Oregon to Ushuaia on an XR650L - Page 46

ONandOFF · 01-11-2013, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ulyses

Well, I made it to Lima. ... I'll update later tonight. Cheers!

Whew, glad you made it without the sprocket stripping out on the shaft! If it had the play you recorded in your original post, I don't see how that's possible. But hopefully you pulled the sprocket and verified the shaft is in good shape. Don't forget to grease the splines on the shaft where the sprocket engages. That sprocket should fit the shaft pretty snug, you know... any slop banging back and forth will wipe out the splines on the sprocket and shaft! The teeth didn't look all that worn but certainly have him bring you a new front sprocket! Chain and rear sprocket too, if possible.

Looking forward to another engaging update! Lots of interesting stuff today it sounds like.
Last time I left off in the past I believe you'd made it to Panama. Hard to keep up with two timelines at once.

Leminkainen · 01-11-2013, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Zachtamundo

Good work, you crazy bastard. Thanks for keeping up on your ride report- I just wish I were there to help!

20 hours of surgery so far and my pelvis is fixed. Tomorrow morning I'll go under so they can rebuild my femur and fix what they did in El Salvador. As it is, my right femur is 2" shorter than my left.

Stay safe and stay in touch!

Justin

Good to hear the you are getting proper care! Get well soon

Lem

Ruined Adventures · 01-11-2013, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ulyses

While I was eating I met a couple of fellow overlanders who had driven their Toyota Fourrunner down here from Austin, Texas.

They've been on the road for 11 months! They ended up getting married in Guatemala. What a honeymoon! They have a pretty sweet setup in the Toyota. They usually just park in front of a Hostel, pirate the wifi, pay for a shower, and sleep in the back of their rig. For the life of me I can't remember their names; they're probably going to be angry with me when they read this as I gave them the address for the ride report.....

After I left the Texans, I found this hilarious sign above a nearby drive way:

I suppose these kinds of signs are necessary when you live next to a bunch of Hostels and bars.

We really enjoyed bumping into you guys in Medellin. Hopefully we'll catch up to you soon, we're next to the Amazon in Misahualli, Ecuador.

For the record we totally didn't pee in that dude's driveway...we were able to find better alternatives

We try to avoid the 'camp in front of a hostel' move, but sometimes in big cities it's unavoidable. I still can't believe how big of a ghost town Medellin was for Christmas!

Safe travels,
Brenton & Shannon

Ulyses · 01-11-2013, 07:44 PM

Day 88 (January 11, 2013)
Huaraz, Peru to Lima, Peru
Day's Ride: 283 Miles

Nothing like having your day start out with views like these:

Leaving Huaraz and heading south along the Cordillera Blanca is an excellent ride! Unfortunately, you do get up to 13,500 feet and things can start getting a little cold. However, right after you top out, the decent back into the desert begins.

The decent was phenomenal as well; however, an ever expanding chain which threatened to disintegrate at any moment kept me from enjoying the hairpin turns, switch backs, and incredible views.

Eventually things leveled out and I was back in the desert.

We finally made it back to the Panamerican Highway where I pulled over to remove some layers. As I was rolling into the gravel, I noticed that my front end felt mushy. I looked down at my front wheel and realized that I had a flat. I cursed my luck and jumped off the bike to start swapping out the tube. As I did so, I looked down at my luggage rack and realized that it was starting to crack, again! Double deuce!

Up until this point, I've had just about every other kind of misfortune hunt me down; but so far flats have kept their distance. But apparently, I'm in a bad streak of luck right now.

Oh well. Adapt, improvise, and overcome. I busted out my tools and got to work. I was immediately glad that I had build that enduro stand yesterday; it worked like a charm:

I got the wheel off....

....and the tire off....

...and then realized what a horrible idea Slime is. Looks like I'm never using that stuff again. I ended up spending an extra 10 minutes just cleaning the goo off of the tire and the rim.

As I was de-Slime-ing my wheels, a large four door Jeep wrangler with Georgia plates comes screaming off the road and pulls in in front of us. A fellow overlander hopped out and offered his help and some cold Gatorade. I gladly accepted both.

Unfortunately, I can't remember his name and I forgot to have him sign my tank! He was a hell of a guy. He even busted out his ARB air compressor and we had the new tube aired up in a few seconds. Sure beats my little 12 volt compressor.

With everything aired up, I slapped the wheel back on and everything was as good as new. All told, it only took about 30 minutes to get everything swapped out and fixed; and that includes the 10 minutes spent cleaning off all of the Slime.

I got a picture with my mysterious benefactor, put my gear back on, and hit the road.

The last 100 miles into Lima were more of the same: hazy, wind swept desert. We saw some fairly impressive shanty towns:

We finally arrived in Lima around 5:00 PM and ran straight into a wall of traffic. I found out later that Lima has over 7,000,000 people! Definitely the kind of place that I would normally avoid.

