Vegging out!

Coco seems to be mellowing out...

MOST people that have known me for a very long time, know I am not the guy that sits around knitting for very long.  Call it cabin fever or whatever you wish but as I age, I am still interested in the world around me. Even though my primary mission on this trip south was to retrieve Coco, the cat I found living under my Honda last fall, and return her to our home in Canada I certainly was going to do some riding and exploring.

I'VE been coming down south for years, I love the SW with it's deserts and mountains and clear air, cacti, dry riverbeds and exploring opportunities.  Since moving to eastern Canada it's not as easy as hopping into the Blazer with motorbike on the rear rack and heading south on I 15.  I've long since purchased a scooter and dual purpose bike for my use while here and I have made good use of them both.  Even the Honda Ascot I bought on impulse a couple of years back, I've ridden although sporadically.

Coco a week after I found her under my Honda.

I'VE  published several stories including riding the Superstitions, the Mogollon rim, Painted Rock and of course, conquering the Crown KING Trail.  To say nothing of scootering around Glendale all the way from the White Tank Mountains across the city to Apache Junction one year to visit with gal pal Diane.

OVER the years I've been to amazing places, seen rattlesnakes up close, free range burros, scorpions and tarantulas as big as my palm.  I've ridden dark narrow canyons, boulder fields, ascended and descended mountains, fallen down and when I got back up, I did it again and again and again. ( the riding not the falling)

I'VE met incredible, interesting people the latest being Dwayne and Ruth, a couple from Washington State.  Dwayne's father was born in 1893 and passed away in 1993.  For those of you challenged with math, that is a hundred years, a century and what a century it was!

Watching T.V.

IT'S Monday morning, the beginning of my first full week here.  I have spent all but one night in the Hotel Marriott, with Coco as company. Just before arrival I found out that my home had flooded.  Within hours I had a crew working on repairs.  Of course first thing is assessing the damages, then clearing everything out and beginning the restoration phase. I had a very brief window to get a bag together with a couple of t shirts, shorts (it's warm here) and some toothpaste.  I caught a ride with Judy's son, cat in carrier and been here since.  Yesterday, the first time I have been back hoping to grab a few pieces of clothing I find my door taped off and warning signs pasted on.  Turns out I have asbestos in the place, not unusual at all I am told and this requires a far more invasive cleaning technique that I was not prepared for.  Flooding the place would have been a difficult job to tackle but my problems have been compounded by their find.

I do miss little Boo though!

AT this stage I really have no idea what the remainder of my trip holds but it is unlikely that I will close off that Old Stage Coach road loop I had gotten lost on last fall.  In fact I will be very fortunate to spend the final week at my own digs and Lord knows what I will find.  It almost seems like I've stepped into a time machine and am going back to when I first saw the place.

Very Nice digs at the Marriott and they take pets!

IN the meanwhile, back at the ranch so to speak, Coco and I are hunkered down sharing a couch and a bed and watching COP and Travel shows and Judge Judy doling out justice to people that are certainly in some cases, 98 cents short of a buck! I admit I haven't done this for a really long time.  On the plus side, I am in a good place, a room with a kitchenette, a swimming pool, and a laundry mat for my few clothes.  The staff are very pleasant taking an honest interest in the people coming through the lobby door. So far the people at CONTACT and Allstate have been very efficient and helpful, something I have gotten used to down here in AZ over the years.  Yes... I have met the rude American like that woman and her husband (he was okay, she was a hurricane of insults and rudeness) in the south of France who was loudly complaining at the hotel restaurant that her waitress didn't speak English.

I mean, it was the south of France after all...

I'M not sure how the month will unfold but even though I may not be riding the rim of a washed out canyon with my reliable XT 350...this in itself,

THIS is why I love riding down here.

is quite the adventure!

FLOODED

SO, I'm in Phoenix Arizona, out on the street... trying to start my ultra reliable Adventure scooter.  Battery stayed fully charged on the tender since last fall but she just won't fire.  I try the kickstarter, nada.  More pressing the starter until I realize... the kill button is off!  A flick of a switch, throttle wide open, the engine is flooded of course by now, and away she went.

