I hope the video helps you. The Dempster is like describing a three dimensional chess game. Anybody can get lucky, but luck is typically not a good strategy. If you would like any more info you can reach out. Contact details are in the description.
Nice honest description on doing the Dempster. You are right on all aspects of getting there and back in one piece. Did the ride in late July 2019 with my daughter and best friend on 3 KLR650 Gen 2 bikes I specially prepared. We had each loaded like pack mules and left Grimshaw AB with everything needed to overnight on the tundra incase of a mishap or breakdown. Eagle plains was an oasis. I had shale blow out front tire and did a barrel roll and an endo before sliding to a stop underneath. My daughter had a flat rear tire and still road like the wind for another 80 km to the Eagle. We were allowed to use shop to change out her tire in the pouring rain. Memories and pictures to last forever even after I am gone. You dont need a 30 thousand dollar 200 horsepower bike with every electronic gadget. You need basics and reliabilty that can be fixed with minimal tools, common sense and respect for the changing conditions. Hope more riders see your video and take heed
I was on the Dempster in early July 2019 for my 2nd attempt for Tuk. Had snow on road by border in Sept 2018 and poor weather forecast. You are correct, it is a very serious endeavour. You can get lucky but people that plan, strategize, and assess the changing situations seem to have more success. Imagine that? And yes, kudos to Eagle Plains for being so accommodating to us adventure riders. A great experience riding with your daughter. My favorite father / daughter story riding to Tuk comes from Motorcycle Mojo. If I remember correctly, Glenn and Emily. He filmed her going for a swim in the Artic Ocean. but his camera failed and so he asked her to do it again. His film later showed he had captured it the first time but sent her back for fun.
Sound advice, I used your video for my trip planning, and learned a lot from it. I gave it a shot in early September, the fall colors were fantastic, but road conditions and ice stoped me at Tombstone Nat. park. It was disappointing but Top of the World and the entire journey from Arizona was awesome. I’m already planning my return. Thanks again for sharing your expertise and educating other riders.
Getting to Tombstone in September is a great achievement and casts your place for a return trip. Yeah, the colors are fantastic, so you will be happy to have that as a memory. My failed September trip, was probably my most favorite trip. We did make it to Eagle Plains but that was it. It is definitely a long ways from Arizona and a more complex adventure for sure. I did do another video, called 6 more tips which pulls in a few more details that could help. Especially the weather material. Best regards.
I live in Calgary. I’m going to do the Dempster next June with my three brothers. Two of which road the Dempster last August. We will be camping. Riding two GS and two GSA. Thanks for your video.
You are in for a great time. Definitely worth catching Top of the World Road as well and circle back through Chicken, Ak to Whitehorse. The most important thing, which is covered in my Part 8 video is to really check in with each other. Have that frank conversation: How are you doing/feeling? Meaningfully, check in with each other. You will not regret it. No real trip leader, makes you all leaders
Fantastic advise. I am traveling from New Zealand next year to ride this road with a good friend. Appreciate your advice and we will certainly take it all onboard.
Thank you for that. I just watched another video of a few riders that made it to Eagle Plains on fumes. And yes, I did that on my first trip as well. Kind of, anyway. My tank was near empty, but I had ten liters with me and a partner with a 30 liter tank I could have siphoned from. I do not think those riders understood the risk of having to bail without sufficient fuel. And although you do not need a back up for everything, awareness and anticipation is essential. Safe riding.
A very thoughtfull planing video Doug, nice as a 'go to' for any tour planning. Even a 'no plan' tour needs a backup plan in the event of something gooing wrong. But hey there are adventurous types that say " I'll cross that bridge , if it's still standing" 😉
There are a lot of other things one can do but assessing (planning) any trip is probably the most important. I saw this quote among many: Good luck is when opportunity meets preparation, while bad luck is when lack of preparation meets reality. The weather however, remains a harsh mistress.
Whenever I go for a ride I get on the bike and enjoy the moment ' always wishing I had more time to just be ' just be out there riding . Like right now ' wish I was out there ' somewhere . It's be a long winter ' I'm from 4 hr East of Calgary. The Dempster has come and gone twice now ' but every moment remains in my memory's. I grew up on gravel roads ' the Dempster is a very long one . Greaf video Enjoy your ride 😊 Oh one thing I've had good luck with for over 40 years is Plegde furniture polish spray and a micro fiber polishing rag. Has worked on all helmet lens glasses and painted surfaces ' takes the guts and dust right off without scratches.
Thanks for the comment. Yes The Dempster stays etched in your mind as the views on nice days can be stunning and on bad days un-nerving. I did do a follow up video called 6 MORE things that I think helps fill in some of the gaps of the first one. I have ridden it 3.5 times and not sure if it will happen again, but I will be very close again soon (hopefully) doing the Canol Roads. After all, what would another 3000 km or so be on an adventure ride. Ha I used Plexus for many years until the price skyrocketed so it was like printer ink. I think I worked it out to like: a regular Starbucks coffee would be 900 CAD a barrel and Plexus would be about 20,000 CAD a barrel. Pledge is my go to now.
I hope it helps one or two people, if nothing else to take things seriously. There have been a few bad incidents on the Dempster this season and it does not have to be that way. I might have forgotten to mention that I do bring a tube and gold bond (powder to lube the tube) in case I have a slash that requires this type of solution. A no-pinch tool would be handy as my experience with motorcycle tubes thus far, has not been very good.
