BRRR!

[AKJason]

Pushed close to -50 today. I'm ready for spring!!!

[VTXtremist]

You mean there is a"spring" in Alaska? :shock: What the average temp in the spring, -10 instead of -50? :wink:

[AKJason]

We have four seasons up here:

Early Winter
Winter
Late Winter
Construction


:D

[silvervtx04s]

My brother lives in Delta Jct. He's been here for a month and a half and is heading home the 29th. He's not looking forward to it, as its been so cold and his truck is under 5 feet of snow.

[alaskarider]

Its 32 degrees in Anchorage. The roads are starting to clear. The main roads are clear. My son has been riding his dirt bike on the gravel and ice roads by our house. My bike is at the dealer's getting progressive shocks, springs, V and H Big Shot exhaust and an hpp put on. it should be ready late next week. With just another week or 2 of warm dry weather and maybe I can ride it home.
Soon, very soon, we will all be on the road again.

[AKJason]

Spring is trying up here. The roads aren't clear yet but in the heat of the day it's starting. The pea gravel is burning into the snowbanks. So very close.

Alas, my driveway will be the last thing to clear, shaded as it is. I'm going to get a quote on having the hardpack ripped off so it'll be ready to go.

So which dealer are you using, and what're they charging for the progressive springs?

The Honda dealership in Fairbanks was sold to J&L Harley Davidson, so I'm going to have to go to the Harley dealer to get my Honda worked on from now on. They've already transferred their inventory, and I haven't chedk to see if the service is offically moved over now. Doesn't bode well for low shop rates.

[alaskarider]

I am using the anchorage Honda dealer. They let me buy my parts outside and let them install them. I paid $440 to hondadirectline for the shocks. I am having to use a power commander instead of the hpp I bought because they can'tweld the bung on it. so clearly they are not the most advanced service depatment.
I don't think I have ever heard of service prices as high as those at harley. If you are going to put on the shocks you coud easily do it yourself in about an hour with a jack and a friend. The problem we have here in Anchorage is that there is not an independent metric shop. the only independent shops are for american bikes. It is almost enough to make you buy a harley if they weren't twice the price, had half the torque and horsepower and the brakes were so weak as to be scary.
Luck for us, if we have to do the work, we can look how to do it on the tech section.
I am going to Las vegas in a couple of weeks and I rented a bike for the whole week to ride while my girlfreind is at a convention. So I willl get my fix.
I know it is lots warmer in Fairbanks in the summer when do you think you will able to ride this year?

[AKJason]

I don't know when I'll be getting out. The two springs I've been at our new home, our driveway was always the last thing holding me back. I've got a long (around 175') dirt driveway, but paved street leading to paved roads. I telecommute at home, so I can ride as soon as the roads are dry because I can go in the 'heat of the day', on days when it's still way way too cold to ride when people are going to work. Last year I was able to get out in April sometime.

But, I was first getting up and down my driveway in a single tire-wide strip of dirt exposed in my still-snowy driveway.

This week I'm going to see what it costs to get the hardpack scraped off so I can hopefully get out sooner. Besides, I let too much snow pack down and it'll be a mess for the jeeps too.

I think it's really cool the dealer will install the parts you bought elsewhere.

[alaskarider]

It is getting close to riding weather here. Only my driveway and the 40 or 50 feet of road outside my house are keeping me off the road. I will be in Las Vegas riding for 8 days starting next weekend I hope to come back to bare pavement not a foot of snow.
How is it in Fairbanks?

[alaskarider]

I went riding today. It was 45 degrees. The first ride of the alaska spring. I rode bout 15 miles. I didn't want to press my luck. Ice still lurks on side roads and in shadows but what a blast . I hope the rest of you folks uphere get out this weekend.

[AKJason]

The 'loop' I like to ride is now almost safe to ride. The trouble is I have around a half mile of solid hardpack snow between my house and the road. DANGIT!!

The snow is still nice and solid ice. Trouble is there are hills and in these warmer temps I don't know if I'll have enough traction to drive them safely.

But I might try it anyway!

That does it, my next house has to have a driveway directly off the main paved roads.

I am planning a 3 day trip to Summit the weekend after Arctic Man though. That should be a blast!