Icefields Parkway Run

[Steel Toed Tank]

Sounds like a real adventure. Wizard has the park stuff covered, he should know. He's spent most of the last 30 years hiking, biking, skiing and mountaineering in them. You'll probably need a good bath by the time you hit Canal Flats (south of Fairmont on 93/95). Just south of Canal Flats, about 4 kms. turn east on a good gravel road for 16 kms. towards Whiteswan Lake. There you'll find a natural set of free hot pools just between the road and the river. Google Lussier Hot Pools or Springs. Now that's a Rocky Mountain experience. Hopefully your friend can score you some day passes and take the chairlift up the Fernie ski hill. I don't think it's that expensive, just do it anyway. I'm in Cranbrook, if you need any assistance just PM me. If the restaurant is in the front of the Northern, that's where friends had Freshie's coffee shop for years, they're now down the street on the other side. Have a fabulous trip. Too bad you don't have another month, so much to see, so little time, but you'll be back.

All of the new info I've received has me rethinking stopping around the Sask River Crossing and instead heading from Jasper straight to Lake Louise and staying there for two nights, instead of just one. FREE hot springs?! My favorite kind!!
We really wanted to visit some hot springs, but the ones I visited when I was a kid were above ground pools with the water pumped in from the actual hot springs, and that's not really the experience I'm looking for.

In Fernie we have cave exploring planned, some hiking to a lake (I don't remember the name) and a few other things. I'll get my buddy to find out about the ski hill!

All of this info is fantastic, and I thank you very much for posting it, and your offer of assistance!!

So a 850GL tank fits on your 750T model?
What did you have to do to get it to fit and why did you change to it?

Eric

My OE 750T tank had problems.
The PO for some reason welded AND Bondo'd over the original petcock holes and then installed a non OEM one on the other side of the tank. Once I got my replacement OEM petcock I tried to grind off the bondo but I found the metal underneath was mangled pretty bad and installing the new petcock there would never happen.
On the right underside of the tank the PO installed petcock has holes that wouldn't work for the new one so I had to weld up the holes and drill new ones.
Once I started welding on it I realized that the metal was much much too thin from the rust inside.
With the welder set to weld 22ga steel it would blow holes instantly.
With a bit of work I finally managed to get a thick enough surface area to install the new petcock.
So once I put the T tank back on my bike and filled it up with gas, two tiny little rust spots on the top of the tank half way between the cap and where I sit started seeping gas out of them.
As soon as I poked em with my finger the holes opened up enough to let the gas out in a stream.
I didn't have a lot of money for a high priced tank and didn't want much down time so I found a 850L tank on fleabay for dirt cheap ($48).
It has a small dent in it, and it's oxidized on the clear coat but it's spotless inside.
All the T tanks on ebay were in much worse condition and 3 times the price.
Within minutes of buying it someone PM'd me on here with an offer for an entire 750T minus the frame, wheels, suspension and engine for dirt cheap, but the tank on that one will need paint before it sees road use.

No, it isn't a direct bolt on either, but I made it fit.
The L tank is slightly too narrow underneath to fit on the T frame, but a few well placed hammer swings made it JUST wide enough to be squeezed on.
The posts with the rubbers at the front of the frame fit the L tank, but the holes on the rear flange of the L tank don't quite line up with the mounting holes on the frame.
The L tank is an inch longer than the T tank.
I just drilled new holes in the cross piece were the T tank bolts into, and bolted on the L tank.

For a temporary and cheap solution, it works pretty damn good though.
And so far no leaks or drips, and the smell of gas can no longer be detected every time I stop, lol.

For this trip, it will serve my purposes perfectly.
The L tank holds the same amount of fuel as the T tank does, and I kinda like the look of the L tank on there.
I will post up some pictures of it later today.

Hi Sandy, I agree, going down the Columbia Valley (HWY 93) would be the preferred way, but his plans appear nebulous after Banffff.
Cowboy Trail (HWY 22?), Forestry Trunk (HWY 40) to Coleman?, or even HWY 2 south (ugh),,..
Has the mudslide over the hiway at Fairmont been cleaned up?
We have to get home that way too, or do we mooch off you for a few more days?
We were at Johnson Landing exactly one year earlier than this years Mud Slide. Scary.
Kim would probably know those 4 people who didn't make it.

Hooch is pretty cheap down here, want me to bring a few barrels Back?
Can load up the trailer at Roosville.
Will move to Kalispel/Whitefish today,,.. Betty wants to upgrade to a Black Belt in Shopping there,,..

Tank, rember to take tons'o'photos. Put the camera in a bag on the handlebars. As you age (yes, you're still a youngster,,..) you'll forget.
My slide collection (still being scanned) is an endless source of memories and stories (real, embellished and otherwise,,..).
And your Naivety can only be assessed, After the Trip,,..

