Prologue

"Spend your life searching for Hemingway with a Peter Pan attitude this is what you get".
If you have followed the blog this far you might be interested in some info on me, it may help understand the motivation for this adventure.
This is my 64th winter.I had a typical base education with an apex being a boys technical, vocational, high school. Then part time community college and a forty hour work week evolved into "Greetings your Uncle Sam needs you". 1966 to 1968 service number prefix US means drafted. as scary a word as can be, closely competed with by, IRS Audit or I'm pregnant. I had no combat exposure just dumb luck.
The next chapter was early poverty married life, cinder block coffee tables, incense,drip candles and foggy memories. Well they say if you can recall that era you didn't do it right.
A secure warehouse job and looking at a 35 year career to retire from the united auto workers. Health coverage steady decent pay daily grind reminded me of the army, I wasn't satisfied.
My dad was the greatest guy in the world and when I became troubled by a possible career change I asked his council. His was a generation that fought the 2nd war and survived the depression. He left a share croppers existence working for a dollar a day in Iowa and launched his family on a trek to Washington where he could wield a shovel on the Coulee canal's for a dollar an hour. 5 kids a wife and me the youngest in three corner pants. he was the patriarch of an extended clan that numbered more. I find that gutsy.
So when I asked him about leaving this job and going to work in the construction trades his response was "Security is a state of mind not a state of being". I bailed.
I had a chapter of camaraderie and peers that I generally appreciated and rewards commensurate with my efforts, not bad.
Along came Matt my son, you heard of him on day 2, more in a few sentences.
The economy crashed, construction crashed unemployment was running out, food stamps were a supplement. I was doing what labor I could find for cash. Timing belt on a Pontiac, head work on a Chevy, running hot tar kettle for a scab roofer, squeaking by.During this time it was normal to falsify my job search for unemployment, I noticed in the paper an add for fire fighters so I wrote them in. Then paranoia about the unemployment  checking up on me, I submitted and application. When I got the application I realized that it was an on going process and I could use this for weeks on my job search resume. Then one of the operating engineers slipped on the job and broke his leg the company called me up and asked if I could fill in for him as a concrete pump operator and I was employed. The fire department kept sending me notification of tests and I kept up on them. Written(1500 applicants) Physical, grunt groan strain (800 testees) and then oral interview(100 testicles). Then 6 weeks and the results were posted, I came out 11 on the list they hired 14 on December 1st.
I had no Idea I would be thrust into an arena of people so smart and competent that they would challenge me every day of my career to just keep up. A huge shaping event in my life.
While all this transpired there is divorce followed by serial monogamy (its not an oxymoron) and a relationship with my son who was the center of my life..
Matt and I got into bicycles and rode thousands of miles together. When he reach the age of majority when he wanted to spread his wings and make it on his own he exercised his Independence. We really got back together over motorcycles. M/C's had been a part of my life since the early sixty's. 250 Honda scrambler, BSA 441 Victor, Yamaha DT1, Huskavarna, Hodaka super rat,Honda CX500D, V65 Magna, ST1100. Presently Suzuki Burgman, Drz400, KLR 650,CBR600 F4I(track Bike) and a Hyabusa(1999). Matt came on board with SV650 Susuki at the same time John graduated to Kawasaki ZZR1200, That's John of John & Debbie John a dear Friend of 35 yrs and the three of us had ridden bikes together. We first met when John was 16 and Matt was 9. Now we were three amigo's on moto's.
We did a couple of trips to Laguna Seca. and had some great times.  John and I got back from a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats in September of 07. We made great plans for the three of us to return and assault the salt. Matt died soon after. Matts influence spread to many peoples lives, 4 years later his peers gather as friends and testify to the significant influence he had.
In 08 John and I returned to the salt. John had qualified for his 175 MPH licence the year before, I was his pit boss and Terry was official tootsie Rod was advisor and speed freak extraordinaire.In 08 we went back with some of Matts ashes. On our last run John first we put Matts ashes in the belly pans of the fairings and John did a 199.99 mile per hour pass and I cracked a ton eighty(183.286). My pride of accomplishment is that I did it on a stone stock Busa, sans turn signals and mirrors. Present were John, Debbie, Rod, Phil & Jerry, Dixie and my sweetheart Terry. Honorable mention goes to Dale Wayne and Barry. Since Matts death I have also launched his ashes 2000 feet up in a rocket from his favorite beech and sprinkled his ashes on the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.
Lots of these people have been in my life for 35 years some for 55. P&J let me crew on their boat, Cabo to Hawaii and some down the west coast.
When I turned 60 John gave me a T-shirt that had on the back writing that said, things to do before your sixty. Ride bicycle from Canada to Mexico-Ride bicycle 200 miles one day-Ride bicycle down the east coast Australia,without a gun-climb Mount Rainer-sail to Hawaii- Sail the San Juans and Gulf Ilse solo. Enough the list went on. They were all a lot of fun, and not possible with out a bit of obsessiveness.
Which brings me to the other star of the narrative, the KLR. for years in our M/C travels I have  admired the KLR. In 07 I bought a used 06 (100 miles on)with the intent of modifying it for an adventure. I wasn't sure what adventure.
On Johns birthday I bought him a T-shirt that said "does this motorcycle make my butt look fast".It was a comment on one of the things that sickens our culture. The idea that form should take precedents over function is an aberrant symptom of the American culture. I call it the Harly syndrome. It doesn't make a difference if it works does it make me look good permeates modeling autos M/C's omens shoes, on and on.
To me the KLR is in your face rebuttal that idea. Its major design is about function, it works. So you want to do central America by M/C, you need a 150 MPH flash Machine-NOT. Why crack a walnut with a grape press. Apply the tool that accomplishes the task, that's niche the KLR fills.
My mods to it were basic done in my garage. Front fork springs changed to progressive wound coils. Rear shock replaced with after market, better adjustment. front fork brace. Aluminum skid plate, Might not have been a necessity for this trip. Free flow intake and exhaust. Steel braided brake lines, better feel. Assorted guards for brake reservoir water pump and stuff. I upgraded the frame bolts and the connection between the front and rear frame loops.Contrary to a lot of advice from the KLR community my modifications stiffened it up and eliminated flex. one train of thought is no fork brace and soft suspension. I opted to wire the spokes at there cross points to make the wheels more rigid.. I regretted none of the mods none.
I Central America predominately Mexico, maybe because there is more of it, you encounter speed control device called "Retardo".  These are large speed bumps that slow trucks and buses to a stop. If you traverse them at speed it can launch the M/C into the air, the following suspension compression can be very stressful to the bike. The KLR negotiated these several times with no resulting damage other than luggage attachments.
OK soap box away ,rant over back to the blog. If your still with me thanks for the attention and merry Christmas,