The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has often thrown up surprised in its short time on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, and 2024 was no exception. After last lap fights, incredible battles and much, much more, it’s time to look at some of the barely believable overtakes that happened during the round with two corners that don’t normally have lots of overtaking featuring a lot.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led on the final lap but he didn’t lead at the end of it, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) taking a maiden BMW victory. Forcing his way through at the final corner of Turn 14, the #54 moved himself into the lead with just a few hundred metres to go, with Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) taking advantage to move into second and demote the reigning Champion into third.
The Tissot Superpole Race will be remembered for the last gasp move by Razgatlioglu, but another move needs to be highlighted. Mid-way through the race, the 2021 Champion got a good run out of Turn 8 and used it to full advantage. He stormed up the inside of both Iannone and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) to gain two places at a corner you don’t see many overtakes at.
Bautista was involved in another unexpected overtake, as he passed Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) at Turn 6. A corner that’s on the short straight between the tight Turn 5 left-hander and the left-hander of Turn 7 that starts the chicane, normally riders are able to pull alongside but the move for Bautista came at the left-hand kink of Turn 6. Unexpected, yet adding to the list of corners becoming overtaking opportunities.
Lap 5 of the Superpole Race will go down as a memorable one, with action everywhere. It kicked off at Turn 5 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) passed Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), before Iannone forced the #11 wide and moved ahead. After that, his sights were soon set on the #22 ahead and he tried to make the move at the Turn 7-8 chicane, the pair running side-by-side at a section of the track that can best be described as single file.
After a frantic start to the race, riders were trying to gain positions back or fight through the field. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) lost ground at the start but was soon on the charge, fighting with Alex Lowes through the opening sector. After banging bars through Turns 1 and 2, the #22 went through fairly forcefully at Turn 3 to keep the position in a superb fight.
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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been absolutely mind-blowing in the opening two rounds, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain proving to be some of the greatest racing we’ve ever seen. History was everywhere you looked as BMW returned to winning ways, the reigning World Champion was back on the top step and more. Check out all the big stats below whilst reliving an epic Superpole Race here.
3857/902 – BMW had to wait 902 days for their next win after Michael van der Mark won at Portimao in 2021. However, their last ‘main’ race win was at the Nurburgring in 2013 with Chaz Davies winning in Race 2, some 3857 days before Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) Race 1 win in Barcelona. Divide the 3857 by 902 and you get 4 (nearest whole number): Toprak won in his fourth race for BMW.
202 – After hitting the 200 mark in Race 1, Yamaha’s streak of consecutive points-scoring rides is now at 202 after Race 2.
93 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is on 93 podiums after his first win of 2024 in Race 2, just one behind triple WorldSBK Champion Troy Bayliss.
87 – During the current points scoring system – since 1995 – 87 points for Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is the lowest amount after six races. However, six races from 1995 until 2018 were all the main races, without the Tissot Superpole Race; it’s still the lowest in the Superpole Race era.
86 – Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) became the 86th rider to lead a WorldSBK race.
60 – Bautista took a 60th win of his WorldSBK career, all taken with Ducati and he moves into clear second now behind Jonathan Rea (119) and ahead of Carl Fogarty (59) in the all-time WorldSBK win charts.
41 – Razgatlioglu is on 41 wins, ironically just two behind the #41 of Noriyuki Haga, who has 43.
32 – With 32 Superpole front rows, Razgatlioglu matched double World Champion Max Biaggi.
10 – Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took his first top ten with Kawasaki in Race 1 with P10.
8 – Eighth for Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in Race 2 gave him his first points with Yamaha.
6 – Six straight seasons of wins for Toprak Razgatlioglu, his first coming during Race 1 at Magny-Cours in 2019.
6 – Six top six finishes for Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the start of the season since 2019 leaves him third overall going to one of his favourite circuits, Assen.
4 – Four race winners from six races, the same number of winners across the full 2023 season. It’s the first time that there’s been four race winners in six races since 2020, when the first four races were all won by different riders.
4 – Fourth for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in Race 2, his best race result since third in Race 2 at Mandalika in 2021, denying newly crowned Champion Razgatlioglu.
