Tax FREE - Canada to Panama on a KLR650

My name is Patrick, I'm 25 and have been wanting to get out and do some adventure touring since I found this site 3 or 4 years ago. Unfortunately I always managed to find a reason not to go; be it work, school, women or money there was always an issue.

Well, it seems my time has come! Fresh out of trade school with no job to go back to, no steady girlfriend to speak of and a windfall of a tax return there is nothing to keep me from committing to some serious adventure touring!

Tax time; love it or hate it, this year, it's set me free!

Last weekend I bought a 2004 KLR650, she's been pre-loved by another inmate and had just returned from a trip through the US/Mexico/Belize and Guatemala. When I got home and unloaded the bike I immediately started tearing her apart. A few things needed to be changed before I set out on what I hope will be a 20,000+ KM ride.

Chain and sprockets, bearings, brake pads, valves, oil/filter, fork springs and oil and of course a few electrical demons (I HATE HATE HATE accessories like heated grips installed on constant power, forgetting about them and coming back to a flat battery)... No expense spared when it comes down to reliability and not having to fix things on the side of the road

My Trusty Steed when I bought her:



As she sits tonight:



I will leave home (Vancouver Island. BC, Canada) and head south near the end of April, probably keeping to the coastal route. I will ride Baja (hopefully seeing and experiencing all the great stuff I've seen in Mr. Gaspipe & others' ride reports) to la paz and cross to mainland Mexico (Mazatlan?) via the Baja ferries.

I plan to NOT PLAN... as much as humanly possible anyways. Who knows when and where you'll find a place to relax for a few days or when local knowledge might lead you on to something great you never would have seen otherwise...

As of now I'm riding solo but I've been talking to another adventurer from San Diego who has a similar idea and may end up meeting up with him for some of the ride. If anyone has recommendations on what to see or where to stay (cheaper the better) please chime in!

Pat
Pat_horsfield@hotmail.com

Ps. If there are any inmates in the Port Angeles, WA area who could receive a package for me shoot me an e-mail or PM, thanks!

Way to go Patrick!

You're going to have an absolute blast! I just got back from Panama and I am still on cloud 9. My best travel advice is to always try to keep a positive mental attitude. Some of the most fun I had was when I took a wrong turn somewhere. So no plan is the best plan. Just go where you want. If the coast is too hot, head for the mountains. The hardest part is getting out of town. After that, everything gets easier.

I'll be checking back to see your progress. Post lots of pics.

Best luck,
John Downs

Patrick,
Everything of the best for your upcoming ride. We will be a few months behind you, so will keep an eye on your feedback. Ride safe.

Good for you Patrick! Hey, I'm on your way south, just off 101 about an hour north of San Francisco. If you could use a free warm bed, meal or two, beverage or two, perhaps a ride around back roads of Sonoma County, and it works out for your sked and my work sked, you're welcome here with my wife and two of my boys your age or close to it. If not, no biggie, just offering it up.

What have I learned from reading several Ride Reports - pack light.

Way to go Pat! Now's the time to do it, before all the responsibilities kick in!

Get on that bike and get outta town already. Good for you

Day 1 - Sunday April 24th
450KM - 1 Border

I was awake at 3:45 this morning knowing that I had to leave the house by 4:15 at the latest in order to catch the first (5:15am) ferry off the island. I load up all the gear that I had only packed the night before all the while wondering what I had forgotten. A quick goodbye to the parents (no idea why they'd get up that early to see me off...) and I was on my way! The air is cool but not so much so that it bothers you once you are comfortably numb. At least it's dry out, though it hasnt been for long as evidenced by the muddy road and wet pavment leading to the highway.

On mornings like this I thank the heavens above for heated grips and electric vests.



I make it to the ferry terminal in record time but feel bad for pushing the KLR so hard, I'm sure this feeling will pass. The early morning boats are usualy deserted aside from a few truckers trying to earn a buck. I roll into the ticket booth, pay the man, collect my ticket and ride past all the other traffic to the front of the line. One benifit of moto travel, first on, first off on every ferry I've been on.



The 2 hour trip passes to quickly, it seems just as i've had some breakfast and managed to doze off to sleep momentarly the announcement comes over the speakers to return to our vehicles and prepare to offload.

Unfortunatly the weather has turned for the worse during our crossing, the rain's coming down hard and sideways now. The USA Border was only a 25 minute ride away and towards what looked like lighter sky's.



The rain followed me as I sat in the boarder line up for nearly an hour, when I pulled up to US Customs the agent asked the usual "where are you headed and why" questions. He got a little snippy when I answered "South" and got suspicous when I elaborated that I was hoping to get to Panama. When asked "why Panama?" he wasnt overly satisfied with the answer "Well, thats where the road ends..." a full search of my bags and I was free to continue on my way.

I straightlined it south on I5 so that I could make it to The Dual-Star.com shop where I would install some new fork springs and an oversized rotor kit that was supposed to have been deliverd to my house a week ago so that I have had everything installed before I left, unfortunatly the package was returned to sender. Chris, one of the employee's made himself and the shop available to me when they would normaly be closed, THANKS CHRIS!



Fresh farkles installed I headed west to catch a ferry across Puget Sound and made my way towards Port Angeles where I would stop to refule and pickup a New jacket and pants at the UPS Store courtessy of Motorcycle Superstore. Heading west along the 101 rewarded me with a great section of road around Crescent Lake followed by alot of long boring road and into Forks, WA.



Now, Forks it seems (and maybe Im just out of the loop), is banking on its small roll in the (really bad) teen movie "Twilight". Every shop in town is flaunting the Twilight books, poseable actionfigures and anything else they can pawn to the crazy fans. There are literaly four dedicated "Twilight Stores" on the same block, even the chineese food place (excellent!) I ate at after finding (an overpriced) motel had life size cardbord cutouts...





Its all just a little too much.

Thats all for now, Im going to head down to the "Twilight Lounge" (yes, the bar is named after the movie too) and entertain myself by watching some people try to kareokee.

Hasta luego!

-Pat

Travel Safe.

I always like reading a live RR from day one!

Hey man, sending you the best luck from Calgary! You beat me by a few months.... I'll be heading down that way sometime in August or September. Cheers and keep us posted!

Stefan

I gotta felling I'm going to want to tag-a-long!

A KLR, heading south, no real plan...

GREAT Introduction!!! I'M here writing you from Québec Province!! Bon Voyage mon ami!! Ride safe and hard!!!

Hmmm corrected.

I really like a good "KLR heading south" RR - subscribed!

Subscribed... Sounds like an awesome journey, I am green with envy!

I'm in! Sounds like you've got the right mindset for travelling in Central America...

Best of luck, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Rollin' - Rollin' - Rollin'...

Have a great adventure!!!!! Post when you can to keep us informed of your Adventures.
From a fellow Islander.
Cheers
Greg

Subscribed!