Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- Professionals commuting to work with helmet hair and a change of clothes stashed in studded saddlebags, orthopedic surgeons and Wal-Mart freight workers, stay-at-home moms and ladies with leathers over their work clothes -- all of them mark a new breed of driver taking to the open roads of Southcentral this spring.

They're all motorcycle riders motivated by record gas prices to switch to two-wheeled transportation.

Hog, maybe. Gas hog, no. Some motorcycles can get upward of 60 miles to the gallon. Most do around 40.

Do the math. Gas at $4 a gallon, give or take. A 5-gallon gas tank. Shell out an Andrew Jackson, and you're good for 200 miles.

"We can all jump in little bitty mini cars and commute too," said Paul Ramages, general manager of Wasilla's Denali Harley-Davidson Shop. "But it's not as fun."

Even Deb Walser's Harley Davidson gets 40 miles to the gallon as she rumbles down Trunk Road on her way to work in Anchorage, U.S. and Alaska flags flapping.

"It beats anything I own, including a Corvette," said Walser, who commutes from outside Palmer to do "telehealth stuff" for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

SELLING OUT

Some longtime motorcycle owners are turning from recreational riders to commuters this summer. But people who sell motorcycles also say they're seeing a rush of first-time riders running out to buy a bike, a national trend that's left dealers here scrambling to fill sales floors.

At the Motorcycle Shop Inc. in Anchorage, "anything that's halfway fuel-efficient is gone," said sales manager Shannon Dixon. The shop sells Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph, KTM and Ducati motorcycles.

"I do the best I can to supply an alternate choice but realistically, by and large, anything 650cc or smaller with a purchase price of $8,000 or less is virtually unobtainable at this point," Dixon said.

Two moms walked into Hartley Motors in Palmer and bought the last two scooters in stock, said Alice Mobley, who manages the shop for her grandparents. They knew exactly what they wanted: to save money on gas, and try something new with a buddy.

"We have at least four people a day coming in wanting scooters or small street bikes. Almost every person says something about gas mileage," Mobley said. "We thought about changing all of our price tags to say how many miles to the gallon they get but we never had the chance. They're gone."

CHEAPER BUT MORE HAZARDOUS

Different motorcycles get different gas mileage, and efficiency also depends on the weight of the rider and the way they ride, the way the bike is broken in -- all sorts of factors.

And of course, it being Alaska, the riding season is only about six months long. Riding to work in the summer basically makes up for money spent gassing up cars and trucks the rest of the year.

Motorcyclists run into hazards that drivers don't, literally. Skid-triggering road gravel. Hydroplane hazards lurking in rain-filled highway ruts. Other drivers who don't notice them as easily.

Every May, A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska Inc. -- it stands for Alaska Bikers Advocating Training and Education -- declares Motorcycle Awareness Month and reminds people in cars and trucks to watch for motorcycles, said Abby Breshears, the group's spokeswoman.

Breshears also urged anyone contemplating a switch to do their homework, maybe take an introductory rider course. Motorcycles aren't for everybody. There's the balance factor. Coordinating hands and feet on brakes, clutch, gear shift. Picking up the darn thing if you lay it down.

FEAR AND LOVE

Debbie Beeson of Anchorage started riding five years ago after spending plenty of time on the back of a motorcycle.

But until gas prices shot up this year, Beeson rode only for fun.

Now she rides 16 miles of busy city roads on a white Yamaha Royal Star to her job at Tatitlek Management Inc. This week, a driver nearly rammed her from behind at a construction zone on Northern Lights Boulevard.

"She was about three or four inches from the back fender. Scared me to death," the 53-year-old Beeson said Thursday night, gearing up with friends for a group ride from Wasilla to the Tug Bar.

Then she looked at the gleaming 1300cc bike. Her fringed leather vest glistened with dozens of pins: half of them angels, the other half mostly biker-themed. A warm, sunlit ride along the shores of Knik Arm waited.

"But I love it," Beeson said. "I never thought I'd see the day but I love it."

Find Zaz Hollander online at adn.com/contact/zhollander or call her in Wasilla at 1-907-352-6711.

BIKER SAFETY: Training classes for motorcycle riders are on the rise as bike sales spike, according to a spokeswoman for Alaska Bikers Advocating Training and Education, or ABATE. The group offers three levels of classes. Participants who complete ABATE's $250 Basic Rider Course get a card recognized by DMV, according to ABATE's Web site. For more information about upcoming courses, go to www.abateofalaska.com or call the Rider Education Hotline at 1-907-566-3334 or 562-2324 (Alaska Leather). Many dealerships also offer classes.