Now you may laugh here at my predicament and it only goes to prove my point, all of us have our  

"DOH" MOMENTS

In my case it can be explained quite easily for not only was the scooter flooded but  my entire 1000 sq foot two level condo!  A broken toilet tank and my neighbor coming by to turn on the utilities prior to my arrival and presto!  One uninhabitable apartment unit!

I am writing this from a temporary hotel accommodation suite about 5 miles from my Glendale home.

Not only is my long time, desert getaway pad so wet, mushrooms could grow on the carpets, but my life down here has been turned on end!

Grabbing a few important things, like passport, wallet, registration papers, and one pair of socks! Everything I own here after nearly ten years, is jammed into a storage unit locked away from even me! I am now exiled from my home and will not likely move back into her before my return trip beckons.  To top it off, little Boo is also exiled from my/her digs but at least I have the consolation of Coco, the skin and bones female I found last fall sitting here as I write this.  She is making the flight back to Canada with me!  It's not the first time a local abandoned kitty will be transplanted from the south to the north with the Doc!

I have no photos to show (it was kind of low on my list of priorities) but I'm sure I will have some before long.

As I have said many times about riding, or traveling or dreaming... there is always the potential for the unexpected.  How you deal with it, will depend entirely on how mentally and physically prepared you are.

Another sad day...

It wasn't long ago I met a like minded pal and enthusiast.  I will write more later but am telling all of you right now...  make your lives count, even if it's only to be a friend for someone else.

Couldn't find a nicer human being than Dan. 

RIP buddy

‎Colleen Rauch Palumbo‎ to In Loving Memory of Golden People

· February 18 at 10:03pm ·

PECORA, Daniel Joseph
January 31st 1952 - February 17th 2017
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Danny Pecora at the Golden Hospital on February 17th, 2017. He was 65 years old. Danny was the youngest of five children born to Maria and Frank Pecora January 31st 1952, in Golden, B.C. He worked for the Department of Highways / EMCON, and had recently retired after 38 years of service.
...

Danny was quick to volunteer and lend a hand to his family, friends, and community. He was involved with local service groups such as the Lions Club and the Cadets. He was also a member of the Snow Kings Snowmobile Club and the ATV Club. Danny’s passion for motor sports had him racing snowmobiles in his younger years and motorcycles in his later years. His off track motorcycle adventures took him to Alaska, across Canada, and all through the United States. He truly loved to ride and took every opportunity to do so.
Danny was pre-deceased by his parents Maria and Frank Pecora, his sister Delphina (Frank) Colonna, and his brother Jim (Emma). He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Amy (Matt) Dutton, his granddaughter Lily, his brothers Orlando (Wendy), Mario (Mary), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Food for thought.

IMAGINE  if Honda had not imported the step through 50 into North America, if you can.

For many of us ahem, 'older' motorcyclists, regardless of what we are riding today, we started our careers on small displacement Japanese bikes.  Most of us didn't just go out and buy a Norton Dominator or a Rocket Three as our first bike.  Even if you are older than I am, your first bike may have been a used BSA Bantam, which was nothing but an unreliable post war copy of the German DKW.

But, when the Honda corporation decided to export their basic transportation single cylinder step through across the big pond, it was a game changer.  Not at first mind you!



I recall the elder Sibthorpe, the founder of BOW CYCLE and Motor Company, telling me stories of the  rep bringing by the little Honda.  There was nothing like it at the time.  He was talked into taking ONE... to test the market of course.

It sold and fairly quickly too.  So he brought in another, then another and then another and soon they came by the truck load.  Who was buying these tiddlers bikes with pistons the size of a shot glass?  I can tell you it wasn't the hard core guys that lived on Castrol oil!

HONDA was the first to tap into a market where the "Nicest People" weren't riding motorcycles.  After all this was prosperous Canada/USA not war ravaged Japan!  Lo and behold HONDA MOTOR's began selling the classic fifty to very nice people.  It was the second car or the kids ride to College, or Mom's ride to the grocery store.

If Soichiro Honda, the founder of the company had not gambled its future on the tiny little CUB as it was known, I would guess that there would be many fewer motorcyclists on the road in N.A. today.

