1,000 Miles Across Alaska! 1975 Honda CT90 vs. 2021 Trail 125 Common Tread XP
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00:00Today, we are looking at the state of Alaska.
00:08The story of this state is as big as the land itself.
00:11One-fifth the size of the lower 48, Alaska truly is the last frontier.
00:17Being so large and rugged, aircraft are often relied upon for transportation.
00:22For motorcyclists, however, the rugged, remote, and vast terrain makes Alaska a bucket list
00:28destination.
00:29But in order to attempt riding across this state, you need a machine built for the rough
00:33and tumble.
00:35Like what's in this crate, for example.
00:38Four-hundred seventy-five pounds of adventure machine, with a history of crossing continents
00:43and carrying nations.
00:51Wait a minute.
00:53What the **** are those?
01:08This dear friends is a 1975 Honda CT90.
01:12It's also known as the Trail 90, and this beautiful motorcycle over here is the modern
01:16equivalent.
01:17This is Honda's new Trail 125.
01:20And that is the southern coast of Alaska.
01:23We are in Anchorage, and our aim is to ride these tiny, adventurous machines deep into
01:28the Arctic Circle, and eventually to the northernmost point of the United States.
01:32Now, you geography nerds will be thinking, there's no road that goes to the northernmost
01:36point, but don't you worry.
01:38We have got a plan for that.
01:40First step, however, is we need to get to Prudhoe Bay, and that entails riding over
01:44850 miles along the Dalton Highway, which is famous as one of the world's most desolate
01:49and dangerous roads.
01:51If that weren't bad enough, our pathologically sadistic producer has banned us from the snack
01:56bin in the crew truck, which means we are on our own for camping, food, water, and fixing
02:02either one of these machines if either one of them breaks, whichever one it is.
02:05What is that supposed to mean?
02:06This thing's just broken in.
02:07He's still got a warranty.
02:09Look, between your mechanical ability and Honda's engineering, I'm sure you'll be totally
02:13fine.
02:14The point is, we're going to ride these motorcycles all the way to the top of Alaska.
02:21Our original plan was to ride two of the new Trail 125s on this journey.
02:26But when Airy found out their top speed is more than 55 miles per hour, he decided the
02:32125 was too big and fast.
02:35Instead, he found a deal on this old CT90, and figured a top speed of around 45 miles
02:41an hour would be safer.
02:43Plus, it might break, and Airy loves fixing stuff.
02:47I thought we had enough potential problems.
02:51Bear attack deterrent, which you'll probably say is what you're thinking when you're using
02:57it, which is, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.
03:01Hopefully I don't need to use this.
03:03In fact, I don't know that I've ever been more excited to not use something that's tucked
03:08into my backpack than bear spray.
03:10I've got a tourniquet in the medical kit.
03:13I think I'm less excited to use that.
03:15Yeah.
03:16I think it's an area they're related.
03:17Sounds fantastic.
03:18Sounds like a lawn mower.
03:19Arctic Circle.
03:20Here we come.
03:21Blow his topspill stand.
03:27This is a remarkably small motorcycle.
03:46I look down and my wrists are directly above my knees.
03:51Runs pretty good for being, you know,
03:52almost half a century old.
03:54Being older than either one of us.
04:00Within minutes of leaving,
04:01we had confirmed that both our motorcycles
04:04were too small and too slow,
04:06and it started raining.
04:09All right, three miles into our trip
04:11and already time to put on our rain gear.
04:13I haven't worn over-the-top rain gear in so long.
04:17It will be effective,
04:18but it's not easy to put on, as you can see.
04:20You know how sometimes in a road trip you,
04:23like eventually you learn how to do things properly
04:27and do them well, eventually.
04:30Eventually.
04:30But this is the part where you don't know what you're doing.
04:33Hi there.
04:35The local fella did not seem concerned by this rain one bit.
04:40But we're from Southern California.
04:41We haven't seen rain in four years.
04:44On the road again.
04:47Now fully condomed.
04:51For you folks watching at home,
04:53we bought this bike on a Tuesday
04:55and we had it on a pallet bound for Anchorage on a Friday.
04:58So there was precious little time to go through it.
05:00We did the best we could,
05:01but it had been sitting in someone's garage,
05:05not on the road since 2004.
05:09I mean, it's really running bad.
05:11Is it taking a dump?
05:13Wow. Okay. Yeah.
05:15Let's move far, right?
05:20The last frontier has a Regal Stadium Cinema and a Target.
