“All motorcycles are adventure bikes,” the intro of Biltwell’s Operation Numbnuts blog reads, and it takes no more than a second to get the innuendo. Photos of mud-covered Pans and Shovels, juxtaposed perfectly with Harley’s new Pan Pam ADV bikes, immediately spells out the message.
It takes more than a few loose screws to do what these guys did, covering 4,000 miles across Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia, with nothing more than camping gear and a military surplus chase vehicle. But if it wasn’t a bit nutty, would it really be an adventure?
The whole endeavor was several years in the making, and almost didn’t happen at all, due to COVID lockdowns and technical difficulties with Biltwell’s demilitarized LMTV chase rig. Not to mention the effort required to prepare five vintage HDs and spare parts for the excursion, including two Panheads and three Shovels — some of which are full-fledged choppers.
With a fleet of six well-used Harley Pan Am press bikes added to the equation, the crew set off from Washington to Whittier, Alaska, as prepared as could be for at least 20 days in the elements.
Prudhoe Bay was the ultimate destination, and the route would take them through Anchorage, Denali and desolate Coldfoot on their way to Alaska’s northern coast. Covering something like 200 miles a day, the crew would then turn back south, traveling through Yukon and British Columbia before returning to Washington.
Harleys in the Arctic Circle, who does this? The amount of mischief and mechanical hiccups encountered along the way left nothing to be desired, with everything from mud and rain, to bears, broken transmissions and oil leaks.
To get properly immersed in experience, you need to check out Biltwell’s blog and photography, and I’ll file the part about running the Dalton Highway under mandatory reading. The route is one of the most isolated stretches of “road” you’ll find anywhere, and is mostly gravel. And these guys ran it on vintage Harleys — in the rain!
Great motorcycle adventure odysseys are few, but like the first viewing of 21 Days Under the Sky, Biltwell’s Operation Numbnuts will inspire you to get out into the unknown on two wheels. It’s impossible to summarize the soul-altering journey in the saddle from my desk chair, so take it from the Bilwell crew themselves in their blog. [Biltwell]
