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ADV NewsAll The Way Up: Dutch Adventurer Riding Yamaha R1 To North Pole

All The Way Up: Dutch Adventurer Riding Yamaha R1 To North Pole

A 3,000-mile journey to the North Pole in the dead of winter on a SportBike.

Published on 03.31.2020

Most riders hide from winter. Dutch adventure motorcyclist Sjaak Lucassen embraces it, seeing bitter cold, snow and ice as a path to one of the most remote places on earth. 

Early in 2021, Lucassen will ride his modified 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1, from Anchorage, Alaska to the geographic North Pole. The 3,000-mile journey includes hundreds of miles over sea ice, which means he has to go at the coldest time of the year in order for the ice to remain frozen. Due to the extreme conditions, the trip will require three winter seasons and over two years to complete.


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Sjaak’s journey to the North Pole during the peak of winter will mean he’ll have to battle temperatures as low as -40° F (-40° C) through skin piercing snowstorms. But Sjaak actually hopes temperatures stay as low as possible to decrease his chances of running into what he considers the biggest danger — falling through the open ice. Deep snow drifts and cracks in the ice could swallow the bike. And Sjaak will have to receive periodic weather updates and satellite data about open spots on the ice cap. Then there is the ever-present threat of polar bears who consider humans on the menu.

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1

He’ll be as independent as possible, hauling his own food, tools and camping gear in a sled and sleeping in a tent. To keep warm, Sjaak will use several different options including a generator, a motor, a heat gun, and fuel.

Given the small window in the year when temperatures drop to the extreme lows he needs to ride the polar ice, Lucassen is aiming to reach the North Pole in three stages:

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1

Stage 1 – Anchorage, Alaska to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada (1,800km/1,100 miles):  This section of the ride will be on winter roads, which will give Sjaak time to get used to the weather and his R1 as well as make any small modifications if needed.

Stage 2 – Tuktoyaktuk to Ward Hunt Island (2,300km/1,400 miles): Things get more challenging in 2022, when he’ll venture over the frozen Beaufort Sea and across coastal islands. He’ll have to avoid pressure ridges which can result in big blocks of ice piled up and is most likely going to require the navigational skills of a local guide. 

Stage 3 – Ward Hunt Island to North Pole (800km+/500miles+): Things get crazy in 2023 when he points the R1 directly north and heads out over the frozen ocean. Sjaak’s exact route will depend mainly on ice conditions. He’ll have to be on high alert for stretches of open water and the presence of huge pressure ridges could mean big detours. 

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1

So what’s the inspiration for this crazy adventure? Lucassen hatched the idea of a ride to the North Pole during an around-the-world trip he took in 1995. “In Pakistan, on the Karakoram Highway, I felt like I was on the end of the world. But it’s not the end of the world. The end of the world is the North Pole . That popped up in my mind and since then I kept in my mind to go there once in my life.” 

And why an R1? Sjaak has always preferred sportbikes for his adventures. He praises his R1 as reliable and surprisingly capable in rough terrain after airing down the tires.

The Test Run

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1

Sjaak had completed several winter rides before but he says none were as important as the one through Beaufort Sea. In February 2013, Lucassen rode over 6,200 miles on a R1 from the northernmost tip of the continental US to the southernmost tip, a test trip of sorts for the North Pole push. “To keep it a real motorcycle journey, I had put myself some limits. Like travelling the entire distance by using the bike’s strength and my own, so no physical help from others,” he explained. The journey began in the polar ice of Barrow, where there are no roads, which meant he had to ride over the frozen waters of the Beaufort Sea to civilization. 

The trip was an eye-opener for him, highlighting how far behind he still was in his planning and preparations. The tires were too stiff and not wide enough, and the bike would dig into soft snow. The tires were also too tall, making the bike difficult to upright after a tip over. The bike would also overheat if he covered the radiators, or not warm up enough if he didn’t. And his sled, which was big enough to carry all his supplies and sleep in, was far too heavy.

The Bike – Arctic 1

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1
Sjaak’s sled in 2013 was too big . He will now sleep in a tent and pull a lighter sled that can carry 150 kg of supplies.

To address the issues he experienced in his test run, Lucassen built another 2001 R1. Enter ‘Arctic 1,’ his new weapon built specifically for the North Pole expedition. The upgraded R1 rides on squishy, monster tires: 60-cm (23.6 inches) wide in the rear, and 40 cm (16 inches) in the front. No such motorcycle tire exists off the shelf, so Lucassen designed them himself and found a company to make them. He also widened the swingarm and designed a drive system with primary and secondary chains to accommodate the fat rear rubber. In the front he designed extra-wide triple clamps and modified the fairings to make it all fit, somehow managing to keep the R1’s sportbike lines intact.

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1
Sjaak can increase the height of his R1 for obstacles or lower it so it is easier to pick up the bike after a fall. An onboard compressor also allows him to deflate or inflate the tires while riding.
Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole tire studs
During his previous winter challenges, Sjaak used BestGrip studs. “They made such a difference that I am going to use them again, for sure,” he says.

