CaveBiker -No Return Ticket – Just a Ride Report /w Pics

[bananaman]

[freeflow]

[cristofa]

This ride report scores on every level - what an great example you two are to all who like to travel, and very many thanks for taking the trouble to share your adventures with us.

I will be looking out for the next installment in due course ...




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[ywr969]

CB -- please let us know when you're on the move again!

[norcal1]

Awsome ride report and web site. I enjoyed reading every word. THANKS FOR TAKING US ALONG>

[cavebiker]

All Right! You are all way too kind.

I’m on-line bidding on a crashed 95’ 1200 Sportster. The engine looks good and I want it BAD. Bidding ends at noon. Wish me luck.

Time to catch up with some replies. Oh yeah….

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Originally Posted by jposttx

How is Belize as far as expenses? I had heard from other travelers that it was relatively expensive? That seems to be your experience as I am reading between the lines - how much daily (avg) compared to Costa Rica or Nicaragua? Is 25-40$ a day still a working average for this trip??

Sportster Question

I know you did a test run on your sportster to Mexico or somewhere and did some modifications based on that. I read the mods you did in the fish cabin at the beginning of this thread, so here is my question do you have a list of all mods you made from 'stock street' to adventure tour sporty?

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questions I have been wanting to ask
1> have you 'paid the harly tax'
2> have you over-bored your 1200
3> have you 'trained yourself' to wrench or did you have school?buddies?books?
4> how much did spanish school for a week help? how fluent are you now (can you tell by accents where folks are from? do you guys dream in spanish? do you read spanish newpapers magazines?)
5> hAlso have you been on sporster.org? - I think those folks would love your trip, know I have been

God Bless you and protect you

>Yes, Belize was expensive for us, over double from Guatemala or Nicaragua. Finding a place to stay for under $50 is often hard. Eating or drinking out is the same as the U.S. so for us it really helped to have a refrigerator and stove. The cost of everything in Costa Rica is about the same as Belize. In Costa Rica we stayed for 5 weeks at 2 places. That really brought the cost of living down a lot. I’m sure one could do the same in Belize.
>Here is a link to all the Sportster mods I did http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148418
>1&2: The Sportster engine is basically stock, no Harley tax paid. The closer a motor is to stock the more reliable it is. Maybe that’s why it took as much abuse as it did.
>3: All the above
>4: The Spanish school should have been 2 weeks to do a lot of good. Anything helps but one week is short. We recognize different phrases different countries use. All accents after Mexico seemed hard for us to understand. Of course we are not as fluent as we would like to be, but we are not giving up the fight! Reading Spanish media and road signs helps a lot.
>5: Nothing in Sportster.org. But XLforum.com made our tread a sticky. How cool!
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Originally Posted by trent

Just did 120 through Jalpan to Xilitla a few days ago too. Awesome road, good pavement. Ride report not started just yet but you can check this out. // [/url]

Some of the best riding ever there. I for sure plan to go back to that area someday.
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Originally Posted by FREEFLOW

if you are heading up that way, I reccomend Aquismon. This near where the Cave of the Swallows (Sotano De Las Golondrinas) is located (IIRC we PMd on this years ago). until a recent discovery in Croatia, this was the deepest cave in the world (1400 feet main cavern). a nice short hike up there. best early morning or sunset whent he swallow exit and enter the cave. surreal //

Hey FREEFLOW. This sounded good but we had so much rain we just bugged out. But like I always say, these are places to check out next time.
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Originally Posted by Jammin

Hey Tom and Heidi,
I finally caught up with your ride report. Great reporting and pictures I just got back from my Alaska trip a week ago and it still hasn't hit me yet that I rode through all that awesome terrain and had a great time. Now, I'm in planning mode for CA and SA Bummer that you guys are catching the rainy season through CA. But I hear you on enjoying riding through some rough conditions

When are you guys planning on heading to SA?

And a question about Internet Access: are you finding Internet/WiFi in all the hotels that you're staying at? Do you actively look for hotels with internet access (along with good bike parking and low price)? I know Internet cafes are all over the place but since you guys have a laptop, I presume you're posting most of your updates through WiFi from your hotel, right?

Hey Jammin. How was Alaska? I will look for your report. Heidi and I always talk about doing Alaska.
>South America will start in October, fingers crossed.
>Some hotels in CA have wi-fi but not many. Costa Rica we had wi-fi. That was nice. There is always an E-café near though. My main thing is upload pics and send posts. I use a memory stick for that. To save time I wrote a program to convert a word doc with pics to forum and website format.
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Originally Posted by blueglide88

Holy crap Cavebikers, ride safe!

Haven't heard anything about the Sporty lately, I'm assuming it's running good.

Hey blueglide88. This was a timely post. About then I was getting real concerned. With hindsight, if I knew my problem was a blown rod bearing I would have stopped back then and dealt with it. Now I know what a failing rod bearing sounds like. I will not blow an engine like this again. I felt like an idiot letting the engine destroy itself but this is a report on what happened, not on what I should have done. I should have called a ‘time out’ in Mexico and replaced the rod bearings.

[TrollGSA]

Cavebiker and Cavegirl,

I've just spent 2 days catching up on your trip. All I can say is WOW. You two have managed to bring alive the real lives of people in Mexico and Central America to me.

The fact that this trip brought you two closer and closer together really made it emotional for me. ( you dont want to see a 300lb guy tear up :p) You made me think about my wife and how much I love doing everything with her.


I hope someday to do a trip like this. Our trip now are small, but someday...

Thank you for sharing this with all of us.


p.s. Youve also gotton my friend here at work who is from Nicaragua all fired up to get his motorcycle license and go back home to explore his own country.

[Luna Tique]

I don't know what I could say that has not already been said.
Thanks for taking us along on an adventure I can only dream of taking myself.

[Rockin Rollin]

Thanks for taking us along on your awsome adventure Tom. Your writing style is great. I love how you add commentary about your thinking and thought process, cool!
It was actually lucky considering the unfortunate breakdown, your change of plan to come back to the U.S. first.
Hope you both enjoy the rest of the summer at home and happy planning for SA. I as well as many others will be looking forward to that along with you.
Thanks again and take good care, hope to crosspaths with you one day!

[clarkebd]

Thanks for taking the time to follow it thru to the end!!!!!

[00SS]

Originally Posted by clarkebd

Thanks for taking the time to follow it thru to the end!!!!!

+1 but let's hope it's not the end

[pdedse]

T H A N K Y O U !

T H A N K Y O U !

T H A N K Y O U !

T H A N K Y O U !

[LookOutLinn]

Couldn't sleep tonight.... Spent 2 hours catching up with RR. Thanks!!! Sounds like an Adventure I'd like to have!!!

Look forward to your next RR!!!!


Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Saeed]

Thanks

[TUCKERS]

I am happy to hear you are going to restore CAVEBIKE to operating conditions. Keep us informed, and also any other changes you make to CAVEBIKE now that you are familiar with most everything you require on a long trip. MOST EXCELLENT
james