3 – Razgatlioglu won for BMW in Race 1 in Barcelona, the third manufacturer he’s won with after Kawasaki and Yamaha. He’s the seventh rider to achieve this in the 36-year history of WorldSBK, behind: Stephane Mertens, Anthony Gobert, Troy Corser, Eugene Laverty and Chaz Davies. Marco Melandri is the other rider but he’s the only rider to have won with four manufacturers.
3 – Toprak is third in the Championship standings, the best place for a BMW rider since Marco Melandri was also third in 2013 in the #54’s home country, Turkey.
3 – Three top ten finishes in Barcelona for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) at the only track where he didn’t score a top ten in his rookie 2023 season.
2 – A second podium for Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in his rookie season with a career-best P2 in the Superpole Race.
0.075s – The closest finish for a WorldSBK race in Barcelona happened in the Superpole Race with Razgatlioglu beating Iannone by 0.075s after he overtook Bautista at the final corner on the last lap.
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Kove made FIM Supersport 300 World Championship history on two occasions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, by topping their first Tissot Superpole session on Friday before claiming a first podium on Sunday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. They became the first manufacturer from China to achieve these feats and, speaking after the Pirelli Catalunya Round, Team Manager Jesus Rincon and Julio Garcia, who got the podium, discussed the historic moment.
Although Julio Garcia set the fastest time in Friday’s Superpole session after posting a 1’55.313s, the #48 was forced to start from fourth in Race 1. He was given a three-place grid penalty for irresponsible riding in Saturday’s Warm Up session, demoting him to the second row. A technical issue in Race 1 forced the Malaga-born star out of the race, however he was able to bounce back in Race 2 to claim a rostrum finish, his second in WorldSSP300 but Kove’s first since joining the Championship last year.
Reflecting on his weekend and explaining his decision to switch from Kawasaki to Kove machinery, Garcia said: “I think it was a quite positive weekend in which on Friday we already felt very fast from the start, and this was reflected in the fact that we got the pole. On Saturday we had a small problem, but the team solved it quickly so that on Sunday, the bike was perfect, and we were able to get second place in Race 2. I feel very good with the Kove, it was already seen that we adapted very quickly, and I think the bike has a lot of potential.
“For me, the pole and podium are something that makes me very proud because it is Kove’s first pole and first podium, so I am very proud to have achieved it with them. I decided to leave Kawasaki because Kove presented me with a project in which I saw that they had a lot of ambition to do well, and I saw that the bike could be competitive. Right now, we are seeing that the bike is competitive, and I think that at the end of the year we will be able to achieve great results.”
Julio Garcia is partnered with 2017 Champion Marc Garcia this season, with Kove opting for a mix of youth and experience for their project. Somewhat ironically, Kove did get to start from pole during the weekend – just not when they first thought. Marc Garcia set the fastest lap in Race 1, giving him the best grid position for Race 2, although the #22 fell down the order before retiring on Lap 11 of 12. Nevertheless, both Garcias showed the potential of the Kove at different points.
Reacting to the podium, Kove’s long-term goals and opting to bring in both Julio and Marc Garcia, Team Manager Jesus Rincon said: “Personally, it is a sign that the project that started a year ago is beginning to bear fruit after a great effort from everyone. At the same time, it shows that we are going in the right direction. The goal has always been to be the first Chinese manufacturer to win a world title. They are two riders who have already demonstrated their great talent and who can fit together very well. Both have different riding styles and personalities, but they can work together and can offer a solid team. The goal is clearly to be with both riders at the front and to have them both fighting for the win in the Netherlands.”
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Two different winners from two races started the 2024 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as it will go on, with unpredictability the name of the game. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM – PALIGO Racing) was promoted to victory in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya following a penalty for Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki), before the Spaniard made amends in Race 2 with a hard-fought victory during the Pirelli Catalunya Round.
Iglesias had crossed the line first in Race 1, but a three-second penalty in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty demoted him down to 13th after a collision with Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) and Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) at Turn 5 on the final lap. It promoted reigning Champion Buis to P1 after he had an up-and-down race, fighting at the front at the start and end but dropping out of the points in between.