In addition, Lucassen added a new radiator with more cooling capacity, heating elements to warm the carbs and the antifreeze, and had special oil developed that wouldn’t solidify in the extreme cold he’ll be facing. He will also carry a small generator to warm the bike for morning starts. The sled was also modified to make it lighter and ensure it can pull 150kg of supplies.

Sjaak Lucassen riding to North Pole on Yamaha R1

It’s taken 13 years of preparation for the trip and he’s not done yet. Lucassen is still working on the necessary permits and paperwork needed to access the North Pole and get the Guiness Book of World Records to recognize his attempt, raising money and finding a support driver to haul fuel during the last stretch and possibly provide protection from polar bears. There’s no big-money team behind the expedition, just a man and a dream most would consider crazy. But he embodies the DIY spirit, and you get the feeling that he’ll make it.

“If there is too much open water I’ll come back the next year,” he said. “And if there is too much open water in that year too, then I’ll make the bike float. But I will go to the North Pole .”

For more details check out Andy Davidson’s great interview with the man himself, Sjaak Lucassen, at madornomad.com

Follow Lucassen’s incredible journey on Facebook, YouTube or his website.

Author: Bob Whitby

Bob has been riding motorcycles since age 19 and working as a journalist since he was 24, which was a long time ago, let’s put it that way. He quit for the better part of a decade to raise a family, then rediscovered adventure, dual sport and enduro riding in the early 2000s. He lives in Arkansas, America’s best-kept secret when it comes to riding destinations, and travels far and wide in search of dirt roads and trails.

Author: Bob Whitby
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BCTenerizer
BCTenerizer
March 31, 2020 12:21 pm

Well, there always some kind of crazy in most ! He best travel to Tuk NWT, hire a chopper and scan the walls of pressure ridges that line the route he choose. Shallow water is were the ice is being pushed up, pressured by the expansion of the deeper open ice which can be in mid winter during long periods of -40c (-60 wind chill) which of lately hasn’t been the norm in the western arctic. Back in the 70’s when Esso was exploring that area for oil they constructed wedged 40ft pentagon shaped concrete casings around their drill platforms in order to divert surging sea ice being pressed onto the work area. From Tuk to Sachs is a solid mountainous stretch even the icebreakers of Canada’s Coast Guard don’t take that route. On top of all that the route mapped to Alert has Parks Canada restrictions so he may have to adjust his travel line.
Lack of Arctic sea ice lately, seals are spread out, polar bears are open to anything that moves as a dining desire and will welcome his presence with a warm & fuzzy feelin deep inside !
Allot has change over the years in that enviroment. If one wants compare google this story.
National Geographic back in the 70’s coverage of a Japanese Adventure that went from Tuk to the North Pole (Magnetic) and back by dogsled successfully. In the early 80’s he climbed Alaska’s Denali ( Mt McKinley ) then ski down. He was to be assumed by rescue teams to have been blown off the north face by high winds never to be recovered. Some of his dogs as I recall remained in a Tuk and some left in Willow Alaska were I guided/trained sled teams for the Iditarod a year after he vanished.
My bet he’ll never make out of a Tuk.

David
David
April 4, 2020 4:13 am
Reply to  BCTenerizer

I agree with you 100%
Even if he flew into Ward Hunt, he wouldn’t get past the pressure ridges of the ice piled up against Canada. It takes 3-5 days to get through it on foot/skis/snowshoes dragging a sled. That’s why most NP expeditions fail after 3 days. It’s like traveling through a demolished concrete building rubble, in a war zone, except ice not concrete.
Good luck to him!

David
David
April 4, 2020 4:19 am
Reply to  David

Oh, and as a footnote, I’ve crossed (sideways, north to south, not traversed east-west) the Northwest Passage from Resolute to Somerset Island on a snowmobile. Several open water sprints. On a bike?!!!! Hope he can swim.

Alex Brown
Alex Brown
April 2, 2020 11:49 am

Hope he drags knee around the flag at the top.

trackback
To the North Pole on a Sport Bike - ScenicApp
April 9, 2020 10:46 am

[…] came across this article on advpulse. It describes the story of Sjaak Lucassen. A Dutch adventurer aiming to go to the North Pole… […]

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Sjaak Lucassen Will Ride His 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1 to the North Pole – Robert's Adventure
April 17, 2020 10:05 am

[…] has to cross so much sea ice, he will have to go during the coldest time of the year, according to ADV Pulse. His trip is set to begin in January of 2021. It will take three seasons and over two years to […]

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Sjaak Lucassen Will Ride His 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1 to the North Pole | Motorcycle News
April 18, 2020 3:19 am

[…] has to cross so much sea ice, he will have to go during the coldest time of the year, according to ADV Pulse. His trip is set to begin in January of 2021. It will take three seasons and over two years to […]

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Zum Nordpol auf einer Yamaha R1 • Kettenritzel.cc
April 19, 2020 9:03 am

[…] (Quelle: Scenic App via ADV Pulse) […]

Cariboo
Cariboo
November 1, 2020 3:56 pm

Tires will never work as well as tracks. His footprint on the snow is next to nothing compared to a snowmobile. And snowmobiles can ride on water! This guy will never succeed. Also, the Ralph Plaisted Polar Expedition went there in 1968 on ski-doos.

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