The trick is to move it from bucket list to reality. There are lots of ways to make it happen from trucking the bike to Whitehorse and flying in to riding there both ways. The last time I did it with a small group (6 of us), I sent out updates every 3 weeks starting at 278 days out with a prominent countdown in the top right hand corner. There were about 12 people on the information list. Best wishes.
Thanks Doug,the information I'm looking for...be going via the family named town, Rae-Edzo,near Yellowknife,though...bucketlist stuff. Regards from Scotland 🏴
Interesting. I am planning an End of the Road tour in 2025 year that will take me up that way. Part of the plan is to go a bit east of Yellowknife to Tibbitt Lake (dead end) and then also up the new year round road to Whati (dead end). I will also be doing Peace Point in Wood Buffalo and to Carlson Landing. Then Hay Camp. Wrigley and Ft. Liard are definite hits and then towards the Yukon again. I think I should plan on visiting Rae-Edzo during my excursion, thanks for that. If you are going to the Dempster, I just posted another 6 tips but had someone suggest (quite rightfully) that is was too serious so I am going to shorten another version and soften it up a bit.
@dougiverson4297 Wee question...is there any boats,oil field or otherwise go from Tuktoyaktuk to Prudhoe Bay? P.S ; Explorer John Rae is part of my family, though I know more about my mother's side,the mad lads(my great Uncle was last seen in 1929 taking horses down to New Mexico for one Alfonse Capone) :)
I am not so sure how that would work. You would be going from Canada to the US with no port of exit or entry. I am sure it could be done with a First Nation person and their boat, but not sure if it would work. I am not sure who would arrest you?? Prudhoe Bay camp is some 20 km or so from the Arctic Ocean on a private gated oilfield road. To get from the camp to the ocean you have to pre book a bus ride. I would think riding up there would be your best option, or you could maybe fly up from Fairbanks.
@dougiverson4297 Firstly, thanks for responding! Was just thinking it would be great to go up one road,back via another. I wasn't sure how and what goes on with the oil industry up there? Without getting to political (as an Arizona worker),the Mexicans do care about exit/entry,lol! Have a great Christmas Doug...regards
I made it as far as Rock River Campground but had to turn back due to Covid restrictions. I'll return one day and complete it. The scenery was like nothing else I'd seen before.
Congratulations on making it to Rock River. Yes, Covid put a damper on many plans when following the guidelines. We had planned on the trip in 2020 then 2021. When I stayed at Rock River, July 2022, the mosquitos were pretty persistent. We arrived there at about 1 am on our way back out, That morning we started just north of the Mackenzie ferry, went to Tuk and then south. You will enjoy the rest of the trip. The views remain spectacular. Some nice winding road just north of the border and then the weaving thru all the lakes north of Inuvik is wonderful AND you get to see it all again from the other direction out. You are so correct. The scenery is hard to imagine until you are there with nothing around you for miles. At times we would drive an hour and see no one. That meant about 150 km (or more) between us. Stunning. And the views go on forever. That is what makes it difficult keeping your eyes on the road. Hope the video helps you with some minor details but sounds like you have it wired. Safe travels!
Hopefully it will help others. There are so many potential issues that this is definitely one place where planning can help with success. Mother Nature however holds all the cards. On a motorcycle you can have the best knobbies and the best riding gear but the greasy road could grind you to a halt. Just last week my front fender plugged with mud so badly my front wheel no longer turned. The solution, in my case is to remove the front fender and put my extra rad guard in front of the rad, which is easier to clean. Front fender rides on top of the luggage until things dry off.
In November of of 2021, I emailed a group of friends a: “How about riding the Dempster starting July 9th” it was 270 days out. Then each month I sent a new update with a countdown, cause that is what I do. If you email me (I will put my email in the description for a week) I can forward to you as it helps with the thought process. Also, as leader, I think my Part 8 video of the Dempster helps with group riding. What went well and what we missed. That is in the description also. It is a fantastic trip. Where are you travelling from? Also the Dust to Dawn rally is often on at that time in Dawson City. Doug
@@dougiverson4297 Thanks for your reply! I’m taking a small group up. Well we are going to attempt it! Two of them tried last year but failed just north of Eagle Plains due to mechanical issues. Myself and one other guy haven’t been north of Dawson City. We’ve been planning this trip for about a year. My truck is going as a support vehicle that will carry everything so the bikes will be unladen. It will be driven by one of the three wives going. Two of those are riding their own bikes to Dawson (Rykers) and leaving them there. We are giving ourselves 3 extra days for weather and two more to attend the D2D event on the way back from Tuk. I have told everyone that we will not be traveling in rain or on muddy roads due to lack of experience with two of the riders. Fires are another concern.
Thanks for the video, watched the whole thing. Biggest trip I've done so far was 27 days out to NFLD and back but the Dempster still seems pretty intimidating. I have a bucket list goal to make it from Ontario to Dawson city and back one day. You have to love gravel, muck and offroad riding to do such a trip and even though I have the right bike to do it, not sure if I want to tackle that monster. I'm going to try a 4 day guided excursion on an offroad trail in September. I'm already starting to prepare physically. My quads get wrecked after a whole day of standing on the bike and I need to be able to last the four days. It's going to be a challenge for sure. Your tips were great and I'll certainly give them thought. Ride safe.
