Husky Trip to the Tip

[xymotic]

Right on. I'm sure riding in the truck was a sobering event, for sure. No one wants to go to Baja for a ride and end up in the truck I'm glad to hear your perspective on the situation...it shows a certain maturity

I wanted to ride Baja for years, but with my propensity for injury I just never felt like it was a good idea for me personally. I jumped at the chance to go last February, though. I rationalized it by telling myself it was a somewhat safe situation, what with having a chase truck, a person familiar with the routes, language, customs, riding, etc, and not having to worry about the logistics of it all. Still, uppermost in my mind was the fact that I could not afford to get hurt in a 3rd world country. Also, I would have been embarrassed if I hurt myself and put a damper on everyone else's good time. I totally rode accordingly, and backed out of some good routes that I could have ridden with no problems whatsoever (according to Eric, anyway...he took the good routes) in order to avoid an increased chance of injury. Yeah, I could have ridden a lot faster, and I could have ridden the hard stuff, but it just wasn't worth it to me. In my later years it's been much easier to swallow my pride than it's been to swallow pain killers



WoodsChick

It's one of the reasons I really like riding alone.

 

[life_in_sepia]

Brokeback Zack

Zack stopped by the house today, so I had to get a quick portrait in tintype....

This image reminds me slightly of Avedon's portrait of the "in cold blood" killer.

 

[robertaccio]

wow "killer" photo

 

[xymotic]

Zack stopped by the house today, so I had to get a quick portrait in tintype....

This image reminds me slightly of Avedon's portrait of the "in cold blood" killer.

Playin for the other team now Ed

 

[HuskyDude]

wow "killer" photo

Ya no pun intended.

 

[xymotic]

Flashback: San Felipe.

Five or so guys were sittin in the bar waiting for the others. The Marachi comes over and asks if we'd like him to play a song.

Then he had the Quote of the day: "Something romantic Perhaps?"

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke


Boy I stink at this Reportage biz, I can't believe some of the nuggets like that I've already forgotten. You guyz need to speak the hell up!

I just got some pix from Norcal Slowpoke,
JCH4, Yossarian and Septic Skeptic @ Alfonsina's

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke

Mike Kay

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke

OK, so anyway that catches us up to Coco's
NCSP had some good pics of that as well.

Photos by NorCalSlowPoke

Mike Kay

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke

Yossarian

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke

Here's the Man himself.

Photo by NorCalSlowPoke

And Here's Coco, with NorcalSlowpoke

I Dunno who snapped this'n



OK, so then I had a bent top clamp, yadda yadda yadda, we had breakfast and then we left the hotel and a couple turns in Bay of LA later we were on our way!

photo by SepticSkeptic

BentAero wringing out the 310

The pictures do not even remotely accurately represent the actual beauty of the place!

It was a nice easy road.

But, it's still Baja, you really have to pay attention or you can get bit quickly

I tell you, this damned BentAero Guy, "look at how light and flickable my bike is, it's so fun!" It got old. Always with the wheelies (which I can't really do on dirt) and that STUPID DANG GRIN on his face. Ugh!

After a few talks with Mike about my little pogo stick incident, he got down and dirty and helped me setup my bike more betterer.

Holy crap! I had no idea what I've been missing! Suddenly the road had no washboard. In that picture even has a bit of a halo!!

 

[xymotic]

Next came more Carnage to my poor 610.

The Husky sub-frame is poorly designed IMO. It is nearly identical to the 310 & 510.

The 310 and 510 are race bikes. Weekend bikes. The 610 is sposed to be a dual sport enduro beast.

So Husqvarna's genius solution to this problem is to put plastic on the race fenders and 'reinforce' the 610's tail with an extra aluminum piece. The thing is everyone installs the reinforcing piece, and Husky hasn't imported any for 6 months! So they were not around to replace my mangled one. Plus, it's crap anyway, and like $60 which is sort of expensive as far as turds go.

