South America and back on a 250 Super Sherpa Minimalist Adventure

[Hawk62cj5]

I just saw this thread and havnt read it yet , I hope all is going well for you on your ride .Your the reason I bought a super sherpa over the KLR 650 or DL650 after reading your trip to the dentist I figured the Sherpa is all the bike I need for where I want to go .

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Hawk62cj5

I just saw this thread and havnt read it yet , I hope all is going well for you on your ride .Your the reason I bought a super sherpa over the KLR 650 or DL650 after reading your trip to the dentist I figured the Sherpa is all the bike I need for where I want to go .

Hi Hawk62cj5,

That Sherpa can take you a lot of fun places. I am the guinea pig. The Sherpa just passed 31,000 trouble free miles. 10,000 on this trip so far. Other than some flat tires and three oil changes the only thing I have had to do is fix a oil leak from the oil filter cover O-ring. But that was my fault for not bringing oil filters with O-rings.

Glad to have you along for the ride. Hope to see your Sherpa down the road some day.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[JDowns]

Got a late start this morning and headed down to see if I could track down the honeymoon couple with the Triumph just south of Liberia. I got down to the town where they had emailed from, but it was a bit too big to search. Checked online and haven't heard back from them, so headed over to the mainland across the friendship bridge that connects the Nicoya Penninsula with the mainland:



stopped for a pic of these two guys who are living the Pura Vida here in Costa Rica:



once on the mainland it started raining and I put the camera in the top box. Finally made it to GRinCR's house. Here is the chef cooking up dinner:



and the chef's special for tonight:



GRinCR has a good life here in Costa Rica with a lovely wife and little son Joseph.

I think we'll go across the valley and visit QCrider if he's home tomorrow. Then it is off southward.

My last pair of reading glasses fell out of my pocket at some point today so I was wondering how I was going to read my map tonight. Then a Walmart popped up and I rode in. They have security gates that give you a pass to go in and park. And they take credit cards so I charged two pair of glasses since I still have a credit on my card from the Mexico aduana refund. I think they cost 7,000 colones for two pair. But I forgot to save the receipt. So I spent 14,400 colones today I think, or about 29 bucks on food, gas and glasses.

Buenos noches,
Juanito

[Dooga]

I am hanging on every word. How does one contribute to your ride fund again?

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Dooga

I am hanging on every word. How does one contribute to your ride fund again?

Hi Dooga,

There's a paypal button on the website at the bottom of my sigline. Or:

http://johnthomasdowns.blogspot.com/

Dooga is going to look mighty nice on the gas tank as a sponsor. Some of the strings of names on the tank would make great lyrics. Dooga mikemike Crashmaster has a kind of latin beat to it I think. With some maracas, congas and a horn section. I'll be singing it tomorrow. This is what happens when you've been riding solo in Latin America for a couple months.

Gracias amigo,
Juan Rica

[Packer]

Originally Posted by OldPete

Two-up on this TriUMPH would have me checking spokes often, especially the rear.

Two up yes but look at them, he is probably only 150 pounds max. and if the lady is 110 I'd be surprised. Plenty of ADV riders weigh 280 on their own.

Fantastic report, thanks for the insight to your journey. Absolutely love the info on the Mayan sites and the abysmal reconstruction techniques.

I've been dropping in and catching up for about a week now. I'd love to bring my 1150gs back to America and follow in your footsteps. Heavy bike but I can pack light, everything for a month from Cali. to the Arctic fitted into my side boxes and I still had way too many clothes.

Must remember the swim gear though...

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Packer

Two up yes but look at them, he is probably only 150 pounds max. and if the lady is 110 I'd be surprised. Plenty of ADV riders weigh 280 on their own.

Fantastic report, thanks for the insight to your journey. Absolutely love the info on the Mayan sites and the abysmal reconstruction techniques.

I've been dropping in and catching up for about a week now. I'd love to bring my 1150gs back to America and follow in your footsteps. Heavy bike but I can pack light, everything for a month from Cali. to the Arctic fitted into my side boxes and I still had way too many clothes.

Must remember the swim gear though...

Hi Packer,

Glad to have you along for the ride. 1150GS lightly loaded would be a great bike to explore Central and South America on.

I met a Scotsman up in San Juan del Sur a couple days ago. Unless you fancy looking like a lobster, my advice is bring plenty of sunblock along with your swim trunks and use it. You fair lads get roasted on the beaches down here.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[Dracula]

Originally Posted by JDowns

I just got an email from Sam and Keri, the lovely honeymooner couple on the Triumph I met camping in Nicaragua. They have a broken rear spoke problem. They're just down the road in Santa Cruz, so heading that direction on the way to visit GRinCR up in Alajuela later today. If the honeymooners don't have spare spokes for relacing, I can at least buy them a cold six pack so they cry in their beer.

more later.....