I watched your offroad course video and I do not think you will have any difficulty on the Dempster. I hit that thumbs up button! You need good weather, everyone does, but it is just a wide gravel road that can be greasy, slippery, dry, dusty, or freshly graded. Or all of that within 100 km. You just have to pay continual attention and do not outdrive the conditions. Once you are near Dawson City, if the weather is good in 3 days you can cruise up and down it. One of the things I did between trips 3 and 4 was switch from a Ducati 1200 Multistrada GT to a Halfrica Twin (the CB500x with the Rally Raid conversion). That was a perfect change for me (much lighter / less stress), but it is just 2700 km from Calgary. I did miss the 140 HP, especially when passing on the highway, but ah! it is not a race. I am 5'8" and my bike is lifted another 2 inches but shorter than the AT. I did want to get the AT Sport at one point but did not. I also tend to ride some rougher stuff so lighter and shorter is better. I think the AT would be a great bike for the entire trip. If you would like any other info on the Dempster I put together a bit of a 'pdf' package. My contact info is in the description. Email me and I would be happy to send. Thanks for watching.
@@dougiverson4297 Thanks for the great reply Doug :) I find mud and loose gravel to be the most challenging. I'll see how the 4 day trail ride goes first lol.
@@baldandbiking Hint: No one really likes loose gravel or mud. Loose hands on the bars, look ahead, stand up if you have to (can feel better), and every time the bike gets squirrelly - by then you are past it. So all good. Ha.
Doug, I enjoy watching your report of the Dempster Highway. I am now in Alaska and I'll do the Dalton, and Dempster Highway back to back. You emphasize a lot on tires, which makes me thoughtful since I am riding the Heidenau K-60 right now and they are already halfway down, and I am too cheap to put some new on prematurely. I hope that doesn't backfire on me. 😁
If you are resourceful you will be fine. I would highly recommend, given it is an in and out trip, to cache all unnecessary gear at the start. The amount you can cache will depend on the weather forecast. Lets hear how it went!!!
Great content Doug, (I'm wondering 🤔 if after watching a couple of your videos that if you did this trip again. you might be shooting for the middle or towards the end of August & would be willing to take the chance of not being able to complete this trip in exchange for no mosquitos 🦟 ..? (Cold -4 nights of course, & 12 Celsius days)=(there is probably only a 10 day window for no bugs before the snow hits I'm guessing?) I'm in Burnaby {Vancouver lower mainland} & basically the same distance to Tuk as from Calgary .. would you say that 6 days up & 6 days back with a couple rest days in there somewhere is somewhat reasonable for time allocation .? Subject change to tires ; { yes, endless debate 4sure } I have gone through many sets of TKC80 & although yes I love them, even cutting through Whistler in sub zero during late season there confidence inspiring, they never lasted long enough unfortunately so I changed to something almost opposite {Avon trailrider} for 10,000 kms but they were terrible in lose gravel, although very smooth & quiet & lasted forever, they weren't done when I took them off & changed to a {rear motoz tractionator GPS in the stock tractor tread long lasting direction instead of claw scoop direction @38PSI} & on the front {Dunlop trailmax mission @34PSI} & so far now I've gotten 8,000 kms & there probably halfway through .. this is amazing mileage & about half as good as TKC80 in gravel however, I don't really want to imagine spooning these things compared to anything else {maybe Heidi is tougher} although I have had to deal with TKC80 flats before & those are just as easy to work with as dirt bike tires. {Are they getting flats because there soft .? I dunno., I was traveling fast every time it ever happened to me {at or near 100 kph in a straight line) I'm guessing there's no way to predict the road conditions for the Dempster so as a result tire selection is nearly impossible to guestimate { & then there's just chance & luck 🤞 in there somewhere I'm holding onto this idea of; "waiting for the road to dry" ... Of course on the flip side.. having enough food & supplies with you to wait for the road to dry is almost bear bait if you are wild camping between established resting places/services etc Anyways, I am going to take your advice for the front fender mud guard extension, that looks like it could cause alot of problems otherwise
Probably easiest to email me via my contact info in the description, but at a very high level. 12 days should be enough if you are able to keep pressing forward. mid/third week of August the colours should be changing. I was there Sept 3. Check out Google Maps street view. I would use like a TKC80 knobby on the front. It will make the whole trip. You could use a 70/30 (highway/off road) tire for the whole trip OR use an older rear tire and have a TKC80 rear tire shipped to Whitehorse. This requires some logistics if you do not install yourself. FortNine will ship tires there. Then cache the old tire somewhere you can access if you need and leave behind for another rider if you do not need
Great video, thanks for posting. Any suggestions on tires? I have a Super-Tenere and road across Canada on Heidenau K60- scouts (mainly pavement and gravel) and have not had to change or repair a flat. Most knocks against theses tire are how hard they are to change? Any thoughts on a tire you might recommend is appreciated.
