Introduction

I haven't gone on any long trips these past few years. In 2021 I chose to stay home to tend the chickens and animals while Jenny was thru-hiking the AT. I spent that summer working on our fence line. And 2021 I was writing books about our Northern Paddling Adventures. So finally this year, 2023, I was able to ride to Alaska.

In preparations for this trip I did a lot of work on the motorcycle. Then I set out on my grand adventure, riding the Great Divide. I was intent on riding to Alaska, but half way though Montana I injured my ankle and decided to return home. That was Part-1 of my ride.

Two weeks later I could walk again without problems, so I made a bee-line for Canada, and basically followed my 2011 route to Fairbanks. Reaching Fairbanks I had a niggling feeling about my old bike, that I better ride no further, but return home. That feeling proved correct, because after those 10,000 miles the engine died when almost home. But Jenny was kind enough to bring the truck.

The summer was an adventure-and-a-half worth of fun, and I enjoyed it immensely! The setbacks were all good, and I learned a great deal from them. The motorcycle is in my garage, waiting for me to install a "new" (used) engine. With any luck the bike will be back on the road in no time.

During the ride, people would ask me about my age. I don't think I look old, but was asked my age maybe ten times. People are not used to seeing a 78 year old riding a motorcycle to Alaska. One local resident said the oldest rider he has seen was 91. The man was riding a 1200 Harley and was going strong. So it's not about age, but attitude.

Preparations

Work done on the Dakar, in preparations for the ride:

I used a come-along to winch the 450-lb bike up the steps.

My Dakar motorcycle in our living room, with the engine removed.

The old engine has 76,391 miles. It has traveled the GDR route 17 times, from Mexico to Canada, and a slew of other long trips. I took it apart, and didn't like what I saw. So I switched it for my "new" engine.

The old engine (minus the head and cylinder) sitting on a table, and the new engine installed in the bike. Note the hydraulic jack I used to lift the 250-pound engine up to the mounts.

The new engine came without a Generator Cover and the parts under it: including the Starter, Magneto Flywheel, Stator, and Sprag Clutch.

My new engine has a long history. The owner of the bike bought it new in 2005 and crashed it 2,000 miles later. The bike was dismantled at a motorcycle salvage yard in Los Angeles, where most of the parts sat for 15 years. The bike model was an oddball, and nobody wanted the parts - until I came along and saw the engine. Apparently I was the only person on the planet who knew it would likely fit the very popular BMW F650 Dakar. The yard sold it to me for a modest price.

With the engine installed, I still have a lot of work to do, because I'm rebuilding the bike, stem to stern.

• Maintenance Log 2023-03-04, Odometer 76,391 miles.

• Empty the Fuel Tank and clean it bone dry. Remove the Fuel Filter (before moving the bike inside the house).
• New Oil Pressure Sensor (Napa OP6066, 10mm). Old sensor (12mm) didn't fit the new engine.
• Remove Swing Arm, inspect the Linkage Components Roller Bearings with a microscope and pack (grease) them.
• New Front and Rear Wheel Bearings and Seals.
• New Fork Seals and Dust Covers, new fork oil.
• New Steering Head Bearings and Cups.
• Cleaned Injector with brake cleaner, using a 9v battery to open the solenoid.
• New Brembo Rear Brake Master Cylinder, 11mm.
• Rebuild Rear Brake Caliper with New Seals and Rubbers.
• Replaced Front Master Cylinder with a good used one purchased on eBay. (The BMW F650GS Master Cylinder Front Brake Maintenance Kit didn't come with the new main seal for the Piston Assembly. I split the old main seal trying to put it back on, and couldn't find a new one online.
• Rebuild Front Brake Caliper with new Seals.
• New Front and Rear Brake Pads.
• New Front (JTF404.16) and Rear (JTR5.47) Chain Sprockets and New Chain (DID 520 VX2).
• New Oil, Oil Filter, New Air Filter.
• New Fuel Filter, New Spark Plugs.
• Coolant Pump Shaft on the new engine was only slightly scored, so I didn't install a new one. Pump Seals looked fine.
• New Clutch Cable. The old Throttle Cable looked good, but will carry a spare.
• New Radiator (purchased years ago, before the prices skyrocketed).
• New Thermostat and Cover (PN: 17 11 7 661 905).
• Engine Flush, New Antifreeze.
• Removed side stand, cleaned and greased.
• New mirrors
• New Battery
• Used tip-over valve from ebay, with 17K on it. My old one leaked whenever I laid the bike on the ground horizontally.
• I used a Flywheel Rotor Magneto Puller (Suzuki PP2732) 38X1.5 mm RH Female to remove the Flywheel Magneto from my old engine for use on the new engine.
• Clean every electrical connection with a bush and WD-40.
• New Engine Valve Clearances:
  • In: L: .08, R: .09; Ex L: .29, R: .29 `
  • Spec: In: .03-.11; Ex: .25-33
  • After 330 mi of hard riding: In: L: .07, R: .07; Ex L: .28, R: .29

The new engine running for the first time. It started right up.

I got the bike back together and spent several days riding. But something wasn't right. It could go only 60 mph, and the engine would stall when I gave it full gas. So I made a list of suspect parts: Injector, Fuel Pump, Fuel Tank Breather Valve, Ignition Coils, Load Relief Relay.

First, I installed a new Injector, and that solved 95% of the problem. Then I used Sea Foam in the gas, to try to clean the Fuel Pump.

• New Injector
• Bleed brakes, front and rear, with new fluid.
• Install new tires and tubes.
• Bleed brakes again, front and rear.
• Change engine oil yet again, and install new oil filter.

Update for Spring, 2023: I spent all spring rebuilding the motorcycle; and my heartfelt gratitude goes to Jenny for putting up with a motorcycle in her living room, amongst a slew of parts and tools. I worked in the living room because my shop isn't heated, and the outside temperature was freezing.

Once I got the bike running, I started making day trips, three times a week, to test the bike on pounding dirt roads. I usually followed the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR). In all, I covered 1,160 miles on the new engine.

Also, I started practicing my motorcycle lifts. The routine was to lay the bike down on it's side (on a pad) and pick it back up. As the weeks rolled by, I could do a sequence of five lifts in a row, and five of these sessions per day (25 lifts per day). However, I had installed hard panniers, so the bike no longer went horizontal. (Without the panniers, the bike went completely horizontal, with the tires just barely touching the ground.) I also beefed-up my "whatchamacallit" (emergency lifting device).

Practicing my motorcycle lifts.

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