Ultimately the HONDA CUB in it's many incarnations would become the number one manufactured motor vehicle of all time!  Yes and I mean including the Model T, VW Beetle and the FORD Mustang! (put together) It has proven to be utterly reliable and even Charley Boorman chucking one off a three story (or was it 4?) building didn't kill it.  Of course the wheels were square!

It is the most prolific and most copied motorcycle of all time.  All you have to do is look at the burgeoning Chinese market where you will see dozens of copies of the ubiquitous little bike being made in the millions. 

 
I myself didn't start my career riding a CUB, no I did not.  I did however begin my riding life aboard a Honda S 90 (S for Sport or SUPER)  That bike with it's four cycle horizontal single cylinder engine and four speed transmission was a direct descendant of the little 50!

Everybody I know on the planet knows I am a fan of small displacement motorcycles, I still have many bikes that are under 500 cc in my stable and have always believed in the less is more as opposed to the 'No substitute for cubic inches' theory.

I myself have two models of the little step through in my own garage.

Doc

"What's up Doc...?"

USUALLY at this time of year, cabin fever is really starting to get to me!

Big old Blue. on the road again!

Spring is teasing with warm days, great for walks around the property, like yesterday... then turning bitchy and brutally cold like today.  I mean it looks great from in here looking out the window, sun shining but -14C and a stiff NW wind blowing deter any thoughts of riding.  If my CDN flag was out, these are the days it's most tested!

 The motorcycle show's have made the rounds of the bigger centers across the country, we don't get one, not even a local one anymore.  Four years ago I attended the Island show twice but since then nada. The promoter got tired of the hassles, the high cost, the iffy weather and gave up. I thought about making the trek to Moncton again this year but twice we've been stormed out and the show got cancelled.

I read my MC mags as they come in, boring really as pretty much all they cover are "Riding the Alps" for free while they blather on about the wonder of it all, New Ducatis, MV's, BMW's and other exotica that are full of trick electronics (pretty soon riding will be a video game that you can do in your living room, just program it in and there you are ... high up the Furka Pass, knee down blitzing switchback corners like a Moto GP star!) 

Hance reminds me... 'we already have that!'

The Swiss army knife of bikes.  V Strom 650

Although I have a stable of motorbikes, I do imagine myself with maybe a new Triumph 900/1200 or maybe an FZ 07 or even a Versys 300 ADV bike.  Maybe even a good used sports touring bike...

Of course, some would say I already have too many bikes and the practical side of me (I am a Capricorn after all) whispers very faintly, 'Frank, maybe you should sell that old XT 600 and buy a new(er) DR 650'

DT 50/Jeep/NoOne'sArk/Baja tent atop and 21 sp Inferno pedal bike

XT 600 on the MacLean Creek trail Alberta Rockies

Then I go out into the garage.  I look at "Old Blue", my 1990 XT 600A and think of all the great times I had riding it on the Forestry Trunk road (CB May 2007) or maybe the entire length of Baja, perhaps Indian Graves high up in the Rockies (CB January/February 2000) or even to the World's largest erratic in the Alberta foothills, (CB July/August 1999) or conversely I may hand start* my 1989 DT 50 L/C, the last bike from my Freedom Cycle days that may have the smallest engine but perhaps the biggest heart.  I rode that bike 1000 km, mostly off road during the 2003 fire season (CB April 2004 B.C. on 49cc a day)

Versatility plus.

156 mpg Passport C 70

Yeah... my newest bike is an '09.  That would be my SYM Citi-com 300i or the DL 650 V Strom (CB May 2015 Red Dirt Diary) waiting for spring, battery on the tender...

By comparison my '82 and '81 Passports and even my '71 CL 350 are relatively new compared to my 1967 Thunderbolt.  The latter three, I don't ride at all, they are in effect Living Rooms queens, but I do on occasion wheel the '82 C70 out into the garage, do a 10 minute tune-up and kickstart her for a few runs down the road, power-shifting the 3 speed semi-auto by holding the gear shifter to build up the revs.  That little bike I bought over E-Bay many moons ago in Phx AZ before I had digs down there, and it rode the home made rack to first L.A. (No... not Leduc Alberta, but Hollywood) and then on to Baja Sur.  The English speaking filler guy at the Mulege PEMEX must still be shaking his head when I calculated the gas mileage at the fill up (156mpg)

Great maritime scooter 300 Citicom

She ain't fast, but she is certainly cheap to run!

