“All motorcycles are adventure bike,” intro by Biltwell’s Blog activity Numbnuts read and take no more than a second to understand the allusion. The image of the mud-covered Pans and Shovels, perfectly placed side by side with Harley’s new Pan Pam ADV bikes, immediately speaks to the message.
It took more than a few loose screws to do what these guys did, which included 4,000 miles across Alaska, the Yukon and British Columbia, with nothing more than camping gear and a spare chase vehicle. of the army. But if it’s not a bit nutty, is it really an adventure?
The entire attempt has been going on for several years and has almost never happened, due to the COVID lockdown and technical difficulties with Biltwell’s non-military LMTV chase device. Not to mention the effort it took to prepare five vintage HDs and spare parts for the excursion, including two Panheads and three shovels—some of which are full-fledged helicopters.
With a fleet of six well-used vehicles Harley Panam Pressing bicycles is added to the equation, the crew departs from Washington to Whittier, Alaska, getting ready for at least 20 days in the elements.
Prudhoe Bay was the final destination, and the route would take them through desolate Anchorage, Denali, and Coldfoot on their way to Alaska’s northern coast. Traveling about 200 miles a day, the crew would then turn south, passing through the Yukon and British Columbia before returning to Washington.
Harleys in the Arctic Circle, who does this? The number of accidents and mechanical malfunctions encountered along the way is beyond expectation, with everything from mud and rain, to bears, broken gearboxes and oil leaks.
To properly immerse yourself in the experience, you need to check Biltwell’s Blog and photography, and I will submit the section on running the Dalton Freeway as a must-read. This route is one of the most isolated “roads” you can find anywhere and is mostly gravel. And these guys ran it on vintage Harleys – in the rain!
Few great motorcycling adventures, but like the first view of 21 Days Under the Sky, Biltwell Numbnuts’ activities will inspire you to explore the unknown on two wheels. It’s impossible to summarize the soul-changing journey in the saddle from my desk chair, so get it from the Bilwell team themselves in their blog. [Biltwell]