As we were riding through town, an angry couple of Peruvians pulled up next to me and started shouting at me angrily. I pulled over to see what was the matter; apparently I had struck one of their side mirrors with my panniers and cracked the plastic while cutting through traffic. Bubbletron confirmed this for me as I hadn't noticed, so I apologized and gave them about $20. Man, Peru is killing my wallet!

We finally got to the Barranco district of Lima and found that the Hostel that we had been trying to get to was full. We hunted around and finally found a place with some "Dakar" graffiti and figured that was good enough.

As I was unpacking my bags, I started thinking about the past three days: hit by a car, nasty stomach bug, flat tire, broken luggage rack (fourth time), and bribing Peruvians over broken mirrors. I started laughing at the absurdity of it all, then broke into that Ray LaMontagne song:

"Trouble...
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble
Trouble been doggin' my soul since the day I was born..."

Pretty soon, I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation.

Creeker747 · 01-11-2013, 08:08 PM

Hang in there Bro! As Nietzsche states, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"

Don't know if you're following Dakar or not, but it was a strange day today on Stage 7 - Caselli (USA) won the stage

and a poor young French rider 106 Thomas Bourgin (FRA) was the victim of a fatal traffic accident

on the link route as he made his way to the start of the day's special stage. My heart goes out to his family.............

Take Care of yourself and keep the RR go'n!

Ulyses · 01-12-2013, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huzar

Which way are you going from there? If my lost bag arrives tomorrow, I'm leaving Arequipa and heading towards Nazca and then Lima to meet Hewby

I'll be in Lima for at least today and maybe tomorrow. I have to change my oil, find a new chain, and change out some sprockets. After that I'm headed for Nazca and then Arequipa.

Ulyses · 01-12-2013, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruined Adventures

We really enjoyed bumping into you guys in Medellin. Hopefully we'll catch up to you soon, we're next to the Amazon in Misahualli, Ecuador.

For the record we totally didn't pee in that dude's driveway...we were able to find better alternatives

We try to avoid the 'camp in front of a hostel' move, but sometimes in big cities it's unavoidable. I still can't believe how big of a ghost town Medellin was for Christmas!

Safe travels,
Brenton & Shannon

Hey! Good to see you guys on here! Enjoy Ecuador while you can, Peru is expensive!

endurorazor · 01-12-2013, 06:32 AM

Ulyses, this is by far one of the best ride reports I've ever read!! As a former 650L owner and one that has lived with and worked with Marines for my entire life, you have my utmost respect. Awesome, once in a lifetime trip you are on, one I doubt you will never forget!! Recent close calls and budget aside, take some time to smell the roses, every day life pales in comparison to what you are experiencing right now.

ONandOFF · 01-12-2013, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by endurorazor

...every day life pales in comparison to what you are experiencing right now.

...and leaves you with regrets about not doing some of the things you could have (and knew deep down you should have).

huzar · 01-12-2013, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ulyses

I'll be in Lima for at least today and maybe tomorrow. I have to change my oil, find a new chain, and change out some sprockets. After that I'm headed for Nazca and then Arequipa.

Ok. Hewby's about 600km north of Lima, aiming to be there tonight. My gear is held up in Lima customs, so I can't leave Arequipa until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, so it sounds like we'll run into each other in Nazca.

Loving the RR and looking forward to buying you a beer when I see you. And please, don't hit (or get hit by) any more things.

Plasterman · 01-12-2013, 07:59 AM

Bryce

Take some time to make out a pay pal donation link and I'm sure some of us will be willing to help contribute to your adventure. Your spirit, determination, and attitude is inspirational to many of us.

Brother

Tom

purpledrake · 01-12-2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plasterman

Bryce
Take some time to make out a pay pal donation link and I'm sure some of us will be willing to help contribute to your adventure. Your spirit, determination, and attitude is inspirational to many of us.
Brother
Tom

OK, but do we get a choice as to how the money is spent?

*New chain fund,
*Peruvian bribe fund,
*Sub-frame repair fund,
*Shave the beard fund.

yokesman · 01-12-2013, 01:18 PM

you might consider getting farther off the road during your stops after the last few days ,I really enjoy your reports BUT
not the I just got hit ones.

Ulyses · 01-12-2013, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plasterman

Bryce

Take some time to make out a pay pal donation link and I'm sure some of us will be willing to help contribute to your adventure. Your spirit, determination, and attitude is inspirational to many of us.

Brother

Tom

Okay, okay! So much pressure....

I'll try and get it set up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks!

Ulyses · 01-12-2013, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yokesman

you might consider getting farther off the road during your stops after the last few days ,I really enjoy your reports BUT
not the I just got hit ones.

Ohh, come on! It adds a bit of excitement to what would normally just be a bike ride!

