Just over a week to go before our scheduled departure, and I still have all of these bits and pieces to work with. The Red Star needs new handlebars, heated grips, a center stand, and Acerbis handguards. Both bikes get new, sealed batteries. The rest pictured is the to-be-mounted tool tubes, medical kits, a mosquito […]
After plenty of last minute tasks with a blown fuse thrown in for good measure, we finally made our departure this afternoon. It’s been a long time coming after all the talk and all the planning, but it felt good to finally lock the door and get on the bikes. It was a typical November […]
We’re 0 for 2 on easy starts to the day’s riding. We got early to hit the road only, the bikes were loaded, helmets were on, only to find that the key would not turn in the ignition on either bike. Frustrating to say the least. I sprayed lubricant judiciously in the keyhole, furiously jiggled […]
Other than the custom seats, the best KLR upgrade I made by far is the heated grips. With just a flick of a switch on the dash, my hands go from freezing cold to toasty warm. The last 500 miles of cold and rain would have been a far less pleasant experience without them. I […]
Thursday, November 13 We awoke on this morning to what we desired most: sunshine. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was already almost 70 degrees. After the cold and wet days prior, this really lifted our spirits. We headed west on Highway 68 to Monterey. We rode past Laguna Seca and after all […]
Saturday, November 15 Today was our final stop for bike maintenance. I had ordered some parts to my friend Steve’s house in Fontana, where we were staying. The bike have new chains and sprockets. We went shopping at the Chaparral motorcycle store and I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was as big as […]
Monday & Tuesday, November 17-18 We moved slightly down the road from Fontana to Carlsbad to visit my cousin Elizabeth and her family. They were kind of enough to put us up for two nights in their beautiful home. It was nice to catch of with family I don’t get to see very often. I […]
Wednesday, November 19 We finally have begun the trip proper. We arose early today, and actually got on the road at a decent hour without incident. We got off at the last exit before the border and picked up insurance for Mexico. After reading about all of the border experiences of other travelers, I think […]
Friday, November 21 Today was one of those days I dreamed about before we started this trip. It was a day of near perfect motorcycling, riding through the central deserts of Baja, surrounded by an infinite expanse of cactus. We knew we were planning on putting in some miles today, so we got up extra […]
As we sail closer to the coast of mainland Mexico, I bid Baja farewell. The deserts have been spectacular. As we head into warmer and more humid climates, I think I will miss the relative comfort of the dry desert heat. I would advise anyone within striking distance of taking a ride down to at […]