Welcome to Chasing 60, a three-part feature recounting our ride to the Arctic Circle. Enjoy and be sure to check back for the next chapters. -Ed.
“We should ride to the Arctic Circle!”
This simple seven-word statement, made as a passing comment in late 2024, kicked off months of planning and preparation that culminated on May 27, 2025 as we rolled up to the sign in the Yukon Territories that announces that you have arrived at 66 degrees north latitude, a.k.a. the Arctic Circle. Taking in the unique surroundings that only a small percentage of Canadians will ever experience, thoughts naturally drifted back to “how did we get here?”
Well, the year 2025 was always going to be significant in my world. In addition to reaching the milestone age of 60, it also marks the year that my wife Heidi and I decided to retire from the corporate world and get on with enjoying a distraction-free life where we can focus on things that really matter.
So how does a ride to the Arctic Circle tie into this new stage of life? Honestly, for the first time in my adult life I had the time to celebrate and mark a significant birthday in a big way. Where the occasions of turning 30, 40 and 50 were each memorable in their own way, I wanted to take advantage of this newfound scheduling freedom and undertake an adventure to mark my 60th trip around the sun. Somewhere along the way, the idea of celebrating 60 by going north of the 60th parallel came into being. After that, all it took was above noted passing comment to Heidi, and her immediate response of “You absolutely have to do this!” meant that I was going to the Arctic Circle. Of course, as always there were more than a few logistical items that had to be sorted out.
The Bikes
While a desire to follow in Charlie and Ewan’s footsteps will lead many adventurers to jump aboard a BMW GS or a similar heavy adventure bike, the goals for this trip included doing it in a manner that would be unique and interesting. Looking back to the summer of 2024 when I had the privilege of being one of the first people in North America to test the all new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, this model kept popping up on the list of motorcycles under consideration for a trip up the Dempster highway.
Designed and built for cultures where motorcycles are a main mode of transportation, Royal Enfield has a rich history of building practical bikes that eschew the latest bells and whistles, instead focusing on delivering “Everything You Need. Nothing You Don’t.” This mantra was evident when the original Royal Enfield Himalayan was introduced in 2016. Delivering a basic dual sport motorcycle at an affordable price point, the Himalayan quickly garnered a loyal following of enthusiasts travelling to the far reaches of the globe including the bike’s namesake mountain range.
Fast forward to the 2025 model year and Royal Enfield rolled out the updated Himalayan 450. Complete with the all-new Sherpa 452 cc liquid-cooled engine, upgraded suspension, ride by wire throttle with selectable modes and revised ergonomics, this latest iteration of the Himalayan had proven surprisingly capable during aggressive off-road riding during our original test ride. (You can read our original review by clicking here). The more time passed, the more the Himalayan 450 became the front runner to take on this Chasing 60 adventure. Yes, at 40 horsepower it would likely be unpowered for the long stretches of highway that stood between Calgary and the Arctic Circle and it lacked some of the features of other bikes (heated grips anyone?), but given that this model was just starting to arrive on showroom floors, Inside Motorcycles could lay claim to being the first to ride the new Himalayan to the Arctic Circle.
You never know until you ask, so I placed a call to Nathan Kolbe, Royal Enfield’s Head of Marketing for the Americas Region and pitched him on the concept. It took a little bit of back and forth but the opportunity for the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 to be front and centre in this adventure quickly won them over.
The Gear
Researching the trip, it quickly became apparent that while what to ride was important, what to wear was equally important. Travelling from Calgary at 51 degrees north latitude to the Arctic Circle some 1,700 kilometres to the north comes with the potential to encounter temperatures ranging from comfortable springtime weather to near (or even below) freezing. Along the way it is a fairly safe bet that you will encounter rain and maybe even snow, while riding through dirt, mud, gravel and sand. With this mind, adventure gear built to accommodate versatility as well as protection and comfort was a must.
Highlighting how stars can sometimes align, at the same time as plans for this trip were coming together, the teams from Kimpex and Leatt reached out to inquire if I would be able to test some gear. With Leatt having recently expanded their lineup to include specific adventure riding focused products, the timing was indeed perfect as I would eventually head out on this trip wearing the company’s 9.5 ADV Helmet (read the review here), Multitour 7.5 Jacket and Pants (review upcoming), HydraDri 7.5 Boots (read the review here) and waterproof HydraDri 7.5 gloves (read the review here).
Another challenge to be overcome was the need to document this trip, collecting both still images and video. In search of a solution that would also be able to handle the elements and terrain, I reached out to Motovan’s Joe Fragapane who recommended the Insta360 X4 motorcycle bundle. The camera’s robust construction combined with the ability to capture 8K 360 degree video and still images elevated it to must have status for the trip (read our Insta360 X4 review here).
