DMT - Day minus 20 - Frustration - Part 4

Stress relief. Instead of waiting for the Africa Twin parts to arrive from the UK I decided to buy another bike to prevent having the fatal problem of motolacktus. Looking around in the local ads produced a very attractive Honda CRF250L Rally. I had seen these when the first came out and thought they were a very nice modern version of the NX250. 

It has fuel injection, a 6 speed transmission, and a modern suspension. Many of the reviews dismissed it as too soft, too heavy, and too little power. If you wanted an all out enduro bike Honda makes the CRF250X. However, for a long distance adventure bike this one is perfect.

Even better, Andrew, the previous owner had already installed many of the upgrades I would have chosen like an FMF exhaust for less weight and Olins shock and fork components to upgrade the suspension and handling. A quick call to Happy Trails and the racks and skid plate are on their way. New Dunlop 606s and it's ready to roll.

I have just one small problem, the garage is getting pretty tight. Anyone want to buy a bike. I have plenty of choices to choose from.

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DMT - Day minus 21 - Frustration - Part 3

While waiting for Godot, my new helmet, a Bell MX-9, arrived today thanks to Marty at 4into1.com 

Old helmets are great nostalgia pieces but more than a couple of years old and they should be replaced. The crushable liner that cushions the impact gets wonky and the shell gets brittle. This is known as The Bad Plan.

My new one has the latest MIPS technology which means that it will take a glancing hit and keep my head from cork screwing off the top of my neck. You can read about it here.

As you can see it has a larger viewport and plenty of vents. Just what I want in the desert.

And a small reminder to ride with respect.

Now, if only I had a bike to put under it ...

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Tuesday, April 16, 2019 DMT - Day minus 23 - Frustration - Part 2

This is what I'm supposed to look like in 3 weeks

Even if everything fell jelly side up it's hard to imagine that it would all come together in time.

Maybe I need to make a leap of faith and get everything possible ready so that if the parts arrived in the nick of time it could all come together.

OR

Maybe it's time to start thinking of a Plan B.

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DMT - Day minus 24 - Frustration

These are the pictures of frustration.

A high performance exhaust system that adds a couple of (quiet) horsepower and saves 18 pounds over the stock system.

Aluminum radiators that provide extra cooling capacity for the high desert temperatures and save another 10 pounds.

All the engine parts that could be sourced here in the U.S. from the local dealer.

Three weeks to go and maybe the critical gaskets and rings will be here by the end of the month. Then it all has to go back together without any further problems.

It's a nail biter - stay tuned.

  

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DMT - Day minus 32 - I can breathe again - a little

Travel is all about planning. Or not planning. Or forgetting the details you should have planned for.

My new passport arrived today so I can breathe a little easier now that I know I can get back into the US without having to stand in line with thousands of immigrants for days or weeks on end.

The parts for my Africa Twin are coming in. The parts sourced from the US are on hand but the parts from the UK are on hold and I need to find out why. They are small but important parts like the head gaskets and the piston rings.

I'm gathering the items to take with me and laying them out. As always at this stage I'm including too many things knowing that most of them will be cut when the final choices are made.

Although I have a set of titanium camp utensils these caught my eye while shopping this weekend. The bamboo is just as light and sturdy as the titanium and I'm thinking they have more appeal to my sense of style and design. And a bit more posh?

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DMT - Day minus 35 - Two heads are better than none

The heads are back from Hord Power - YEAH !!

The valves and seats have been reworked and the heads have been resurfaced. This is going to be like a new engine in the bike.

Now there is just the waiting for the gaskets and rings which are coming from England. Then reassembly and tuning and hoping that I haven't lost a part or forgotten how something goes together.

Five weeks to go and it seems so long and not long enough.

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DMT - Day minus 38 - Progress is slow as time passes quickly

The parts have been ordered to put the Africa Twin back together again. Some of them I could source from my local Honda dealer but the rest will be coming from CMS in England. Owning an exotic bike takes patience (and money)!

