Mexico's Journey 2007

Right now I wish to share a little bit about this trip which was done by us both, Juan and Abe. In September 2007 we decided to go on a road trip like no other before. We took some time out to enjoy a ride, but most importantly to test this trailer of ours. Join us as we ride will ya? As we ride Mexico's Journey.

Feel free to read up on it and enjoy the photos.

September 8th

At 4 pm the cargo trailer was loaded; both bikes and both third wheel trailers tied down. All luggage was placed in its respective trailer, and we were finally ready to pursue this mission that lay before us. Having worked on the development of this trailer for endless hours, days and nights, we had finally come to a point where the wheels were turning. Roughly 7000 miles of road lay before us now. Not all to be traveled via motorcycle as we only had 3 weeks and wished to do most of our testing miles in Mexico. In addition we wanted to avoid some of the Interstate through the greater part of the US. Our plans at this time were to stop at Deals Gap, make our way to Dallas where the truck and cargo trailer will stay, and from there start our ride "Mexico's Journey".

September 9th

Last night we made it to Dayton OH, where we decided to stop and rest for the night. It wasn't that we had a very long day driving, but we were on the way, and it was just time to chill for a bit after all the preparations. Today, Sunday, we had planned to be off to Deals Gap NC. However the forecast on the morning news, just before we left the motel, showed nothing but rain on our Horizon. Not only rain, but also the remnants of tropical storm Gabrielle headed for the coast of the Carolinas. Once we had confirmation of this, we switched directions and headed towards Dallas. Today we made it as far as McAlester, called it a day, and parked for the night.

September 10th

We awoke with rain still in our path, but made our way South as soon as the skies started to clear. We got to Dallas later that morning, where first and foremost we needed new front tires, one on each bike, and a chain for my brothers bike. When that was said and done we dropped the trailer off at Tricorp Transportation and went to do a little shopping. We picked up a few pairs of Icon riding pants, and dark visors for the helmets. In the evening we had dinner with some of the guys over at Tricorp, shared a few jokes and pokes after which, we got back to the motel to prepare ourselves for the next day.

September 11th

We still had some errands to run, we stopped at a few motorcycle dealerships and made some new friends in the industry while we were at it. It was then almost noon, but just before we jumped on our bikes and started to head Southwest, I remembered it was the 11th. Yes that infamous September 11th which we all so clearly remember. At times one must simply stop for a second and reflect on the places we've been, where we're going or plan on going for that matter, and where we currently are. At times like these, I can't help but thank the Almighty God for all the great things we enjoy in this so often plagued and troubled world we live in. We paused for a minute to simply say, Thank you Lord for this moment and please guide us. But then it was time to ride; we got packed up and ready to head out. Our first day on the Bikes we rode 360 miles to Big Lake Texas where we spent the night.

September 12th

We had a little ways to go to the Mexican Border, which was something we were very much looking forward to. With all the excitement we didn’t realize that the good old highway #67 turned out to be highway #90, and we were heading north again. Ahh the joys of missing your turn off and not turning when you're supposed to, only to find out that you rode around in the wrong direction for an hour. It turned out to be a good thing as we encountered some great scenery and got to take some nice photos. As we got back on track and ever closer to the border, a dark rain cloud decided to invade our path for a little while. The sky was cloudy overall but they were very white cumulus clouds and didn’t appear to have a lot of water. Except for this one lonely cloud, no not a lone star but rather a lone cloud, dark and heavy, it was hanging right in front of us. Maybe it was just wishful thinking but for a bit it looked like the road would gently lead us right around this tiny cloud that was darkening our path. Well, since the road didn’t cooperate with us we found ourselves being poured on by buckets of rain. This lasted for about 10 minutes, but since we didn't stop and it was a small cloud, we soon felt the sun’s warmth shining on us again. It only took about 45 minutes to get to the border and by that time, we were all dried off. About 2 pm we crossed over at Precidio Texas and headed south continuing our journey on Mexican soil.

As we finally crossed the border into Mexico, with a minor delay at customs, once again the wheels were turning. I couldn't help but notice the drastic change in the scenery. The roads immediately turned from hills and valleys to mountains for a beautiful first part of Mexico's terrain, almost like we were now on a whole new plateau. This is the moment the journey began to really sink in. It was almost like up to this point this trip was in a stage of dreams vs. reality and I wasn't quite sure how much would really materialize. In a way it was like just another ride in somehow, but now my eyes opened to the reality of it, at its fullest. We ended up getting to Chihuahua City after driving only 400 miles that day.