That is really a good question but depends on numerous factors. I am going to answer based on a remote trip like the Dempster or Dalton as tire supply is remote. The stiffer sidewalls that usually make a tire more difficult to change out at the side of the road probably protect the tires from slashes better than a softer sidewall. A slash in a soft sidewall tire, that you can remove, would allow you to stuff shirts inside the tire to limp it out a ways. I like being able to do my own tire changes because it saves money and often time. So I usually opted for the TKC80 rear or TKC 70 Rocks but the 80 might not get you home. A lot also depends on the distance you travel to the approach and the wear on the tires at that point. I would say you want a 50/50 to a 60/40 on the rear. The front should be a 50/50. There are many options, but I would consider these two: 1. Run a tire you are willing to dispose of up to Whitehorse that you have very recently removed and lubed. Have fortnine ship a stiff sidewall tire to Whitehorse. Now you could try to change yourself in WH and if you have trouble arrange for the Yamaha or Honda dealer to do. I would probably just arrange for Yamaha to do it, have the tires shipped there and pay the premium. Then I would haul the old tires to km Zero and hide them there with all the extra weight you can jettison which helps protect the tires as well. Then after the ride take the to Dawson City and leave there. OR if you go to Dawson first, I beleieve the tourist Center caches stuff for bicyclists maybe they do for motorcyclists? 2. Ship a tire you know you can change to somewhere in Whitehorse and change yourself. If you have trouble setting the bead there are gas stations where you can do this. Follow all of the above, even the tire removal before you go. Do the tire removal at home with all the tools you carry with the bike, nothing from the garage. Even use your small compressor. Keep in mind, you have to get home with the tire as well. on my first trip I put in the TKC 8’s in Whitehorse and felt invincible. I left the tires at the hotel which was convenient for doing the Top of the World road after the Dempster. I got a flat between the Arctic Circle and the NWT border and could not fix it. The tire came off the bead. I could not find the hole without setting the bead and I could not set the bead without fixing the flat. My partner took the wheel back to Eagle Plains for repair. I was not carrying a tube. I do now, even though I have tubeless tires. I was also on a Ducati 1200 Multistrada with lots of extra weight plus did not know the tire was going flat (the bike was wobbly all the time on the road) which led to the blowout. Tire pressure sensors would have been helpful in this case. So lots to think about. Just like any bike can do the Dempster in good conditions so can probably any tire. But a good question. My last trip on a lighter CB500X from Calgary was on a new TKC80 front and TKC70 Rocks rear. I had a brand new TKC80 rear tire in my garage and we had a supply truck. I decided not to take the tire and wished I had most of the trip. It would have been no effort But among us we had enough tires that we could cover any of the bikes. I probably did not have time to change the rear in Whitehorse because I was helping with the Ducati front/rear change. But I was fine on the TKC70 Rocks. I dis get a flat in Gang Ranch on the way home but it took 20 minutes to plug and zi was on my way again. Maybe check with Yukon Yamaha on what tires they usually stock and maybe it is a less of a concern. My Ducati had a 190 rear. I used a 180 TKC80 but I doubt those are available in Whitehorse. The ST probably has a more common rear knobby. Yak yak yak, but it is complex. Don’t overthink it, just plan for a contingency.
Enjoy the trip. Please pop back in and comment on anything you would add to this. Just be steady. I met riders that came a long long long ways to ride the Dempster, but when at the gas station they spoke to riders coming off it and decided not to go. They went to Dawson City and we rode to Tuk and back out. Just one milestone at a time. Watch out for the views they are captivating and one moment you go from being "in a groove" to being "in a rut". Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
@@davechavis4275 If you email me (my contact info in the description) I can send you some details I put together for people. Put Dempster Info request or something in the subject line. In there you will find links to: www.bellsalaska.com/ themilepost.com/route/ www.dempsterhighway.com/maps-guides From the above you can get all the gas stations whether you travel the Alaska Highway or the Cassiar Highway 37. I recommend you travel one of them up and one out. My experience, is there is a credit card fuel station at km zero (no attendant). Then at Eagle Plains (fuel basically 8 am to 930 pm (guess), then at the Coop in Fort McPhersen (if you catch them, Sundays might be iffy), I found 24 hour fuel at the car wash in Inuvik (there are other normal hour gas stations as well). It looks like there is fuel in Tuk, but I have not seen it myself.
Yes, on the last trip I took my 2020 CB500X. I was with riders that had: DR650, KTM 950, Ducati 1200 Pikes Peak, and a VStrom 650. The BMW with us had a damaged rad in Whitehorse so missed the Dempster trip by 2 days. In 2016 to Inuvik on my 2013 Ducati 1200 Multistrada GT. In 2018 made it to Eagle Plains in Sept, with snow ahead so bailed. on same Duc. In 2019 to Tuk in July on Duc In 2022 to Tuk on the CB500X. The Ducati was better on the highways especially with the heavy loads at times (carrying tires). I had more confidence on the Honda for reliability and smaller size. I really enjoyed the 500X, you just cannot pass streams of traffic as easily as with a 140 HP bike. It is about 2700 km one way of asphalt to get to the start from Calgary. Every style of motorcycle has been successful on the trip just as every style has failed. As a helicopter analogy: It takes about 100 hours to learn to fly and a lifetime to learn when to fly. This primarily refers to weather but also personal condition and skills, and limitations.
Thanks for the update. I am following a dual-sport buddy on the road now. It is tough for sure. Everything seems to be out to get you. Our med evac person went from Fort McPhersen to Inuvik by plane and then on to Yellowknife. There were something like 18 med evacs the 2018 season. We only made it to Eagle Plains that year as they were snowplowing by the Territories border on Sept 4th. We were kind of late but the colours were phenomenal. We almost struck out in 2019 (rained all night and morning in Eagle Plains) but started out at about 2 pm. Almost white out at the border but then down hill and it cleared until bright sun. Arrived Tuk after 1 am.
I have been planning and watching videos on the Dempster for years and this is the most informative one yet!
I hope the video helps you.
The Dempster is like describing a three dimensional chess game. Anybody can get lucky, but luck is typically not a good strategy.
If you would like any more info you can reach out. Contact details are in the description.
Nice honest description on doing the Dempster. You are right on all aspects of getting there and back in one piece. Did the ride in late July 2019 with my daughter and best friend on 3 KLR650 Gen 2 bikes I specially prepared. We had each loaded like pack mules and left Grimshaw AB with everything needed to overnight on the tundra incase of a mishap or breakdown. Eagle plains was an oasis. I had shale blow out front tire and did a barrel roll and an endo before sliding to a stop underneath. My daughter had a flat rear tire and still road like the wind for another 80 km to the Eagle. We were allowed to use shop to change out her tire in the pouring rain. Memories and pictures to last forever even after I am gone. You dont need a 30 thousand dollar 200 horsepower bike with every electronic gadget. You need basics and reliabilty that can be fixed with minimal tools, common sense and respect for the changing conditions. Hope more riders see your video and take heed
I was on the Dempster in early July 2019 for my 2nd attempt for Tuk. Had snow on road by border in Sept 2018 and poor weather forecast.