05:25I think this frontier has been conquered.
05:29Despite the CT90 having a fit in the rain,
05:31we made it out of the city
05:33and onto the safety of slower back roads.
05:36But even on quiet Tulane, we were rolling roadblocks
05:40and had to keep a close eye on our mirrors,
05:42especially going uphill.
05:46The upshot to taking the mellow route
05:48on low horsepower bikes is that you have more time
05:51to soak up the scenery.
05:53Alaska is two and a half times bigger than Texas
05:56and about a hundred times more interesting to look at.
06:00In other words, our horsepower to scenery ratio
06:02was off the charts.
06:04We have found a road that is finally slow enough
06:07for our motorcycles.
06:09The weather has improved.
06:10Things are looking good.
06:12And Aerie's bike hasn't broken yet,
06:14which I think we can all agree is very surprising.
06:16I mean, it's known to be a reliable machine.
06:18And, you know, maybe you're not familiar with the CT90,
06:21in which case, let me tell you about it
06:23because we got plenty of time.
06:24It was introduced in the 60s as a woodsman's motorcycle.
06:27It has an indestructible 89cc engine.
06:30It has a four-speed automatic transmission
06:33with a high and a low range.
06:34It's got an auxiliary fuel can.
06:36It's got this huge luggage rack
06:38so you can take it camping, you can take it hunting.
06:40You can even load it up and ride to the top of Alaska,
06:44which is what we decided to do.
06:45And I'm doing it with heart and soul and character,
06:47not like this plastic-clad modern abomination.
06:51Look, just because I got LED lights and fuel injection
06:54and anti-lock brakes on the front wheel anyway,
06:56doesn't mean that I don't have soul.
06:58I share your soul, my friend.
07:00We have the same soul.
07:01You got a good point.
07:02They do share the same soul.
07:03And it's an often-touted statistic
07:06that this genre of motorcycle from Honda
07:09with the laid-out engine is the most popular of all time.
07:12They've sold 100 million of them.
07:13So I figure if it's good enough for that many people,
07:17it's probably good enough for our trip to the top of Alaska.
07:20We really can't call ourselves true motorcyclists
07:22unless we've experienced the most popular motorcycle
07:24in the history of the world, am I right?
07:25This is a good way to experience it.
07:27I agree.
07:28Let's pass this camera around.
07:29Oh, look at it go.
07:44Finally, some twists and turns.
07:47Yeah, I'm not really sure I'm excited about it
07:48considering the way this suspension wallows
07:52and how good it is.
07:53I'm excited about it.
07:54I'm excited about it.
07:55I'm excited about it.
07:56I'm excited about it.
07:57I'm excited about it.
07:58Wallows and how gummy these tires are.
08:00Yeah, I rolled out already.
08:02I'm checking it out.
08:03Ah, ah, ah, they're so bushy.
08:06I can see the front end wallowing around in here.
08:10It's exciting, but not in a fun way.
08:26It's Hatcher Pass, right?
08:27Is this the road?
08:28Yeah, we're turning left here.
08:29Off the pavement.
08:30Off the pavement.
08:31Yeah, I didn't know this was dirt, actually.
08:33It looks very steep, and I've been using second gear
08:35a lot already.
08:38All right, this is a first-gear kind of hill.
08:42Look how beautiful this is.
08:44I mean, I don't know if I've ever seen such a rich,
08:47verdant green.
08:48That is beautiful.
08:49It's really beautiful.
08:50The fog hanging over the hills doesn't hurt either.
08:53I would definitely use this as the home screen on my laptop.
08:58This is slow going.
09:00I'll give you a push.
09:01Yeah.
09:02Yeah, there he goes.
09:04Rah, rah, rah, rah.
09:07Oh, he's doing woolies.
09:09Oh!
09:10Oh, sh**.
09:12Well, I think we found a way to entertain ourselves
09:14while going up hills slowly.
09:16Jeez, look at this.
09:18Looks like we're approaching the Pearly Gates or something.
09:20Yeah, I think we're going to heaven, Zach.
09:28We didn't find St. Peter, but halfway through our first day,
09:31we had already conquered one of the highest mountain passes
09:34in Alaska, a road only accessible by rugged trail bikes,
09:39and the occasional family hatchback.
09:43We snapped some pictures to commemorate the achievement,
09:47and then immediately ran out of gas.
09:51We were wondering who it would happen to first.
09:54Both bikes have 1.4-gallon tanks.
