New 1-26-05
Hello, I promised more information about my upcoming trip through Mexico and here it is!  I will be making postings under this heading about the trip so check back every few days to find out what’s going on.

I will be riding a 640 KTM Adventure, four of us plan on riding the length of Baja.  That alone is a long time dream.  We plan on camping and moteling our way along.  Surfing, snorkeling, whale and girl watching. Once we get to Cabo at the Southern most tip, we will start back North.  This is where the trip gets big, I’ll go to Lapaz and catch a ferry to the main land.  The other riders have to head back North  so I will continue on my own.  “No” to the most obvious question, “No” I don’t speak Spanish, except what I call “Restaurant Spanish” which is enough to get me lunch.  So it’s Jethro out of the country again!

First off nothing is competed, lots of projects are started.  I’ve started gathering gear and equipment.  First off I received my new Aerostich riding gear yesterday.  I selected the Falstaff jacket made of waxed cotton.  It is Bad Arse!  The Falstaff is a very stout garment with padded shoulders and elbows.  It is made of a heavy waxed cotton material but has all the modern conveniences of pockets and vents.  I begged Moose to build this jacket, but my pleas went to deaf ears.  Aerostich came to my rescue and this will be my favorite coat for the next 15 years.

I selected the Aerostich Darien Light pants, they look like regular pants with out a bunch of logos running down the leg so I don’t look like a racer but still have the safety of rugged cordura material and they are cut to be comfortable while on the bike. www.aerostich.com

As far as bike preparation, the 640 is a pretty good place to start for a trip like this.  Sure every one wants the new 950 KTM but it’s sooooo fast I’d be in jail with no hope of ever seeing a drivers license again.
The 640 is just fine.  Drew Smith at Works Enduro Rider has my suspension right now, he’s installing heavier springs front and rear, stock was too cushy for any thing but paved roads.  Then once you add some luggage and extra gear, the suspension needed some work for this trip.   www.werproducts.net

Next I installed a Pro Moto Billet tail rack with panniers.  These guy’s make some beautiful equipment, CNC machined aluminum, very top quality stuff.  Plus they are in the same town in Idaho where I live so it was easy to chose their products. http://www.promotobillet.com

Sidewinder sprockets were a no brainer, the new stainless steel jobbies, we don’t want problems on a 6,000 mile trip, check them out at: www. sidewindersprockets .com

Tour Tech also known as CycoActive is where I’m getting my GPS unit.  I did find one on line just a little cheaper but dealing with some one who knows bikes and trips sure makes it easier to ask questions and solve problems.  Now I don’t have very much experience using a GPS but I can see where it will be invaluable once I hit the back roads of central Mexico.  http://www.cycoactive.com/

I’m still undecided about tires, if any one has advice on what kind of tires would offer good traction and maximum mileage please drop me a note.  I was not unhappy with the stock Metzler Sahara tires, they got good mileage but other people said I need full knobbies in Mexico.  I get spoiled with the traction here in Idaho.  Did you know a lot of guys are running trials tires on the back of their dirt bikes?  Knobbies up front but the old blocky trials tires in the rear, they claim traction is fine, only under heavy braking does it want to slide, plus they get 1,500 miles out of one and they don’t tear up the trail as much as a spinning knobbie.  Another friend of mine runs street bike tires on his 640 KTM and can go any where he wants, but this is not the real world, and I don’t know what to expect in the heart of Mexico.  I do know I don’t want street tires if I get in to mud like Southern Ohio!
Just like every bike I’ve had since 1991 I’m running Enduro Engineering hand guards and grip heaters.  Alan Randt helped me out and asked for some photos of me for his web site.  I sent him one of me sitting on the stool reading a Trail Rider!  I laughed but have not seen it on his site yet! www.enduroeng.com

Then there are the shots, the Mexican Insurance, tourist card, ferry fees, film, spare parts, gasoline, it’s taking all my money just to get ready!  So if any of you are in the financial position to help sponsor me with some cash, send me a note.  If you are broke like me, consider giving some blood and sending me the cash.

I’m an excellent painter and work in some of the finest homes across the country, so maybe your house needs some painting, I’ll go any where for a good job, send me a note and we can discuss that too.

Of course we all need to thank Paul Clipper here at Trail Rider Magazine for having a place for us to share our tall tales and story’s.  I want to thank KTM for building a bike that does what I want it to do: “Get me back home.”  I want to thank Joe and Bob at Motosports KTM here in Boise for a thousand little items. www.motosports-boise.com    I want to thank Chuck Sun, for no particular reason other than he would like to see his name up on the web.  There are a thousand people I would like to say hi to, they know who they are so, hi.

I’ve gone on long enough, next week I should have my maps from  www.overlandmexico.com   and can give some details of my planned route, but for now find a map, find Mexico City, go South East about 300 miles to the Mayan ruins of Palenque, that’s my goal right now.  I’ll also visit Cueve Cheve, the worlds deepest cave, Copper Canyon, and a thousand spots in between.

Check back in here and tell your friends, we cross the border Feb. 20th and it’s Jethro on the loose.

