From Billy Fitz - yamafitter:
After a quick coffee at the hotel it was time to leave Real de Catorce and head back through the tunnel. I had some problems getting the WR450 started this morning since we were at almost 9000 ft and my carbureted WR450 is jetted for 500 ft. The other issue was that I had lost the kickstarter when it fell off on the first day and was lost plus the fact that I have an older Recluse clutch so bump starting is out of the list of solutions. If it does not start using the magic button it was not going to start.
In the end my roommate Chris had brought along a portable booster unit and with booster connected we were able to get a start. Most of the other riders on the bigger bikes did not want to risk the steep downhill cobblestones and took an alternate path down the hill to the street leading to the tunnel.
Being on a lighter bike I was OK with the decent and made it down to the town square without incident but then there were no bikes in sight. The support truck had followed me down and was starting to exit towards the tunnel so I thought it best just to follow the support truck. WE finally met up with some of the others at the tunnel and made our exit. After the tunnel it was twenty-four kilometers of wet cobblestones to make it out to the highway. At the turn we all gathered back up and headed east towards Magdeleno for breakfast.
Unfortunately part way there the WR450 lost power and made sounds like a decompressor as the bike rolled to a stop. A quick check of turning the motor over with the starter confirmed no compression and a sound a motor makes when the valve is hitting the piston. The WR450 at this point was done for the trip. The only thing left to do was to wait on the side of the road for the support truck and load the bike into the back...
We met back up with the group at the restaurant and just as the group was about to roll away the rains came back...
Maybe breaking down was not such a bad thing. We made one quick break from chasing the bikes to get a few photos of this bottle cactus...
Early in the afternoon there was an opportunity to get off the highway and ride up into the mountains. Jim's back was a little sore so he offered the KLR we was riding and I followed the part of the group that headed into the hills.
The first thing I learned was that the brakes are real sensitive when Alphonso made a quick stop after a wrong turn and I dumped the bike when I almost piled into the back of Chris. Alphonso then laid his BMW down getting turned around so it became quite the Chinese fire drill.
It was very wet but the road was in good shape and we were making decent progress. Though it was raining and the clouds were shrouding most of the mountains there was some photo ops....
We got part way along the route when we came to the realization that the loop was much longer than anticipated so the decision was made to backtrack and just head up the highway to our destination. A half mile before the hotel there was an upside down car halfway into the passing lane and Brian and Russ stopped so Brian could get a photo and make sure no one was hurt.
Unfortunately where they stopped left them somewhat vulnerable and another car that was rubbernecking clipped Russ' DR and put Russ and the bike in the ditch. Fortunately Russ is OK and the bike took only minor damage and is still rideable but Russ' iPhone landed submerged in the water and may not survive.
THe one saving grace was the battery was already drained so the old phone packed in rice trick may save it. Needless to say Russ is not in the best of moods and may head back tomorrow.
Once we peeled off all the wet riding gear we headed over to the spa for a massage and dinner. First things first however was cocktails....
This local concoction is a Mexican take on a Canadian Bloody Ceasar. A big jug with Mexican beer, Clamatos juice, celery salt, a dash of steak sauce and some Mexican hot sauce for flavour. Very tasty. After cocktails some of use had a massage to get rid of some of the kinks from all of the damp riding. The rubdown on the back and legs with hot rocks was very soothing.
Dinner that night was served out on the paddio of the spa and was also quite good....
I just wish it could have been a little warmer it would have made it much more enjoyable.
It is cold, the cabin roof leaks, there is no heat, all my riding gear is soaked and the bike is broke. Don Stanley who organized this trip but could not make the trip is probably laughing at us the bastard. It can be said however that we are having an adventure.
more to come....