09:57Unfortunately, CT90 is out first,
09:59but it comes with an auxiliary tank with 0.6 gallons in it,
10:03so I'm cool for now.
10:05We both have extra gas for what it's worth
10:07in these two-gallon cans here,
10:10so it is actually poetic for the race for the better motorcycle
10:14that he ran out first because he carries more fuel.
10:17I'm eager to use this beautiful little canteen of gasoline
10:20that came stock on the bike,
10:22which is one of the brilliant features of the Trail 90.
10:24I already filled his with gin,
10:26so this is not going to do any good.
10:28What's our mileage so far today?
10:3090 miles per gallon.
10:3290 miles per gallon.
10:34This 46-year-old motorcycle with unknown mileage
10:36that's smoking out of the tailpipe
10:38and not even running particularly well
10:40is getting 90 miles per gallon,
10:42climbing crap like that loaded down with stuff like this.
10:44I'm impressed.
10:46Evidently.
10:48I think I'm going to be out of gas pretty soon,
10:50but I can see gas in there.
10:53So do you want to just top up now?
10:55No, I want to know what my mileage is.
10:57All right.
10:59That's fair.
11:01Spoiler alert.
11:03I was getting more than 110 miles per gallon,
11:05which was great news,
11:07not only because it was better
11:09than Airy's clapped-out junker,
11:11but because in a few days
11:13we would face the long run
11:15from Coldfoot Camp to Prudhoe Bay.
11:17Almost 250 miles with no gas pumps.
11:23So we'll see how our campsite is.
11:25Maybe it'll be fancy.
11:27Who knows?
11:29It's the peak of the summer season,
11:31so we'll see.
11:33Wow.
11:35Yeah, this is a poppin' little town.
11:37This is not what I was expecting.
11:39Women in cowboy boots and a skirt.
11:41This is straight-up beautiful.
11:43I mean, I don't know.
11:45It's a beautiful place.
11:47It's a beautiful place.
11:49It's a beautiful place.
11:52This is straight-up touristy.
11:54Too bad we're not allowed to eat
11:56at any of these restaurants.
11:58They look good.
12:00This is it right here,
12:02the River Park Campground.
12:04Riverview Park.
12:06Seems vacant.
12:08I think we got a place to sleep tonight, dude.
12:10Everyone is excited to camp
12:12on the first night,
12:14and we were no different.
12:16We pitched our tents,
12:18fired up our kitchen,
12:20and it's all about the cuisine after all.
12:22I have a mosquito in my dinner already.
12:24Extra protein.
12:26Mosquito is coming out of my dinner.
12:28Well, as you can see,
12:30we are enjoying
12:32our self-sufficient meals
12:34out of a bag
12:36with pockets of molten, hot,
12:38partially hydrated rice
12:40that'll burn your mouth.
12:42Granddaddy CC90 was puffing a lot of smoke today.
12:44Gotta look into that.
12:46See where that sun is?
12:49It is currently
12:519.54pm.
12:55Just let that sink in.
12:57It's 10 o'clock and the sun is still that high,
12:59so we're a little discombobulated.
13:01And the MSGs in my
13:03chicken fried rice probably aren't going to help.
13:05So,
13:07finish our meal in a bag,
13:09try to survive with some taste buds intact,
13:11and in the morning,
13:13suss out the bikes and hope they're healthy enough
13:15to keep on trucking.
13:17Alright, great.
13:29I mean, Honda's are known
13:31for their reliability, but this one has been
13:33on the planet for a long time.
13:35There's a lot of things that can go wrong
13:37when you're working with a 46-year-old motorcycle.
13:39Good thing there's gear oil
13:41on hand.
13:43Keep it old school, man.
13:46I should do some
13:48due diligence with my
13:50check my bike as well.
14:06The old CT90 was holding up well enough,
14:08but the oil was pretty low.
14:10Either I hadn't
14:12put enough in it to begin with,
14:15or, more likely, the engine was just
14:17four decades past the prime of its life.
14:21You thirsty little cow.
14:23250 milliliters
14:25added. That is a lot of oil to burn
14:27in about 200 miles.
14:29It's actually not that far off from a two stroke ratio.
14:33We have enough oil for three more days.
14:35Perfect.
14:45For the next couple of days
14:47we made our way past Denali
14:49National Park and in to the heart
14:51of Alaska.
14:53With some experimenting, we found
14:55that the CT90 could carry 40 miles an hour
14:57uphill with a tight draft
14:59off the Trail 125.