We WILL be on 93 after leaving Banff all the way to 3, then up to Fernie.
On our way out of Fernie we will be heading through Sparwood and Crowsnest Pass.
Where are you that hooch is cheap?
That's a Scotsmans two favorite things!!
Ahh, I see now, google showed me where.
I will have a camera in my tank bag with a capacity of 4700 pictures, lol.
Along with an ample supply of good batteries.

I can't thank you guys enough!!!

One question, how far apart are gas stations between Jasper and Fernie?

Thanks again,

Tank

 

[Sandy]

With your limited range the only place you'll need to be careful is between Jasper and Radium Hot Springs. After that you'll find gas every 30 - 40 kms. I don't know about gas stops between Edmonton and Jasper but they could also be far apart there too, better check.

Jasper to Saskatchewan River Crossing - 155 kms
Saskatchewan River Crossing to Lake Louise - 95 kms
Lake Louise to Radium 135 kms

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

We know from experience that gas between Lloydminster and Edmonton is going to be a tough one too.
There is gas in Vermilion but last time through we got to a station that was out of gas and the next one had gone out of business.
I suppose it's a good thing we're bringing a couple extra gallons!
Thanks for the info.


Tank

 

[Wizard]

Gasoline Availability
Jasper <1.5hrs> Sask RvR Xing <1hr> Lake Disease <.5hr> Banff
Lk Louise <1.5hrs> Radium (and worth every minute)
You need to fix up your bikes so you can get 250km out'a'tank, no worries then.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

I lowered my needle a notch, and have a full on 14.5 volt reading coming from the new R/R and stator (was 11.5 until last night) and I modified the PO installed improper air filter to allow more air in (I was running too rich) so that should help me a bit.
I do have the stock air filter lined up, but I won't be able to get it here until after the trip.
Once I got back to the stock filter and box I'll be set.

My friend gets spectacular mileage, but has a tiny little tank, not quite 2 gallons, lol.

With the information you guys gave me and the 2 extra gallons I'll be carrying we shouldn't have any problems.

Thanks again guys!

Tank

 

[Wizard]

Ya know, all that space and weight used to carry gasoline is sposed to be used to carry BEER.
Here's another trick up my sleeve, its a web site I made to check out roads and ski conditions;
http://www3.telus.net/public/winiarz/WeatherCams.html
You can edit the HTML to your own needs, toss some webcams, add others.
With all the time wasted on the Intertron, you should at least be able to hand edit some simple HTML,,..

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

Hahaha, we actually just got a 12v insulated cooler duffel bag for the beers, and a few sammiches.
That web cam site is a great idea. I book marked it for future use.
I built a site or two many moons ago, but haven't tried recently.

I took some pictures of my bike with the 850L tank on it, and a couple pictures of the insides of my old tank compared to my newer one.


Left side:

Right side:

Rear:

Inside of my original T tank:

Inside of new 850L tank:

And this is the bottom of my original T tank. on the right side of the picture the tank was covered in Bondo which I ground off hoping to find the original petcock holes, but once I got into it I could tell it would never work. On the left side of the picture was where the old non oem petcock was installed. It took a lot of welding to get the old holes filled, and then to plug all the tiny little leaks we made by trying to weld on such a thin tank. Have you ever wanted to punch a PO in his face???

Tank

 

[bccap]

If you lose the sandwiches, there's more room for beer.....

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

I suppose the sammiches will disappear at close to the same rate as the beers!

 

[Wizard]

I think I've seen that bike before, in the Movie:
Mad Max; Beyond Thunder & Chrome
Since you're from Saskabush it mighta been:
Aliens, In Banff no one can hear you Scream (its too dam noisy)
Or, since you're in Bear Country, it might of been the B&W Classic:
Rebel, Without the Claws
Or the trailer for the upcoming PsycoThriller:
Hybrid, when Good Bikes Go Bad
Or in the romp:
The Fast and The Furriest
And the Sequel:
Faster and Furrier

Funny thing is, I'lll probably be passing you on the hiway, near Castle Junction.

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

HAhahaa, too funny, I love the mad max look to it, but sadly I didn't add the side panels or custom seat, all PPO work.
I DO have all the missing parts I need coming soon though, the seat, proper tank, side panels and name plates, even fenders that haven't been sanded and very poorly repainted.
So once I get all those parts, and do a little painting and polishing it will once again look like the 750T that it's suppose to look like.
Mechanically though it's sound.
Everywhere I ride around here is full on 100km/h+ and usually an hour or more away, because of that keep it running safely and soundly is more important than how it looks.

