I'm BACK!!!

Whew! What a riding adventure!

the greatest roads in North America...and I'm BACK!

We had one run-in with the law in Texas, then I had a slight encounter
with the legal authority in Guadalajara. Everywhere I went, people
were turning out to get a closer look at this Blackbird. When I'd come
up to the military road blocks, they'd flag me over to have a closer
look and talk to me awhile. I had one of them call my Blackbird a
"pack mule" after he saw all the crap I was carrying. He asked what
was in the bag on the seat, and I told him it was just full of
chemicals and stuff. He wanted to open it and look. I opened it up and
he took one look and then got this puzzled look on his face. He looked
at my helmet sitting on the bench over to the side and then saw the
matching helmet in the bag. He asked why I had two helmets and it was
just me out there on the bike. I explained to him that one was for me
and the other was for the Chiquititas throughout Mexico. He laughed
and wanted to hear more about this. I went on to explain it was riding
requirements in Mexico that every rider have two helmets, and I didn't
want to break any legal restrictions or protocals they might have in
place.

The trip was really nice, although I got into a restaurant just at
dusk. While I was eating my dinner, a couple men came over and asked
about my ride. They looked outside and said it might be too dangerous
to be caught out at dark, and since I failed to bring along a
flashlight I headed their advice. It was a GOOD thing I did too,
because the next morning when I was packing back up and starting to
leave out, I climbed aboard the Blackbird and felt the most unusual
feeling. The bike didn't want to go and then when I gave it some
throttle it slung across the parking lot and I heard a huge popping
behind my ass. I got stopped and looked down to find a flat tire.
"Great...that's just a big f*cking help", I said. I climbed back off,
put the bike on the centerstand and unpacked the bike again. Luckily,
with the problems with flats on the start of the trip, I thought ahead
to buy a repair kit. It's a really cool kit too! Instead of the
typical fiber/glue kit, it's a rubber plug that goes through a nozzle
and embeds itself into the tire using a mushroom head. Well, I got out
my "handy dandy plug kit" and went to work. It wasn't hard to find the
culprit causing the lack of air retention in my tire. It was a piece
of shiney metal. I poked it through and cleaned the opening out. Then
I stuck the nozzle in the hole and popped a plug in. I thought "shit,
that was easy...well worth the money". Now, remember what they say
about speaking too soon? The little CO2 canisters that came with the
kit wouldn't fit my CO2 gun. The little hose it was to use leaked out
more than it took in. With only 4 available and I used 2
experimenting, I didn't dare to use up the others doing the trial and
error. I stood back and evaluated my situation. With 5# of air in the
tire, and a couple miles back to the Pemex station for the air, I
decided to limp the Bird back down the road to fill the rest of the
air up and in case I needed the CO2 later down the road. Worked like a
champ! Now, the warnings on the kit say all the shit about 50mph
maximum for a distance of no more than 50 miles...."Yeah, right"! Not
when you're 400 miles from the closest motorcycle store that's ever
even seen a Blackbird...much less will have a tire to fit. This was
real rugged shit I was engaged in, and I didn't mind. I'd seen parts
of the world that most people would fear to drive through. Almost
everyone where I was going and had been fly in on airplanes and are
shaking like Chihuahuas when they look around. On the way back, I was
topping my Bird well over 155mph on the Autopista on Pemex gas and a
plugged tire...and it was HOT!

Anyone who missed this ride, missed out on quite a bit. When I left
Guadalajara, I ventured out using the loaner map. I remembered what
Wakko had said just before I rode out about going through Durango and
Torreon. I stopped just on the edge of the city and looked at the map
again. "Hot damned...looky there!", I said. I found a perfect route
which might make a good ride. I took off for it and found an adventure
not everyone can say they've done. I headed west out of Guadalajara
toward Puerto Vallarta. Once in Puerto Vallarta, I changed some cash
to pesos and hopped the ferry across the gulf into Cabo San Lucas. I
got into Cabo and visited one place I've heard many things
about....Cabo Wabo, which is the night club/restaurant owned by the
Red Rocker Sammy Hagar. After a night's stay, I broke at dawn to catch
the ferry back across the gulf to Mazatlan. Once I hit the ground
there, it was a flying ride through some nice roads and through a
couple parks of Mexico. I kept rolling through Durango and then down
to Zacatecas where I needed more cash exchanged to finish the travels.
I recalled what I'd heard about Torreon and figured it might not be
something I'd be interested in doing. Since the route was about equal
distance, I figured I'd split the difference and head back out through
Zacatecas. I have to say, the city of Zacatecas has quite a racket set
up. I filled up with gas just on the edge of town and needed to find
another bank. When I went into the city, I found the streets had a big
barrier between the traffic and the bank was on the left side. I had
to go for about 2 more miles before turning around and heading back.
After getting the money changed, I went back the direction I came from
and there were no roads listed which I needed. I finally saw a sign
for Saltillo and the road took me back around into a retorno (back the
way I came from Zacatecas). I managed to put about 25 miles on that
tank of gas before finding the correct road out of town and back to
Saltillo.

Everywhere I went, I had people turning around in their cars, hanging
their heads out their windows and people screaming to catch a closer
look at this Blackbird. The people down there have never seen a
motorcycle like this one. When I finally got into Monterrey, I stopped
for gas and my daily nutrients. While I was there, two men came up to
my bike and were looking it over very carefully. When I walked out to
it from the store, I greeted them. One of the men looked at me and
asked in very broken English "is this a Blackbird?". I replied that it
was, in Spanish. He then turned to the other man and started telling
him very excited all about the bike they had just looked over. I asked
him in Spanish if he knew about the Blackbird and he said "oh yes, I
really do". He went on to say how he's never seen one, but always
wanted to. At this point, having my bike called a "pack mule" earlier
made up for it with these two men's reaction to seeing my bike.