It meant he started his KTM career with victory and discussing this, the #1 said: “It’s incredible. It’s not the way you want to win, finishing second and gaining through a penalty. For the points, it’s good. I’m very happy to have the winning formula also with the new bike. The start of the race was good, but I started falling back, I was even in P17 or something like this so that was not so good. The tyre dropped and it’s new for me with this bike, so I needed to adjust my riding style for this. I started to gain confidence and it was a lot better. I fought back to the first position so it’s an incredible way to start the season.”
Although Iglesias was classified in 13th in Race 1, he knew he had the pace to fight for victory and he did so in Race 2, overcoming what was at times a 20-rider lead group for his first win at World Championship level. It was his first weekend back after moving to the IDM championship for 2023 and winning in Germany, and he restarted his World Championship career with a victory in Barcelona, his first in WorldSSP300 with his fifth podium.
Reacting to his first win, Iglesias said: “I knew I had the pace, and my bike is really good. We worked really hard on the setup so I could do what I wanted. It’s really important because I took a step back last year, so I was a little bit sad not to be here last year. I won IDM last year and I come back stronger. I feel like I’m in a good moment. The last lap is always incredible, but I was saving the tyre in the whole race. I was thinking about the last lap, so I pushed to the maximum to get the win.”
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Indian Motorcycle is set to release a new Indian Scout or Scouts on April 2, and it has been teasing us with a few videos that hadn’t revealed much of anything. But today it posted a new video (see below) that shows a group of five bikes riding across a desert lakebed.
Sadly, the low light in the video doesn’t provide enough illumination to reveal many details, but there appears to be four different variants of the new Scout. For reference, Indian’s current Scout lineup consists of three main models: the classically styled Scout, the stubby Scout Bobber, and the mini-faired Scout Rogue.
In the video, the leading trio of bikes have low-mounted bar-end mirrors, while the rearmost bikes are differentiated by chrome mirrors perched atop their handlebars. Of the trailing pair, the one on the right displays a smallish windshield that suggests some sort of light-duty touring version. The one on the left could be a traditional Scout of some form.
Leading the group is a bike with a mini fairing topped with a small windscreen that looks similar to the bike on its left. One or both could be a new version of the Scout Rogue. The bike second from the left has no fairing and could be a model similar to the existing Scout Bobber.
At this point, we can only speculate based on what we see in the video, so we can’t say what could be inside them regarding their engines or chassis modifications. Full details will be released on April 2. Stay tuned!
The 2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 is a great addition to the ADV segment. We gave it a proper thrash at the global launch in Palawan, Philippines, and came away impressed. (Photos courtesy CFMOTO)
Adventure bikes are undeniably hot right now. Out of more than 70 new or significantly updated street-legal motorcycles announced for 2024 in the U.S. market, nearly half are dual-sport or adventure models. There are many ADVs to choose from in the 750cc-and-up displacement class, but there are few below 500cc. One of the most intriguing additions to the adventure category is the 2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450.
The CFMOTO Ibex 450 has rally styling with stacked headlights. The high fender is an accessory. Available colors are Tundra Gray (above) and Zephyr Blue (lead photo).
Known as the 450MT outside the U.S., the Ibex 450 is powered by a liquid-cooled 449cc parallel-Twin with DOHC, a 270-degree crank, and dual counterbalancers, and it’s mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip/assist clutch. Variations of this engine are found in several CFMOTO models, including the 450NK naked bike, the 450SS sportbike, and the forthcoming 450CL-C cruiser.
The Ibex 450’s liquid-cooled 449cc parallel-Twin is shared across four models in CFMOTO’s lineup.
In the Ibex 450, the engine produces a claimed 44 hp at 8,500 rpm and 32.5 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. When Royal Enfield updated the Himalayan adventure bike for 2024, it was upgraded from an air-cooled 411cc Single to a liquid-cooled 452cc Single that makes a claimed 39.5 hp and 29.5 lb-ft of torque. The Ibex not only makes more power and torque, but its two cylinders and dual counterbalancers also deliver the goods more smoothly.