Anyways, here's a great shot of what it all looks like stolen from danbartol:

It's like it never occurred to them we might want to carry real tools. the sub-frame has a couple welded fingers, that hold a obscenely thin 1/8 Aluminum piece, and that's what holds the rear fender. Put any weight back there, and the crap piece acts like a fulcrum on the sub-frame. The weak welded part of the sub-frame.


My mistake was making the crap piece so strong, and a tad wide, which stressed the sub-frame. Add in 30 miles of washboard and 20# of crap (Gas & tools) and it had to go. Here's my $50 custom-made bracket

I was riding a very benign section and the tire started grinding.

It's hard to see in this pic, but to the right of the bolt you can see there is a crack in the weld.

The fender should be UNDER the cross piece.

It seemed like two of the four bolts were holding and it was just a pivoting problem, so I emptied the fuel into the bike to save weight, and I whipped out the zip ties and fabbed up a quick fix.

Just to be safe I also used my ROK Straps.

Good as new so I hit the road again.

Anyway, it's all good. I'm gonna take off the sub-frame and have it seriously welded with fillets at every joint. I think I may also fab up a mount on the side down low for the rotopax tank.

 

[xymotic]

I can't find my Radio, I'm "almost" certain I had it in my gear bag. If anybody finds an extra Yaesu handheld it's mine

 

[Yossarian]

I have not found anything that didn't belong to me. Thought I had lost my GPS but it turned up, buried in a parts bag.

 

[glangston]

I have not found anything that didn't belong to me. Thought I had lost my GPS but it turned up, buried in a parts bag.

I lost a glove in Mike's truck when we went to RSV and Mike's Sky Ranch. He couldn't find it when he first looked, then months later it appeared when he was scrounging around in it again.

 

[Yossarian]

repair time

Gotta buy a spoke wrench. What size fits the 610?

 

[Mike Kay]

git the 6.5/6.8 spoke wrench.

havent found any extra radios, but will look again. still unpacking spares, etc.

found an extra red sleeping bag.

Xymo/Septic there is a found wallet in the bikes rear top bag.

have an extra sat. phone in my trucks glove compartment.

--------

Really fun to relive the trip with all the pics. Keep 'em coming.

Great shot of Brokebackzach aka Santa Muerte aka Peter aka Zach-the-awesome-chase-truck-driver.

 

[SepticSkeptic]

Xymo/Septic there is a found wallet in the bikes rear top bag.

have an extra sat. phone in my trucks glove compartment.

Got the wallet back, thanks.

The Iridium Sat phone is my rental, should be a charger and extra battery in there as well. Is your truck still in San Clemente, or are you back home?

If San Clemente, then I can have someone swing by and pick it up. If Sonoma, then could I ask you to mail it down to:

DBA All Road Communications
2222 4th Ave
San Diego, California 92101

Attn: Tina Blanco
Re: Order ID#33794

 

[BentAero]

Hey all!

I made it home Sunday about 5:00 pm EST. 4,945 miles; 77 hours, 39 minutes driving time (round trip) according to the GPS.

Was it worth it? Absolutely no doubt. I think everyone had fun and we all made some new friends. Thanks Mike for making it happen. Without you, It never would have happened! I hoist a Pacifico in your honor!

I've got an enormous amount of catching up to do after being gone two and half weeks, but once I do, I'll post some photos that haven't been posted already.

Thank you all for a great trip.

 

[Coffee]

Nice!

I was hoping you had made it back! I hope the weather is a little better in NC than when you left it.

 

[xymotic]

Welcome back to the most convoluted ride report evah!
Got some new pics from Yossarian™, so we gets to take a ride in the wayback machine once more!

