Oh Boy!

Now that is what I call, a sweet ride! I had to go back to the DMV to straighten out a glitch in the registration but since I already had the plates, I rode the Alp down to Hatch and back...a 75 mile ride on State Hwy. 187, the old hwy, a nice two laner through chile, cotton and pecan growing areas....

I have to say I am absolutely thrilled with this bike. It just wants to be ridden and the rider quickly becomes a part of the bike.

My Alp has a Supertrapp exhaust that sounds just like a moto should...like a trumpet! I had a hard time keeping it down to speed limit or just over...it wanted to rip.

I knew all this was true but it was quite a while ago in 1994 I last rode one...my friend's first as I mentioned. It made an impression though and I am really amazed that riders didn't demand the Honda USA bring these in again.

Anyway, just a report of my first ride on Alpenglow and I can hardly wait to head out again....

Peace,
MWB

A new family member...

Alpenglow...my new-to-me 1990 Honda XL600V Transalp has made her appearance in the garage....she has been sorted out and tidied up a little and is ready for our first ride tomorrow morning.....

I have admired and desired one of these ever since I saw my first....my friend and Alaskan riding buddy Doug C. bought one in the 90's....I rode it one time and fell in love with the model.

I bought this particular one from Doug...his third and am quite happy with it so far.

The model is one that Honda designed to compete with BMW  R80G/S back in the mid 80's...Honda brought it in to the USA for two years only, 89 and 90, sales were flat so they dropped the importation of them. The rest of the civilized world got them until as recently as 2008 possibly later, I'm not sure....

It was intended as a enduro with the emphasis on the road part but I know that that they hold their own on rough single track as well as the BMWs and the other heavy "Adventure Tourers" although none are designed as a technical off-road machine.

I may hang a hack on it but will keep it as is for a while...maybe pull a trailer so Dina can go with me....

More later,

Stay well and engaged,

ManyWheelsBrian

Time slips by...

I have been busy helping my bride move her base of operations to Silver City, NM. She took the job of Dispatch Center Manager there and we had to get her moved.

The Durango trailer sold to the first caller, she found a sweet little house in the Arenas Valley to rent for a decent price and I have been back and forth to Durango and Silver a few times trying to be of help where I can....so...nothing going on much to blog about.

I am keeping busy so I don't have to think about my new bike too much...I will go and get it when the P.O. gets down to where it is stored...yikes, patience?...nah, thanks anyway...I'm really wanting the pony to be in my garage! NOW!  OK, I'll practice my patience....

I am considering a trailer hitch on it and a small pull trailer for Dina to ride in. Fewer modifications, cheaper and I can still ride a two wheeler...all good pluses especially since I now have a reason to ride Emory Pass back and forth...yahoo....the New Mexican Tail of the Dragon/Espina del Diablo...

Shiny side up,
 MWB

Juicing....

Latest is the greatest....! I finally found a good used juicer I could afford and bought it....man what a treat to have something I don't have to clean three or four times before I get a vaso of the good stuff.

I found an Omega 4000. The one with a plastic case...got to be gentle....and all stainless innards...

I also just assembled a 5 gallon plastic bucket "balcony composter" and can use my waste organic material in a good way now.

I seem to be staying home more these days, enjoying it a lot and thinking about maybe doing a few things like start building some gardening soil, etc.

I don't think things will implode but I think things including the climate will continue changing and in some fairly radical ways and it can't hurt to develop the property to be a more sustainable place for our future.

That's what I am up to these days as well as helping Kit move to Silver City and her new post there as manager of the USFS dispatch Center there.....

We are happy to be only 2 hours apart rather than the 6 hours it has been....it is much better and the ride over Emory Pass is awesome.

Cheers,

MWB

Latest van makeover...

I will get some pix taken soon and put them up but I finally finished the latest van makeover and like it a lot.

My goals were to take out all bulk propane, make the passenger seat swivel, lighten up on stuff and build a way that I can expand the bed so Kit can occasionally travel with me in the van.

It all came together and is more open and spare and safer as I don't expect any more fires due to the propane. I had two fires on the last trip and they were extremely disconcerting....this was with many precautions and checks for leaks....I actually think I will try to do most of my cooking outside the van unless I am in bad weather.

I am not recommending anyone else do this regarding propane but it makes me feel much better.

So until I take some photos....

Peace,
MWB

Yeeees! New bike for the old guy!

As usual, not much time goes by before Mr. ManyWheels adds some more wheels to the rancho fleet.

This time it is a close friend's 1990 Honda XL600V Transalp....a bike I have wanted for many years, about 16 or so.

To add to the joy is that the top box I made for Kit's R65GS and our trip through the Americas that ended with a bad crash on the Dalton Highway comes with it. This box was traded to the guy I am buying the bike from and it now comes home...cool beans...the only example from my aluminum TIG welding projects that I will have.

These bikes were only brought into the US for two years, '89 and '90. A real shame since the bike was made until 2007 and went from 600cc to 650cc and ended with the 700cc version. Extremely popular throughout the world and coveted by us in the USA.

It's big brother, the 750cc Africa Twin never even made it here at all and is even more coveted.

I think I will leave this a solo bike for a while and eventually add an enduro style sidecar with no mods to the bike so it can be ridden solo or as a tug.

I am excited and honored to be the fourth sober AA guy to own this particular moto....kinda cool.

Stay tuned. I won't go get it for awhile since it means a drive with the trailer to Terlingua, TX where it rests in a shed, waiting for me to liberate it from....TEXAS!

I'm coming! Don't despair...there IS life after TEXAS!

This is a shot of a similar bike, same year, different color.

O-boy!

Peace,
MWB

New stuff....

Home in TorC again...man I love it here! It has really gotten my attention since I never thought I would find a place that would hold me like this little town in this redneck state does. I thought I would always be restless and have itchy feet and I guess I still do to a degree, but it is often just to take a little break from daily life.

I found on this last trip that my van felt small to me and I thought I might like more room. Hard to get that without the negative of worse mpg.

Well, instead of making too fast a move, I am redoing the little Chinookie with the idea in mind that I am really only taking short trips in it and I have been packing for expeditions! So? Cramped space with way too much crap I don't use...

I have sung this song many times before. Never have I been able to cut down enough on what I think I need to have along on any trip...

I have been inspired many times by folks who travel with almost nothing and do it well.

So...the van is emptied out, a swivel added to the passenger seat, batteries re-arranged and stowed under the bed...I went back to one large 12v deep cycle and took out the two T-105 6v batteries...I don't really need so much power storage. It is a bit lighter and takes up less room.

I have taken out a bunch of stuff that I don't ever use including some tools and compressor, etc. trinkets, and redundant stuff...extra TP, extra paper towels, etc.

Next the propane system came out, back to the one pounders for the Buddy heater and a new small butane stove like several of my vandweller friends use and like.

The big puzzle will be how to build a bed that is a single bunk while I am alone in the rig and a double size when Kit is with me...a puzzle but it can be solved....

More later,
Happy trails and peace.

MWK