The “Unexpected” Ride

Not All Rides Go As Planned!

Have you ever been on a ride that everything that happened was pretty much unexpected? I recently went on that ride. Usually when I go I have some sort of plan, it can be a short ride, a long ride, an exploring ride or just a leisurely day on the bike.  This time I didn’t have any plan because I was invited to go on a ride that started in Tecate, Mexico and went south toward Mikes Sky Ranch.

I was an add on, the third wheel and that suited me just fine. It saved me from doing all the preplanning, worrying about gas, food, lodging and whatever else might require thought. I was looking forward to just following along and not making the decisions. The ride was planned by a couple of guys that are right on the 70 plus mark in birthdays, Phil and Peter. These guys are pretty impressive taking on multi day rides and not exactly poking along on the trip!

A little background on these Super Geezers, Phil is a retired Podiatrist so I guess that makes him ‘Dr. Phil’.  Peter is originally from the United Kingdom and is now a Canadian citizen. That is a real treat to hear the guy tell you he is from Canada in an English accent!  The first time I did a double take to see if he was laughing while he was pulling my leg. But he was serious, I just never get used to that accent coming from the Canadian.

The trip started out with a text on Phil’s phone from a buddy telling him to stop at all the stop signs and lights in Tecate. Apparently the local Policia make pretty good money on the visiting Americans for their California stops.  Well we made it about 10 seconds across the border and Peter’s WR 250 was reluctant to keep running. He had to bump start it in the first block and it just so happened the end of the block had a stoplight that Peter failed to notice and he rode right through it!  Phil started to follow him until I yelled “Stop” and he did, just in time to see it turn green.  No cops showed up so I figured we were in the clear.

We went another7 or 8 blocks and I heard a siren behind us, I thought great, they are going to throw us in jail for running stop lights! At a stop light I pulled to the right as the cop pulled up behind Phil and Peter with the red lights going and occasionally hitting his siren and speaking Spanish into his microphone. The boys sat frozen at the light until the cop got impatient realizing that we were dumb Americans and spoke in English into the microphone, “Go Right, Go Right!”  Once they finally moved the cop sped through the intersection and away he went to a call.  I was thinking ‘Awesome!’ We don’t have to go to jail or pay a fine!

Now I am thinking let’s get out of this town before something else happens. It didn’t take long, as we started out of town toward the motel it started to rain. We got to the motel and got our rooms, cabins actually and headed in to take off our wet clothes and warm up. It was a bit ‘unexpected’ to see our rooms had no sheets, blankets or pillows on any of the beds. I thought maybe they just forgot to prep the cabins so I went to the office to inquire. No Senor there are no linen in the rooms, you must bring your own!  I politely pointed out that we were riding off road motorcycles and not carrying any linen. She was nice enough to round up some extra blankets and sheets for us.

There was no place nearby to get anything to eat and since it was raining we were not getting back on the bikes to go find food.  It was a bit ‘unexpected’ to have a motel with no place to eat so we made a beeline for their little ‘Tienda’ or store to see what we could scrounge. We found breakfast type rolls, chips, tuna, soda and a few other things to hold us over.

The next few days had some great riding due to the rain that soaked us on the way in. We rarely saw dust until the last day and explored some areas I had never been in before. Unfortunately Peter’s WR 250 had an ‘unexpected’ issued with the carb and the throttle stuck open. We spent a little over two hours disassembling and looking for the problem while trying to make tools work that didn’t quite fit. We got back on the road and encountered another throttle problem on the little WR, but this time the throttle stuck closed. It was getting late in the day and Phil ended up towing Peter into our stopover in Valley La Trinidad. We rolled in just about dusk and were lucky to get a couple of rooms.

The following day Peter decided to stay back and work on his bike while Phil and I went over the hills to Rancho Meling. Thanks Peter! Did I mention that it was about the best day of riding I have ever had in Mexico? The weather was good and the roads and trails were wet from the rains. No dust all day long, Phil and I rode anywhere we wanted wheel to wheel and never saw dust. Including the sand washes. That day we covered about 100 miles and you couldn’t wipe the grin off our faces.

The final day Peter has his bike back in shape and we head back toward the border because now we are not sure how long the little WR is going to cooperate. As we head north the boys put me in front and I am so busy looking for a road we can use to get to another area I take an ‘unexpected’ trip off the road and into a very large boulder that I luckily use as a berm and avoid a crash. I tell myself to stop being a pinhead and pay attention instead of looking around. It worked for about 3 minutes then we came to a cool little town I had never seen and I was so busy looking around again I almost rode into a local driving an F-150 pickup. Completely ‘unexpected’ since I don’ think there were more than 3 cars in this whole town and 2 of them probably didn’t run. Second note to self “Pay attention Dumbass!”

