Austin Little Woodrows?

[skiphunt]

Haven't logged in for a good while. Was traveling in Mexico on the v-strom this time. Also let MikeA tag along for the month. Good fun. I had problems with my permit, etc. Ended up riding illegally, then almost got popped on the way back in with a possible impounding on the Mexican side.

The v-strom with my guards, skid, etc. worked out GREAT! Even held up for some light off-roading. Only problem at first was banging and scraping the bottom on the larger topes... but I soon figured out that if I hit them will a little speed.. say around 5mph.. I popped right over them without even scraping. What I lacked in off-road capability when compared to my old KLR650... was DEFINITELY made up for with more comfort during the long hauls, and more punch for getting around trucks and busses on blind curves. With the KLR I always had to make sure I not only had enough room to get around before the curve... but I also had to allow for more distance to make speed. Not an issue with the strom.

Discovered a couple benefits to traveling with another rider.. and some downsides, ie. REALLY tough trying to navigate you OWN way in a Mexican city with all the bus, taxis, and pedestrian dodging... but, having to keep an eye in your rear views to make sure the other rider keeps up makes it twice as challenging. Walky-talkies would have been nice so that I wouldn't have to worry about the other rider keeping up. I'd lane split my way and take my shots.. but often there wasn't enough room for MikeA too and I'd worry that if we got too separated.. there'd be no way to find each other again.

MikeA headed back solo at around the one month mark, but I continued back across the Sierras from Ciudad Mante West toward Matehuala to have a final week alone in the desert with peyote. Wasn't MikeA's "cup-o-tea" so he headed on back. ;-)

That highway from Ciudad Mante West toward Matehuala was absolutely harrowing, ie. severe hairpins, pour road conditions, slick, high altitude, clouds and low visibility, and COLD. The other road through the Sierras from Rio Verde to Ciudad Valles is a great road with non-stop twisties, superb scenery, excellent pavement, etc. And, just enough danger to keep you heart-rate up and remind you you're alive. Ask MikeA. ;-) Probably my favorite stretch in Mexico.

MikeA's GPS seemed pretty much useless in Mexico except for checking altitude or if we went off exploring and couldn't remember the turnoff to get back. Otherwise, without better maps in the GPS.. a good map rules over GPS in Mexico. ;-)

Have many new photos but didn't do any blogging this time. Will upload fresh Mexican travel photos after I get caught up. Just got back Friday night. Road the border to Austin after sundown, but if I had to do it again... would have spent the night in Cotulla. 34F at highway speed is just too dang cold. When I stopped for gas my arms, hands, legs, feet, etc. were so cold they'd all gone stiff and I almost dropped the bike in the gas station because I couldn't move. :-( Must get better foul weather gear. Or wait for the summer. ;-)

Are the Austin riders still meeting Tuesday nights at Palmer Ln. Lil' Woodrows for steak night?

hasta,

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

[skiphunt]

Here's a link to a little time-lapse photography I did of sunset in the Mexican desert while on peyote in small Mexican cemetery. :-) Must have Quicktime or iTunes to view.

Just a little something until I get time to go through photos to upload.

http://www.poppinfreshmedia.com/2007/02/time-lapse-in-mexican-desert-cemetery.html#links

[Desert Skies]

Welcome back Skip.:wave:

Know what you mean about riding solo, I prefer it but sometimes you need another rider with you when you get off the beaten path.

Anyway, can't wait to see your photo log.

Tom

[scratch]

Better be careful about having your permits/passport up-to-snuff, the rules are about to get a lot tougher on all that.



That highway from Ciudad Mante West toward Matehuala was absolutely harrowing, ie. severe hairpins, pour road conditions, slick, high altitude, clouds and low visibility, and COLD.
"Pour" road conditions... nice turn of phrase. That could apply to riding in the rain too. ;-)

Look forward to seeing your photos. :thumb:

[skiphunt]

Better be careful about having your permits/passport up-to-snuff, the rules are about to get a lot tougher on all that.


