KTMrad

Last night I hosted another couple who are heading to Baja. They are riding 2 up on a Honda. Great people, Henning Bitsch from Denmark and Ruth Wetherow from Northern California. They brought some groceries with them and Henning cooked up a delicious dinner of meat sauce, pasta and olives. We talked for a few hours and shared many stories, was great meeting and hosting them.

Me and a few other SDAR members went out searching for Mickey Guidry when they organized a search shortly after he went missing. One of the organizers of that search was the father of that girl Amber, a famous case that was eventually solved and had an unhappy ending.

Last week I hosted Charlie Bergeron. He had ridden down from Quebec, Canada and was headed to Mexico. While he was here, another guy Gary Nguyen from New York contacted me, he had just ridden across the Trans America Trail (which is mostly dirt) and was also heading to Mexico. I ended up hosting both of them at the same time. They instantly became friends and decided to ride to Baja together. The night before they were going to leave, they offered to go buy some groceries so we could have a cookout. On the way to the store, Charlie had a mishap by t-boning a car. I got a text from Gary saying he had an accident. I hopped in my truck with my bike ramp and tie-downs to go pick him up. Luckily Charlie was OK, but the bike not so good. Next day Charlie saw that the steering head and forks were tweaked on his Honda Africa Twin, most likely totalled. He called his insurance company and then dropped it off at a local bike shop to assess the damage. I told Charlie he could stay at my house as long as necessary until he decided what to do. Without a bike now, Charlie went and bought a backpack, hammock, and packed up just the essentials he would need...he decided to continue his trip by backpacking thru Mexico on busses and trains...gotta love his spirit ! He would be on a different adventure now. He boxed up all his belongings from the bike, his panniers, etc. and shipped it all home to Canada. Next day, Charlie went to go catch a bus to the border at Mexicali, and Gary continued south to Baja. I told him about my friend Sondra Lagnado in Baja and she offered to host him, so he is there for a couple days. It was good hosting these 2 guys, what a blast we had.

I'm not gonna make this campout. I will be working on getting our sidecar rig back together so we can get put there and ride soon !

I hosted another motorcycle couple heading to Mexico, Central and South America. They texted me that morning to see if I could host them that night, I almost said no but I have a hard time turning away moto travelers, so I said yes. Ricardo and Carolina @Moto Mochileros FB page, are Columbian but live in Florida. When they pulled up, they asked if Doc had a sidecar and I said yes. After talking for a bit they said they met a guy with a sidecar dog at Overland Expo 2021 in Flagstaff...I showed them pix of Doc in his sidecar and they said "yes, that was you" ! What a small world. Once again, we enjoyed talking for hours and sharing travel stories and I shared my knowledge of traveling in Mexico and crossing the border. Another great night with new friends.

Hey Goofy, I've ridden in Nevada a few times. As far as the BDR is concerned, were there many difficult sections ? I'd love to try it with our sidecar rig, but would have to avoid tough, nasty sections.

Great report and pix. I've been exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains for years and still have more new places to see.

A couple weeks ago I hosted this good guy Ken Kitching from Georgia, he flew out to San Diego from Georgia, rented a bike and rode the California Coast up to Oregon and back. We shared travel stories and had a great time. We hope to eventually see him in Georgia on future travels.

I hosted another world traveler last Friday night...Krtw Rhyder, or Mike or K, is from Canada, been on the road for 4 1/2 months and I was his last stopping point before crossing into Baja, Mexico and continuing his Round the World journey. As soon as we met, I knew he was another cool moto traveler. I ordered a pizza and then we talked for hours that night. He didn't know a lot about Mexico, so I mentioned a few things he should do before crossing the border and I invited him to stay another night. He took up my offer so he'd be better prepared. By the time he left, he said he felt much more comfortable about heading to Mexico. I loved hearing about his adventures so far, and showed him lots of photos and input about riding in Mexico. After hanging out with him for 2 nights, I realized we had so much in common and he is like a long lost brother. Godspeed Mike, was great hosting and getting to know you !

Hosted for 3 nights last week this nice couple Michael and Lara from Germany, they've been riding around the USA for a few months and were crossing into Baja on their way to South America. They had a bunch of packages and spare parts shipped to my house and they changed all 4 tires on their bikes before they left. Their friends from Germany happened to be in town at the same time and it was Lara's birthday, so we went out for a great Mexican dinner and then they all came over to my house and we talked and had a great time on my front porch. Was really glad meeting them all.