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful except for the ‘unexpected’ truck full of Federales I went whizzing past in an area that may have been questionable as to whether or not we were supposed to be there. I waved, immediately broke eye contact and got on the gas. I think I heard a few muffled shouts but I can’t be sure. My bike seemed kinda loud for a moment. Since I was leading I figured it would be crazy to stop since the fellas were somewhere behind me. The military dudes would probably tell them whatever they were trying to tell me. Besides, one of us had to be available to bail the others out, right?  It took an awful long time for the boys to catch up as I waited down the road for them. It seems the Military guys got out in the road to stop Peter and Phil and proceeded to make them open all of their back packs, fanny packs and rolls they were carrying. Sometimes I do like leading.

We explored our way back to the border in Tecate and an ‘unexpected’ treat was that there was no one in line when we got there. I have never gotten that lucky when crossing back into the USA. We were loaded up and heading for home in about 30 minutes. I may have found a new starting point for my rides south!

#33

“Do not follow where the path may lead – go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

#33 Goes All Out To Test Fly Helmets

FLY Helmet follow up

After reporting on my FLY helmet with LOTS of miles on it, I went out and did a REAL test!   Just for you mx43 readers I landed on my head to complete the evaluation process.  Oops.

Although completely unplanned I did take a trip over the bars and landed on my head and shoulder in a very rocky area. I was only traveling at about 15-20 mph but got caught off guard which resulted in the subsequent somersault.

After landing squarely on my head and shoulder in rocky terrain I fully expected to have some sort of injury but got up with nothing more than scrapes on the forearm. When I stood I was quite surprised myself!  The FLY helmet took a gnarly impact as you can see by the gouging in the photos. The impact was cushioned enough than I never realized I hit my head that hard. No headache, no bruises, nothing.  Just gouging to the helmet.

So I guess it is about time to retire this helmet and play it safe. After all I am the safest dude you know!

#33

‘Even duct tape can’t fix stupid…..but it can muffle the sound’

Fly Formula Helmet

I have been wearing a FLY Formula helmet now since before my injury and all during my ‘rehab riding’.  It just occurred to me how much time I have put on this helmet just in recovery alone, since I am riding at every opportunity; I have had calls from people that ask if I want to ride with them next week, tomorrow and sometimes even in an hour. I just ask where I need to meet them and show up.

I finally had to introduce another helmet into my riding when I discovered the FLY Formula helmet was not completely dried out from the previous days ride. I know it sounds a bit disgusting but it actually made me smile. Just the fact that I was able to be back on the bike for this many hours and days at a time.

I set the FLY helmet on the bench to let it dry out before giving it a good washing. The protective interior is removable allowing it to be easily washed and cleaned giving access to the inside of the shell for a complete cleaning and inspection. It is now back on my head and I discovered some things I really like after giving it a break. The fit is great from the moment I put it on, it is very comfortable and has no pressure points anywhere, and is comfortable for hours on end.  The face opening allows for goggles to fit easily whether putting them on or taking them off.  The only drawback is that when I use my hydration system I have to take my time when putting the drinking hose in my mouth. The face piece is close enough that it requires I use a slow and deliberate motion but poses no problem with access.

The fit and finish are nice and I have had several people comment on the good looks.  It is probably getting near its life cycle, but would have to estimate I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 to 300 hours on it. I would recommend anyone shopping for an off-road/moto helmet take a close look at the FLY Formula helmet.  It is attractive, durable, and comfortable and best of all reasonably priced for a quality piece of equipment.

Ride Safe!                                                                                                                                                                 

#33

Taco Monday!

It seems I have been introduced to what looks like it could become a tradition in the local Geezer Off-Road motorcycle community, Taco Monday’s.  There is a group of riders from as few as 2 to as many as 7 that show up at a meeting spot for what is best described as the Monday taco ride. The group ranges from the youngest being 56 yrs (#33) to 75 years old (Don) and several in-betweeners.   The ride covers approximately 45 miles each direction for a total of just short of 100 miles depending on a slightly varying route each week. Pretty easy route in both difficulty and bike requirements, meaning it can be done on a long distance bike, a cross country bike or even a motocrosser with a stock tank since gas is available on the route at the halfway point.

The destination and draw is Hooch’s, a Bar/restaurant in a small community called Golden Shores with indoor or outdoor seating depending on weather and the fact that they serve 75 cent tacos and 75 cent beers on Mondays!  Last week 5 of us had 2 to 3 tacos, a beer or soda pop and the bill totaled $19.85.  You can’t do that at McDonalds! Next time you have a free Monday give me a call and I will introduce you to a bunch of taco eating Geezers heading out for a ride. 