"Pour" road conditions... nice turn of phrase. That could apply to riding in the rain too. ;-)

Look forward to seeing your photos. :thumb:

Got that did ya? ;-) Actually, on top of it all on that route.. it was raining off and on too. I was losing tracking on both wheels.. but some of that had to do with the fact I'd pass through some little village and the tires would be coated with slimy mud.

[skiphunt]

Welcome back Skip.:wave:

Know what you mean about riding solo, I prefer it but sometimes you need another rider with you when you get off the beaten path.

Anyway, can't wait to see your photo log.

Tom

Yeah, although I'm definitely a better loner when it comes to riding.... I can't deny that the extra assurance that if you go down in the middle of nowhere... there's someone there who can get help.

It was particularly rough in the cities... but towards the end I think we got a little rhythm going.

[scratch]

Yeah, slick surfaces scare the bejabbers out of me too. Good to hear that you're getting along well with the 'strom.

[skiphunt]

Better be careful about having your permits/passport up-to-snuff, the rules are about to get a lot tougher on all that.


"Pour" road conditions... nice turn of phrase. That could apply to riding in the rain too. ;-)

Look forward to seeing your photos. :thumb:

Oh.. and yeah.. I try to have my ducks in a row with all that stuff.. but this current problem has me stumped. I've now been to 5 different border crossings with a copy of the transferred KLR title showing someone else in Texas now owns the bike, a bill of sale, and a few hundred pesos for bribing, but no one will budge. They just keep telling me I have to cancel out the old vehicle permit before I can get a new one. And, they won't cancel out the old one unless I bring the old KLR to the border.

I sold the KLR in parts to a user in Dallas a few months ago. I think he was going to rebuild it and then resell at a profit. So I can't take the bike there any more.

They gave me a form to fill out to send to Mexico City.. but my guess is that I'd never hear anything back. I might try the Austin Mexican consulate to see if there's anything they can do to help.

Basically, they only check for that permiso when you're going in at around the 25mile mark. Most of the time they just wave gringos on through without checking... as they did this time. But the problem came when I went to the wrong bridge that was for cargo instead. I got pissed that even though they wouldn't let me pass.. they still charged me the toll just to turn around. The mistake I made was arguing with them. This drew some security and another official who then asked for my vehicle permit.

Nervous.. I thought I'd just give them the old one and hope they didn't notice it was for a Kawasaki and not a Susuki. But, then I realized they had no way of knowing where I'd been in Mexico. So, I just told them I'd traveled along highway 2 for a month visiting border towns and never went into the interior. I'm pretty sure they knew I was lying but they had no way to prove it and had to let me go.

The official in Reynosa told me that they can issue a vehicle permit with either a passport, birth certificate, OR voter's registration card. He said that my current permiso on the old KLR that still needs to be cancelled is in the computer system under my passport number.. but, that if I had a voter's registration card he could issue me a new permiso for the Susuki under that instead. Not sure if that's true or not since I didn't think I'd need my voter's registration card while in Mexico and therefore didn't have it with me.

[skiphunt]

FYI: If you cross the border to Mexico from the Columbia bridge in Texas... they used to have an ATM machine there so you could get pesos right off the bat. They've now taken the ATM machine out so you have to either ride into Laredo, or wait until you hit a Pemex station with an ATM (more common these days).

[whoa]

Last time Austin riders met up was at a coffee shop on south Congress, across from the Continental Club a few weeks back. That was the first in a very long time.

[skiphunt]

Last time Austin riders met up was at a coffee shop on south Congress, across from the Continental Club a few weeks back. That was the first in a very long time.


Took a chance and went to steak night around 7pm. No one there and Jay was pretty busy so didn't get to chat much. Looking forward to the next pie run or Austin meetup.

Skip

[Tourmeister]

The Austin people still seem to have trouble doing anything on a regular basis. Must be that weird thing :shrug: ;-)

Welcome back Skip. Glad the Strom worked out so well. I look forward to seeing all the pics.

