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Jacqueline

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Jacqueline

I have been planning for the past 8 months, a return trip to Alaska. The purpose of the trip (if one really needs a reason to go to Alaska, other then it's ALASKA :thumbsup: )was to donate my bike to the Alaska Transportation Museum in Wasilla. (Wasilla, the only place I have ever gotten a ticket while on my bike.)

 

On my trip up there 7 years ago, (WOW 7 years ago, time flies)the Museum did not have a single motorcycle! I thought it would be an appropriate last resting place for my bike... better then where Richard's GT ended up :cry: !

 

I tried repeatedly over the past 8 months to get a hold of someone at the Museum to see if they would accept my donation. I left voice mail, and sent email after email (to various numbers and email addresses).

 

Thought I (we) would take a different route to Alaska and see a few of the Alaskan towns you can not get to by road.... by way of the Alaska Marine Highway. Anyone who has taken this route knows one has to book early to get a spot (or two) for the bikes.

 

On Jan 2nd, still unable to get a hold of anyone from the Museum, I grabbed the last two spots on the Ferry. The plan....Richard and I are going to ride up to Bellingham, WA and catch the Ferry to Whittier, Alaska. Ride around Alaska for a week, drop my bike at the Museum and I will fly home, while Richard takes another week and a half to ride back down through BC.

 

Great plan.... except I finally got to talk to someone today at the Museum. Seems they are barely getting by. Funds have been cut from all Government sources and the economy is just not good for the Museum. They are not taking any donations unless it's monetary donations. They would be glad to accept my bike, to turn around and sell it :dopeslap:. (The Museum received it's first motorcycle last year.... and I guess it's going to be the only motorcycle).

 

So now I have a month to figure out what I am going to do.... :P. I can not take another week to ride back down. While I am a member of the Iron Butt Association, I am out of shape to do an Iron Butt from Alaska to California. Ride south, leave the bike fly home, the following weekend fly up, ride south, leave the bike fly home, and repeat.

 

I am sure there are those of you saying just cancel the trip. That is not going to happen!

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

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Surely someone can step up and store the bike in Anchorage somewhere until the Museum gets their s#*t together. How about Barb at AL Leathers?

 

Sarah's house? :grin:

 

Hang in, something will come up.

 

 

MB >

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Jacqueline,

 

You have always had good fortune on your trips.

It will continue.

Go, ask.

Someone will step up.

 

Leave it at the BMW place on consignment?

Craigslist it with will deliver to Alaska?

 

I remember you picking the bike up when it was new.

:)

We all knew great times were ahead and you certainly

proved us correct, but showed us we vastly underestimated

the power of the Hoon.

:Cool:

Miss you.

:wave:

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Jacqueline

Mark I am going to contact Barb and see what she might have to say.

 

Tim, I don't want to sell the bike. I want to find her a nice final resting place. She's not just a bike to me. :)

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You gonna get a new ride, or is the Miata fulfilling your need for adventure? Inquiring minds need to know.

 

I'd say ride 2-up with Richard on the Marine Highway... not so much riding on a ship. Then rent a bike in Anchorage for your week in AK.

 

 

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Look to one of the other motorcycle museums to take your GS later, or maybe one of the local dealerships would put it on display. I know that one where we took Phil's class... Roseville? has a lot of bikes on display.

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Jacqueline
You gonna get a new ride, or is the Miata fulfilling your need for adventure? Inquiring minds need to know.

 

Once Raven has a new home, I will be getting another bike. Not sure what yet, maybe another F650.

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roadscholar

Hi Jacqueline, long time no see :wave:

 

This may be a long shot but I'd give it a go, contact the Barber Museum and ask for Brian Slark, nice guy and I believe still heads up restoration and procurement. They have Jim Rogers' around-the-world airhead RT (Investment Biker) and I think a few other 'well traveled' bikes but I haven't been there in years to see what's new.

 

You'd just need to convince them of the significance of an adventuresome female quitting work and heading off solo from Fla. to Alaska in search of a new life, and all the prep, zany side trips, trials, tribulations, and people and places encountered, culminating in the trip of a lifetime. Which btw I think is entirely feasible, it would be a great example to show women that solo long distance MC travel is a worthwhile and rewarding endeavor.

 

The museum business is tough, and unless there's an enthusiast/benefactor (like Barber or Dale Walksler, Wheels Through Time) plus a good location, keeping the doors open can be a struggle.

 

If (it may be a big one) they were inclined, picking up the tab for shipping a bike from Ak. to Birmingham is small potatoes for them.

 

A medium shot is I might be able to get a preliminary or follow-up query to Brian thru a mutual friend if you're interested.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jacqueline

 

A medium shot is I might be able to get a preliminary or follow-up query to Brian thru a mutual friend if you're interested.

 

 

Hi Bill :wave:,

 

Yes, Yes, Yes, I am interested! You are always a wealth of ideas. Thank you

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roadscholar

 

A medium shot is I might be able to get a preliminary or follow-up query to Brian thru a mutual friend if you're interested.