The $6,499 CFMOTO Ibex 450 is the only adventure bike with tubeless spoked wheels that costs less than $10,000 (the KTM 790 Adventure is $10,990). The Royal Enfield Himalayan will have optional tubeless spoked wheels but pricing has not been released.
CFMOTO set out to produce a light, fully capable adventure bike at a reasonable price, and it has achieved its goal. The Ibex 450 is claimed to weigh 386 lb dry, so probably about 425 lb with its 4.6-gallon tank full. Even though it’s priced at just $6,499, it’s brimming with features not found on adventure bikes that cost thousands of dollars more. Perhaps most appealing is its tubeless spoked wheels, which greatly simplify roadside or trailside flat repairs. And they’re in 21-inch front and 18-inch rear sizes, which perform well off-road and are compatible with a wide range of dual-sport and adventure tires.
The CFMOTO Ibex 450’s 5-inch TFT display is easy to read even in bright sunlight.
The Ibex 450 has a chromoly steel frame, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and adjustable KYB suspension with 8 inches of travel. It also includes a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity ABS that can be disabled at the rear, switchable traction control, an adjustable seat height, a windscreen with on-the-fly height adjustment, handguards, a skid plate, a radiator guard, folding mirrors, a rear rack, LED lighting, and a USB-C charging port.
The town of El Nido is situated on El Nido Bay, which is full of small islands covered in dark gray limestone formations. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
CFMOTO hosted a global launch for the Ibex 450 in Palawan, Philippines, a province that includes several tropical islands between the South China and Sulu seas (think Survivor, Seasons 25-28). Our test ride was around El Nido, which has few paved roads, and those that are paved are made of rough poured concrete and are buzzing with small scooters and motorcycles, many of which are “tricycles” with enclosed sidecars that are the local version of a tuk-tuk. Most roads are poorly maintained dirt and gravel tracks through the island’s hilly jungle terrain that connect small villages and beaches.
One of the tricycles that are ubiquitous on the streets of Palawan. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
We knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore when our first obstacle was a water crossing (bypassing a rotted bridge) where water buffalo kept themselves cool in the shaded water. Even though it was March, Palawan was oppressively hot, with temps and humidity levels in the 90s. The region was in a severe drought, so the unpaved roads were extremely dusty – bikes kicked up clouds of fine, powdery silt that hung in the air like smoke. We spaced out our conga line of bikes as best as we could, but like a team of sled dogs, unless you’re in the lead, the view is always the same.
I’ve had to dodge cows on adventure rides, but never water buffalo!
Since the standard seat height of 32.3 inches is on the low side for an adventure bike and I’ve got a 34-inch inseam, I opted for the accessory high seat ($199.99), which increases seat height to 34.3 inches and provides a much flatter seating platform. Even with the high seat, there was a fair amount of bend in my knees given the height of the footpegs, and the seat was plush and comfortable.
Our CFMOTO Ibex 450 test bikes were equipped with several accessories: the high seat and upper and lower crash guards. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
Within the first few miles, I felt comfortable on the Ibex 450. I’ve been testing a 450NK back home, and I’ve developed a fondness for the sound and feel of the 450cc parallel-Twin, which emits a nice rumbling exhaust note. The cable-actuated throttle provides predictable response, though small inputs at low speeds felt a tad jerky. (My test bike had only 65 miles on the odometer, so it was barely broken in.) The gearbox shifted smoothly, aided by the light action of the slip/assist clutch.
The standard seat is deeply dished where the rider sits. In it’s standard configuration, the seat’s height is 32.3 inches. Moving the shock’s top mounting bolt to a lower hole lowers the seat height to 31.5 inches.
Given the roughness of the unpaved roads and tracks, I spent a fair amount of time standing up on the cleated footpegs (I removed the rubber inserts). The Ibex 450 feels slim between the knees, and the tank section is smooth and unobtrusive. The wide handlebar provided good steering control, and even though it is adjustable I would have liked a higher riser to accommodate my tall frame (I’m 6 feet tall with long arms).