#33

“Don’t wait.  The time will never be just right."

c

Baja One Year Later!

1 Year Anniversary

As I write this short update the Baja 1000 is going on. That makes it exactly one year since my crash at that event last year, which has ended up being more of a life changing event than I originally thought. I have had my share of fairly serious injuries in 40 something years of riding and racing but this one has changed my life.  I am still on the road to recovery and by that I mean getting back to as close to normal as I can.  Riding, wrenching on bikes, even typing this article have all taken on a whole new challenge.  It is amazing how much we take for granted in the things we do every day when we use our hands. For instance as I type this, I now hunt and peck with the left hand and am only able to use the ring and little finger on that hand, the index and middle no longer reach the keys, lol.  Damn, I used to be a pretty good typist!

I also find it very different in the garage when I work on the bikes to hold and feel things like nuts, bolts, wrenches, etc. But each time I get frustrated I try to stop and think how lucky I am and how God truly blessed me since it was the same day and same race that took the life of factory KTM rider Kurt Caselli.   Godspeed Kurt.

I am now back to trail riding and find it is going to take a bit of adjusting my grip on the bars and using the clutch since the wrist and fingers were so badly damaged.

So it looks like the motocross track is a little further away than I first thought. But I will be out to watch my buddies and cheer them on until I can join them.

Well, the sun is about to come up and I have an almost new 2013 KTM XCW calling my name so I think I will go out for some THERAPY!!!   Hope you can get out to ride and remember…..Enjoy each ride because we never know how many we are going to get.

#33

“The trouble with trouble is that it always starts out as fun!”

Let There Be Light!

The Night Life!

On really hot days or shortened winter days with limited day light hours, a good lighting system to supplement your bikes headlight may be your best friend!

I have been experimenting with bike light systems on my KTM to see what the possibility would be to extend my riding window. Baja Designs makes some really great bike lights that allow everything from casual trail riding to just about going race speeds. Although like anything else, you get what you pay for. The hot rod go fast light can easily get into the $400 to $500 range in a hurry.

No matter how much you decide to spend on a bike light you cannot go wrong by supplementing whatever you choose with a good helmet light system. Fortunately for you, you are reading this column so you don’t have to spend your money and hope you are getting a decent helmet light. I have done this for you!   Yep, spent my own money and purchased a light to experiment with.  I wanted to see the amount of light, the type of light (white vs. yellow), the pattern (flood vs. spot) and the run time of the battery to give mx43.com readers some info before parting with their hard earned cash.

I purchased a “TASK Racing” helmet mounted system in their ‘Ironman racer pack with extra battery’.  It was very reasonable at $134.95.  It comes with everything needed to mount it on your helmet and an extra battery. I purchased this package because I definitely am suspicious when companies claim to have battery life exceeding 3 or 4 hours, having had experience with past bicycle companies lighting systems. TASK claimed to have a battery life of 5.5 hours per battery before needing recharging. I was very impressed and surprised to see my first attempt go over 4 hours on the highest setting with no dimming of the light at all.

The system allows you to choose low, medium or high for brightness. I only used it on high to tax the battery to the fullest. I carried the spare battery in my back pack and never had to pull it out.

I tried the TASK helmet light with my stock headlight, an aftermarket system by Polisport and a Baja Designs high end light.

With the stock headlight the helmet light made the ride tolerable because the stock headlights on most bikes are not really up to the task of riding off road at night. The helmet light actually overpowered the stocker. While the bikes stock light was a dull yellow light it became instantly obvious the White light from my helmet was doing most of the work and just overpowering the dull yellow headlight.

With the Polisport headlight, better than stock but still putting out a yellowish light, I made it about 45 minutes into the ride when the bike headlight started cutting out intermittently. As the headlight came and went on my return route I realized I could ride without much problem using just the TASK helmet system as long as I rode at a reasonable pace to get home. It turned out to be quite the lifesaver when the bike headlight finally quit altogether. No problem riding casually home.

With the high end headlight from Baja Designs mounted on my bike the ride took on a whole new perspective. It was fun to ride wherever I wanted to go with a well lit trail and the ability to use the TASK helmet light to direct the beam wherever I wanted. I could look into corners before I got there and look near or far as needed. Both lights gave off a bright white light that showed every obstacle I encountered. This is definitely the way to go if you plan on doing much at night.

So if you are considering a helmet mounted light system you should definitely consider taking a look at the TASK setup. It produced a good pattern without being too focused or too wide in its pattern and put out a very white light with a good battery run time and all at a reasonable price. Check them out at  shop.taskracing.com

It is getting late and my batteries are charged, gotta go!
                                                                                                      

#33