01-11-2013, 07:44 PM	#679
Ulyses ^OP Studly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Oregon Oddometer: 695	Triple Whammy! Day 88 (January 11, 2013) Huaraz, Peru to Lima, Peru Day's Ride: 283 Miles Nothing like having your day start out with views like these: Leaving Huaraz and heading south along the Cordillera Blanca is an excellent ride! Unfortunately, you do get up to 13,500 feet and things can start getting a little cold. However, right after you top out, the decent back into the desert begins. The decent was phenomenal as well; however, an ever expanding chain which threatened to disintegrate at any moment kept me from enjoying the hairpin turns, switch backs, and incredible views. Eventually things leveled out and I was back in the desert. We finally made it back to the Panamerican Highway where I pulled over to remove some layers. As I was rolling into the gravel, I noticed that my front end felt mushy. I looked down at my front wheel and realized that I had a flat. I cursed my luck and jumped off the bike to start swapping out the tube. As I did so, I looked down at my luggage rack and realized that it was starting to crack, again! Double deuce! Up until this point, I've had just about every other kind of misfortune hunt me down; but so far flats have kept their distance. But apparently, I'm in a bad streak of luck right now. Oh well. Adapt, improvise, and overcome. I busted out my tools and got to work. I was immediately glad that I had build that enduro stand yesterday; it worked like a charm: I got the wheel off.... ....and the tire off.... ...and then realized what a horrible idea Slime is. Looks like I'm never using that stuff again. I ended up spending an extra 10 minutes just cleaning the goo off of the tire and the rim. As I was de-Slime-ing my wheels, a large four door Jeep wrangler with Georgia plates comes screaming off the road and pulls in in front of us. A fellow overlander hopped out and offered his help and some cold Gatorade. I gladly accepted both. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name and I forgot to have him sign my tank! He was a hell of a guy. He even busted out his ARB air compressor and we had the new tube aired up in a few seconds. Sure beats my little 12 volt compressor. With everything aired up, I slapped the wheel back on and everything was as good as new. All told, it only took about 30 minutes to get everything swapped out and fixed; and that includes the 10 minutes spent cleaning off all of the Slime. I got a picture with my mysterious benefactor, put my gear back on, and hit the road. The last 100 miles into Lima were more of the same: hazy, wind swept desert. We saw some fairly impressive shanty towns: We finally arrived in Lima around 5:00 PM and ran straight into a wall of traffic. I found out later that Lima has over 7,000,000 people! Definitely the kind of place that I would normally avoid. As we were riding through town, an angry couple of Peruvians pulled up next to me and started shouting at me angrily. I pulled over to see what was the matter; apparently I had struck one of their side mirrors with my panniers and cracked the plastic while cutting through traffic. Bubbletron confirmed this for me as I hadn't noticed, so I apologized and gave them about $20. Man, Peru is killing my wallet! We finally got to the Barranco district of Lima and found that the Hostel that we had been trying to get to was full. We hunted around and finally found a place with some "Dakar" graffiti and figured that was good enough. As I was unpacking my bags, I started thinking about the past three days: hit by a car, nasty stomach bug, flat tire, broken luggage rack (fourth time), and bribing Peruvians over broken mirrors. I started laughing at the absurdity of it all, then broke into that Ray LaMontagne song: "Trouble... Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble Trouble been doggin' my soul since the day I was born..." Pretty soon, I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation. __________________ Currently riding an XR650L from Oregon to Ushuaia. Click here for Trip Report! My SPOT Location and Blog

01-11-2013, 08:08 PM	#680
Creeker747 Adventurer Joined: Oct 2010 Location: Cave Creek, Az Oddometer: 92	Nietzsche & Dakar Hang in there Bro! As Nietzsche states, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" Don't know if you're following Dakar or not, but it was a strange day today on Stage 7 - Caselli (USA) won the stage and a poor young French rider 106 Thomas Bourgin (FRA) was the victim of a fatal traffic accident on the link route as he made his way to the start of the day's special stage. My heart goes out to his family............. Take Care of yourself and keep the RR go'n!

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01-12-2013, 06:32 AM	#683
endurorazor Adventurer Joined: May 2005 Location: Maryland Oddometer: 73	Ulyses, this is by far one of the best ride reports I've ever read!! As a former 650L owner and one that has lived with and worked with Marines for my entire life, you have my utmost respect. Awesome, once in a lifetime trip you are on, one I doubt you will never forget!! Recent close calls and budget aside, take some time to smell the roses, every day life pales in comparison to what you are experiencing right now.

01-12-2013, 07:59 AM	#686
Plasterman Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Oddometer: 36	Bryce Take some time to make out a pay pal donation link and I'm sure some of us will be willing to help contribute to your adventure. Your spirit, determination, and attitude is inspirational to many of us. Brother Tom

01-12-2013, 01:18 PM	#688
yokesman Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2008 Oddometer: 199	you might consider getting farther off the road during your stops after the last few days ,I really enjoy your reports BUT not the I just got hit ones.