Most of our test was on unpaved roads, but we also logged miles on the national highway – a two-lane, curvy road made of rough poured concrete. We’ll have to wait for a stateside test to see how the Ibex 450 performs on the open road.
Jason Louden, Director of Product & Innovation at CFMOTO USA, makes friends with local kids during our lunch stop. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
The brakes are supplied by J.Juan and consist of a single 4-piston front caliper squeezing a 320mm disc and a 1-piston rear caliper squeezing a 240mm disc. Although braking power was sufficient for my needs, especially since we were traveling at a moderate pace given the conditions, there was limited feel at the lever. I liked the convenience of turning off ABS and TC at the rear wheel by pressing a button on the handlebar (a long press turns rear ABS/TC off, and a quick tap turns them back on), but a true off-road ABS mode with less intervention at the front wheel would be a valuable addition.
A button on the left side of the handlebar turns ABS and TC off/on at the rear wheel. In the Ibex 450’s menu, ABS and TC can be controlled independently.
The large-diameter front and rear wheels rolled over obstacles with ease, and the CST adventure tires (which have a tread pattern similar to Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs) provided decent grip and predictable behavior, even in loose sand and deep silt.
The CFMOTO Ibex 450 proved itself to be quite capable off-road, and with a few suspension adjustments it will likely be even better.
To achieve an aggressive price point, compromises must be made, and on motorcycles that typically means lower-spec brakes and suspension. The Ibex 450’s suspension adjustability (the fork is fully adjustable; the shock is adjustable for rebound and preload) is a major plus in this price range. With the standard settings used at the launch, the KYB suspension performed quite well, though it felt a little rough at low speeds and more responsive at higher speeds. I look forward to a longer test where I can dial in the fork and shock damping and preload to my size and riding style.
With temps in the 90s and humidity above 90%, we wished there were more water crossings.
This was no bunny slope test ride. CFMOTO mapped out a challenging route that required skill and focus. There were tricky climbs and descents littered with rocks and ruts, roads and trails with rough embedded stones, unpredictable dogs and goats hiding in the shade by the side of the road, and even a stretch of singletrack through a mango grove with unforgiving low branches.
There aren’t many photos from the off-road park, and this one hardly does justice to the steepness of the trails or the depth of the silt. Trust me, it wasn’t easy. But the Ibex 450 took it all in stride.
At the end of the day, after we’d sweated through our gear and depleted our energy reserves, we did laps around an off-road park with increasingly difficult terrain. The Level 1 loop was easy, much like what we’d ridden earlier in the day. Level 2 was harder with challenging climbs and descents on a heavily silted trail with switchbacks and hidden tree roots. Level 3 was harder still, climbing to the top of a small mountain and then back down the other side.
This drone shot of the Level 3 loop (I’m the 3rd bike) doesn’t give a sense of how steep the trail was or how tricky these switchbacks were. By the time we got to the top, we were all ready to collapse.
I’m happy to report that I made it through all three levels without dropping the bike, but the off-road park tested me as much as it tested the bike. The Ibex 450’s tractable power, moderate weight, long-travel suspension, and large-diameter wheels were helpful throughout the day and especially on those loops around the park. I never felt like something was missing or holding me back (except my 50-year-old body).
At the end of a long, hot, dusty, challenging day, we still managed to smile. We were riding motorcycles, and riding is fun even when it isn’t. The beer at the end of the ride never tasted so good!
Indeed, but we could have done with less dust. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
Another useful feature of the Ibex 450 is its 5-inch TFT display, which uses bold white-on-black graphics, motorcycle illustrations that show what different settings do, and an easy-to-navigate menu system. On either side of the instruments are knobs for adjusting the windscreen height. And above the dash is a horizontal bar where a GPS or smartphone can be mounted.
A Tundra Gray CFMOTO Ibex 450 decked out in accessories.
The CFMOTO Ibex 450 proved itself to be not just a good adventure bike for the price, but a good adventure bike period. It has the features that adventure riders want, and it’s available with useful accessories like the high seat I tested, upper and lower crash guards (which were fitted on our test bikes; $149.99 for the upper guards, $129.99 for the lower guards), a beefier skid plate, a touring windscreen, a centerstand, hard and soft luggage, and more. At $6,499, it’s a great value, and it’s backed by a 2-year warranty.