Just like Royal Enfield; Leatt, Kimpex and Motovan are all examples of true partnerships, willing to step up and help this adventure move from idea to reality. Yes, products will be promoted and highlighted in this story, but the reality is that without their support, this adventure would not have been possible.
Who to go with
There was short-lived point early on in planning this trip that I considered doing this trip on my own. Quickly realizing that this would be reckless, especially considering that I have never done a trip like this and possess riding skills that would be generously described as limited when riding on anything other than pavement, I reached out to my good friend and Inside Motorcycles contributor, Carey Fougere.
In addition to be a motorcycle road racer and instructor, Carey is a true adventurer who has literally ridden around the world and as a bonus has traveled the Dempster highway multiple times. Even better, Carey is also turning 60 in 2025 so the whole celebrating 60 by going north of 60 theme remained intact.
Always an animated storyteller, and a major fan of desserts, there is a never a dull moment when Carey is around. If nothing else there would be lots of laughs on this trip.
The Route
Anyone who has done any kind road trip knows that planning a route is great – some would say important – but being flexible as the actual trip gets underway and evolves is a required reality. In the case of the Dempster highway, everyone I spoke to who had ridden it before were quick to point out that the 400 kilometre stretch of dirt that separates the Alaska Highway from the Arctic Circle will offer up any one of a dozen personalities depending on the weather and time of year. They also cautioned not get fooled by the presence of asphalt on the rest of route and that the condition of the Alaska Highway itself, especially once you get north of Fort Nelson, BC can and will vary from day to day, resulting in unexpected delays
Another factor to consider was the need to have time to stop and capture content along the way as opposed to just putting our heads down and cranking out the miles. With this in mind and taking into account Carey’s wish to incorporate the Cassiar Highway into the return portion of the trip, we agreed on a 6,700-kilometre route that limited our average daily distance to 550 km with the longest single day being just over 700 km.
When to go
With questions of what to ride, what to wear, who to ride with and where to go all answered, the only remaining item to be determined was when. While the advice of experienced Arctic Circle travellers consistently pointed to the window from mid-June to late August as the optimum time when the weather is most predictable, scheduling conflicts meant that this adventure was going to kick off earlier than recommended leaving Calgary on May 22 and returning 12 days later on June 2.
This time of year also impacted potential routes as any hope of traveling beyond the Arctic Circle would require multiple rides on ferries that don’t commence regular schedules until at least June. I guess that means a return trip in the future will be required. I can work with that.
This timeline was definitely risky when considering the real potential for cooler temperatures, rain and snow (Yikes!), but it is meant to be an adventure. With dates locked in and accommodation lined up all that was left to do was pick up the bikes and head out on the road.
And we’re off, almost
Leading up to the trip, the team from Royal Enfield’s North American headquarters in Milwaukee were focused on making sure that we would not only have the bikes for the trip but also the accessories required to protect against the elements and road conditions while accommodating the need to carry sufficient luggage and gear for a two week trip.
Step number one – the arrival of the motorcycles – went off without a hitch as two brand-new still-in-the-crate Himalayan 450s arrived at Calgary’s Cycle Works dealership in time for the service team to get them road ready.
Step number two – the accessory kits for both bikes – hit a snag outside of everyone’s control as the shipment got held up at customs and then was further delayed by the courier company that left the packages sitting in their Calgary warehouse for several days. In the end with the courier company indicating that it wouldn’t be delivering until four days after our scheduled departure (why would a courier company want to have any form of customer service or even the ability to contact them and arrange alternate delivery or pickup) Carey and I made the decision to forego the accessory kits and stick with our original timeline as we had other commitments that would not allow the trip to slide by, at least, four days.
And now we’re off
On May 22, with my old, non-waterproof, saddlebags jerry rigged to the bike, and wearing my perfectly clean, brand new Leatt gear, it was time to get moving. As cool as I looked rolling out of my neighbourhood, the reality is that I was just riding 40 minutes to meet Carey in the nearby town of Cochrane. Armed with the knowledge that we had lots of daylight, rushing to get on the highway gave way to a relaxed beverage at Tim Horton’s, which is after all the natural habitat of many adventure bikes.
It was during this initial stop that it became apparent that the Royal Enfield Himalayans draw a lot of attention. In the few minutes it took me to top up the fuel tank, multiple people stopped to ask about the bike. This was a theme that would continue throughout the trip as riders and non-riders were fascinated by the bikes, some remembering Royal Enfield from their youth, others getting their first look at the new Himalayan and some who just thought they looked unique and interesting. Either way, from a PR perspective, it appeared that we had picked the right bikes.
To be continued…
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