Whitehorse, YT, CA to Lake Watson, YT, CA

I had been monitoring it and quite honestly hoping it would go away, but the state of my chain was rapidly declining. No amount of chain lube would stifle its advanced deterioration. Yesterday as I was slowing to make the turn at Haines Junction the bike felt distinctly odd and did not sound right at all. I stopped and looked at the chain. It was out of adjustment again, sagging badly and kinking in one or two spots. I adjusted it back to spec, lubed the hell out of it and continued on to Whitehorse as there was nothing more anyone around here could do. Whitehorse is a big town and it’s my only hope.

I get up early, pack the bike and head over to the Suzuki shop. Even though the door has only been open for 15 minutes, they are busy. I tell my tale of woe only to be told there is no way they can work on my bike today. I ask for the just the chain and propose I do the work myself out back with the support of their tools. He is at least considering. It might have worked out, if they had a chain. No. I don’t want the front sprocket anymore either.

I remember seeing a Yamaha place when we came through the first time and Mike mentioned a Honda place use to exist. Driving aimlessly around town I was not able to locate either. Pulling a trick from Mike’s playbook I go to the visitors center to get a map. And to my delight the lady behind the counter is able to circle on the map all four motorcycle shops in town. No wonder I could find them. The Yamaha place is way out in the country and the Honda shop is the place labeled Jeep/Can-Am (Snow Machines) and looks like a new car lot. She also marks a Harley Davidson. I stop by the HD place first as its on the way to the Honda shop. You can guess how that went.

Twice as I’m riding looking for the shops and while making a U turn in the Harley lot (in front of witnesses no less), I almost drop the bike while turning left. I chalk it up to being hungry and in a hurry.

I get to the Honda place. Yukon Honda. Place is nice. Big. Clean. I tell my tell of woe. The of course don’t have the OEM Suzuki chain, instead they stock a massive 130 link monster. The tell me they keep a few on hand and have helped out more than one Suzuki customer. The chain is pricey, $170 CAD, but sounds like a sweet bargain to me. Not 5 minutes later I’m wheeling my bike up on to the bike lift.

It’s around this time I notice my handle bars aren’t turning all the way to the left. They hard stop about an inch before they are suppose to. The Honda guy, John (or Jon or Johnny or you get it) says he’ll look at it after the chain is replaced. The new chain gets put on, the extra links are cut off and rivet master link is installed. Yay!

Now we look into my handle bar problem. John fumbles around a bit and then produces a 12mm bolt about ¾ long. Where did that some from? I frantically try to recall if I dropped anything down there when I preparing the bike. No. I’m sure of it. John investigates further and finds an empty bolt hole. The found bolt fits! Yay! My handle bars have their full range back. Yay! The bolt had apparently rattled loose at some point, fell out and lodged where-ever John found it. What luck to find it.

John from Yukon Honda. Truly awesome guy!

After all is said and done, John presents me the bill. I’m prepared for the worst. The total? Including labor and taxes? $210 CAD. Wow! He didn’t screw me! No inflated labor rates. No minimum labor duration. The experience was so awesome I tipped the guy nicely.

So remember kids. If you are ever in Whitehorse, YT and need bike help, go to the awesome Yukon Honda motorcycle shop that looks an awful lot like a Jeep/Honda car lot.

Alright. It’s not even 11:00 AM yet and I’m on the road. Not bad for waking up and having no idea where a new chain was going to materialize or how I was going to get it installed. I’m on the AlCan headed east/south to Liard Springs. My GPS tells me is only 289 miles. That’s odd as I recall discussing it was Rick and it was much further than that. No problem, Rick simply cannot be trusted with reporting accurate mileages. The best example was when he said “two or three” when the actual distance was 30.

I rode this section of road with Mike. Besides lots of trees (the forest is actually somehow more dense in this area) and snow capped mountains on the horizon there is not much to see. So I don’t take many (any) pictures. You do ride through a tree filled valley that was obviously carved by a huge glacier and that was nice.

Landscape in Potrait

All along the Al-Can highway (and many of the other roads around here) there is a very interesting form of graffiti. 

Al-Can Highway Graffiti

Detail

By 6:00 I’m in Watson Lake and the GPS says only 15 more miles to Liard Springs. Now that simply can’t be right. I ride the 15 miles and end up in the middle of nowhere. I stop and consult a mileage chart Rick had made using his motorcycle’s odometer (not from his memory) and it say 132 more miles to Liard. Hmm. Well. What to do?

I know Liard is not a big place and showing up at 8:00 PM means that if the one place to stay is booked full I’m screwed. Not to mention I’m hungry. So I back track to Watson Lake.

In Watson Lake the only motel with rooms left (Yeah, Mike, even the Air Force lodge is full) is quickly filling up with motorcyclists. There are seven in the lot when I show up and three more pull in after I’m checked in. I chit-chat with of them over a beer. These guys are from Anchorage and are doing what I’m doing just in reverse. They make talk of being at the restaurant when it opens at 6:00. I’m invited to ride with them, but I know I’ll not make the 6:00 breakfast. I bid them safe journeys and retire to my room.