MexTrek 2015 Ride Report !

[Mextrekadv]

Everyone, place your after-trip stories and pics here. Everyone who attended should post at least your best highlight pics and say hello when you get home to let all know you made it safely.

And, thanks to each and every one of you who attended. So many new and returning friends. It was an awesome trip for me. Todays ride out of the north side, Milton's gold standard, was incredible. Best 4 days of riding in Mexico yet. Sadly, haha, too much riding to get back to McAllen so we're gonna enjoy Metroplaza in Monterrey tonight.

A few pics from my 7 day adventure I'm posting later in the thread....

 

[Dao]

Vinny & I made it back to Austin @ 6pm.

To get the ball rolling....here's some pics I took:

The trail we took coming into Galeana from the north.

One of the towns leading into Galiana:

These last 3 pics were taken on the El-Alamar route S. of Galiana.

 

[Mextrekadv]

Nice!

 

[JRementeria]

Home sweet home... I will post Picts tomorrow... I'm going to sleep

Exelent Peter (Shadman)... Thanks...

 

[kayakkawakid]

Made it back at 10:45 pm sorry peter and everett, i knew i'd be back monday in the am if had gone dirt with u on way back, glad to hear u ok in monterrey, mesa de oso must've been spectacular going north too.

 

[webnel]

Reaching for the heavens from on top of the world........

 

[FM47]

Victory dancing in the middle of Mexico after a successful climb and decent on a rocky goat trail...

 

[FM47]

Random shots from the trip..Had a great time..

 

[kiko]

Bien hecho, great photos.

 

[Dave Bell]

Can't decide whether to post this here or on my own thread. Here goes: This would have been my 4th trip to Galeana. I got a 95 BMW R1100gs about 6 weeks ago and have done a lot to it, but rode it every day to work without issues, to learn to trust it. I was going to ride all the way to Galeana so if it were going to break it would break in Texas instead of Mexico. But my buddy Dale and I decided to drive from DFW to the border (glad I did). We got unloaded in Mission, got our papers, and met everyone at dinner. A couple of them had been on prior trips and one or two I already knew, like Shadman, Mark (Subcomm), Vinny, Dale, and a couple of others, and a couple looked familiar like I saw them in Big Bend. Anyway, we headed off for Galeana, and everything was going very well. I knew the bike was a big one, and I planned to do Class I's and maybe lead some VStroms on some easy rides that I've done before, at my usual not-blistering pace. Everything was going fine, and I did not have any problems at all on the more difficult part of the Reyones-Galeana road. About 8 miles from Galeana, all of a sudden, the Blackbird dies as if struck by
Thor's hammer. Started a couple of times, then died again. We attempted a tow, but the big girl didn't like it. So, about this time, around the corner comes an old Mexican in an old truck. I more or less blocked his way, and hollered "Ayudame!!" and he nodded. He patiently removed his welder and a bunch of stuff from his old 70's truck and then Nick and a couple of others helped hoist my big bird into the old truck. The old dude, Gerrrrarrrrrra, took off to Galeana, and drank a coke and smoked a Camel type cig all the way. Of course, when we ground on into town he pops me with the back of his hand and says "Donde?" I say "El Centro". We unload the bird and she starts right up (of course). I rode to the square and parked her and came back and asked Gerrrrarrrrra "Quantos?" He says "No, no, no necesaria" I forced $20 on him for Cervesas and Cigarettes and he reluctantly took it. I have seen this happen several times with rural Mexicans, all help and no cost.

 

[Dave Bell]

So the bike started twice that evening. I decided to go in the morning and fill up with gas and ride around and if she kept running, to start a hopeful ride on pavement to the border. Alas, she did not start again. I called my BMW Guru and he got the three previous owners talking and the consensus was Hall Sensor Wiring (ignition). I took off the front cover, lifted the fuel tank out of the way and wiggled wires, took off the sensor, and it started a couple of times and ran for a few seconds, then nada.

Meantime, Peter had talked to Allejandro, the restaurant owner, who had taken an injured guy to McAllen in 08, and Allejandro agreed to take me Sunday. However, I found out that the price was $600, then I bargained him down to %$500. He did show up on time Sunday and we loaded up.

 

[Dave Bell]

So at 10 on Sunday, Alejandro is ready to go, and Carlos shows up and asked if he can go. He speaks English so I said of course I was glad to have him. We had to wait for him until 10:30. Then, a young Mexican girl and her friend (boyfriend?) hooked up with us and about 11, Alejandro, Carlos, Sophia, and her friend, and a big husky driver all took off. The drive was to take about 7 hours. Carlos was to talk the entire way, first English to me, then Spanish to everyone else.

 

[Dave Bell]

After about an hour, Sophia motions for my phone. I give it to her and she gets on translate and writes: "I am a rock and roll singer in Monterrey". She then finds her music and plays me some and of all things her band is a Rockabilly band. They are quite good. So I tell Sophia she can come home with me and I'll adopt her. I texted my wife a picture and she says "sure" so I tell Sophia that she can come live with us and I'll adopt her sort of as a girlfriend or something. She hugs and kisses me and has an excited look on her face so our deal is made. Since I had been more or less hunting for a 20 year old Mexican Rockabilly girlfriend, I thought "What luck". She was quite good looking and very sweet, and I have the power to make her a citizen so it's a win win.

 

[Dave Bell]

All the way, we were munching on soft tacos and I was formulating spanish phrases like "Puedemos Alto aqui para Baños y Coke?" and "Sophia Cuantos año tienes?" and other useful stuff, and big driver was taking short cuts and Carlos is talking and I'm wondering how long its going to take us to get there. Sophia and her friend have to stop and I find out that she's going on the bus to Monterrey and will be joining my family later.

So we ride, and Carlos talks, and finally we get to the border and I turn in my paper work, with a lot of relief. However, the Murcans wanted to quiz us just a bit and that took another couple of hours. Then, 3 miles from the Hotel Carlos tells the driver "Al Frente" and I'm hollering "Gire a la derecha!" Took us about 8 miles out of the way so he could talk some more. I found out after I arrived at the hotel that Carlos' talking had pretty much given me Cancer. Dale and I drove to Three Rivers and slept like the dead.

 

[webnel]

Sounds like a fun trip back to the US. I bet Dale got lots of laps in the pool waiting for you.

 

[Dave Bell]

I've got the last three owners of the bike holding a summit in a couple of weeks to jiggle wires. I'll let you know.

 

[SilverBullet]

I've got the last three owners of the bike holding a summit in a couple of weeks to jiggle wires. I'll let you know.

Forget about the bike, more important I want to see a photo of Sophia. Lol

_

 

[Dave Bell]

 

[Dave Bell]

 

[JMZ]

I was just fixing to say no pic no proof. Lol. Looks like your trip back didn't take long enough

Signatures? We don't need no stinking signatures!

 

[mr-roboto]

Dave - What friendly folks!

Cool.

RB

 

[kiko]

Maybe next trip down you need to buy one of those "selfie sticks" so you can get all of your new friends in the photo shot. Everything in Mexico is a group activity, no loners.

 

[JRementeria]

Dave... That girl is beautifull... Good luck!!!

 

[GBC]

Great trip, Great people, lets do it again!

 

[webnel]

Here is a preview of footage captured on the ride. More complete version(s) may follow.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_xurUHsmFg"]MexTrek 2015 Preview[/ame]


YouTube site version: https://youtu.be/H_xurUHsmFg