You are correct, it is a very serious endeavour. You can get lucky but people that plan, strategize, and assess the changing situations seem to have more success. Imagine that?
And yes, kudos to Eagle Plains for being so accommodating to us adventure riders.
A great experience riding with your daughter. My favorite father / daughter story riding to Tuk comes from Motorcycle Mojo. If I remember correctly, Glenn and Emily. He filmed her going for a swim in the Artic Ocean. but his camera failed and so he asked her to do it again. His film later showed he had captured it the first time but sent her back for fun.
Sound advice, I used your video for my trip planning, and learned a lot from it.
I gave it a shot in early September, the fall colors were fantastic, but road conditions and ice stoped me at Tombstone Nat. park. It was disappointing but Top of the World and the entire journey from Arizona was awesome. I’m already planning my return.
Thanks again for sharing your expertise and educating other riders.
Getting to Tombstone in September is a great achievement and casts your place for a return trip. Yeah, the colors are fantastic, so you will be happy to have that as a memory. My failed September trip, was probably my most favorite trip. We did make it to Eagle Plains but that was it.
It is definitely a long ways from Arizona and a more complex adventure for sure.
I did do another video, called 6 more tips which pulls in a few more details that could help. Especially the weather material.
Best regards.
I live in Calgary. I’m going to do the Dempster next June with my three brothers. Two of which road the Dempster last August. We will be camping. Riding two GS and two GSA. Thanks for your video.
You are in for a great time. Definitely worth catching Top of the World Road as well and circle back through Chicken, Ak to Whitehorse.
The most important thing, which is covered in my Part 8 video is to really check in with each other. Have that frank conversation: How are you doing/feeling? Meaningfully, check in with each other. You will not regret it.
No real trip leader, makes you all leaders
Fantastic advise. I am traveling from New Zealand next year to ride this road with a good friend. Appreciate your advice and we will certainly take it all onboard.
Feel free to reach out. My contact info is in the description.
@@dougiverson4297 Thanks. And I will for sure. 👍
Very well stated with both experiences & knowledge from multiple trips. Appreciate your effort & time associated to this video😊👍
Thank you for that.
I just watched another video of a few riders that made it to Eagle Plains on fumes.
And yes, I did that on my first trip as well. Kind of, anyway. My tank was near empty, but I had ten liters with me and a partner with a 30 liter tank I could have siphoned from. I do not think those riders understood the risk of having to bail without sufficient fuel.
And although you do not need a back up for everything, awareness and anticipation is essential.
Safe riding.
A very thoughtfull planing video Doug, nice as a 'go to' for any tour planning. Even a 'no plan' tour needs a backup plan in the event of something gooing wrong. But hey there are adventurous types that say " I'll cross that bridge , if it's still standing" 😉
There are a lot of other things one can do but assessing (planning) any trip is probably the most important.
I saw this quote among many:
Good luck is when opportunity meets preparation, while bad luck is when lack of preparation meets reality.
The weather however, remains a harsh mistress.
Whenever I go for a ride I get on the bike and enjoy the moment ' always wishing I had more time to just be ' just be out there riding . Like right now ' wish I was out there ' somewhere . It's be a long winter ' I'm from 4 hr East of Calgary.
The Dempster has come and gone twice now ' but every moment remains in my memory's.
I grew up on gravel roads ' the Dempster is a very long one .
Greaf video
Enjoy your ride 😊
Oh one thing I've had good luck with for over 40 years is Plegde furniture polish spray and a micro fiber polishing rag. Has worked on all helmet lens glasses and painted surfaces ' takes the guts and dust right off without scratches.
Thanks for the comment.
Yes The Dempster stays etched in your mind as the views on nice days can be stunning and on bad days un-nerving.
I did do a follow up video called 6 MORE things that I think helps fill in some of the gaps of the first one. I have ridden it 3.5 times and not sure if it will happen again, but I will be very close again soon (hopefully) doing the Canol Roads. After all, what would another 3000 km or so be on an adventure ride. Ha
I used Plexus for many years until the price skyrocketed so it was like printer ink. I think I worked it out to like: a regular Starbucks coffee would be 900 CAD a barrel and Plexus would be about 20,000 CAD a barrel. Pledge is my go to now.
Thank you for making this video. To make the tire changing less stressful I bought a Baja No-pinch tool and it works.
I hope it helps one or two people, if nothing else to take things seriously. There have been a few bad incidents on the Dempster this season and it does not have to be that way.
I might have forgotten to mention that I do bring a tube and gold bond (powder to lube the tube) in case I have a slash that requires this type of solution. A no-pinch tool would be handy as my experience with motorcycle tubes thus far, has not been very good.
GREAT VIDEO! Appreciate you taking the time and effort to make it! Riding the Dempter is definitely a bucket list activity.
The trick is to move it from bucket list to reality. There are lots of ways to make it happen from trucking the bike to Whitehorse and flying in to riding there both ways.
The last time I did it with a small group (6 of us), I sent out updates every 3 weeks starting at 278 days out with a prominent countdown in the top right hand corner. There were about 12 people on the information list.
Best wishes.
