R1 Sjaak Polar Ice Ride (Official Thread)

After overcoming mechanical issues and working through problem in the sled design, Mother Nature shows who's in charge!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZEJ3hnZU4

It looks like the Sjaak's sled was doubled up and pulled by the snowmachine. Was the bike able to pull the sled? I am interested in hearing the details. It looks the route has been altered. Has Sjaak abandoned the idea of traveling the ice to Canada? If so, my vote is that he will make it to Canada (via the road system).

He hired a snowmachine and guide for the run from Barrow to Nuiqsut across the wind blown snow over ice and land. I think he found that a motorcycle tire, even as specialized as he had was not enough surface area/traction to pull the sled. The snowmachine pulled Sjaak's sled and the guides sled. Details can be found on his facebook page, R1SjaakPolarIceRide. From Nuiqsut he was able to tow the trailer on a winter road to Deadhorse where he can link up with state maintained roads to points south. I have a bit of experience traveling by snowmachine in Alaska and the idea of towing heavy sled via a motocycle didn't seem plausible. None the less, he got it accomplished, overcame setbacks, survived typical cold weather, and made it to Deadhorse. No small feat. I'm impressed.

Does Sjaak have/need any logistical help in Fairbanks?

Sjaak is in Fairbanks now. He will be in touch.

"At the foot of Attigun Pass on the Dalton Highway. It looks peacefull but is was hell on this side of the pass. Strong wind and minus 27 Celsius (-17 F). "

Now that he is on the Dalton, do he really have to haul the sled? Why not just dump it and carry on toward South? Wouldn't that be a lot easier on him?

might be because the sled has needed supplies and its his shelter. If he can't make it to next little town that sled will keep him safe and warm through the night. Remember its 250 miles from Deadhorse to Coldfoot and then another 250 miles to Fairbanks, and there ain't much in between. Many people that run the Dalton on bikes in the summer only run it in two chunks, stopping in Coldfoot on the way. I don't imagine he can cover many miles a day in winter conditions on the Dalton on a bike.

I would guess he will drag the sled for sometime until he gets to warmer and safer climate and terrain.

Yes, that would be true.. Or because he is keeping his promise to the sponsor satisfying the prior agreement. There are obviously many different reason..

As a supporter of Sjaak's dream to complete this unique route we've made no such demand. Can't speak for all on his team, but I'm guessing they feel the same. Sjaak in fact feels that keeping the R1, including the sled in it's Arctic setup, tells the visual story of his epic journey better than anything else. And of course he needs to get it home...

With that, when he gets to more hospitable territory and if the sled were to be in the way of making Key West, I'm sure he'd ditch it.

I don't think the weight of the sleigh is the problem, obviously the main issue here is carrying his massive, heavy balls on the bike. I think he should sleep with the lower part of his body outside the sleigh so that his balls could shrink into a manageable size and weight from the cold...

This!

Ah thanks for clearing that up

Held up in Fairbanks now, but Sjaak is getting some great help from the Inmates (thanks Solarmoose) and thinks he'll be heading for Canada in 2-3 days after sorting out some tire problems.

We're anxious on his crossing into Montana so we can get a fix on an ETA to KC for an interview/photo shoot with CycleWorld!

Most of the credit goes to inmate Ak Bob, the Alaska Air Marshall for the Airhead chapter, for helping find a suitable rear tire and someone to do some welding. Hopefully that will get sorted out quick so Sjaak can be on his way. He's been the buzz in several threads on the Alaska regional forum. See here for some pics.

I have been emailing with Sjaak the last couple of days. He plans to ship some of excess gear to me over the next day or so and once he has tire straightened out he will be heading south. He plans to be at my place in Homestead the last week of April. I will store whatever gear he sends until then and the sled if he chooses to when he heads to KW.

Looking forward to following him across the US and meeting him in April!!!

If it fits into his schedule, I am sure Sjaak would be a hit at the MLR (Moonshine Lunch Run) as he is one of the ultimate Long Distance riders. The event is held in Casey, Illinois and the surrounding area.

There will be free camping at the farm, lots of food and even more great people to meet. I'll buy his dinner and get him set up for an award if he makes it to the Friday night dinner and awards ceremony.

More info available at http://moonshine-run.com

FAIRBANKS — More than two decades ago, Sjaak Lucassen decided he wasn’t spending enough time on his motorcycle. He’s more than made up for it in the years since.

The tall, lean Dutchman rolled into Fairbanks this week atop his cherry red Yamaha R1, towing a distinctive trailer custom-made out of aluminum and polycarbonate panels. Even odder than seeing a motorcycle cruising down College Road in March, however, is the place Lucassen departed — Barrow.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/article_09dd480c-9456-11e2-a335-0019bb30f31a.html

+1 I have friends in the area that have gone to this the last several years, fun time and people from all over attend!!

Thanks for the updates. I lold at the massive balls joke on the previous page. It is certainly true. Hopefully fair weather is ahead for this traveler.

Uh oh, Sjaak is in need of some assistance in Whitehorse, Canada.

The go-cart tires on his trailer have worn out prematurely and he's hoping to find replacements in Whitehorse, even some used ones. He thinks go-cart tire sizing is pretty universal.

He called this evening from Beaver Creek and is hoping to make Haines Jct or maybe even Whitehorse in the next day or two.

His email is r1sjaak@hotmail.com if you can help. Thanks, Mark H.