Radioman Rides the World.......

[MadChap]

Radioman: I just thought I'd jump in here and let you know I'm also along for the ride. I subscribed quite awhile ago when you were referenced in another thread. Was drawn in because Idahosam helped me on some routing through Idaho early this summer when I was planning a ride with my cousin who rode his F800GS up from Houston to Boise where I met him. We put on about 2000 miles together before he put his upsidedown in a ditch near Crater Lake . After watching him struggle with that big bike on some rough trails all I can say is kudos to you for the way you've handled your 800.

So from a fellow Oregonian...Merry Christmas (belated) and may your New Year bring awesome new experiences and vistas for you to file into your life's memory bank.

Tim
Central Oregon

[Radioman]

Thanks Again for all the greetings and well wishes!! From the road that is wonderful.

[Radioman]

Arrived Late christmas day in San Jose, and needed to rest. My knee has been giving me a bit of trouble as it is stiff and sore ..... Guess it is just healing up

Part of the reason to stop in San Jose was to meet up with a couple other riders. Tom is a retired Expat from US, and Conor has been riding a similar trail south as I have been, but we never quiet crossed paths.

Tom suggested I stay near his place at the Hotel Del Mar. OK. When I arrive, I find out it has the largest Hooker bar in the western Hemisphere It was quite a show going on and Tom told me it was slow because of the holiday. Woman from all over Central america come here to sell there services. It was an eye opener



Conors blog is https://twowheeledtravels.wordpress.com/
we got the chance to sit down and have lunch and talk about riding south through central America, Life on the road and many other topics. Was great meeting Conor in person!



I then rested most of the rest of the time except when Tom helped me catch up on some errands and find a Costa Rica Sticker.

I have finally got sick of hauling my extra tire, so I decided to find a place to change the tire for me. With The Christmas holiday the BMW dealer and most all the others where closed for the week. But one of the local riders that Tom met knew of a tire shop that would do motorcycle tires. So I pulled my rear rim ....



Conor helped guide the Taxi guy to the shop.



Where these guys jumped right on it. Changed my tire for 3,000 Colona's (or about $6.00 USD) and washed my rim



New tire on..... Have to say I am so happy to not be hauling the spare.... It was a real hassle and I have had it on my bike for the past few months. The bike is lighter without the weight up top!! Had over 9,000 miles on the K60 and still had more to go, but since I had the opportunity and a little time. I was ready!!



On the way back caught a photo fo guys working on there graffiti.... 3 of them midday.... working away.



Also had Xavier contact me wanting to get together. He is local to San Jose. I was really lucky to have him contact me and he and his girlfriend met up with me as I rode out to the Caribbean coast on my was south. Thanks Xavier for reaching out to you fellow ADV rider. Just wish we would have been able to spend more time together.





Tom rode with me out of town. Thanks Tom for everything.

As I rode up through the rainforest it was really cool, but did not have any rain Great views over the mountains. This is one day that photos did not capture the beauty.



Once over the mountains, you break into the coastal plains. Lots of Banana being grown. along with Pineapple and other crops.





In many other central america countries you never knew what the speed limit was ....but it did not matter. In Costa rica they had plenty of speed limit signs posed and painted on the street. Did well not to get speeding ticket



at Limon, a big port city, I headed South along the caribbean .....



Lots of one lane bridges over the rivers that flow into the sea. Had to be careful of the few other cars on the road.



And there are new animal signs along the way.



Found a nice little hotel in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Just a little beach town. with a National park next to it.





and evidence that a hurricane probably came through at some point and the land is taking back over.



Walked into town to have dinner, met up with a couple Swiss guys who were traveling ion Costa Rica and had a great conversation. Hello Merko, and Ronnie enjoy your trip!





Being back on the Caribbean side, it has a certain fair to it. Some great little street vendors selling dinner from there carts.



I am now just about 40 miles to the Panama Border and my last Central American Border crossing. It is a bit stressful as I have been trying to get my passage to Columbia arranged. The logistics and communications are not alwaya straight forward. I had tried to book myself and my bike on the January 3rd Stahlratte boat that crosses from Panama to Columbia back in November, but they only had room for my bike .....

But it is certainly cheaper to pay the $450 to ship my bike with Stahlratte and then fly to Cartagena for $350, then to air freight for 900USD + 350-400USd to fly to Bogata and also miss Cartagena. It will also give me a few days to explore Cartagena while waiting for my bike. Know that there are a few other riders in the same boat. With the holidays it is also pushing me to get to Panama so that I am ready to ship. I have some maintenance that I also need to do.

[TowPro]

Originally Posted by Radioman

I am now just about 40 miles to the Panama Border and my last Central American Border crossing. It is a bit stressful as I have been trying to get my passage to Columbia arranged. The logistics and communications are not alwaya straight forward. I had tried to book myself and my bike on the January 3rd Stahlratte boat that crosses from Panama to Columbia back in November, but they only had room for my bike ......

Help out those of us that are "Central America Geographically challenged". Why a boat? I looked at Google maps and it looks like the road south just ends in Panama? Is that all Jungle ahead of you with no roads?

[cablebandit]

Google Darien Gap.

[Radioman]

Originally Posted by cablebandit

Google Darien Gap.

The road does not go through.....

[TowPro]

Originally Posted by cablebandit

Google Darien Gap.