The Mexican 1000 will be run along some of the same routes we were going to use so we will be able to follow in their path. I'm thinking we will get as far south as Bahia de Los Angeles before turning north to return to the US. Maybe we'll find some left over parts for souvenirs. Playing Ricky Racer will be fun!

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DMT - Day minus 40 - Spring time filled with anticipation

These are home made churros which are linear donuts coated with sugar and cinnamon. These are really good and remind me of the ones I got from a street vendor in Baja on the trip with Marty. After the first one I was hooked and immediately had 3 more!

The bikes are all set to come out of winter hibernation. There is energy massing in their engines and wheels that I can feel as I walk amongst them. I whisper, "Be patient, soon we will go out to play. I haven't forgotten you." They grumble as they shake off the winter cold.

Even the Taco and trailer are ready for the trip. We have decided to trailer the bikes from Tooele to Beatty, NV. It is a long, hot, boring ride across desolate territory. We will have more than enough riding on this trip to forgo this tedious slab of blacktop. 

The plan is to drive to Beatty, spend the night in a motel, and leave the Taco. On the way back we will reverse the plan and ride home in air conditioned comfort while preparing our tales of daring do for all to hear. 

Assuming that we make it, that is ...

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DMT - Day minus 45 - Shady Character

Applied for my passport which required a new photo. 

I have to admit that i'm not sure if I'd let this person into my country. 

Especially knowing his past history. This picture only misses having an InterPol tag and a number below it.

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DMT - Day minus 54 - Duhh

It's the little things that kill you. Small details that get overlooked and then bite you in the butt. A good case in point is my passport.

I was applying for a SENTRI pass which would get me into the fast lane at the border. I already have a Trusted Traveler number which gets me into the TSA Pre lane but this is apparently something slightly different.

A few more dollars so that I don't sit in an interminable line in the hot sun like I did when returning from my last trip to Mexico. I'm assuming it will be even worse with all of the immigrants trying to flood across the border.

Name, date of birth, color of eyes, all the standard stuff. Blah, blah, blah, ... Until I get to the method of verification.

No problem. I get out my passport and as I scan down the page for the number I notice one small detail that I had overlooked.

Date of expiration: 02 Jul 2018

Not Good - Not Good At All!

My ToDo list (I use Google Keep which is excellent if you are an Android person) is now topped with "Renew Passport"

It's the little things like this that would put me in line with Juan and Consuela applying for entry into the United States. On the plus side, maybe they could help me improve my Spanish.

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DMT - Day minus 56 - Directions

The heads are on their way to the people at Hord Power. They are the experts on the Hawk GT family of Honda 52° v-twin engines. This includes the 500cc Ascot, the 600cc Transalp, the 650cc Hawk GT, and the 750cc Africa Twin, as well as an assortment of Shadow cruisers.

In the mean time there are plans to be made including where to go when we get there. Wherever that may be.

I'm a big fan of GPS but prefer old school paper maps. For one thing, a map gives you a much broader scope. For another, it gives you much better detail. Even Google Maps is limited by the size of your screen as you scroll up and down and zoom in and out. Plus I can make notes on a map and highlight trails and points of interest. I know people who have clamped a small laptop to their handlebars but you become a robot following a robot. Not my idea of adventure.

Another point, maps don't need batteries and don't break when you drop them. I carry a GPS as a backup when I need to know exactly where I am so that I can figure out where to go next or how far to get gas. Other than that it stays in my tank bag.

Right next to my trusty compass. Another, I don't need no stinking batteries, low tech gadget that has gotten me straightened out many times. This one has been with me for years and has always been ready to point me in the right direction. Good for finding north at dusk when I'm stetting up for a night star picture while I can still see what I'm doing.

A shout out to Mexico Maps. They have always been my go-to place for south of the border maps. Great selection and the service is unbelievable.

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DMT - Day minus 60 - My heads on the bench

Finally got all the tubes and hoses out of the way and just kept taking off things until it all got loose. Admittedly crude, but effective.

You can see two jacks under the bike. The swing arm pivot bolt is also the rear engine mounting point. Makes for a more rigid frame and better handling but is a real pain in the butt for taking the engine out.