The Ibex 450 looks sharp at sunset. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)
The Ibex 450 will be available at CFMOTO’s 350-plus U.S. motorcycle dealers starting in September, and I bet it will sell like hotcakes.
2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 Specs
Base Price: $6,499
Price As Tested: $6,979 (high seat, upper and lower crash guards)
On the Dalton Highway, Sukakpak Mountain rises 4,390 feet and reflects in the Koyukuk River. Sukakpak is an Iñupiat word meaning “marten deadfall” because, seen from the north, the peak resembles a carefully balanced log used to trap marten. (Photos by the author)
It wasn’t that she was a princess. She had lived and taught on a reservation in northern Ontario where she gutted geese, chopped down trees, and drove on the ice roads. But by her own admission, my partner, Steph, was a sun ‘n’ sand type of vacationer. Riding and wild camping with no electricity was not her idea of a good time. And a hostel? Forget it. So when the opportunity arose for an Alaska motorcycle ride – taking my Suzuki V‑Strom 650 from Niagara Falls to America’s last frontier – my suggestion that she fly to Anchorage and meet me…well, it wasn’t flying.
Built by the U.S. Army for defense from the Japanese in WWII, the Alaska Highway opened the secluded northwest to travel and trade. In the background, the only wooden grain elevator remaining in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, reopened in 1983 as an art gallery.
But over the weeks – and from over my shoulder – the more she saw of my reading and planning and YouTube videos, the more curious she became.
My late June ride across the Canadian prairies and into northern British Columbia had been an adventurous mix of wind and rain and heat so unbearable that I spent a full day in a rundown Saskatchewan hotel to recover in air‑conditioned bliss. But it wasn’t until I reached the Alaska Highway west of Haines Junction, Yukon, that I began to wonder if my riding skills would be up to the task.
The entire 200 miles to the Alaskan border was a constantly changing mix of gravel, chipseal, and potholes, with just enough pavement to inspire complacency. Most disconcerting were the unannounced depressions caused by permafrost. Without warning, the bike would simply drop away beneath me, only to come pounding back like an unbroken bronco. Twice I was certain I was going over the handlebars. Almost as unnerving were the lengthwise ridges that attempted to grab my tires and toss me off the road.
The Alaska Highway threads its way between Kluane Lake and the Kluane Mountains near Destruction Bay, Yukon. The entire 200 miles from Haines Junction to the Alaska border was an adventure in itself.
Between the irregular road surface and the wildlife, I was in no danger of nodding off. At one point, I was negotiating a corner on the loose surface when a large moose bolted into my path from the alders on my right. Brakes were almost useless in the gravel. She was so startled that she was still peeing as she charged in front of me, and I admit I checked myself for the same once she had disappeared into the brush. It wasn’t long before I encountered a grizzly and then a caribou on the shoulder, but they at least seemed content to stay put.
Wild camping on the Top of the World Highway near Poker Creek, Alaska.
The pavement improved measurably near Tok. In Yukon River Camp, where I fueled up for the long ride on the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay – one of the “most dangerous roads in America” – I partnered up with another solo rider for mutual support should the trip go (quite literally) sideways. With no shoulder and with roadsides that often plummet 50 feet to the soggy tundra, one of the greatest dangers of the Dalton is unexpectedly becoming the focus of a search party. But the weather gods smiled on us. A sprinkling of rain the day before had dampened the notoriously blinding dust without creating the slippery, muddy mess I had feared. And I marveled at the midnight sun, which kept temperatures between 35 and 60 degrees.
While camping on the Top of the World Highway near Poker Creek, Alaska, the author was awakened by an enormous herd of Porcupine caribou passing by.
After a night of primitive camping – and a surprisingly good meal – in Coldfoot, my riding partner and I spent a full day navigating the dirt and ogling the views: from the omnipresent Trans Alaskan Pipeline to the enormity of the Brooks Mountain Range and Atigun Pass, to the endless sweep of tundra on the North Slope toward the Arctic Ocean. And of course, the muskoxen we encountered as they munched on moss and lichens. Needless to say, high‑fives and a toast were in order two days later when we successfully returned to Fairbanks. This was adventure on a new scale.