Thanks. Now we know

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 7.90°N 77.46°W

Map of the Darién Gap at the border between Panama and Colombia.


The Darién Gap (Spanish: Región del Darién or Tapón del Darién) is a large swath of undeveloped swampland and forest separating Panama's Darién Province in Central America from Colombia in South America. It measures just over 160 km (99 mi) long and about 50 km (31 mi) wide. Roadbuilding through this area is expensive, and the environmental toll is steep. Political consensus in favor of road construction has not emerged. Consequently there is no road connection through the Darién Gap connecting North/Central America with South America and it is the missing link of the Pan-American Highway.
The geography of the Darién Gap on the Colombian side is dominated primarily by the river delta of the Atrato River, which creates a flat marshland at least 80 km (50 mi) wide, half of this being swampland. The Panamanian side, in sharp contrast, is a mountainous rain forest, with terrain reaching from 60 m (200 ft) in the valley floors to 1,845 m (6,053 ft) at the tallest peaks (Cerro Tacarcuna).

[sgio]

Thanks Radioman for bringing me along for your wonderful trip. I have been subscribed for awhile and I am really enjoying the report
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Enjoy the great weather while you can!

[1Man2Wheels]

Great to meet you Mark and safe travels to lands south. Hopefully our paths will cross again somewhere down the road!

Ride Safe

Conor

[quimexa]

Mark,

I saw that you were able to get to Cahuita!!!!! I would have liked join you to Limon, but without the plate number is a risk here in Costa Rica...

It was nice to see you, as I told my girlfiriend, "I'm going to meet a person who I feel I know for years!!!" weird ahh??

It was so funny the way I found you, we went directly to the toll and asked them if their saw a guy on a big bike fully load, they said "no", we wait there for about 1 hr I think, then I give up and decide to get something for lunch, next to the gas station there is a restaurant, so when I was about to enter the parking lot I saw Tom's bike and I stoped for a sec and saw you getting out from the store!!!

Maybe one day we can spend more time together in US when you comeback!! hehehe who knows........

Best of wishes, I hope your knee get better, you will have time to rest in panama. Remember take the left side on the bridge!!!

Safe travels!

[Cycleman4]

Just wanted to say thanks for the great RR. I was really interested in your travels through Copper Canyon. That was a trip my had wanted to take. He died in 2005 and we never made it. We did however do the Baja peninsula several times. What a hoot!. Thanks for taking us with you.

RUBBER SIDE DOWN

[FireDog45]

Originally Posted by cablebandit

Google Darien Gap.

Hijack alert!

Helge Pedersen crossed the Gap in the mid 80's...

http://www.globeriders.com/10y2w_mai...y2w_main.shtml

Excerpt: "Helge is the first motorcyclist ever to ride overland from South America to North America via the infamous Darien Gap—80 roadless miles of virtually impenetrable, bug-infested jungle and swamps, nothing but Indian trails—emerging in Panama City three weeks later with infected legs and broken bones. Crossing the Darien proved to be his most difficult endeavor."

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread (And ride safe Mark)

[Radioman]

Originally Posted by quimexa

Mark,

I saw that you were able to get to Cahuita!!!!! I would have liked join you to Limon, but without the plate number is a risk here in Costa Rica...

It was nice to see you, as I told my girlfiriend, "I'm going to meet a person who I feel I know for years!!!" weird ahh??

It was so funny the way I found you, we went directly to the toll and asked them if their saw a guy on a big bike fully load, they said "no", we wait there for about 1 hr I think, then I give up and decide to get something for lunch, next to the gas station there is a restaurant, so when I was about to enter the parking lot I saw Tom's bike and I stoped for a sec and saw you getting out from the store!!!

Maybe one day we can spend more time together in US when you comeback!! hehehe who knows........

Best of wishes, I hope your knee get better, you will have time to rest in panama. Remember take the left side on the bridge!!!

Safe travels!

Thanks Xavier. Thanks so much for tracking me down, as I called your number but missed you. I was so glad to have met you. and really hope that We can meet up again sometime!!! Enjoyed Costa Rica, just wish I had more time :)

Ride Safe my friend!!

Mark

[whyknotboats]

Hola again Radioman. Ken here. I see that they repaired your engine. I am curious just what they did. Keep the rear threaded piece until you get back home. It can be welded and then filled with JB Weld for additional strength as I mentioned earlier. I truly am on board that BMW should have thought about mounting anything into the lower engine case in lieu of welding a spot on the frame for the same purpose.. I have sent numerous photos to BMW America to take to engineering. Have a safe ride! I am heading in March for Bolivia and the death highway, etc. 22 days on f 800 gs with a private tour(seven riders) . I think I will mount the go pro on my crash bars like you did and run a second one on the helmet. Take care, Via Con Dias (sp) Ken Hill Country, Texas

[Radioman]

Originally Posted by whyknotboats

Hola again Radioman. Ken here. I see that they repaired your engine.

They ended up just welding the Clutch Cover that got a hole in it. Mounting the Engine guards to only the front bolt hold. I might have the bars modified at some point to attach to the front of the engine as the BMW bars do, and maybe back to the frame, but that will be tight.... Will post photos when I get to that!

With No front frame to mount the engine guards to....it puts the entire engine at risk, since the bolts attach to the lower block.