If nothing else, It is possible to make spokes from stainless steel welding electrodes with a little fabrication, tap with a hammer to break and clean them of the insulation, use a piece of drilled metal to help beat and form the head in a vice, bend it, then after cutting correct length, use a correct sized tap to make the thread. Sorry I don't have any pictures, used to do this many, many years ago on my Romanian bikes when parts were not available. This of course will be just a substitute but they used to hold pretty well for me back then.

[Packer]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Unless you fancy looking like a lobster, my advice is bring plenty of sunblock along with your swim trunks and use it.

Not too fair but I'm definitely an "All Day" factor 30 kind of guy. Love the heat, love the sun, hate sunburn

End of diversion................

[QCRider]

Hi John,

Thanks for stopping by today. It was great to meet you and Greg in person. Your sense of freedom and positive attitude towards adventure riding is very inspiring. It makes me rethink my approach to ADV in general. Heck, I might even ditch my GSA for a smaller bike and less stuff when I head South one day!! It even crossed my mind for a second to offer you to trade my bike for your Sherpa, but I'm sure you would have respectfully declined!

I look forward to your upcoming adventures on the other side of the Darien Gap. I'll make sure to send some PP help from time to time to keep you on the road. Ride safe!

Greg - let's hook up for a ride in a near future!

[Adios Pantalones]

[QUOTE=Packer;20349936]Two up yes but look at them, he is probably only 150 pounds max. and if the lady is 110 I'd be surprised. Plenty of ADV riders weigh 280 on their own.

QUOTE]

[JDowns]

Had a nice morning with GRinCR. That boy can cook. Had the best coffee I've had in a while. Along with the best Gallo Pinto I think I've ever had:



Then it was time to saddle up and head across the valley to meet QCrider. Here is GRinCR and me in front of the Sherpa and his DR:



and here are QCrider and GRinCR outside the QC hacienda. It was great meeting these two guys. They both work in online gambling IT. I had no idea how popular online gambling call centers were here in Costa Rica:



And then it was time for Greg to head off to work and me to head toward the beach. I have never seen so much ornamental iron work in my life. All the houses in the San Jose suburbs are barricaded with bars. This one had nice work:



Headed out of town 25 miles and the bars slowly disappeared out on the minor roads:



stopped to relieve myself behind some bamboo:



the giant bamboo was creaking and rustling in the breeze. Really beautiful striped colors:



really nice backroads lead along ridgelines. At this point I had no idea where I was:



with beautiful views out across the valley:



the road turned to dirt after Grifo Alto and I stopped to take a gps reading at this little bridge:



I'll have to see where this waypoint is later:

N 9º 55.181'
W 84º 27.314'

the road came to this steel plate bridge:



that passed 50 feet above this gorge:



before climbing up a jeep trail that zig-zagged straight up the other side.

more later……

[JDowns]

In the afternoon the dirt road suddenly passed over a new freeway that wasn't here 2 years ago. I got on this freeway and it was choked with traffic. The amazing thing about Costa Rica is that the main roads have a lot of traffic, but when you take the first side road there is nobody:



This road led in the wrong direction, but was like a roller coaster. No traffic and nothing but curves. It went through El Tigre and Tuburari Heights:



It was one of those kind of roads that you can't stop riding on even though it's going the wrong direction. It was getting late so I finally took a gps waypoint so I can see where this road is:

N 9º 52.963'
W 84º 26.969'

Eventually ended up in Jaco at sunset:



more loading……

[JDowns]

I just got the following email from the Triumph honeymooners:


" Did you happen to hear back from beach guy about his buddy in San Jose? We are here now, at a hostel called Castle tam. If we Knew where we can take the wheel in town to work on it so we can get rolling again that would be grand.
Thanks amigo!" Sam

So if anyone has any advice or help please email Sam and Keri at:

samuelm27@hotmail.com

Muchas gracias!
Juanito

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by QCRider

Hi John,

Thanks for stopping by today. It was great to meet you and Greg in person. Your sense of freedom and positive attitude towards adventure riding is very inspiring. It makes me rethink my approach to ADV in general. Heck, I might even ditch my GSA for a smaller bike and less stuff when I head South one day!! It even crossed my mind for a second to offer you to trade my bike for your Sherpa, but I'm sure you would have respectfully declined!

I look forward to your upcoming adventures on the other side of the Darien Gap. I'll make sure to send some PP help from time to time to keep you on the road. Ride safe!

Greg - let's hook up for a ride in a near future!

Bonsoir QCR,

Glad I dropped by. It was fun meeting you. And you are right. I would have respectfully declined a bike trade. It wouldn't have been fair. Your GS is a beautiful bike and my Sherpa is getting thrashed within an inch of it's life.

Bon chance,
Jean Thomas