The frame member comes off so you can get the engine out.

I don't have one of those clever time-lapse videos of the disassembly. It would only show how confused I was about what to do next.

You can't see it here but the shift shaft on the other side hangs up on the drive chain which has no master link. 

If I did this a couple of more times I think I could get the hang of it.
I'm glad I'm not paying myself by the hour!

All apart on the workbench waiting to be sent out for head work.

A few people have asked why I'm doing all this. Certainly not because I have too much money or spare time. The compression after the last trip to Baja and the Copper Canyon was only 125# instead of the factory specification of 175#. Time for a refresh.

In the morning I'll be making calls to find a shop that will do head work and then ordering parts from abroad.

Oh, the joy of owning an exotic bike!

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DMT - Day minus 69 - Trouble with my head

This is how it goes with the Africa Twin engine

Freaking hoses everywhere!

The biggest pain with all of this is getting all the emissions tubing out and labeled so that it will all fit back together correctly

The hoses are all disconnected and the valve covers are off.

The rear head come off pretty easily, slipping through the frame rails

No such luck with the front head. The head slides up on the studs and runs into the frame down tube. 

The two options are: 

• Unscrew the studs and hope they will seat properly when I put them back in.
• Pull the engine.

I'm thinking that even though pulling the engine is (a lot) more work it is the more prudent of the two choices.

Let's see what happens in the morning.

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DMT - Day minus 79

Where is the time going? It seemed like it was near infinity and now it seems to be nearer the end.

Not that I've been sitting on my butt all of the time. Jason and Erika are plotting trails and points of interest in Death Valley. My job is to lay out routes through Baja. 

Here's part of my plan. It starts at Coco's Corner where we can camp out for the night and then heads south past the Calamajué ruins. An exciting part of this is that it is often part of the Baja 1000 race route. We'll get to play Ricky Racer!

The dashed lines are "easy". Check out the little dotted line that drops down from the #1 at the edge of the map. That's where we earn our Death March badges.

Time to get back to work - time is running low!

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Where it all started

I ran into this clip about the Cotati Raceway. That was the first track I was at in the mid-60s. The American Federation of Motorcycles (AFM) was just starting. When not racing we met at the Rose and Thistle (possibly The Rose and Crown), a pub on California St near Van Ness in San Francisco. Good times!

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DMT - Day minus 97

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

It's the year of the Pig and that's pretty much how I feel. Over weight and under muscled. Not the best way to start a new adventure.

I've planned out an exercise program that works out with a medicine ball and dumb bells. The goal is not just strength but endurance as well. Both will be required in the heat of the desert.

I don't have any links of super training sites and I'm certainly not going to post pictures of my puny body. This is just a public notice of my intentions to bolster my resolve.I will add more in the future on my progress.

Note: Erika recommends Erika Hurst strength training. It's targeted for women but there is a lot of good advice for everyone.

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DMT - Day minus 102

You might be wondering how I'm adding minus days to my deadline from my last post. As Hillary would say, "I misspoke". Or to put it bluntly, my brain had a white-out from the calendar to the computer. It happens ...

While trying to make lists of everything I need, and need to do, I ran across this one from a previous trip. I post it for your consideration:

1. Carry a log book. Write in it every day. Draw pictures.
2. No iPod or any player! Traveling is about listening to others, not yourself. This is the most important advice I can offer.
3. Be willing to expose yourself to solitude. It's amazing what the world has to offer if you open yourself to the experience.
4. Put your mobile phone in a plastic bag and wrap it in 20' of duct tape. If you can't fix the problem with the duct tape THEN you can call for help.
5. Minimalism — lay out everything and then remove half. Wait 3 days and then remove half of what’s left.
6. The slower you go the more you see. If you see the word "Old" in a road name, take it!
7. Imagination will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no imagination.
8. Make a plan, set a date, stick to it.
9. Everything will wait until you return if it's truly important.
10. Do not be route obsessed. If it says "West", and you're heading west, go exploring.
11. When you meet someone along the way offer to send them a postcard.
12. Yesterday's t-shirt can make a pretty good towel in a pinch.
13. Never get a room at a motel next to a stop light. Always try to get a room on the top floor.
    Note: Gretjen says that you should avoid a camp site 50' from the Union Pacific main line.
14. Nothing beats camping under the stars but sometimes a hot shower in a cheap motel is worth every penny!
15. Don't wear black in the summer.
16. Ask the locals for interesting things in their area. If you are traveling alone they will seek you out to talk to you.
17. When you arrive in a new town park the bike and walk to get a sense of what's where. You can't see anything when you're riding in traffic and you certainly can't talk to anyone!