Just east of the Dalton Highway (aka the “Haul Road,” which runs from just north of Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay), muskoxen roamed the windy tundra of the North Slope near the Sagavanirktok River. They live naturally only in the Canadian arctic tundra, Alaska, and Greenland. Members of the goat family, their underwool is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool yet surprisingly light.
Rolling into Anchorage, on the other hand, I was struck by how much the city was like any other. In fact, locals joke that the best part about Anchorage is that in under an hour, you can drive to Alaska. I searched out the House of Harley‑Davidson, which offers riders free camping (including restrooms and showers), and awaited Steph’s arrival.
The Trans Alaska Pipeline runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, a port near the Gulf of Alaska, and was engineered to shift with the permafrost, withstand forest fires (as it has done here), and adapt to temperature changes of 180 degrees F (the pipeline lengthens by almost 6 feet in summer heat).
It was a little discouraging the next morning when her flight brought with it a cold front full of clouds and rain. But I was grateful she had come and determined to make the most of our 10 days together. On the way to Flat Top Mountain for a panorama of the city, we rolled along Cange Street, which doubled as an airport runway. Each home had its own attached hangar, and prop planes were parked on several front lawns. On another city corner, we encountered a moose that casually browsed a willow before sauntering across a driveway and into a backyard.
Staring down the Dalton: Is that a smile or grimace?
South of town, the Seward Highway hugged the narrow shore between the steep Chugach Mountains and the churning waters of Turnagain Arm. At Beluga Point, we paused to watch the tidal bore, a daily surge of seawater that can be over 3 feet high and sounds like a freight train. The tides themselves, rising to 35 feet, rival those of the East Coast’s Bay of Fundy. Naturally, we had to visit the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where injured animals are rehabilitated. It was one place where we were guaranteed to see most of Alaska’s wildlife up close.
Seward Boat Harbor, on Resurrection Bay, is merely an introduction to the beauty in store on the Kenai Peninsula.
Believing that my intrepid partner deserved at least one nice hotel, I had booked a “glacier view” suite in the port of Whittier. This came with the bonus of riding through North America’s longest tunnel, a single‑lane route that runs 2.5 miles under an entire mountain. Besides a fish-processing plant, however, Whittier has only two large buildings, both of which are remnants of World War II: an abandoned military supply post and an apartment building that houses nearly the entire town’s population. Without even a pretense of renovations, the top floor now serves as a hotel.
Our apartment, while clean, was clad in 1960s paneling, and the bathroom was adorned floor‑to‑ceiling in pink tile. Most bizarre was the multitude of safety bars (I counted 10) fastened to the wall in the shower. Steph had started calling it the “Bates Motel,” and I suggested the handles were for grabbing when Norman dropped by. On top of that, not only was the rain incessant and obscured the view of the harbor from our window, but when we asked about the glacier, we were told we’d have to sail 6 miles out of port and around a mountain to get a glimpse. Alaskans also joke that “Everything is sh*ttier in Whittier,” and we just had to laugh.
Wading into the icy waters of Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean.
However, if our night had been a low point, the next morning was a decided high. Wearing our raingear and carrying a set of hiking poles, we set out to explore Byron Glacier. Dense forests gave way to alder thickets that soon opened to lichen‑dotted boulders. Under a steady rain, we climbed the rugged upper valley where ice lay covered in black silt. Towering high above, the jagged peaks were trimmed in white fondant while sinuous waterfalls tumbled from the sheer cliffs. Ahead, shining and motionless, the bright blue glacier stood before us, a frozen river imperceptibly carving out the valley floor. Dwarfed in this vast, timeless amphitheater, we seemed no more than fleeting specks, and tears welled up in Steph’s eyes. This was travel on a new scale.
After a cozy night in a warm log cabin, we continued to Seward where we joined a day‑long boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park and Resurrection Bay, a rich marine ecosystem with craggy coves, deep fjords, and tiny treed islands. Every wildlife sighting brought a new gasp: Sea lions, otters, puffins, murres, and mountain goats were but a prelude to the humpbacks, fin whales, and orcas. Bald eagles watched us from branches along the shore.
