Alaska on a BMW K1600 GTL

[judgebill]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BOOK 1: BILL AND CLIF'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
BOOK 2: ENTER THE DRAGON AKA HARLEY GIRL
BOOK 3: CLIF BECOMES SLIGHTLY ADDICTED TO MARGARITAS AND FULL ON ADDICTED TO RIDING MOTORCYCLES - THE MOTORCYCLE COURIER CAREER BEGINS...

2012
Jun 22 0852 Bill begins writing in this epic thread
Jun 23 Bill begins the tour, leaving Los Angeles
Jun 24 Clif joins Bill and the pair (of riders) leave Seaside California together
Jun 27 Hints from other postings suspecting this thread is a hoax begins to become explicit
Jun 30 BILL AND CLIF SEPARATE. Bill continues on the planned tour from Ft Nelson. Clif stays in Ft Nelson because even the back tire cords are fraying (see videos) p 9 of thread
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...=802106&page=9
2012
JULY 2 Clif learns from another advrider posting on this thread that Anchorage is about 1,200 miles from Ft. Nelson. Before the shocking news, he thought it was only about 200 miles away.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=12
July 3 Clif leaves at 1am to try and catch Bill. He rides 22 hours straight after leaving Ft Nelson.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=16
July 5 Clif arrives in Anchorage and REUNITES WITH BILL!
Bear cub pics clif took himself
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=23
July 7
The day Bill and Clif are at the Anchorage BMW Dealership, a Red Sox Fan steals a motorcycle. Here is his photo...
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=32
July 14
ENTER THE HARLEY GIRL NAMED CINDY. No posts at all from Clif this day because he drinks alcohol for the first time (as taught by the new Harley addition) and passes out immediately. He spends the entire night sleeping on top of the covers, but face down and has no memory of the day or night before when Bill shakes him awake.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=54
July 22
Consistent, long day, high mileage riding ends late at night in Studio City, CA
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=69
July 25
Bill leaves LA with Clif, Navin, & Cindy as his entourage. He is headed to Uruguay to teach Law Students - inspire them to be great attorneys and awesome people.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=74
July 26
Bill is in Costa Rica. With Bill gone, pandemonium is in full gear: Clif rides the BMW Dealership's f650gs loaner to his home in Whittier only to find that he forgot to bring the house keys. The f650 breaks down in front of his house. Clif's tour never officially ends, as he never stays inside his house.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=75
July 28
Bill writes on the thread from Uruguay
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=78
July 30
In about $52,000.00 of debt, Clif refuses to apply for any job that doesn't involve riding motorcycles. He applies and is accepted to a motorcycle courier job. Small catch: no pay for at least 3 weeks of work.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...802106&page=80




BELOW, THE FIRST POST AND THREAD CREATION BY BILL... AN INTRODUCTION TO AN EPIC TOUR & JOURNEY THAT BOTH TECHNICALLY AND PRACTICALLY HAS NOT ENDED YET:

Alaska, the dream of so many riders, was a bug that bit me a year ago. Now I'm ready to make the trip on a BMW K1600GTL, loaded with unnecessary equipment and necessary optimism. Leaving Saturday the 23rd from Los Angeles, riding up the coast to meet another rider in Palo Alto and then up to the North Country. I'll post pictures as they are taken and as I figure how to do it. You all are familiar with the bike...and I'm a 75 year-old rider with stars in my eyes and adventure in my heart. See you on the road.
Bill

[rotten]

Right on! have a great trip look forward to the ride report. I am hoping someday I will also be able to do an Alaskan ride! For now I will have to watch your ride!
Subscribed...

[GypsyWriter]

Sweet!! This should be interesting.

In!

[bobw]

Safe travels! Very interested to see how the 1600 works for you.

Cheers

[GB]

Good luck and safe travels! Hopefully you can post a few pics to share with us

[HORSEMOTO]

GOOD FOR YOU.....I AM LEAVING IN A WEEK FOR ALASKA AND HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE ROAD. RIDE-ON AND BE SAFE.!!!

