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A KLR and the Kitchen Sink

Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
721
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Location
Katy......................... Cell# 832-72
Was at Wild West this afternoon.......Young guy comes rolling in on a KLR loaded down like I've never seen before. Talked with him for a few.......From Michigan, on the road for 6 months, heading down to Argentina. He was there to pick up a valve cover gasket.....leaking like the Exxon Valdez, and his rear shock was shot, (I wonder why)...........Nice guy, I wish him all the Luck and an Adventure he'll remember for years to come.
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Got me beat, but not by much. I did have the coolguy Moab suspension with a ton of preload. This was on to California from Austin. God Speed and safe travels to him! sounds like fun.

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That's way too much stuff to carry on a trip like that unless he thinks I-45 runs all the way to Tierra Del Fuego.
 
nice!! makes me want that KLR even more! i agree tho, too much baggage. one slip and that's it. good luck and i hope he read the Ozzy report on ADV too.
 
That's way too much stuff to carry on a trip like that unless he thinks I-45 runs all the way to Tierra Del Fuego.

Wow, what a payload! I don't think he smart-planned. He could have consolidated certain items with multi-purpose alternatives. If he gets a flat in the middle of nowhere or tips over, ya gotta remove all that packing pork.

I made the same mistake on my first long road-trip by taking too much, when in fact you don't need half of the goods on the mule....just the critical essentials.

With his cargo, he might have opted for a used Strom 650 with some Hyperpros on the back for extra suspension beef.

RB
 
Wow that guy isn't going to make it far with that load.

On any motorcycle trip, you only need a change of clothes, Hygiene gear, and camping supplies (tent, knife, sleeping bag) The rest is unimportant or can be found as needed any where in the world.
 
:tab If he is smart, as the trip progresses and he gets a better idea about what he does/doesn't need, he could ship stuff home. I would just hate to pack/unpack that much stuff everyday :brainsnap

:tab Gary, did he mention if he was doing a report as he goes?
 
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:tab Gary, did he mention if he was doing a report as he goes?
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He did....he wrote his own personal blog site down as being..( Dondeestavictor.com)....I was unable to locate on the net....He also said he was posting on ADV.......I haven't looked there yet....Maybe someone on here can find something about this guys trip.....
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As I was talking with him, and hearing about what he was undertaking. I remembered the incredible and tragic story on ADV, about the young guy that was paralyzed and eventually ended his life. I thought it not a good time to bring up something so melancholy......Gave him some advice about the KLR and his need to have a couple of down days at his friends house in Austin. His need to address the rear shock, and the sub-frame bolt, foot peg brackets, clutch cable....etc..........Lets hope some of it stuck and he'll be a bit better prepared when he crosses the border..........Wished him "Via Con Dios"
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Way to go Guys.............Yep, that's the guy.............I told him about alot of guys n gals sitting behind desks that don't get to do things like this and that they just love to live the Adventure life through others "Ride-Reports"
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Lets see if he's going to take the time to post..
 
Just get a sidecar rig and be done with it...... i can carry spare tires wheels, extra engine,food ,drink,camping gear, clothes, tools and still put a chica in the sidecar.

although it is said sidecars are not for everybody.
 
Hi Everybody,

My name is Joe (2004 Honda CBR600RR) and I am hosting Victor while he stays in Austin and works on his bike. I thought I'd take this opportunity to provide a little insight into his strategy for getting safely to Tierra del Fuego.

First off, I don't see any vultures in the 9th ward video that he took.

Victor is well prepared and has planned this trip for years. He's brought exactly everything he needs to take his or a fellow rider's bike apart and put it back together; to setup camp and live off the lands for months at a time; to perform on-the-road surgeries; to provide 500 gallons of clean drinking water to local communities; to charge all his electronics including his bike battery with solar energy; to cook a feast for all those in an orphanage; and to assist those in need to his full capacity.

Maybe he'd travel a lot lighter with the "critical essentials" if he were just looking out for himself and had the singular goal of arriving safely at his destination. However, Victor is not just riding for his own enjoyment, but to change the lives of all those he encounters for the better.

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." -Ursula K. LeGuin
 
hondacbr600rr, did we strike a nerve? You seem a little touchy. Nobody has said anything negitive about your buddy. His trip sounds like a great plan with a very good intentions. although he might have been better served using a pickup truck if he needs to haul that much stuff.

But we can still poke fun at an overloaded bike regardless of his mission. This is a motorcycle forum so all talk about bike is "open season".

BTW I used to live in the NOLA area, trust me, most of the cars there are not on blocks and missing wheels by choice. You don't want to leave you stuff unattended. Its a large section of the city, your buddy stayed in the nice side of 9th ward, that area was washed away and is now getting rebuilt. Drive deeper into it around the older sections and the housing projects and you will understand the "vulture" comment.

I hope he makes it to his destination.
 
I kind of get the impression we got ol' Joes panties in a bunch also. But just a point of reference for why we all think the guy is overloaded, Theo Kelz (Double Hand transplant recipient) went around the world on a larger bike with close to the same packing.

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Ted (Jupiter's Travels) only packed this on both his trips:

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I wish him well but I would love to see how light a load he comes home with.
 
Well, Victor ended up at my house on Tuesday with a new shock and valve cover gasket. We tore into the bike and checked the valves while we were at it. Yep, all the valves were tight. Wednesday he went after shims and we met back up on Friday to get it buttoned back up. Fired up on the first try and the new rear shock with a stiffer spring is going to help a lot.

He's also planning on sending some stuff home to lighten the load. We may ride together Sunday afternoon or Monday, then he's of to Mexico and points south.
 
Well, Victor ended up at my house on Tuesday with a new shock and valve cover gasket. We tore into the bike and checked the valves while we were at it. Yep, all the valves were tight. Wednesday he went after shims and we met back up on Friday to get it buttoned back up. Fired up on the first try and the new rear shock with a stiffer spring is going to help a lot.

He's also planning on sending some stuff home to lighten the load. We may ride together Sunday afternoon or Monday, then he's of to Mexico and points south.

cool! tell him good luck from us. :rider:
 
Well, Victor ended up at my house on Tuesday with a new shock and valve cover gasket. We tore into the bike and checked the valves while we were at it. Yep, all the valves were tight. Wednesday he went after shims and we met back up on Friday to get it buttoned back up. Fired up on the first try and the new rear shock with a stiffer spring is going to help a lot.

He's also planning on sending some stuff home to lighten the load. We may ride together Sunday afternoon or Monday, then he's of to Mexico and points south.

Cheers to him and cheerio to you for helping a fellow traveler.

I wish him a safe passage.

RB
 
Hey guys just wanted to say that i took victor across the border tonight to help him get all his paperwork in order for his departure to mexico tomorrow morning. We then went and had a fitting dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

He did have a lot of stuff but seemed to have a system to it and had the bike unloaded and ready to ride in less than 10 minutes. He really is a great guy. Tomorrow he should be heading to mexico and beyond.
 
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