Binh stopped at the Seattle Scooter Center to service his Symba on his way...

SYMBA Ride To Alaska – Off To Alaska!

Hi folks,

Sorry for not being more prompt in sending pics and such.  I’d been really busy finalizing everything from prepping the bike to tying up loose ends before I go.  I wasn’t able to break-in the bike fully but got 70+ miles running around town.  Just need to take it easy on the bike till Seattle.  So far the Symba has been a joy to ride, could actually keep up with traffic now compared to my Metropolitan.

So to answer some questions that you have:

I always wanted to go to Alaska to see it before it gets muck up more then it already has.  Alaska is sort of “the last frontier” for us and is considered to be about as adventurous as you can get without leaving the country or at least the developed world for a motorbike ride.  Many think of it as a wilderness but along the roads it is more developed then most undeveloped countries.  Almost everyone thinks I’m crazy to do this trip on such a small bike but that is what I find challenging and adventurous.  When I go on trips, I like to keep it as simple and spontaneous as possible.  No real plan or destination really cause the journey is the soul of the trip.  I’d pick the arctic circle/ocean cause that gives me more of a journey.  I’m very confident in my abilities and resourcefulness and live in the moment as much as I can hence I have no real itinerary or plan except to the make the trip.  Too much planning takes the adventure out of a trip like this.
This trip like any of my trips is an accumulation of years of experience traveling, riding, camping and adventuring.  I have always had a desire, a need, a drive to wander and explore.

My longest scooter trips are from San Jose to Denver (Ruckus) and San Jose to Seattle (Metropolitan).  Both trips were about 2500 miles round trip and took 3 days there, three days back.  My longest day on a scooter ride was about 540 miles on the first day’s ride to Denver on my then Ruckus.  I also do long rides on my motorcycle but find that it is too easy and isn’t as enjoyable as a small bike.  The reason I like to go on trips with a small bike is the slow pace that is very relaxing and I’m able to see things around me while on the move.  Originally I was going to do this trip on my Metropolitan but Pete heard about me riding to Alaska so we worked out a deal for me to ride the Symba.

I’m self reliant so this trip is a self sustain one.  No chase vehicle, no riding partner, everything I need will be carried with me or can be had along the way.  Pete McIntosh and the folks at Carter Bros. is there to send me anything I need for the Symba if it comes to that but I believe the Symba is capable of a trip like this.

For the folks that want to do long rides, multi-day rides you only need the desire and to free your mind of constraints.

I’m leaving today and will be in Seattle by Sunday night.  I’ll update you then.  Also I just loaded up some pics on my photobucket for you to download.  Once again due to my limited bandwidth on photobucket, please download the images instead of connecting directly to my photobucket file/pics.
http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/binhkc/Symba%20Alaska/

To read  more exciting entries in Binh's journal, click HERE.