Getting ready

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Getting ready Three Rivers, CA

Three Rivers, CA

Well after several months of getting prepared, buying equipment, and studying maps I finally got most things packed and loaded on the bike. I hope to take a run or two to see how it feels and how it rides. I may still need to change things around and have a week to fine tune it while I still have all of the tools and stores at my disposal. Since most of you don’t know about my Kawasaki I thought that maybe a little back ground would help. I bought the KLR about a year and a half ago from a CHP officer. I had seen Jene on his and was casually looking for a bargain of my own. The bike is a 2003 and came stock. The main emphasis for the purchase came from Jene who was putting together a ride down Baja Ca. partially on the Baja 1000 off road course. We were going with 4 others and some of Jene’s motivation was to find a place to lease some beach front land to build on. Well on day two, on the nasty Baja 1000 dirt road, I got caught up in some very deep sand and wrecked. After trying to control the high speed wobble, I went over the handle bars and “ragged dolled” down the rocky road. Since it was raining I had all of my protective gear on including my leather jacket and chaps, and my full faced helmet. I was not knocked out as I was able to tell my riding buddy who followed me to not move me. I did a body survey and announced that I had a broken right clavicle, but other wise seemed OK. I helped my partner pick up my bike and we waited for the rest of the group riding ahead to return after missing us enough to get worried. The bike was bent but ridable the 8 miles to Gonzaga Bay. I rode in the cab of a pickup truck driven by the gas station attendant who offered to help. For the next 24 hours or so I asked my partners the same questions over and over again. I would see my helmet and pick it up and ask if it was my helmet? Then state “Wow, I must have really got my bell rung!” based on the dents and scratches on my brain bucket. “What happened? Which one of you guys cut me off? I finally came around in the middle of the night just as Jene was threatening me with death if I asked one more time the same questions. He relented and told me a version that stuck. The guys arranged for me to fly out with a private pilot who owned his plane and a beach shack in Gonzaga Bay. How lucky was that! I flew out the next morning safely delivered by Doug Bowles of Victorville. He, along with the pick-up driver refused any money for their services. After 6 hour wait in the Victorville hospital, a CAT scan revealed no head trauma other than a severe concussion. A broken rib was later discovered while getting a chest exam for Pneumonia a week later. A broken tooth several weeks after that seem to round out the damage. While waiting for the trailer to get my bike back the boys found Los Delphines, and leased 4 lots on the beach. I sold the bike to one of the riders who repaired the damage for about $400, added a skid plate and hand grip warmers and sold it back to me several months later. I have since added panniers, a large windshield, new tires for the trip and a tank bag. I did go back three months later to revisit the area and to see my lot that we had leased. The bike ride was great after the first hour of being “Gripped”. My shoulders and neck were so sore from holding on so tight that it took several portable hot tubs (aka Advil) to ese my misery. I relaxed and enjoyed the ride as I had on the previous trip until I … No imitation of a rag doll this time! I have decided this is not something you want to hear when you ask “What happened?”

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