 

 

Hi Bill :wave:,

 

Yes, Yes, Yes, I am interested! You are always a wealth of ideas. Thank you

 

I'll work on it but like in the original post, probably a long shot. They likely get people wanting to donate bikes all the time, and Guinness recently named it largest motorcycle museum in the world so don't set the hope bar too high. Doesn't hurt to shoot the moon once in a while though, never know when you'll strike a chord.

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Aufevermike

There are several things you could do. You can have it stored at a member's place for a future ride back. You could list it on Craig's List at either the Kenai Peninsula or Anchorage area and I'm sure it'll sell quickly. I have room in the back of my shed If you need to as well. You could sell your bike or put it in a museum down there and ride a new 2014 RT up here and "store" it at my place???lol

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roadscholar

 

A medium shot is I might be able to get a preliminary or follow-up query to Brian thru a mutual friend if you're interested.

 

 

Hi Bill :wave:,

 

Yes, Yes, Yes, I am interested! You are always a wealth of ideas. Thank you

 

 

Jacqueline, good news, they're interested! You should contact Brian Slark at the Barber Museum (Bslark@barbermuseum.org) or call. Here's the email exchange:

 

 

Thanks Brian!

 

That is great news. We are very pleased with your positive and prompt reply. As I mentioned, this idea came from Bill Ferran, and I know he will expedite Jacquelin's contact with you very soon. I know she will be extremely honored to be a part of the fantastic Barber Motorsports Museum. Looking forward to seeing you again in October.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

PS. Great news about the ACE motor. Those inline 4s are are among my favorites, whether in and ACE or an Indian.

 

From: "Brian Slark"

To: motowarrior@comcast.net

Sent: Monday, June 9, 2014 10:05:14 AM

Subject: RE: Bike to Donate - From Bill Robinson

 

Hi Bill,

We certainly would be interested in having Jaqueline’s bike here as a donation. As you mentioned, the Jim Rogers exhibit is very popular with our visitors. Her BMW would fit in well. Have Jaquelin contact me and we can go over the procedures.

I feel that we got as much out of our presence at RiH as you did. We got a great lead on an ACE motor from one of your members, and Jeff picked it up in California last week, so you should see that bike running soon!

Best

Brian

 

From: motowarrior@comcast.net [mailto:motowarrior@comcast.net]

Sent: Monday, June 09, 2014 7:30 AM

To: Brian Slark

Subject: Bike to Donate - From Bill Robinson

 

Hi Brian,

 

So good to see you and the guys and all of the amazing bikes at Riding Into History. Your exhibit did a great deal to make our event a big success. Your efforts on our behalf were well appreciated by all.

 

A good friend of mine, Bill Ferran, contacted me with an idea about a donation motorcycle for the museum. It isn't a collector bike, but it has a great story about an independent woman rider attached to it. I have pasted his email below for your consideration. Please let me know if you think it would be good for Barber or if you have any other ideas for it.

 

Best wishes,

Bill

 

Hey guys, I had an idea. I think you both remember Jacqueline that lived in Deland and sometimes came to BMWNEF events around 2004-7 and bought her F650 from Dusty. She ended up riding solo across country (part of it on a zig-zag route I gave her) and then onto Alaska where she got part time work and then explored some of the nether reaches of the state, chronicling her adventure in a blog (forum) with photos. It had been a goal she'd spent a long time planning and quit a good job to do.

 

She now lives outside San Francisco and has made plans to ride back to Ak again with her husband (who she met on the 1st trip) but putting their bikes on ferry's to hop-skip the water route seeing Ak towns not reachable by land. Her plan was to donate her F650 to the Alaska Transportation Museum, but after finally talking to someone determined they were faltering financially and were no longer accepting donations unless it was monetary.

 

This is where we come in : ) Bill, if I'm not wrong I think we first met Brian Slark the time we rode to the old museum in downtown Brmhm and a subsequent time or two at the new museum. I know you guys have furthered the relationship thru RIH and Amelia Island. The question is, do you think they'd be interested in her bike? I know they have Jim Rogers R100RT (Investment Biker) and probably a couple other well-travelled bikes, and granted her adventure wasn't as significant in the bigger scheme of things, but I think it would be a worthy example to show a lot of women (think how many peruse that museum with SO's) that solo moto travel is really fun, sometimes exciting, but most of all, with the right attitude, nothing to be afraid of.

 

Jacqueline and Richard (great guy btw) set sail for Ak in 3-4 weeks and she's in a dilemna about what to do with the bike. She doesn't really want to ride it back, just donate it to someplace where it might get some recognition and appreciation.

 

Anyway I told her I'd see if there was anything my upper level connections could swing and we'd take it from there : )

 

Here's a link to her big adventure. It's quite long, but nicely written and photographed, with humor, some drama, and touching moments, it could make a good book (and Larry you're in it, so am I a little bit : )) Thanks guys, anything you could do is appreciated. Ferran

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=186357#Post1

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Jacqueline

Bill :clap::cry: what can I say...... I am over whelmed with all kinds of emotions right now. I will contact Brian later today. You are one of the few people who get it. Thank you my friend!

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roadscholar

Jacqueline, yours is a great story and sounds like there are a few chapters yet to be written. It appears you and your bike will be an inspiration to a lot of women for a long time.

 

Looks like a good excuse for a ride to the Barber! :thumbsup:

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