Tank

 

[Wizard]

,,.. but wait!, there's more!,,..
James Bond: The Spy who Loved my Bike
James Bond: From Radium with Love
James Bond: Die Another Day (I'm tired of riding right now,,..)
James Bond: On Her Majesty's Delivery Service
James Bond: Live and Let the Poor Bike Die Already
James Bond: The National Park is Not Enough
James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies, but it will be Hung Over
James Bond: A View to A Lookout
James Bond: The Man with the Golden Brake Caliper
James Bond: Metzlers are Forever
James Bond: Casino Reserve
James Bond: GlassEye (after the accident)
James Bond: For Your Butt Only

Hey, this is fun,,..

Indiana Jones and the Tour of Doom

Family calling me to beach,,.. gotta go,,..

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

LOL, where do you come up with these?


As promised, here are pics of my hillbilly saddle bags. Total cost was free!
I still need to get another black one, as that yellow one is broken and well, NOT black.

The two outermost bolts hold it onto the bike where the grab bar would normally mount. The center hex head bolt only holds the crate to the bar, and keeps the crate from rotating. They look like they are on quite the angle in the pictures, but with the bike off the center stand and me sitting on it they look much more level.
Also the 'tilt' of them keeps them from hitting the bottom of the shock.

Just because there will be gas cans and gear in these I came up with this solution to make it nearly impossible for the bottoms of the crates to get anywhere near the rear tire. I leaned hard on the outsides of the crates and could not get them to flex much at all. They are very solid and 'in place'.

Only two more days left!

Tank

 

[tkent02]

You should paint them green, as nobody will believe it's not a KLR 650 anyway.

 

[Vmass]

Sounds like a road trip that would make a great documentary.......is there a videographer biker in the house, up for a road trip?

 

[Wizard]

If this was Indonesia, you'd have yourself a Taxi there.
Or an RV with MotherInLaw Suites.

Don't put your Salmonala Sandwiches in there over the pipes, unless its a Queersnose style Toasted Sub.

When you say "lean hard" would that include dragging plastic, on corners.
Might grind the edge off, lose stuff.
Trail of bread crumbs?
You won't get sparks, but maybe some smoke? Cool.
You could screw on a few Donor Bolts in the outer corners, make a shower of sparks.

Desperation is the Mother of Invention, love it.
If ya really want a match, I got a yellow one in the garage, free!

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Empties (those are a nickel each!)

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

You should paint them green, as nobody will believe it's not a KLR 650 anyway.

Lol, they would look more at home on my friends KLX, but not enough HP for the extra weight. He already taxes it with his 260lbs!

Sounds like a road trip that would make a great documentary.......is there a videographer biker in the house, up for a road trip?

I bet it would be a good documentary, but no videographer sadly. My camera will take videos, but they are of sub par quality. I decided to bring my laptop with me as the milk crates provide much more room than I thought we'd need, so I should be able to post pictures along the way!

If this was Indonesia, you'd have yourself a Taxi there.
Or an RV with MotherInLaw Suites.

Don't put your Salmonala Sandwiches in there over the pipes, unless its a Queersnose style Toasted Sub.

When you say "lean hard" would that include dragging plastic, on corners.
Might grind the edge off, lose stuff.
Trail of bread crumbs?
You won't get sparks, but maybe some smoke? Cool.
You could screw on a few Donor Bolts in the outer corners, make a shower of sparks.

Desperation is the Mother of Invention, love it.
If ya really want a match, I got a yellow one in the garage, free!

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Empties (those are a nickel each!)

Hahaha, wizard you make me laugh.

By "leaned on it" I meant I pushed down hard on the outside of the crates to see if they'd come anywhere near the rear tire.
I like your idea of the bolts though, what a sight that would be!
I haven't been able to find a black milk crate either so I could probably use a yellow one! Looks like I'll be going mismatched, haha.



Went on a 120 mile/200 km ride today to get some supplies and test out my mileage after the mods I did.
Got 34 MPG, a very nice improvement!
Bike ran great the whole time, no foreseeable problems.

I installed a 12v power outlet with a switch and fuse on my bike for running the cooler bag, and charging cell phones and my laptop.

I have a bluetooth ready HJC helmet with little mesh pockets for the bluetooth earphones but since I can't afford an intercom right now, I put headphones in there so I can listen to MP3's while I ride.

Got 16 AA batteries for the camera and LED flashlights.

We are almost done packing up, won't be long now and we will be off!!



Tank

 

[tkent02]

When will you be in Banff?
I'm leaving Tuesday for Seattle, Banff is on the way, isnt it?

 

[Steel Toed Tank]

I will be getting to Lake Louise (very close to Banff), AB on the 23rd and the 24th, and for the early morning of the 25 when we head south.
Where are you going to Seattle from? If it's from Colorado then it is definitely not on the way.
Although you are one guy I would like to meet up with sometime.
Your posting style reminds me of a couple of my friends.



This is going to be awesome.

Tank

 

[tkent02]

Where are you going to Seattle from? If it's from Colorado then it is definitely not on the way.

I got almost a week to get there...

Hmmm.. It's mountains all the way to the coast from there, right...

I like mountains...