15:03We also learned that Alaskan weather
15:05can change on a dime, and often does.
15:09But we were finally settling in
15:11to life on the road.
15:13We ate disappointing meals out of plastic bags,
15:15we bathed in ice cold creeks,
15:19and had to stretch to avoid cramping
15:21on our tiny bikes.
15:23It was everything a road trip should be.
15:31The only thing missing was terrain
15:33that matched the name of our machines.
15:35So, after hundreds of miles
15:37of pavement, we decided to ditch our
15:39luggage and put the Trail logo
15:42to the test.
15:58Suspension already feels like crap,
16:00but this is great!
16:02This is almost exactly what
16:04a little trail bike
16:06like this should do.
16:12I don't even know if I'm going to make it up this hill.
16:14Go, go, go, go!
16:18Alright, I've been waiting to do this.
16:20Honda equipped the CT90 with
16:22a transmission that compensates for a lack
16:24of torque. All I gotta do
16:26is flip this from the high,
16:28put it in neutral, flip it from high to low,
16:30and now the entire
16:324-speed gear range is just going to
16:34be a lot lower, so hopefully I can tractor
16:36up these hills. Because this is the first
16:38actual incline and I already had
16:41the dog paddle. Let's see if I can keep up
16:43with low range engaged.
16:45Onward!
16:47Oh yeah!
16:51Oh, now he's just whistling!
16:53Oh!
17:09Yeah, let's get muddy!
17:11Yeah!
17:17Oh, what happened?
17:19I spun out. You need a hand?
17:22Maybe.
17:24You got those highway tires, they're not made for this
17:26muddy mess. I know.
17:28Alright, I think I'm ready.
17:30Alright, after you.
17:42The suspension's only
17:44gotten better with age.
17:46It feels great!
17:48CT90 suspension's like a red wine.
17:51And all this slide around
17:53in the seat is giving me monkey butt.
17:58This is what Alaska's all about.
18:00Wide open spaces,
18:02no rules, trails everywhere.
18:04This is great.
18:15After we got off the mountain,
18:17we found a campsite worthy of a postcard
18:19covered our heads to block out the incessant daylight
18:21and tried our best to sleep.
18:23We had some problems,
18:25we just didn't know it yet.
18:34The goal when we left Anchorage
18:36was to have all of our food
18:38and water necessities
18:40and camping, lodging necessities
18:42on the motorcycle. To be self sufficient.
18:44So we filtered water, brought a tent, etc.
18:46and we brought all these freeze dried meals
18:49so that we would not have to purchase any food
18:51between Anchorage and Prudhoe Bay at the top of Alaska.
18:53However, we made one big mistake
18:55wherein we actually miscounted
18:57the number of days even though we were well aware
18:59we did not bring enough food
19:01so that's kind of inexcusable.
19:03But then, on my part, I simply
19:05didn't put enough in my bags
19:07and then also underestimated
19:09how much I like to eat.
19:11So this is clearly not enough food
19:13for three days, at least not for me.
19:15So I'm probably going to have to
19:18come up with a secondary plan.
19:20But you, my friend, look at this!
19:22An abundance over here!
19:24I rationed my apples.
19:26Indeed you did.
19:28So I can have an apple a day
19:30I can have two
19:32granola bars per day
19:34I can have whatever a third
19:36of this peanut butter that's left
19:38which is not very much
19:40I can have
19:42one and a half
19:44meat sticks per day
19:46I'm going for it.
20:00So, food was a problem
20:02we would have to figure out later.
20:04But we also had a bigger fish to fry.
20:06And that fish
20:08was the Dalton Highway.
20:10The famously desolate,
20:12notoriously dangerous,
20:15exceedingly long
20:17and mostly gravel road
20:19to Prudhoe Bay.
20:21This is it!
20:23Paving has ended, we got gravel.
20:25Beginning of the Dalton Highway
20:27speed limit 50 miles an hour
20:29next 416 miles.
20:31How often do you see a sign that lists
20:33that kind of mileage for anything?
20:37This is the iconic
20:39Dalton Highway.
20:41People the world over know about it.
20:43They've heard about the challenges
20:45people getting stranded, running off the road
20:47ice road truckers
20:49We are dust road riders
20:51I guess.
20:55We should take a picture with the sign.
20:57Heck yeah!
20:59Got the obligatory selfie.
21:07To the Arctic!
21:13Alright
21:15first taste of truck dust.