[Chirpy]

Well you know, it's not like Huntsville where we're all confined to our own little area :lol2:

[DaveC]

Austin and surrounding areas, it is like herding cats! Like cats we don't mind being seen in groups but for full cool effect it is better if you see us one at a time :rofl:

Peyote! Visions of Castaneda! Looking for some enlightenment Skip?:zen:

[skiphunt]

Austin and surrounding areas, it is like herding cats! Like cats we don't mind being seen in groups but for full cool effect it is better if you see us one at a time :rofl:

Peyote! Visions of Castaneda! Looking for some enlightenment Skip?:zen:

Naw.. already pretty enlightened. At this point, it's just for the wicked buzz. ;-)

[bluedogok]

I have been too busy to do the herding lately.......

[Chirpy]

I was thinking about getting MotoGP parties rounded up again, but I'm going to make sure the venue actually has SpeedVision first this time :doh:

[Tourmeister]

:lol2:

[whoa]

I was thinking about getting MotoGP parties rounded up again,

That'd be cool. Wasn't there someplace in Hutto suggested?

Getting around Austin should be similar to Dallas/Houston. Its painful anywhere near 6pm. Maybe we are a big city with small town roads?

I liked meeting at the coffee shops, and Rudys. But we seemed to have more turnout at Woodrows. Now that winter is over, we need to figure this out again.

[skiphunt]

One thing I never mentioned... when MikeA expressed interest in tagging along with me into Mexico.. and, after I'd decided it'd be ok... he dropped on me that he's an evangelical Christian and can't ride on the "true Sabboth" Saturday.

I was taken aback at first and asked, "you have read my travel reports haven't you? I eat peyote in Mexico.. will likely drink some mescal... and will certainly cuss and take the Lord's name in vain regularly..."

He agreed to live and let live... as did I. Needless to say... we had some pretty good conversations over the course of a month of riding together... and, never once had the other in a half-nelson threatening a Mexican swirly. And, thankfully.... there were no "Dirty Sanchez's" ever involved either. ;-)

[Tourmeister]

One thing I never mentioned... when MikeA expressed interest in tagging along with me into Mexico.. and, after I'd decided it'd be ok... he dropped on me that he's an evangelical Christian and can't ride on the "true Sabboth" Saturday.

I was taken aback at first and asked, "you have read my travel reports haven't you? I eat peyote in Mexico.. will likely drink some mescal... and will certainly cuss and take the Lord's name in vain regularly..."

He agreed to live and let live... as did I. Needless to say... we had some pretty good conversations over the course of a month of riding together... and, never once had the other in a half-nelson threatening a Mexican swirly. And, thankfully.... there were no "Dirty Sanchez's" ever involved either. ;-)

:tab Good for both of you! I've never understood the Christians that get so upset about what other people do. It is not like they will have to answer for what the other person has done. We each answer for our own actions ;-) I have great conversations with my non-Christian buds and we all enjoy them immensely!

[DaveC]

When I was younger I certianly enjoyed myself, now that I have survived those days I just drink coffee,,, and I eat pie.:eat:

I had quit smoking and I tried it again. Both types :trust: one made me dizzy and tasted just horrible. I was spitting and had to brush my teeth. yeech !!! I started because it was "cool"The other made me feel less in control and not to bright. Which is weird because I thought I had it all together when I was younger:ponder: So I never have tried either since. YRMV

[skiphunt]

When I was younger I certianly enjoyed myself, now that I have survived those days I just drink coffee,,, and I eat pie.:eat:

I had quit smoking and I tried it again. Both types :trust: one made me dizzy and tasted just horrible. I was spitting and had to brush my teeth. yeech !!! I started because it was "cool"The other made me feel less in control and not to bright. Which is weird because I thought I had it all together when I was younger:ponder: So I never have tried either since. YRMV

Well I smoke.. but am seriously considering quitting very soon. And smoking the "other" stuff... well, I have.. I will likely again.. but for the most part I don't much care for it either. But, when you're thousands of miles away and hanging out in the desert where the only decisions you have to make are when to go to sleep, and when to get out of bed... then a little "smoke" doesn't seem so bad. At home where I have to function properly, I'm more of a fan of coffee and a little wine. :-)