September 13th

We took off from Chihuahua City and we headed straight south. At this point the landscape had changed from the mountains to a more agriculture look, as well the land flattened from here on. We decided to stop in a small town and have lunch at the local restaurant, El Buen Cafe, meaning the good coffee, and yes it actually was a very good coffee. From there as we continued our journey south we made a stop at one of the best-known lakes and rivers in the area for a breath of fresh air. About 25 miles off the highway lay the river called Rio Nazas and its lake, Presa El Palmito. Dad used to work in this area going back to the early 80's so we had to spend some time here and take in some of this beautiful landscape. Once back on the road we approached the areas where some of our relatives grew up, and now the reality of this whole "trip home" somehow changed from a test of the Third Wheel Trailers, to a "let's visit for a while” kind of trip. However, even though going back to my hometown kind of had a nostalgic feel to it, we still remained focused on the purpose of this journey. To test this new trailer, put it through its paces, test it again and again. Rough roads, potholes, a lot of curves were now part of our every day, riding and let's not forget speed bumps, lots of speed bumps. I had no idea I had missed them so dearly, ...yeah right.

Finally after about 400 miles we made it to my Aunt and Uncle, Abe and Aunt Justina at about 9.00 pm, having ridden a total of 1200 miles up to this point.

September 14-17th

At this time, we stayed in the area of my hometown for a while. We spent these few days visiting relatives, friends and familiar places, as well as catching up with some childhood schoolmates and colleagues. We had a chance for a few days, to see some of the scenery we knew from way back, but with a new perspective, and maybe even ventured into some areas we hadn't seen before. Enjoying time with friends and family is always a big thing for me, so we took some time for ourselves before we headed west across the famous "Devils Back" of the Sierra Madre, just west of us towards to coast.

September 18th

We set sail for the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Madre as we now set our eyes towards Mazatlan Sinaloa, a resort on the Pacific. This was one of the most amazing parts of the trip that we encountered. Curve after curve and turn after turn, for a few hours you go up in a consistent and steady fashion. A wide-open space in the vast cavities of the mountains was truly a sight to behold as we stop at gaze upon some of the amazing views. Once in a while as we'd stop along the way, we would yell into the mountain, only to hear that same voice echo back and I'd say, goodness do I really sound like that? This stretch was also a very important part of the trip, as we truly got a feel for how this trailer works. As we corner in and out of turns, we try to avoid most of the potholes, or better yet all of them. I must admit though, that a pothole here and there wasn't all bad as we really got a good grip on this whole "trailer on a Hayabusa" feeling. We made numerous stops across that mountain, a snack, pictures and meeting new people along the way certainly made it an awesome stretch. As we start to get a little closer to the City of Mazatlan, we soon realized that even though it was a little cool up on the mountain, once you start to descend down the west side towards the City, how quickly the temperature goes up, sometimes at a degree a minute almost, at least that's how it felt there for a while. We made it into Mazatlan, where we had to check out the beaches, the strip, the town and some of the beautiful views a place like that has to offer.

No matter where we were, city or town, country or metropolis, wherever we made a stop we’d have a conversation with a stranger, who later became a friend. And I believe this happened in part due to the fact that we were pulling a one of a kind trailer behind a Hayabusa, but in general I also believe that this is what Motorcycles are all about. They are undoubtedly set apart in this respect, and that's what makes riding a motorcycle at anytime and anywhere, just so great.

September 19-20th

We left Mazatlan and drove along the coast South towards Puerto Vallarta. There we were met with absolutely breathtaking views once more in so many areas all along the west coast. As we surveyed side-to-side, we saw the mighty Pacific Ocean and some of the swamplands on one side and mountains one the other side, a beautiful view that had become standard for this remarkable and unforgettable trip. After a short 150-mile ride, we stopped in Santiago Ixcuintla Nayarit for a bit. I was hoping to find some of the people I used to work with back in 1996 when I spent a few months out here, working in the tobacco industry. We found no sign of them, so we continued towards Puerto Vallarta. Just south of Tepic, about 25 miles out of town the heavens opened up. Rain again began pouring out, showering us as we hurried to get to a small restaurant just up ahead about a mile. As we pulled in the restaurant, I fought with a huge pothole full of water that looked small at first, only to find my front wheel half submerged in it as it was beginning to slide in its mud. When we finally got under the roof, my brother told me that it had looked like I was fighting my bike in the mud. After eating a quick meal, the sky cleared, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the road started to dry. We got back on the highway riding for a few more hours through another set of beautiful curves. Some parts of this Tepic-Puerto Vallarta stretch, looked like a tunnel which was carved out of the jungle and then paved. It was just a very beautiful ride indeed. We arrived in Puerto Vallarta late that afternoon.

Thursday we are on our way towards Tepic once more, and this allowed us to ride the jungle tunnel once more. Sadly I have to admit though, we didn't take any photos of that stretch of our trip. I'm not sure if I was too astonished by it’s beauty or if it just really was as short a ride, as it seemed. Our final stop of the day was in Tepic, where we got together with a few of my great friends from back in the tobacco days. Thank you for the stay Pancho & Nely.