21:25Yeah, trucking rocks alright.
21:27I get hit with a rock, sure enough.
21:29That's surprisingly frightening.
21:33I can see no things.
21:39So we're going to have to get used to that.
21:42The Dalton Highway
21:44or simply the haul road
21:46to the locals
21:48is not the scenic route
21:50through this part of the world.
21:52It is the only route.
21:54A leftover piece of infrastructure
21:56from when the massive oil pipeline
21:58was built in the 1970s
22:00which remains the financial backbone
22:02of the whole region.
22:04There are occasional signs of life
22:06but it's mostly not
22:08a sign of life.
22:11But it's mostly just you and the road.
22:13Progress was slow
22:15with 7 or 8 horsepower
22:17and felt even slower
22:19with empty stomachs.
22:21Apple, peanut butter, tuna fish bread
22:23this is lunch for today.
22:27Come on!
22:41Ah!
22:59Of course, we could have just bought snacks
23:01or eaten our camera crew
23:03but since the only thing
23:05we were allowed to buy was gasoline
23:07we'd need to figure out another plan.
23:09Thankfully, since the sun never goes down
23:11we had more options than usual.
23:15Made pretty good time
23:17on the haul road and actually this is where
23:19we had intended to camp tonight
23:21but it's still fairly early in the day
23:23and we think we've come up
23:25with a solution for me
23:27not having enough food to get all the way to Prudhoe Bay.
23:31The solution is my food
23:33of which I have a little bit more.
23:35So if I share with Ari
23:38we go to where we were supposed to camp tomorrow night
23:40we'll shave a day off our trip
23:42and therefore might have enough food
23:44for the two of us to get to the top of Alaska
23:46as self-sustaining Honda trailers.
24:08Wow!
24:26Is this Coldfoot?
24:28This is Coldfoot.
24:30Population who knows what but not very many.
24:32I think when I looked at it on the map
24:34it was like a couple dozen.
24:37Can we just camp in the grass there?
24:43We made it to Coldfoot Camp
24:45north of the Arctic Circle
24:47once teaming with crews of people
24:49to create the pipeline
24:51and the adjacent haul road
24:53and we made it in great time.
24:55It's now early evening here.
24:57Just kidding, it was 11 hours of riding
24:59and it's 10.15 now.
25:01But the good news is we packed two days into one
25:03so tonight we feast
25:05We're eating 400 calories
25:07when we really want 1200.
25:09We've been starving ourselves all day
25:11but by cutting a day off the trip
25:13we know we have enough food to get to Prudhoe
25:15which is what we have to do tomorrow
25:17so go to bed even though the sky is still very light
25:19and do it all again tomorrow.
25:35Final day on the haul road
25:37the big long ride
25:39all the way up to Prudhoe Bay
25:41it is 250 miles on two very small
25:43motorcycles.
25:45I think we got enough food though.
25:47Yep, as long as nothing goes wrong
25:49whatsoever.
25:51Alright, let's go. I'm tired of these bugs.
26:05Prudhoe Bay
26:31Every time I go up a steep hill
26:34it's gotta be the worst one yet
26:36and then a couple miles later
26:38lo and behold
26:40it's the beginning of the
26:42climb through Adigan Pass
26:44through the Brooks Range
26:46marks the Great Divide
26:48pretty substantial geographic landmark
26:50pretty cool thing to ride a motorcycle over
26:52if we can ever get there
26:54drastically losing speed
26:58gotta keep it pinned
27:01Conquering
27:03Adigan Pass
27:05at 5 miles an hour
27:0718 miles an hour
27:09actually
27:1118 miles an hour in first gear
27:13truck up
27:15truck up
27:17so far they haven't been chucking any
27:19stones at us but they've been very polite
27:21coming in for a push
27:23thank you sir
27:25can't bear dropping down to first gear again
27:27looks like this might be the top
27:29and now we're going back down
27:31that was it
27:334730
27:35good job CT
27:37you made it
27:39I mean it's a totally different landscape
27:41now it's all barren grey
27:43stone mountains instead of
27:45forest or rolling green tundra
27:53the last big hill was behind us
27:57ahead of us a mostly straight shot
27:59to Prudhoe Bay
28:01also a very big storm
28:09wow that was some bright lightning
28:11if we can avoid
28:13getting stuck in a downpour that would be nice
28:15especially with
28:17120 something miles still to go
28:19to get to Prudhoe Bay
28:21don't really need to get wet right now
28:27laughing
28:29well
28:31it's not rain
28:33it's frozen rain
28:35and it's freaking big and coming down hard
28:37it stings on my legs
28:39they're really big pieces of hail
28:41holy crap
28:43holy moses
28:45we knew we were going to face
28:47some wet weather in Alaska
28:49and we were prepared for the worst
28:51all our stuff was packed in waterproof bags
28:53and luggage
28:56including Zach's camping supplies
29:10does anyone know where my tent is?