Thanks Doug,the information I'm looking for...be going via the family named town, Rae-Edzo,near Yellowknife,though...bucketlist stuff. Regards from Scotland 🏴
Interesting.
I am planning an End of the Road tour in 2025 year that will take me up that way. Part of the plan is to go a bit east of Yellowknife to Tibbitt Lake (dead end) and then also up the new year round road to Whati (dead end). I will also be doing Peace Point in Wood Buffalo and to Carlson Landing. Then Hay Camp. Wrigley and Ft. Liard are definite hits and then towards the Yukon again.
I think I should plan on visiting Rae-Edzo during my excursion, thanks for that.
If you are going to the Dempster, I just posted another 6 tips but had someone suggest (quite rightfully) that is was too serious so I am going to shorten another version and soften it up a bit.
@dougiverson4297 Wee question...is there any boats,oil field or otherwise go from Tuktoyaktuk to Prudhoe Bay? P.S ; Explorer John Rae is part of my family, though I know more about my mother's side,the mad lads(my great Uncle was last seen in 1929 taking horses down to New Mexico for one Alfonse Capone) :)
I am not so sure how that would work. You would be going from Canada to the US with no port of exit or entry.
I am sure it could be done with a First Nation person and their boat, but not sure if it would work. I am not sure who would arrest you??
Prudhoe Bay camp is some 20 km or so from the Arctic Ocean on a private gated oilfield road. To get from the camp to the ocean you have to pre book a bus ride.
I would think riding up there would be your best option, or you could maybe fly up from Fairbanks.
@dougiverson4297 Firstly, thanks for responding! Was just thinking it would be great to go up one road,back via another. I wasn't sure how and what goes on with the oil industry up there? Without getting to political (as an Arizona worker),the Mexicans do care about exit/entry,lol! Have a great Christmas Doug...regards
Great video, so much great info. This trip is definitely on my bucket list.
It is a fantastic trip. Wishing you success and enjoyment.
I made it as far as Rock River Campground but had to turn back due to Covid restrictions. I'll return one day and complete it. The scenery was like nothing else I'd seen before.
Congratulations on making it to Rock River. Yes, Covid put a damper on many plans when following the guidelines. We had planned on the trip in 2020 then 2021.
When I stayed at Rock River, July 2022, the mosquitos were pretty persistent. We arrived there at about 1 am on our way back out, That morning we started just north of the Mackenzie ferry, went to Tuk and then south.
You will enjoy the rest of the trip. The views remain spectacular. Some nice winding road just north of the border and then the weaving thru all the lakes north of Inuvik is wonderful AND you get to see it all again from the other direction out.
You are so correct. The scenery is hard to imagine until you are there with nothing around you for miles. At times we would drive an hour and see no one. That meant about 150 km (or more) between us. Stunning. And the views go on forever. That is what makes it difficult keeping your eyes on the road.
Hope the video helps you with some minor details but sounds like you have it wired.
Safe travels!
Nice video I found It very helpful
Thank you !!
Thank you for the kind words.
While it was kind of geared specifically for the Dempster, much of it is applicable to other rides.
Thanks for your reporting and advice.
Hopefully it will help others. There are so many potential issues that this is definitely one place where planning can help with success.
Mother Nature however holds all the cards. On a motorcycle you can have the best knobbies and the best riding gear but the greasy road could grind you to a halt.
Just last week my front fender plugged with mud so badly my front wheel no longer turned. The solution, in my case is to remove the front fender and put my extra rad guard in front of the rad, which is easier to clean. Front fender rides on top of the luggage until things dry off.
Good video! I’m forwarding this to my riders that I’m guiding to Tuk in mid June.
In November of of 2021, I emailed a group of friends a: “How about riding the Dempster starting July 9th” it was 270 days out. Then each month I sent a new update with a countdown, cause that is what I do.
If you email me (I will put my email in the description for a week) I can forward to you as it helps with the thought process.
Also, as leader, I think my Part 8 video of the Dempster helps with group riding. What went well and what we missed. That is in the description also.
It is a fantastic trip.
Where are you travelling from?
Also the Dust to Dawn rally is often on at that time in Dawson City.
Doug
@@dougiverson4297 Thanks for your reply! I’m taking a small group up. Well we are going to attempt it! Two of them tried last year but failed just north of Eagle Plains due to mechanical issues. Myself and one other guy haven’t been north of Dawson City. We’ve been planning this trip for about a year. My truck is going as a support vehicle that will carry everything so the bikes will be unladen. It will be driven by one of the three wives going. Two of those are riding their own bikes to Dawson (Rykers) and leaving them there.
We are giving ourselves 3 extra days for weather and two more to attend the D2D event on the way back from Tuk.
I have told everyone that we will not be traveling in rain or on muddy roads due to lack of experience with two of the riders. Fires are another concern.
Thanks for the video, watched the whole thing. Biggest trip I've done so far was 27 days out to NFLD and back but the Dempster still seems pretty intimidating. I have a bucket list goal to make it from Ontario to Dawson city and back one day. You have to love gravel, muck and offroad riding to do such a trip and even though I have the right bike to do it, not sure if I want to tackle that monster. I'm going to try a 4 day guided excursion on an offroad trail in September. I'm already starting to prepare physically. My quads get wrecked after a whole day of standing on the bike and I need to be able to last the four days. It's going to be a challenge for sure. Your tips were great and I'll certainly give them thought. Ride safe.
I watched your offroad course video and I do not think you will have any difficulty on the Dempster. I hit that thumbs up button!