Yes, the original post sounded like it was next weekend.

Maybe we'll drive the pickup out. I can bring firewood, other stuff and coolers for people.

Dammit, won't have my sidecar back together by then.

He just came back into the USA from Central America, he's looking for a place to store his KLR650 for anywhere from 2 to 4 months. "Hey, I saw you on Bunk-a-biker. I don't need a place to stay, but was just hoping you might have a local reccomendation for motorcycle storage for the winter. I am traveling in in a couple days. I went from home in Alaska to Belize and am shortly coming out of Mexico. @ak.klr650,"

I would host this guy, but I'm already hosting 2 German world travelers that week. I'm sure he would prefer a host within SD city limits, since he's taking his bike in for service at SDBMW. I'm sure even just a place to pitch his tent would be good enough....here is the email he sent me. Greetings. Have a appointment at the San Diego BMW shop for 9:00 am Oct 12 and am seeking a place to stay. Going around the world on my bike and this is my last stop for bike maintenance in a western town. I would like to arrive Oct 11 sometime and get my bike unpacked and ready for service. Then spend the night of the 12th as well. There's a few other things I need to get done before heading to Mexico. If you can't help out, maybe you have ideas of free or cheap places I could stay. Thank you for reading this. All the best . You can check me out on Facebook at KRTW Rhyder.

National motorcycle museum is closing.... https://www.hagerty.com/media/motorcycles/300-bikes-for-sale-as-national-motorcycle-museum-closes/

I've always worn a rain suit to go over my riding gear, I prefer that to goretex garments. Also, goretex does not breathe well, so if it's not raining you overheat. Olympia makes a good outer rain suit jacket, and Aerostich makes a good outer rain pant. Be aware, all outer rain suits must be cleaned and reconditioned about once a year to remain effective and keep you dry. Nik Wax makes a reconditioning kit (Tech Wash) to restore the waterproofness of your rain suit.

I will be there to check out the cool pre-1933 motorcycles and meet the riders. We would like to inform you that the 2023 edition of the Motorcycle Cannonball will be starting on Thursday, September 7, 2023. The Motorcycle Cannonball is a cross-country challenge for riders with motorcycles that were manufactured in 1933 or earlier, and is the most difficult antique endurance run in the world. This year’s event will see close to 100 riders traversing the back roads of the United States. We will depart from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and arrive in Oceanside, California, for this 17-day endurance run covering 3,800 miles. This endeavor is extremely challenging, as riders and machines could endure fatigue, mental exhaustion, cold, heat, elevations, and all the ferocious elements of Mother Nature, not to mention the demands of keeping their vintage machines in running order. Riders will navigate the Motorcycle Cannonball course with the assistance of paper maps (no GPS routing allowed). Stage 16: Sunday, September 24 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – MotoDoffo, 36083 Summitville St, Temecula, CA Followed by (same day): GRAND FINALE! 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Oceanside Pier, Oceanside, CA Additional information about the Motorcycle Cannonball can be found as follows: Facebook: @motorcyclecannonball Instagram: @mc_cannonball YouTube: @motorcyclecannonball Web: motorcyclecannonball.com

I've been using foamies for years that you get from the pharmacy like Rite Aid, CVS, Home Depot, etc. They're good enough to block out the wind noise yet you can still hear what's going on around you...which is what I prefer. When they're worn out, you just toss them and grab another pair.

Just had the pleasure of hosting this German couple Dominik Hornsteiner and Nicole. They contacted me thru Bunk a Biker and asked if they could stay 1 night, I said sure and maybe they could help me assemble the bunk beds for the spare room.They showed up Friday afternoon and proceeded to take the reins and assembled the bunk beds, awesome ! I felt bad that I had nothing to cook for them, so I ordered a pizza, shared beers with them and we talked for hours, they told me about their experiences so far as they traveled a few months in the USA and I shared my stories of traveling Mexico, now they are on their way to Baja, Mexico, Central and South America. I cooked breakfast for us all in the morning before they got on the road. Safe travels my friends.

Thanks to Nick...Shutterrev, from a local SDAR ride.

This might be worth checking out...maybe we'll set up a booth there.

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