29:16I still have my stove and spare tubes
29:18for the bikes which is good
29:20but evidently
29:22I don't have my tent anymore
29:26you alright?
29:28I lost my tent, my sleeping bag
29:30my pad, my pillow, my chair
29:32and the camera crew didn't pick it up
29:34because we're self sufficient
29:36those bastards
29:38so roundabout we go
29:40yeah back toward the rain I guess
29:42considering the flat
29:44empty terrain
29:46we assumed finding the bag over the course
29:48of a few miles would be no problem
29:50that was wrong
29:52it turns out
29:54nobody in the camera truck noticed it fall off either
29:56that is
29:58until they reviewed the footage
30:00I see it fall off
30:02on the shot
30:04wait for it
30:06there it goes
30:10that's pretty solid evidence
30:14but even with the video
30:16we did not find my bag
30:18after spending 20 miles
30:20backtracking and referencing the footage
30:23we gave up
30:25my mood has soured
30:27because it was
30:29full of all my camping stuff
30:31which is like I've collected over the years
30:33the good news is
30:35we don't have to camp anymore
30:37and I have high hopes that when we get to Prudhoe Bay
30:39either someone will have turned it in
30:41we've only passed 5 vehicles in the hour
30:43that we've been looking
30:45or we can radio back to Coldfoot
30:47we also shouldn't rule out the possibility
30:49that mosquitoes just picked it up and carried it away
30:52and how many there are
30:54so I'm going to relieve myself
30:56on this piece of earth
30:58as a way of showing how I feel
31:00and then we'll continue on
31:02I'm going to do the same thing he's doing
31:04I can tell you exactly
31:06where I do not want a mosquito bite
31:08yeah I know I'm keeping an eye on it
31:10to make sure nothing lands
31:22of all the challenges we had faced in Alaska
31:24up to this point
31:26rain
31:28hunger
31:30mosquitoes
31:32the temperature at least
31:34had been surprisingly warm
31:36but as we closed in on Prudhoe Bay
31:38things started to feel
31:40properly arctic
31:44I don't know what happened
31:46but it got real cold
31:48and I was like
31:50and it got real cold
31:52holy goodness
31:54can't feel my hands, can't feel my feet
31:56it went from pleasant to vicious
31:58in probably 5 miles
32:00I mean it is
32:02bitingly cold
32:04it is blowing hard
32:06and it is super foggy
32:08it's going to turn to snow at any minute
32:10ahh
32:12god it's so cold
32:143 miles to go to Deadhorse
32:16look at that, there's a sign
32:19it took all our food
32:21most of our gas and all of our nerves
32:23but we're here
32:27look at this place
32:29lock heaters for all the trucks
32:31for when it's so cold
32:33that's insane man
32:35this is like a moon base
32:37sort of like what you imagine
32:39a colony in outer space to look like
32:41there we go
32:43arctic oil filled hotel
32:45welcome home
32:49ahh
32:53we did it
32:55we rode the entire length of the Dalton Highway
32:57from Anchorage
32:59to Prudhoe Bay
33:01we were self sufficient
33:03we brought all of our own food
33:05thank you for sharing and saving my life
33:07that was quite a ride
33:09indeed
33:11forgot what I was supposed to say
33:13I'm sorry
33:15what he wants to say
33:18for most people this would be the end of the ride
33:20this is as far as you can go
33:22but
33:24we still have one more thing we've got to do
33:26music
33:28once we got blood flowing
33:30back to our brains
33:32we ransacked the cafeteria at the arctic oil field hotel
33:34and made arrangements
33:36to get our bikes from Prudhoe Bay
33:38to the northern most town in the United States
33:40Utqiagvik
33:42a place only accessible by boat
33:44or airplane
33:46which leads us to the whole reason
33:48we decided to ride tiny machines
33:50in the first place
33:52music
33:54loaded plenty of motorcycles
33:56in the backs of trucks
33:58and lots of trailers
34:00but never in an airplane before
34:02music
34:04alright coming at you
34:06alright
34:08it's tight
34:10it's a small airplane
34:12as promised
34:15alright this is take off
34:17we got one stop to make
34:19for our final touchdown
34:21we're evidently dropping off some supplies
34:23at another remote town on the way
34:25I guess that's just part of life
34:27in a cargo plane up here
34:29this far north in Alaska
34:31but pretty cool experience
34:33music
34:35music
34:37music
34:39this far out on the permafrost