All in all, it was almost 4,000 miles in just over a week's time. WHAT
AN ADVENTURE!

 

experimenting, <<


Brian, I've found a solution to flats that works pretty good. I bought a
$10, 12v air pump from Wal-Mart. I took the plastic enclosure off and put a
BMW style plug on the wires that originally had battery clips.The pump,
gummy worms, insertion tool, etc, all fit in a small plastic box (that
originally contained a rain parka) that goes right in my tank bag. I never
leave home on either of my bikes without it. For electrical power, I've
installed a couple of BMW style sockets on both my bikes. These sockets are
used to power my ECM equipment (Radar & CB) as well as heated clothing.
Below are some links to some pics of my setup. ( By the way, ECM for those
of you who've never been in the military means "Electronic Counter
Measures"! :-> ) :

Here's a pic of the air pump. Notice the BMW plug on the end and the switch.
Off to the right side are two ziplock bags of tire patching stuff. All of
this fits in the small plastic box in the upper, right hand corner:
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/tmp_airpump1.jpg

Here's a picture of the electrical sockets as installed on my '00 VFR:
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/tmp_elecsockets.jpg

These sockets are there primarily to provided switched power to my radar
detector and heated clothing.

Here's a picture of the pump plugged in and ready to go. You can see the
business end of the pump and a cord I use to hang it from the bars (or to
hold by hand) while the pump's in use :
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/tmp_pumpinsocket.jpg

Now, here's a freebie. This is the setup I have for my Valentine One radar
detector. This may come in handy if you plan on doing anymore 155 mph runs
down the highway.
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/tmp_vfr_radarmount.jpg

If you'd like information on how I hooked all this up, complete with part
#s, here's how I did it on my '99 VFR. If done my '00 the same way except
that the radar detector wire routing is configured slightly different.
Everything now is totally self contained within my tank bag. At the end of
the day I just unplug the bag, unstrap the detector from the windshield,
pull the magnetic tank bag off and it's ready to be washed.
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/vfr_electrical_farkles1.html

__________________________
Mick McHam Houston, TX
'01 ST1100 ABS, STOC# 1134
'00 VFR800FI
http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham

 

The only two things which affected my bike were the Pemex gas and the
flat tire. I could sure feel the effects from running that Mexican gas
in the bike. I guess if that's all I'd ever run, it wouldn't have been
a problem. Since I was used to running it on higher grades of fuel, I
felt it.

Combined with the fuel and the altitude changes, the bike would
hesitate at engine speeds below 3k and then on top ends. Even with
octane booster and fuel additives, it didn't change it enough to be
running at premium.

As to the tire, that was sort of my fault. I'd pulled off the highway
into some mucky shit a hundred miles or so before stopping at the
hotel. Judging from the metal that was in the tire and thinking back,
I figured that was where I picked up the little bugger. I knew better
than to stop there, but I saw something that would've made a great
picture for Wakko. As it turned out, I didn't get a chance to take the
picture and got a flat for the trouble.

Ah well! All in all it still turned out a wonderful ride!

 

I heard he picked up a woman at a lite!!!!!!!!!

 

It appears this trip was halfway soloist.

B. Jay Kana--
NETexas
03Valk-&-98 Magna
Have a Dandy Day--

 

hehehe.. <chuckle> Almost got 'er done.. hmmm.. I expect if those
other two women hadn't been in the office, she might have mounted
up.. She kept looking out her office window at the Green One parked
out there and talking about what a sharp motorcycle I was riding.. She
was even dressed for it.. Looked like a cowgirl to me..

 

Bill you arent the only one that got a citation? Didnt I read earlier
that all of ya go one?
If not, I guess you stayed back to do what you could do for everyone;
charming the judge and stuff.

B. Jay Kana--
NETexas
03Valk-&-98 Magna
Have a Dandy Day--

 

All three of us got citations.. Yep.. tried my best to get all of them
dismissed.. The judge didn't seem to be too excited about trying
a case with four people swearing they weren't speeding and one
officer saying they were.. Guess we'll just have to wait and see
how that is going to turn out..

hmmm.. btw.. That judge was a real honey, too.. Thought about
offering her a ride since she admired my old Green Vulcan so
much.. hehehe..

 

billWalker said:
That judge was a real honey, too.. Thought about offering her a ride
since she admired my old Green Vulcan so much.. hehehe..



How was she able to observe it.
Out her chambers window?

Althought, I dont doubt it, many of those little country judges are
uniquely friendly.

I use to have an aquaintence situation with a Little River country
county judge.
Sueann Meriweather, I believe her name was. Been aaaaaawhile.

B. Jay Kana--
NETexas
03Valk-&-98 Magna
Have a Dandy Day--

 

The lady said she'd followed me from her coffee stop, all the way
to the courthouse.. The Green One was parked outside her office
and she could see it out the window.. You are right.. she was friend-
ly, but she was also a pretty sharp cookie.. After all, she'd won her
election to office.. We'll see just how really friendly and sharp she
is by the time these tickets are resolved..

Bill Walker

 

LOL.. You know.. that very thought was going through my mind while I was
visiting with her.. <sigh> I guess if they lock me up, all you guys can
come
visit and bring me cigarettes and stuff.. Take care..

Bill Walker