The Alaskan

“We spent nearly two weeks beginning in Anchorage and making a big circle across the Denali Highway up to Manley Springs and down to the Petersville Mining Road. I had done a scouting trip on a rental bike the summer before so I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go. Overall the entire trip was very gratifying. I had five truly great friends along, and the bike performed even better than I anticipated. Every time I was charging up some muddy track and the bike was really hooking up, or I could get my knees lodged up under the tank that I formed by hand months earlier it made me really happy. The bike came home with some cosmetic damage but looks all the better for it.” – Alex Earle

“I grew up backpacking and cycling in my home state of Utah and Colorado. That is where I started mountain biking and snowboarding when those sports were in their infancy. Highly influenced by those early, experimental years when there was no established formula for building that kind of equipment. I still remember the early builds by John Parker’s Yetis Cycles and Doug Bradbury at Manitou who were hand-building in their Colorado Springs shops. They were so innovative and cool!” But it wasn’t until much later that his passion for mountain biking evolved into dirt biking. “I was blown away when I realized for the same money I was dropping on exotic high-end bicycles; I could have an ultra-powerful Yamaha or KTM.” It was also around that time that he stumbled across a Ducati M900 parked outside a shop in Denver. “The attitude and mechanical nature of that machine set me on a path leading to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.” During his time at ACCD, he landed an internship at Renault and later went to work as a Porsche exterior designer. “I’ve been working for German OEM’s ever since.”

Years ago Alex saw a beautiful print brochure for the KTM 990 Adventure. “I think the location shoot was Iceland. The environment, solitude, rugged equipment, self-sufficiency all appealed to me.” Since then he’s been biding his time waiting for an opportunity to do something like that himself. “I initially developed the Ducati Desert Sled concept bike back in 2014, and I was pleased with all the improvements they made to the production frame, swing-arm and suspension. I could see a huge untapped potential with this platform and decided to build a long-range adventure bike for myself.” Alex’s newest build is really about taking something he built by hand and testing its mettle in a pretty unforgiving place. “I had no assurances it would work before it arrived in Anchorage” But Alex designed the Alaskan with a specific carrying capacity, range and tire/wheel package suited for the terrain he planned to cover. “As a designer, I was very pleased with the final look and character of the bike. For me, the current group of adventure products has become too complicated and robotic. They seem rather out of place in the environments in which they are meant to be used. I was looking for robust simplicity.”

So Alex’s vision was simple and singular. “Build a bike for the back roads and trails of Alaska, and make some memories. The vast distances and remote locations require a high degree of self-sufficiency and flexibility.” The air-cooled V-twin 4-stroke motorcyle has seen some significant upgrades from its factory shipped condition. Alex originally chose the 2017 Ducati Desert Sled for its stock suspension, frame qualities, and the relatively unpretentious 803cc power-plant. “Admittedly the sled could use a few more horses on the highway. But in the dirt, the power is ample and easily controlled. All the more reason to stay on the dirt!” For a bit more power a Termignoni exhaust was fitted up high and hidden away behind the custom-made pannier racks. Keeping it out of harm’s way and protecting the rider from any possible burns in the case of a spill on the trail.

The swing-arm has been lengthened by almost three inches with custom-made extensions. This increased the wheelbase out to 62” which helps to even out the load while giving better stability at higher speeds. The rims have been swapped out for Excel A60’s favored by enduro and motocross riders for their strength in racing applications. Alex changed out the rear for an 18” while increasing the front to a 21” giving the sled some true off-road capability. “This wheel package is critical if you intend to use a bike off-road. The skinny 21″ front cuts through sand and mud, and climbs easily over taller obstacles.” These rim sizes also allow for a broader range of adventure orientated tire choices with Alex favoring the Pirelli Scorpion Rally and XC Mid Hard combination. The final drive has also been geared down to a 14 front and 48 rear set of sprockets giving a bit more delivery to the rear wheel in slow trick riding scenarios. Alex’s maintained the original brake rotors and Brembo calipers but plumbed them together directly bypassing the ABS block.

Alex’s hand formed a six-gallon fuel tank specifically for the Alaskan adventure. Along with the rear located unit, the Alaskan now boasts an all round 8 gal / 13.5 l fuel capacity. Coupled with the Ducati spec sheet numbers of 47 mpg / 5 L per 100km it gives the middleweight adventure machine a practical range. The specially designed solo seat from Saddlemen is comfortable and grippy without giving away too much real-estate. A specially sourced Warn winch is attached the Kriega OS Platform that also carries the Kriega luggage system. “I prefer the ability of soft bags to expand and contract as needed. I don’t go to populated areas where security is a real issue either. I prefer the more organic look of a soft bag to the big metal cubes that make the back of your bike look like a shipping container.”

The valve covers, mirrors, levers and my Alex’s favorite rally footpegs are from Rizoma. A Protaper Evo handlebar, Cycra hand guards, and heated grips ride up front along with the original switchgear and instrument panel now mounted on a new carbon mounting system. As with all top project the steering stabilizer is supplied by Scotts Performance Products. For some rider comfort, Alex designed a custom carbon fiber wind deflector that now sits above an LED main headlamp in a customized protective cage along with a Baja Designs auxiliary light. Also fabricated in-house is the custom heavy duty crash bars, carbon fiber skid plate and low slung front wheel fender. Navigation was a simple endeavor via the Butler map for adventurous riders, and Alex’s handlebar mounted iPhone.

As for the results of Alex’s two-week expedition. “There were a few teething pains that I was able to fix in the field, like leaks from the fuel fittings. Of course, I was initially stressed about a lot of things that were put into use without thorough vetting, but there is really only one way to find out. After a few days in the bush, I stopped worrying. The throttle response, traction, tire/wheel package, load capacity and 250 mi / 402 km range were all better than I anticipated.” The Alaskan has now made its way back to Alex’s garage in Los Angeles where he’s got some new plans in mind. “It exceeded my expectations as an off-roader,” he says. “Working well in that environment, with deep river crossings, mud, snow, and gravel. Now that the Alaskan is back at home I have started the teardown process to see how everything survived and think about how and what to produce. I’m also working on developing a stripped down version for fast, long-distance desert use.” One thing is sure though. With a passion for trend-setting builds Alex should will be back hitting the trails with some exciting wheels soon.

For more on Alex and his endeavors with Earle Motors follow him on Instagram and check out his website here.

Images by Christopher Thoms for Earle Motors.