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DMT - Day minus 101

So much has happened in the last 10 days that I'll just put it down and see how it comes out.

We have pretty much decided to go with the Transalp (TA), Africa Twin (AT), and the ATK. 400, 500, and 300 pounds respectively. Not counting rider, bags and contents. I've got Happy Trail bags for the TA and AT, and a Giant Loop bag for the ATK.

So I had to take the TA to the storage locker and bring back the AT and ATK. The AT needs a top end job and the ATK needs the rear sub-frame strengthened. As you can see the TA didn't want to go and laid down to pout.

The AT and ATK were much happier to come back home.

Click here to watch the trailer and rent the movie from Viemo

Went to the SoCal BDR movie and saw the trail up close and personal. Can you say lots of sand? I've been to Death Valley before and it's a challenge. Curiously, the hotter the sand gets, the softer it gets. This makes it easier to dig in or get crossed up. It can be a workout to keep up your speed so that the front tire stays on top.

Got the SoCal BDR map a few days later and started planning. The normal route is south to north but we will be riding north to south so we can spend time in Baja. GPS is nice for position checking but I feel like I'm a servant to a robot when I ride a preset route. I much prefer route sheets and maps. There is no techy fooling around and you never have to worry about batteries (except for your flashlight if you want to read them at night).

I talked to Kevin Young who is one of the BDR Ambassadors for about half an hour. He filled me in on some of the parts of the trail not to miss like Titus Canyon. This is a slot canyon that is so narrow that is one-way only.

There is also a mine shaft along the way that you can ride into for a mile or so. Sounds pretty creepy so I'll have to take some markers so I don't get lost. I don't think my gps will work underground. An extra flashlight too.

Tomorrow morning I'll tear down the AT engine and send out the heads for reconditioning. Since it's a European model the parts will be slow in coming so I need to start now.

There is so much to do and, although it seems like a long way off, experience tells me that all the days will be filled and I don't dare dawdle. I'm making lists as I think of things so that I can keep the forgotten items to a minimum.

Stay tuned.

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Death March Tours - 2019 - Death Valley, SoCal BDR, and Baja !!

Death March Tours is a group of friends who challenge themselves to get past the easy part and take trips outside of their comfort zone. Past adventures have included the Pachaug Loop and White Rim Trail.

DMT - 2019 will be starting and ending in Salt Lake City. After checking the bikes and getting a night's rest, the first day is a pavement pounder to Death Valley.


After a couple of days exploring the desert, the next section is the Southern California Backcountry Discovery Route. This will be from north to south in reverse of the normal flow.



Crossing over into Mexico the route will take us to Mike's Sky Ranch,



Coco's Corner,



and Alfonsina's.



113 days to go - can't wait. I'll post preparations along the way and then a trip report as we travel.

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It's not all bad out there

Some days things just happen. A moment's distraction, trying to look everywhere at once, missing the little thing in the big picture ...

OOPS - There was supposed to be an embedded video of a trucker pulling out in front of a motorcycle causing an OH SHIT moment for the biker. The trucker then pulls over and waves down the biker to say, "I'm Sorry, I didn't see you". The biker responds by shaking his hand and saying that it was an exciting moment but he uuderstands and appreciates the truckers words.

I give a lot of credit to the trucker for stopping and standing up for his mistake. Just as much credit goes to the biker for not bitching him out and understanding that nobody's perfect and mistakes can happen.

A lesson for us all - kindness and understanding can make it better for everyone.

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