You need good weather, everyone does, but it is just a wide gravel road that can be greasy, slippery, dry, dusty, or freshly graded. Or all of that within 100 km. You just have to pay continual attention and do not outdrive the conditions. Once you are near Dawson City, if the weather is good in 3 days you can cruise up and down it.
One of the things I did between trips 3 and 4 was switch from a Ducati 1200 Multistrada GT to a Halfrica Twin (the CB500x with the Rally Raid conversion). That was a perfect change for me (much lighter / less stress), but it is just 2700 km from Calgary. I did miss the 140 HP, especially when passing on the highway, but ah! it is not a race. I am 5'8" and my bike is lifted another 2 inches but shorter than the AT. I did want to get the AT Sport at one point but did not. I also tend to ride some rougher stuff so lighter and shorter is better.
I think the AT would be a great bike for the entire trip.
If you would like any other info on the Dempster I put together a bit of a 'pdf' package. My contact info is in the description. Email me and I would be happy to send.
Thanks for watching.
@@dougiverson4297 Thanks for the great reply Doug :) I find mud and loose gravel to be the most challenging. I'll see how the 4 day trail ride goes first lol.
@@baldandbiking Hint: No one really likes loose gravel or mud.
Loose hands on the bars, look ahead, stand up if you have to (can feel better), and every time the bike gets squirrelly - by then you are past it. So all good. Ha.
Doug, I enjoy watching your report of the Dempster Highway. I am now in Alaska and I'll do the Dalton, and Dempster Highway back to back. You emphasize a lot on tires, which makes me thoughtful since I am riding the Heidenau K-60 right now and they are already halfway down, and I am too cheap to put some new on prematurely. I hope that doesn't backfire on me. 😁
If you are resourceful you will be fine. I would highly recommend, given it is an in and out trip, to cache all unnecessary gear at the start. The amount you can cache will depend on the weather forecast.
Lets hear how it went!!!
Great content Doug,
(I'm wondering 🤔 if after watching a couple of your videos that if you did this trip again. you might be shooting for the middle or towards the end of August & would be willing to take the chance of not being able to complete this trip in exchange for no mosquitos 🦟 ..? (Cold -4 nights of course, & 12 Celsius days)=(there is probably only a 10 day window for no bugs before the snow hits I'm guessing?)
I'm in Burnaby {Vancouver lower mainland} & basically the same distance to Tuk as from Calgary .. would you say that 6 days up & 6 days back with a couple rest days in there somewhere is somewhat reasonable for time allocation .?
Subject change to tires ; { yes, endless debate 4sure } I have gone through many sets of TKC80 & although yes I love them, even cutting through Whistler in sub zero during late season there confidence inspiring, they never lasted long enough unfortunately so I changed to something almost opposite {Avon trailrider} for 10,000 kms but they were terrible in lose gravel, although very smooth & quiet & lasted forever, they weren't done when I took them off & changed to a {rear motoz tractionator GPS in the stock tractor tread long lasting direction instead of claw scoop direction @38PSI} & on the front {Dunlop trailmax mission @34PSI} & so far now I've gotten 8,000 kms & there probably halfway through .. this is amazing mileage & about half as good as TKC80 in gravel however, I don't really want to imagine spooning these things compared to anything else {maybe Heidi is tougher} although I have had to deal with TKC80 flats before & those are just as easy to work with as dirt bike tires. {Are they getting flats because there soft .? I dunno., I was traveling fast every time it ever happened to me {at or near 100 kph in a straight line)
I'm guessing there's no way to predict the road conditions for the Dempster so as a result tire selection is nearly impossible to guestimate { & then there's just chance & luck 🤞 in there somewhere
I'm holding onto this idea of; "waiting for the road to dry" ...
Of course on the flip side.. having enough food & supplies with you to wait for the road to dry is almost bear bait if you are wild camping between established resting places/services etc
Anyways, I am going to take your advice for the front fender mud guard extension, that looks like it could cause alot of problems otherwise
Probably easiest to email me via my contact info in the description, but at a very high level.
12 days should be enough if you are able to keep pressing forward.
mid/third week of August the colours should be changing. I was there Sept 3. Check out Google Maps street view.
I would use like a TKC80 knobby on the front. It will make the whole trip.
You could use a 70/30 (highway/off road) tire for the whole trip OR use an older rear tire and have a TKC80 rear tire shipped to Whitehorse. This requires some logistics if you do not install yourself. FortNine will ship tires there. Then cache the old tire somewhere you can access if you need and leave behind for another rider if you do not need
Nicely done Doug!
Thank you Martin.
The Dempster is like playing 3D chess, nothing is quite as it seems
Keep up the great work! 👍👍
Much appreciated
Great video, thanks for posting. Any suggestions on tires? I have a Super-Tenere and road across Canada on Heidenau K60- scouts (mainly pavement and gravel) and have not had to change or repair a flat. Most knocks against theses tire are how hard they are to change? Any thoughts on a tire you might recommend is appreciated.
That is really a good question but depends on numerous factors. I am going to answer based on a remote trip like the Dempster or Dalton as tire supply is remote.
The stiffer sidewalls that usually make a tire more difficult to change out at the side of the road probably protect the tires from slashes better than a softer sidewall. A slash in a soft sidewall tire, that you can remove, would allow you to stuff shirts inside the tire to limp it out a ways.
I like being able to do my own tire changes because it saves money and often time. So I usually opted for the TKC80 rear or TKC 70 Rocks but the 80 might not get you home.
A lot also depends on the distance you travel to the approach and the wear on the tires at that point. I would say you want a 50/50 to a 60/40 on the rear. The front should be a 50/50.