I do not even remotely know how to caption this photo, but it cracks me up!

photo by Yossarian™

estupid-o gringos, parking in the spaces reserved for the federales

photo by Yossarian™

Yours truly @ Rancho Santa Veronica.

photo by Yossarian™

There were a couple other people there as well

photo by Yossarian™

I really wanted a shot of this neat oasis, but I didn't get one, thankfully Yossarian™ snagged one.

photo by Yossarian™

photo by Yossarian™

Ed

photo by Yossarian™

photo by Yossarian™
Morning in San Felipe
jch4, Mike Kay, Xymotic

photo by Yossarian™

Yep, that hotel sucks.

photo by Yossarian™

Yossarian taking a picture of me taking a picture...

photo by Yossarian™

Me Taking a picture of Yossarian™ (and mike & SepticSkeptic) taking a picture of me taking a picture of them; this picture:

photo by Yossarian™

Yossarian by Yossarian™, with special guest appearance by xymotic (to class it up a bit) BTW, Yossarian™, the camo really didn't work, we could still see your big head.

This is a photo of me laughing my butt off.:deal

photo by Yossarian™

Xymotic going a little too fast and not able to stop on the road...

photo by Yossarian™

The 'we don't like sand convention"

photo by Yossarian™

 

[xymotic]

Yossarian™'s ugly little bike. (unlike mine, he pretty much kept it looking nice the whole time)

photo by Yossarian™

Mike and septicSkeptic on the road to Alfonsina's

photo by Yossarian™

The sandy wash we went through to get to Alfonsina's

photo by Yossarian™

Group shot when we found Zach and the Chase truck on the road to Alfonsina's (ok, in reality this is just YET ANOTHER love shot by Yossarian™ of Yossarian's bike. They slept together in the same hotel room. I'm not saying nothin, just sayin)

photo by Yossarian™

Note, they kicked the truck off of the main road because they were paving. This is another road going to Alfonsina's. the main road is pretty well thoroughly graded now and will be completely paved soon.

photo by Yossarian™

Me and SepticSkeptic Racing. I was obviously way faster, I'm blurry and he's still. Like a Rock. A non-moving rock. Shortly after this Septic blew my doors off passing me off the road in whoops...

photo by Yossarian™

I think this one must be Photoshopped, cuz I don't smile, like ever. Oh wait, I did just grab a beer... Mike Kay, LifeInSepia, BentAero, Xymotic, NorCalSlowPoke

photo by Yossarian™

I had "this many" Vicodin:evil

photo by Yossarian™

NorcalSlowpoke in his wannabe-a-KTM-rider-uniform

photo by Yossarian™

The scene of the crime. Again, thank you everyone for helping me out and caring so much. Complete strangers making sure I was ok. :thumb

photo by Yossarian™

photo by Yossarian™

Coco, and his magnificent fridge

photo by Yossarian™


Man, I forgot to sign the book! Glad Yossarian™ got a pic at least.

photo by Yossarian™

Geez, I was kidding before, but Yossarian™ & Septic Septic photographically documented their forbidden four-way. Jeeze and with Seals too? sick bastards.

photo by Yossarian™

Again, I am not saying nuthin. Whatever you guys did in that room, seriously I don't want to know about it.

photo By Yossarian™

Bay of Los Angeles

photo By Yossarian™

Ok so we left Bay of LA, Boys in Mexico will be boys, "not that there is anything wrong with that" my fender/rack took a dip and I zip tied it together, Mike manually stimulated my pogo stick and made it harder... yadda yadda yadda, we're all caught up now again, and my bike was back to running.

 

[Coffee]

A most interesting report!

What is with the crediting of the pictures? Has there been an issue in the past on cafe husky? Is it an ADV rider thing? Inside joke?

"photo By Yossarian™"

 

[xymotic]

A most interesting report!

What is with the crediting of the pictures? Has there been an issue in the past on cafe husky? Is it an ADV rider thing? Inside joke?

"photo By Yossarian™"

No, I'm a ex photog, and I dislike it when people use others pix. So I just like to give credit ere it's due.

 

[Coffee]

No, I'm a ex photog, and I dislike it when people use others pix. So I just like to give credit ere it's due.

Oh ok, thought something on my end was wrong... I like to be on the up and up too, ask permission to use a picture, etc.