever certificate checked in Costa Rica. Visa for Alaska, nope - its the good old US of A. I went with a Nick Sanders group. The only problem bit is getting across the Darien gap but even that you can just turn up at a freighters and sort without too much grief.

If you wanted to chat or anything, I'm often up in London taking pictures on the bike.
 
Hello Monkeyboy thanks for advice..Please let me know..when we can meet..i am ready anytime..this my number 07928106107
 
North America is no problem and you'll just need your ESTA visa waiver to get in there but you will only be allowed 3 months which should be ample time.

1150GSA is a lardy old bus but will do the job really well. The only advice I can give reference the bike is get it serviced really well before you go and don't skimp. Take it to someone like Steptoe, tell him what you are doing and he'll prep accordingly. Also ask him what spares to take and if you take them, learn how to change them!! A good puncture kit and pump is essential. If your suspension is getting a little tired, a rebuild or upgrade would be advisable as a trip like this will give it a hard time.

Have a think about some hard dual purpose tyres like Heidenau K60's which will probably do that trip I would think. I just changed mine with 10,000 miles on and there was plenty left.

The weather will be getting pretty cool up in Alaska and Canada in September so be aware you will need some really good multi purpose kit. I'm up there with 9 tossers in 3 weeks and my heated jacket will be on low to medium!!

You can buy Garmin for North America of e bay and no problem with Zumo 550 as it's the same as I use.

Can't help with south of the border but if you need any help or advice for North America, let me know:thumby:
 
I know..HU is the best site..but curiously i tell i find HU website is very hard to find things.i am not very computer guy..from last to days i am trying to pay for site..but cant find haha..
 
Hello SGT Bilco,

Thanks very much for your advice and help.

B4 i was not confirm Alaska visa comes under ESTA.How much is cost ?
One more thing somebody tolled me..you cant get ESTA/America visa if you don't have return ticket..is that true..?
Its feel like a i am lossing my one way ticket money shame...Any website i can find a cheap ticket for Alaska ?

Thanks for reminding me about Steptoe he did my two great GS service in past..ill go back and get more advice and good service SUPER.

I thought about b4 Heidenau K60s..but i bought already metzeler Tourance.
But have plan to change my tyre in colombia TKC80 becoz plan to inter in brazil via little bit of amazon forest route.

You are scaring me haha..for Alaska cold any idea which is the right month to cross Alaska to Canada then America..? i can plan 15days early most.
I am planing to buy this - ALPINESTARS DURBAN GORE-TEX jacket and pant.?

Thanks again
 
Just got to The ESTA site and check. You're going to need this anyway. I don't think you need to specify anything other than your passport. It's only a few £.

Re the tyres - tourance's will be fine mate, all the way down, even if you're doing rough roads and you can avoid that anyway. Lots and lots of lovely tarmac. If you want to get to Ushuia then you have a couple of 100k of off/rough road in Chile but that's it. I went NY to Achorage late Aug early sept and it was fine. Just take a jumper!
 
monkeyboy said:
Re the tyres - tourance's will be fine mate, all the way down, even if you're doing rough roads and you can avoid that anyway. Lots and lots of lovely tarmac.
Click to expand...

Hmm, not much tarmac on the Dalton and best of luck riding it on Tourances:rolleyes:
 
Sgt Bilco said:
Hmm, not much tarmac on the Dalton and best of luck riding it on Tourances:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've been along there on my R1100S with softer tyres than those, and a few 1000 miles of Ruta 40 in snow, mud, gravel, the lot. They were fine. I reckon tyres are a lot tougher than they look.

I don't think he mentioned the Dalton anyway, just Alaska. Might even be starting in Hyder! I guess the Alaskan Highway is all tarmac now? Not been along there for quite a long time.
 
monkeyboy said:
I've been along there on my R1100S with softer tyres than those, and a few 1000 miles of Ruta 40 in snow, mud, gravel, the lot. They were fine. I reckon tyres are a lot tougher than they look.

I don't think he mentioned the Dalton anyway, just Alaska. Might even be starting in Hyder! I guess the Alaskan Highway is all tarmac now? Not been along there for quite a long time.
Click to expand...

The ideal thing is a k80 (knobbly) on the front and a tourence on the back that way plenty of milage available, and before the armchair travellers start IO and several others have done it and all was great. In fact it is what Globebusters recomend and all is fine the handling is very good as there was some fast boys on our trip even in the wet no probs. So get out there and do it and enjuoy!!.
 
monkeyboy said:
I've been along there on my R1100S with softer tyres than those, and a few 1000 miles of Ruta 40 in snow, mud, gravel, the lot. They were fine. I reckon tyres are a lot tougher than they look.

I don't think he mentioned the Dalton anyway, just Alaska. Might even be starting in Hyder! I guess the Alaskan Highway is all tarmac now? Not been along there for quite a long time.
Click to expand...

I think he's starting in Anchorage and heading down avoiding the Dalton which would be a wise move in September. The Alcan all tarmac now with some rough bits and a few long stretches of gravel in the roadworks. Any tyres will be OK really but the K60's give a very long wear life, handle well in all conditions and give you a bit of security on the rough bits and if you want to wander up a good dirt road. They are a perfect tyre for the region:thumb2
 
Thanks guys for a good comments its really help in my travel.
Yes i am starting from Anchorage..to Patagonia.

ADVICE
* Side stand switch protection..any idea ?
* Any cheeper option for Tobinators..becoz i use MIGSEL GPS mount..and its * touch my wind screen..so ANNOYING.


I am thinking to buy some stuff in Anchorage.May be cheeper in US ?

1> ALPINESTARS DURBAN GORE-TEX jacket and pant..cant find in london for try the size.
2> camping stuff like tant.gas stove, etc etc

Any Good outdoor and motorcycling gear stor/shop or online website in Anchorage ?
 
arunnangla said:
Thanks guys for a good comments its really help in my travel.
Yes i am starting from Anchorage..to Patagonia.

ADVICE
* Side stand switch protection..any idea ?
* Any cheeper option for Tobinators..becoz i use MIGSEL GPS mount..and its * touch my wind screen..so ANNOYING.


I am thinking to buy some stuff in Anchorage.May be cheeper in US ?

1> ALPINESTARS DURBAN GORE-TEX jacket and pant..cant find in london for try the size.
2> camping stuff like tant.gas stove, etc etc

Any Good outdoor and motorcycling gear stor/shop or online website in Anchorage ?
Click to expand...

I'll be in Anchorage next week mate so will keep an eye out for you. Gear is a lot cheaper $1 buys the same as £1 at home and you won't have to pay their tax if you give a UK address:thumby:
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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