There are many options, but I would consider these two:
1. Run a tire you are willing to dispose of up to Whitehorse that you have very recently removed and lubed. Have fortnine ship a stiff sidewall tire to Whitehorse. Now you could try to change yourself in WH and if you have trouble arrange for the Yamaha or Honda dealer to do. I would probably just arrange for Yamaha to do it, have the tires shipped there and pay the premium. Then I would haul the old tires to km Zero and hide them there with all the extra weight you can jettison which helps protect the tires as well. Then after the ride take the to Dawson City and leave there. OR if you go to Dawson first, I beleieve the tourist Center caches stuff for bicyclists maybe they do for motorcyclists?
2. Ship a tire you know you can change to somewhere in Whitehorse and change yourself. If you have trouble setting the bead there are gas stations where you can do this. Follow all of the above, even the tire removal before you go. Do the tire removal at home with all the tools you carry with the bike, nothing from the garage. Even use your small compressor.
Keep in mind, you have to get home with the tire as well. on my first trip I put in the TKC 8’s in Whitehorse and felt invincible. I left the tires at the hotel which was convenient for doing the Top of the World road after the Dempster. I got a flat between the Arctic Circle and the NWT border and could not fix it. The tire came off the bead. I could not find the hole without setting the bead and I could not set the bead without fixing the flat. My partner took the wheel back to Eagle Plains for repair. I was not carrying a tube. I do now, even though I have tubeless tires. I was also on a Ducati 1200 Multistrada with lots of extra weight plus did not know the tire was going flat (the bike was wobbly all the time on the road) which led to the blowout. Tire pressure sensors would have been helpful in this case.
So lots to think about. Just like any bike can do the Dempster in good conditions so can probably any tire.
But a good question. My last trip on a lighter CB500X from Calgary was on a new TKC80 front and TKC70 Rocks rear. I had a brand new TKC80 rear tire in my garage and we had a supply truck. I decided not to take the tire and wished I had most of the trip. It would have been no effort But among us we had enough tires that we could cover any of the bikes. I probably did not have time to change the rear in Whitehorse because I was helping with the Ducati front/rear change. But I was fine on the TKC70 Rocks. I dis get a flat in Gang Ranch on the way home but it took 20 minutes to plug and zi was on my way again.
Maybe check with Yukon Yamaha on what tires they usually stock and maybe it is a less of a concern. My Ducati had a 190 rear. I used a 180 TKC80 but I doubt those are available in Whitehorse. The ST probably has a more common rear knobby.
Yak yak yak, but it is complex. Don’t overthink it, just plan for a contingency.
good intel, going july 5th 2024. so very soon.
Enjoy the trip. Please pop back in and comment on anything you would add to this.
Just be steady. I met riders that came a long long long ways to ride the Dempster, but when at the gas station they spoke to riders coming off it and decided not to go. They went to Dawson City and we rode to Tuk and back out.
Just one milestone at a time. Watch out for the views they are captivating and one moment you go from being "in a groove" to being "in a rut".
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
I would like a map of every gas stop along the route, and a lug it in to my gps
@@davechavis4275 If you email me (my contact info in the description) I can send you some details I put together for people. Put Dempster Info request or something in the subject line.
In there you will find links to:
www.bellsalaska.com/
themilepost.com/route/
www.dempsterhighway.com/maps-guides
From the above you can get all the gas stations whether you travel the Alaska Highway or the Cassiar Highway 37. I recommend you travel one of them up and one out.
My experience, is there is a credit card fuel station at km zero (no attendant). Then at Eagle Plains (fuel basically 8 am to 930 pm (guess), then at the Coop in Fort McPhersen (if you catch them, Sundays might be iffy), I found 24 hour fuel at the car wash in Inuvik (there are other normal hour gas stations as well). It looks like there is fuel in Tuk, but I have not seen it myself.
Did you ride a Honda cbx 500?
Yes, on the last trip I took my 2020 CB500X. I was with riders that had: DR650, KTM 950, Ducati 1200 Pikes Peak, and a VStrom 650. The BMW with us had a damaged rad in Whitehorse so missed the Dempster trip by 2 days.
In 2016 to Inuvik on my 2013 Ducati 1200 Multistrada GT.
In 2018 made it to Eagle Plains in Sept, with snow ahead so bailed. on same Duc.
In 2019 to Tuk in July on Duc
In 2022 to Tuk on the CB500X.
The Ducati was better on the highways especially with the heavy loads at times (carrying tires). I had more confidence on the Honda for reliability and smaller size.
I really enjoyed the 500X, you just cannot pass streams of traffic as easily as with a 140 HP bike. It is about 2700 km one way of asphalt to get to the start from Calgary.
Every style of motorcycle has been successful on the trip just as every style has failed.
As a helicopter analogy: It takes about 100 hours to learn to fly and a lifetime to learn when to fly. This primarily refers to weather but also personal condition and skills, and limitations.
last week bad week for Dempster - 2 riders down airlifted. Todays date 23 June 2024
Thanks for the update. I am following a dual-sport buddy on the road now.
It is tough for sure. Everything seems to be out to get you. Our med evac person went from Fort McPhersen to Inuvik by plane and then on to Yellowknife.
There were something like 18 med evacs the 2018 season. We only made it to Eagle Plains that year as they were snowplowing by the Territories border on Sept 4th. We were kind of late but the colours were phenomenal.
We almost struck out in 2019 (rained all night and morning in Eagle Plains) but started out at about 2 pm.
Almost white out at the border but then down hill and it cleared until bright sun. Arrived Tuk after 1 am.