34:41roads aren't an option
34:44people, food, mail, medicine
34:46and even motorcycles
34:48has to be brought in
34:50by sea or sky
34:52after dropping a few cases of soda
34:54in the town of Nuiqsut
34:56population 496 people
34:58and at least one very nice truck
35:00we continued on to Utqiagvik
35:02music
35:04music
35:06music
35:08music
35:10music
35:12music
35:14music
35:16music
35:18music
35:20we've touched down in
35:22Utqiagvik aka Barrow
35:24and now we head north
35:26hope there's enough gas
35:28left in our bikes to get us there
35:30if Harry's bike starts
35:32yeah well you know
35:34this is an active runway
35:36and we've been asked to leave
35:38it's a carbureted motorcycle
35:41you're gonna have to tow me
35:43we're gonna get arrested
35:45alright I'm gonna give it a little choke
35:47I haven't had to give it the whole trip
35:49ready? choke it, smoke it
35:51if you can't find it, grind it
35:53music
35:55music
35:57music
35:59never thought I would
36:01journey to the northern most town
36:03in America, it's quite a place
36:05definitely unique
36:07definitely different than
36:10it's got a little touch
36:12of rural Vermont don't you think?
36:14there's vehicles in people's yards
36:16people are making do
36:18it's a tough way to live up here
36:20music
36:22music
36:24they subside on
36:26hunting, fishing and whaling
36:28they still go out every year and harpoon whales
36:30off the ice which is amazing to think of
36:32and then the rest of the year
36:34I guess they just hunker down
36:36and try to survive
36:38for those that don't want to venture out
36:40onto the ocean, there is a grocery store
36:42however
36:44the remoteness of Utqiagvik has a pretty
36:46profound impact on prices
36:48music
36:50music
36:52music
36:54music
36:56music
36:58we grew up in New England and complained about
37:00being cold staying at the bus stop
37:02and how dark it was in the winter
37:04but they get 64 days of darkness
37:07total darkness
37:09when the sun does not even show above the horizon
37:11and they get temperatures that are
37:13negative 40, negative 50 degrees
37:15for days on end
37:17then again
37:19they get about 8 weeks where it doesn't get dark
37:21so the daylight payoff comes around
37:23in the summer
37:25after our nickel tour
37:27of the top of the world
37:29we were finally ready to make the push
37:31out to Point Barrow
37:33the northernmost point of this northernmost town
37:35music
37:37uh oh
37:41it's blowing smoke
37:43and just died
37:45oh perfect
37:51can you imagine this little motorcycle
37:53after all that we've put it through
37:55is finally acting up on the last day
37:57it seemed
37:59clear to me that the CT was struggling
38:01to get fuel
38:04so we had to run at the carburetor
38:06which didn't help
38:08so we checked spark
38:10and then took apart the carburetor again
38:12still
38:14no luck keeping the CT running
38:16I don't mind having problems with machines
38:18it's when I run out of ideas
38:20that I start to get annoyed
38:24like I said from the beginning
38:26he loves
38:28fixing stuff
38:30and luckily for the CT90
38:33even a cold, wet
38:35and frustrated airy
38:37is a better mechanic than most of us
38:39on a good day
38:41I was just checking for spark
38:43because that's one of the standard things you do
38:45when a bike won't run
38:47and it did have spark
38:49but I also felt it shocking me
38:51through the spark plug boot
38:53and considering it was running poorly
38:55in anchorage when it rained hard
38:57and it's now running poorly again
38:59when it's raining
39:01I feel confident today it's fixed
39:11we'll still make it
39:13to Point Barrow
39:19Point Barrow
39:21is a narrow spit of land
39:23on the far end of town
39:25that reaches out into the arctic ocean
39:27more of a beach than an actual road
39:30a known stomping ground for polar bears
39:32it was the last stretch
39:34between us and the end of our adventure
39:38taking some pressure out of the tires
39:40because
39:42that looks super super soft
39:44supposedly 3 miles from this point
39:48which isn't that far
39:50but in sand that deep
39:52could take us a while
39:54to Point Barrow
40:00oh boy
40:04oh my lord
40:08I think we might be hiking
40:12also my bike just died
40:183 miles minus 100 yards to go
40:24if we encounter a polar bear
40:26we are super boned
40:29you think I can go faster than this?