Approaching Atigun Pass from the north on the Dalton Highway, the author pauses beside the Sagavanirktok River.
Most stunning of all was Northwestern Glacier at the head of the fjord. As a million tiny ice chunks bobbed around our boat like warning buoys, we drew ever closer and were overwhelmed by its size and the thunderous calving. The splitting columns sent booming explosions reverberating off the cliffs, followed by great walls of ice crashing into the frigid water. We stood gripped in a hallowed silence.
Arriving in Palmer the following day, we explored the Matanuska Valley, a region with a surprising claim to fame. Particularly fertile soils and summer days with 22 hours of sunlight produce record‑setting vegetables: cabbages bigger than beach balls, carrots the size of small logs, and pumpkins that must be lifted by crane. As one resident told me, “We get just as much sunlight as anywhere else – we just get it all at once.”
The author and his partner, Steph, hiking Byron Glacier.
Along the Knik River, we were introduced to glamping in a huge canvas tent with a queen‑sized bed, an upholstered chair, and more pillows than a palace. It was a far cry from my bivy sack – and just what Steph had wanted.
Morning was a little brighter as we set off for Homer, a small town on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula. Twisting through wooded Cooper Landing and Soldotna, the Sterling Highway turned south and followed the coast along Cook Inlet. From Clam Gulch, we skirted the edge of the cliffs all the way to our destination. When keeping my eyes on the road became impossible, we pulled over and tramped through a field to the precipice, where we could see Sadie Peak across sparkling Kachemak Bay standing in snow‑covered glory high in the equally glorious Chugach Mountains.
Northwestern Glacier is one of many photo ops at every turn in Kenai Fjords National Park.
The only thing I knew about Homer was that the Salty Dawg Saloon was perched on the end of a spit. As old as the town itself, the diminutive building has served as a school, post office, railway station, and grocery store. In 1957, it became a saloon, and shortly thereafter, as the story goes, a patron who’d grown tired of waiting for his friend stuck a dollar bill to the wall for him to buy a drink if he ever showed up. The ensuing tradition has resulted in every surface being completely papered in dollar bills. Unable to find room for my own bill, I wedged a Loonie (a Canadian dollar coin) into a picture frame and apologized (equally Canadian) to the bartender for my 76‑cent contribution.
Thirty minutes east of Homer, we bounced down a rutted dirt road to our accommodations on the Kilcher Family Homestead. In the early 1940s, professor Yule Kilcher left war‑torn Switzerland to find peace in the wilds of Alaska, where he and his wife built a log cabin and raised eight children. Living a subsistence lifestyle and clearing fields, the family eventually acquired 600 acres, where they continue to live off the land.
Stellavera’s garden-shed-turned-lodging on the Kilcher Family Homestead.
You have undoubtedly heard the music of Jewel, one of the Kilcher grandchildren, and may even have seen episodes of their Discovery Channel series, Alaska: The Last Frontier. One daughter, Stellavera, lives off‑grid in a yurt near the cliffs and converted a garden shed into a surprisingly enchanting Airbnb. Enclosed in clear corrugated roof panels and furnished with a queen bed, heater, and lots of books, the structure – and the outdoor shower – gave us stellar views of Kachemak Bay and the ice‑glazed mountains beyond. It was spectacular.
Before we knew it, we had to return to Anchorage, where I needed to do some scheduled bike maintenance and Steph caught a flight home. The weather had deteriorated the day she arrived, and although it never kept us from the many activities we had planned, we joked that the sun would return the day she left. That is exactly what happened. Under a clear blue sky, I rolled out my bivy again, anticipating the next leg of the journey and happy to have spent 10 days with Steph in a land unlike anything we had ever known. She still loves the beach, of course, but now all she can talk about is when we can go back to Alaska, where wonder is on a new scale.
Fireweed adds vibrant color to the cliffs facing Sadie Peak on the far side of Kachemak Bay near Homer.
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