[ClifNotes]

Originally Posted by HORSEMOTO

GOOD FOR YOU.....I AM LEAVING IN A WEEK FOR ALASKA AND HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE ROAD. RIDE-ON AND BE SAFE.!!!

Hey Horsemoto... where r u now? we're in cache creek

[judgebill]

Hi! I'm Clif, Judge Bill's riding partner! I'm also on a k1600 bmw gtl ~ not by coincidence! I just bought mine a couple weeks ago. I just got my M1 (motorcycle license) a week ago. the 1600 is my first motorcycle. I can't handle it like Bill, but he slows down so I can catch up to him.

The weather has been fair and nice. Sunny on the coast.

Bill takes us to really nice restaurants that have a lot of history and culture to the localities. Now we're at Point Reyes, Nick's Cove Yacht Club having lunch.

I will try to upload our videos and photos. Does this forum allow links?

You should all just hop on your bikes and join us! You'll like me and love Bill. And I'll try hard not to slow you down!

[TwoUpTourer]

Originally Posted by judgebill

Hi! I'm Clif, the 1600 is my first motorcycle.

A BMW K1600GTL is your FIRST motorcycle????? Yikes!

You mean you skipped the 50cc trail bike and old 250cc rusting heap, and all the others in between, and started on the cream of the crop? You have nothing else to look forward to! Except having an amazing trip on amazing bike. I look forward to seeing your journey here.

[swimmer]

Safe travels to you both. Looking forward to pictures and stories.

[ClifNotes]

Originally Posted by swimmer

Safe travels to you both. Looking forward to pictures and stories.

Why is your name swimmer? just curious...

Yeah - I have yet to post pics for us, but i'm uploading vids tonight. Hope that'll do until the pics :)

[SoosCreek]

Following along. I test rode the 1600GT a couple of weeks ago...Nice and Smooth!

I am south of Seattle kind of toward Mt. Rainer if you need anything or advise on something your way by...

Did Alaska trip in '09 and the ALCAN in '10.

Hope you have good weather and a smooth trip!

[ClifNotes]

Originally Posted by SoosCreek

Following along. I test rode the 1600GT a couple of weeks ago...Nice and Smooth!

I am south of Seattle kind of toward Mt. Rainer if you need anything or advise on something your way by...

Did Alaska trip in '09 and the ALCAN in '10.

Hope you have good weather and a smooth trip!

Thanks Soos for letting us know we have friends on our path. I think I saw Seattle and it's beautiful. You have that red lined saucer thing in the sky? Sorry, my focus has been on riding and it leaves me geographically challenged.

what's alcan? who did u go with?

[judgebill]

First day rode from Los Angeles to Monterey where I picked up my friend Clif (he made the last entry for us). Left Monterey Sunday morning the 24th and had beautiful weather all the way up the California coastline to Fort Bragg. If you ever get the chance, the ride is worth the effort. We averaged 30 mph today, and it was a long day. Took over an hour to get through San Francisco. Highway 1 is spectacular, should be on everyone's bucket list. Rugged coast, waves pounding on giant rocks with tall pines coming right down the water. Every now and then a small house that looks like a refuge from a junkpile...but the view is wonderful. I could live here and do nothign but watch the ocean all day...and occasionallly ride somewhere.
Traffic wasn't bad. Lots of riders, most with passengers. Everyone is nice and pleasant and when we tell them we're on our way to Alaska they seem to have difficulty believing. It's going to happen.
So standby for pictures, Clif says he knows how to upload them. More to follow.
Bill

[Mistress of the dual]

Cliff, I am in awe that you chose the K1600 for your first bike. This ride report promised to be interesting with just Bill. Now with the addition of Cliff it should be very interesting. I can’t wait for you guys to post some pictures.