40:33you good?
40:35sort of
40:37ok, let's try again
40:45not much better
40:49oh second gear!
40:51did not last long
40:53also my bike is just running like dump ski
40:55frankly I'm surprised it's still running
40:57at all
41:11I guess we know why people don't ride
41:13to Point Barrow
41:15too tough for most guys
41:17right Zach?
41:19I'm gonna go
41:21over more
41:24in search of firm ground
41:26copy, I'll probably follow you
41:28here we go
41:38having a little bit of luck
41:40oh look at you go
41:44there we go
41:46alright making some distance
41:48even got my feet on the pegs
41:51no no no
41:53come on
41:55you can do it
41:57get on the plane
41:59let's go
42:01third gear
42:03we're rolling now
42:07we were desperate for a harder surface to ride on
42:09and aimed for lower ground
42:11the sand at the shoreline
42:13was a little firmer
42:15but it came with the trade off
42:17of a rusty future for the bikes
42:19I'm really sorry about the salt water CT
42:21oh I'm so sorry
42:23oh look at the steam
42:25oh my god
42:29I just made some excellent distance
42:31feeling really good about that
42:33goodness
42:37hi there
42:39hello
42:41hi guys
42:43how are you
42:45are you guys heading to the North Pole or what?
42:48we're heading to the North Pole I think
42:50we're just trying to go to the northern most point
42:52is that it?
42:54that's it
42:56nice to meet you
42:58glad you were able to confirm that we are nearly there
43:02no bucket list trip for this guy
43:04he's just bringing fish home
43:06asking us what the heck we're doing out here
43:12come on dude
43:18let's go
43:30everything's wet
43:32everything's curled in seaweed
43:36I don't want to say this sucks
43:38but it's pretty unfortunate
43:40getting where we are
43:42the pole marking our finish line
43:44was literally in sight
43:46but the CT90 had nothing left to give
43:50maybe it was the thousand miles of riding
43:52at wide open throttle
43:54or maybe it was the salt water
43:56dousing its already compromised ignition system
44:00after everything the bike had been through
44:02it deserved better than this
44:04we both did
44:06oh my god
44:10this stuff is soup
44:16come on little buddy
44:20you carry me a thousand miles
44:22I'll push you 50 yards
44:30oh my god
44:46is that a whale carcass?
44:48yes
44:50wow
44:52yeah
44:58why don't you steer and I'll push
45:00I just came back to watch
45:02not help
45:04but sure
45:16whoo
45:18whoo
45:28yeah
45:40we made it
45:42top of Alaska
45:46what a journey
45:48wow
45:52couple days riding
45:54pack a little food
45:56no big deal
45:58everyone should do this
46:00you know, fingers are chilly
46:02potential cardiac arrest
46:04other than that
46:06potential polar bear mauling
46:09hey what's up arctic
46:11the beach bends
46:13south that way
46:15and south that way
46:27pretty amazing place
46:29to have ridden a motorcycle
46:31or I should say
46:33have pushed a motorcycle
46:36it might have been 40 degrees
46:38and raining
46:40but this was our finish line
46:42and that alone
46:44made it beautiful
46:46as for the bikes
46:48they both managed to live up
46:50to their massive reputation
46:52the new trail 125
46:54was treated horribly
46:56and ran flawlessly
46:58the CT90 was treated horribly
47:00and uh
47:02kind of ran horribly
47:04but at the limit it ran
47:06these humble machines
47:08got us all the way to the top
47:10of the United States
47:12through the land of the midnight sun
47:14across
47:16the last frontier
47:20and so in a state one-fifth
47:22the size of the lower 48
47:24we had found our own story
47:26as big as the land itself
47:29all we had to do now
47:31was get off this beach
47:37let's go home
47:49I'll eat you in your sleep Andrew
47:51you teasing us with food?
47:53you want one of those?
47:56ha ha ha ha
47:58you guys doing this for any reason?
48:00yeah we make a YouTube show
48:02oh what's your YouTube show?
48:04the channel is RevZilla
48:06oh I know RevZilla
48:08yeah
48:12I don't have anything to say
48:14I just wanted the camera truck to have to roll its window down
48:16ha ha ha
48:18now the helicopter comes right?