September 21st

We took off to Guadalajara, one of Mexico's most beautiful cities. (According to my eyes anyway) After a lot of dusty roads, dusty city streets and plenty of trailer testing, it was time for a good ole car wash or rather I should say, bike wash "a la mano", after which we went down town with some friends for dinner and sightseeing

September 22nd

We left Guadalajara and headed north. Little by little our trip was fulfilling itself, and as the miles went by and days came to an end, we realized this Trailer is up for the task at a moments notice. Nothing up to this point had given us a negative sense in any way at all. Even the fact that it has as some would say, only 5.5 cubic feet of space; it had proven itself to be what we needed it to be and more. It had carried all the things we needed, such as all the clothes, extra boots, rain gear, (which we never used) souvenirs, passenger seat for the bikes, laptop, camera, video camera and so on. We had no idea that so much could fit in this compact trailer. Also, the few times that we did get caught in the rain, we noticed that not a drop got inside. Everything this Trailer was designed to do and perform, it had, exceeding even our own expectations and we're extremely happy about that. But getting back to the road, it was time to carry on to Zacatecas and continue towards Saltillo from there. Another day of awesome roads, beautiful landscape and cozy little towns where you just have to make a pit stop to browse a bit. After another great trek of mountainous terrain, we came to some flat lands and decided to stop, as it had gotten darker. We figured if at all possible we'd rather not ride in the dark, due to some bad road conditions and unfamiliar highways. After this we only had a short distance left before we got to Saltillo and that would be in the morning.

September 23-25th

It's a bit funny how the temperature changes so quickly when heading north again. Sunday morning as we rode out, we realized that it had gotten a bit cool, which was kind of nice in a way since the temperature in Mazatlan was brutally hot. Hot enough that as soon as we'd get to town anywhere, we'd take off our jackets and helmets and ride without them, just a bit more comfortable that way. As we rode on, shortly thereafter we made it to Saltillo and then Monterrey at about 2-3 pm.

Once here in Monterrey, after having settled in we had dinner with Francisco Roterham and Jeanette. All these people I have met as a result of the work I did there back in the mid 90's. As a bonus we also got to see Ruth and Jeanette's mom Angelito, as well as Ivan, his wife and his kids. It was great to hang out with them for some time. We planned to stay there for a few days and roam the city, check out some dealerships and that kind of stuff. Monterrey is a beautiful city and has so much to see. From it's old steel foundries to its new downtown river developments. It’s school and its massive flag, right downtown on a mountain. A flagpole that stands 100 meters high, the flag measures 30 meters tall by 50 meters long, flying over the city.

September 26-28th

Wednesday we left Monterrey in the morning and were off to the US border. We rode all the way to Houston where we met a dear childhood neighbor of ours, took a few moments to catch up and called it a day.

Thursday our schedule is to ride from Houston to Dallas, but before we take off, we decide to meet up with Roman Blum from RB Choppers in Houston. We toured his shop and chatted with him a while before heading out. Towards the late afternoon we got to Dallas and hung out at the shop for a while, then went off again for a short ride. That night, we were told by a neighbor to make it out to the Sonic bike night, over by the Northwest highway and Jupiter where we met a bunch of guys and just hung out for a while. We had a chance to meet some new faces, people who had some interest in the trailer as well, and we also had a chance to meet some people from Hayabusa.org

Friday morning we left Dallas and headed towards Deals Gap. We'd planned on making it somewhere close, call it a night and then get there on Saturday and go and ride The Dragon. I'd never been to the Gap myself but it promised to be a fine day for a ride.

September 29th

Saturday morning we drove to the intersection of 411 and 129 where we left the truck and trailer and rode The Dragon and ...Wow, what a ride that was. The Dragon certainly is one of those must visit places to see for any rider, at any age.

One More thought

We’d truly enjoyed this journey into Mexico, but now the time had come, to make it all the way home. As I share this short story with you all, 4000 miles on this Motorcycle with the trailer behind it, and every mile, every turn, every hill and valley and yes, every speed bump too, has been an experience to remember.

I have learned one thing however, and that is no matter what we ride and where, to be on a motorcycle is not just like anything else on the road. There's so much to see and live when the highway lies before you, and it doesn't matter whether you have a destination or ride without one. Every mile seems to be so much more enjoyable on a motorcycle. Let's not forget that safety is a big factor in motorcycling, and sadly, we came across a few wrecks on this trip, and I do hope and pray that they are doing well and nothing major happened, who ever they may be.

Thank you very much for stopping by.

Sincerely, Juan