Thanks and see ya here later.
Charlie

Feb/22/05
Away we go!  I’ve changed my plans again, just like I promised.  This time, I’m skipping Baja, well my freind Gerrardo from Indy had to drop out due to work, so instead of contuining on with some guy’s I don’t know, I’ll just take off on my own.  This way I can catch a ride down to Arizona with my freinds who are going to the National Enduro there in Pheonix.
This way I can ride a National Enduro before taking off on a tremendously long and rugged trip.  Sounds about right.
Joey, Patrick, Darren and I all load up tomorrow afternoon and head south, we are hauling 9 bikes, 2 for me, and 3 for them the rest of them are for freinds who will fly down from Boise to ride the race.
The scary part will be when my buddies load up Sunday after the race and leave me sitting there in the parking lot with my 640 KTM and my gear.  I’m scared or nervous, hell it’s a 14 hour drive in a truck going 70mph back to Boise,  how long would it take on a bike?  Days? Weeks?  Who knows?  I’ll find out in a few weeks, I have a long way to go before I cross that trail again.
I’ll cross over the border in Nogales and head south, my ultimate goal would be Cueve Cheve, the worlds deepest cave.  10 years ago a freind went to explore it’s depths.  He did not make it back, we all don’t make it back. Some day, we all won’t make it back.  So in my life, I’m going to go as far and as long as I can.  Jerry Garcia?  Hunter Thompson?  John Bulishi? Ernst Hemenway?  They all gave up too early.  Life is an Enduro, and there are lots of miles to go.
I am drawn to Cueve Cheve, I would like to write my freinds story, it is a whopper, I get goose bumps thinking about it.  Freinds, family and other adventurous souls need the story told.
Other than being drawn to a hole in the ground I have no plans, I don’t even have a Mexico  map yet, I’ll pick one up at the border and just wing it.  My first stop will be Copper Canyon, from there I’ll make a decison on weather or not I feel confident or if I’m misserable.  I might turn tail and head home, or I might head south, I’ll do what ever I want, that’s the nice thing about going alone, all the decisons are mine.
I did get some new stuff for my bike, I got a Chase Harper tank bag and tail trunk.  I talked to Ron Harper him self and was really glad I listened to his advice.  Once I got everything packed up I needed the extra room his bags gave me.  Visit their web site at www.chaseharper.com or call 805.965.7977, tell them Trail Rider sent you!
I packed light too, but it just takes lot’s of room for tools, tubes, ointments, salvs, powders, pills, asprin, advil, anti diahreha, pro diahreha, clothes, shoes, gloves, hats.  I did pack one of my good Grateful Dead shirts and my “Cat in the Hat” hat.  Why do you wear such a tall hat?  So I can set it in my lap when I sit down!
I finally made a decision on tires, I got the Dunlop 606 and want to thank my freind Rick Dorfmeyer for helping me get them and some other sundry items from the Tucker Rocky catalog.  www.tuckerrocky.com
In my first posting I mentioned how expensive this trip was, and to be honest, money is still a problem but SteveO from Tucson wrote me and made a generous donation that is truly making this trip possible.  I want to say thank you very much SteveO, your donation is the only way I could keep going, thank you.
I want to say hey and a special thanks to Wilma for helping me and encouraging me and having confidance in me to make such a long journey, plus taking care of the Monkey Dog while I’m gone, thanks hon.
I took my bike out for a test ride the other day, boy what a differance, the suspension really handled the whoops, well pretty well for a fully laden dual sport bike.  But the single biggest improvement I made to the bike is my Bill Mayer Saddle, it is a wonderful additon and I can see it will be my best freind on this trip.  Visit their web site at www.billmayersaddles.com  If you have a big dual sport bike, you owe it to your self to get one of these seats.
I’m going to meet up with Chuck Sun at the Enduro this Sunday, we hope to ride on the same minute. He will have his lap top computer and if I get the chance I’ll write up a quick race report and let you know how things went.  After that it may be south of the border before I get to write to you again.  Drop me a note at trailridercharlie@yahoo.com and let me know who is reading this stuff and check back here for news from my end.
Thanks to all and I’ll talk to ya’ll later.
Charlie
Hi from the Enduro race site.  Conditions look perfect, loads of rain will help keep the dust down.  The desert is lush and green, very beautiful.  Temprature is 67 and partly cloudy, perfect riding weather.
Yesterday we went to the Carefree area and were doing some tuining and practicing when we came across a couple of locals.  Matt Burston?? and Mark Miller.  Matt owns The Pit Stop here in Pheonix and Mark Miller is famous for winning  the Baja in the truck class for the last couple of years.  Also he has competed in the Paris Dakar a couple of times.  Mark also rode the ISDE in 98 or so.  So Mark has some serious talent and Matt was faster!
So we were doing every thing we could to keep up.  Matt and Mark were really nice and shared their new secret stash trail with us.  It was epic!  27 mile loop right out of Matts garage!  It was only a month old and they had not even ridden the trail backwards so it was virgin and perfect.  Thanks Matt and Mark for sharing with us!
So we hooked up with Chuck Sun last evening and he mooched the keys to his freind Starr’s house.  Starr has a killer home just north of Pheonix and only about 20 miles from the race.  So we are totally hooked up here, I think the term would be “mansion”.  Thank you so much for sharing with us Starr, we’ll ride with you this summer!
We got to visit with Matt Stavish at the track, he was doing good, awfully proud of his second place finish last week in California.
Visited with Allen and Melissa Randt, they were doing well and getting Mike ready for the race.  The bikes look perfect, as always.  Mike seemed in good spirits and was cutting up with Chuck Sun and I, it was funny.
Chuck is giving serious thought to going with me to Mexico, of course he has to figure out an angle or ten!  Streaming video, web broadcasts, Old Mexico, vs New Mexico.
I’m stopping by SteveO’s house in Tucson on my way down for one last contact with freinds, then i’ts across the border and in to the unknown!   I have found a trail that goes all across Arizona from the Mexico border all the way up into Utah, so I hope to ride it on my way back home.
I’ll check back as soon as I have news.  Talk to ya later.
Charlie

Okay, when you get done here, go back to the home page, find my name on the top left, click on the Mexico 05 link and find all the postings since this one.