I used to sell bikes... but mostly I just bought.  Never forget the first time Brenda (then g/f now wife) came over to my pad in Calgary.  She actually thought I worked on other peoples bikes. Hahaha...

She was shocked to learn they were all mine.  I think she counted 36 in total!  Hey, don't judge me, other people collect socks or t shirts or fake pearls!

Very cool '08 Velo Sold in 2015

So, why should I sell my cherished 600?  It's air cooled 4 valve sohc engine produces enough horsepower to cruise me along the Trans Canada with soft bags and trunk on taller gearing, at 110 kph if needed, or can chug me along some dinky toy muddy dirt road in back woods New Brunswick. at one tenth that.

XT strolling along the red clay roads of PEI

My 225 is perfect for leading around visiting friends  like Deryl , or Ronnie or daughter Holly.  It's a 1992 model two of which I bought new at that time.  Niece Cindy out in BC has the other one.

I did sell my Velo two years ago, but replaced it last year with the SYM.  Unlike some people I don't chuck stuff away just because the color is out of fashion or it's getting up in age (he says looking in the mirror)

TL 125 Trials, very rare, waiting for some TLC

EVERY spring I go through this, but ultimately my old friends, like the Passport and the three XT's I own (225,350 and 600) get some TLC, tires and chains and brake pads, maybe a valve check (rarely need adjusting) and even though none of them get much riding in, I will take everything for a spin during the season.  I even did some work to my ancient TY and then did some wheelies up and down the yard! 

My old TY

The reality is these bikes were the ones I felt I could least sell when planning the move to the east coast a final time.  I very reluctantly sold most of my vintage Japanese stuff, bikes I'd collected for years and parted with wiping tears from my eyes.  We Capricorns can be sentimental (or just mental) by times.

The clouds have rolled in, much of the ice in the strait has begun to move and officially at least, it will be spring in only days.  For those living in warmer climes like my Phx friend Dave who is probably riding his Pacific Coast or Genuine Buddy as I write this or Ron out in the banana belt which I understand is much colder and whiter than usual, I hope you guys/girls get to make some dreams come true this year.  

Take lots of photos to remind you later of that great adventure you did in 2017!

Thunderbird 885 triple

Cheers from the Doc.

* these bikes are such low compression it can be hand started with the kick starter!

Oh, what's that I hear... is it Spring knocking on my garage door?

THIS time of year most of us snowbound motorcyclists begin pondering the return of spring, that joyful time of year when our much planned first ride is cancelled by a late May snow storm!  I remember just such an event during the mid 70's.  It was the May long weekend and then wife and I were on our way to Penticton in the lower Okanagan Valley on my new Yamaha XS 750 D.  I had rigged her up (the bike not the wife) with a Pacifico Shadow Royale frame mounted fairing and Samsonite luggage I'd bought and adapted as Quick Detach saddlebags.  I was after all, a machinist in those days...

We'd left McMurray in fair weather which gradually deteriorated the closer we got to Edmonton.  While still an hour from the city proper it began to snow, large wet flakes. By the time we reached Judy and Dennett's digs it was pretty much a blizzard!  A blizzard that blew for 3 days day and night. We had little choice but to sit it out.  The snow was a foot deep and that was on the vertical sides of the telephone pole in the alley!  On the ground it was much worse.

Finally on the 4th day we decided we would give it a go but instead of the Jasper Yellowhead route I would head all the way south to Calgary and from there to Coleman and the Crowsnest pass.  It wasn't as high as the Yellowhead nor the Rogers pass, and I felt we had a chance to follow the US/Canada border into the Okanagan.  Of course when we reached the Blairmore area, today the Municipality of Crowsnest, we took refuge at a Motel, the pass was closed!  I gotta tell ya, it wasn't looking good.  Our 2 week vacation already had a good chunk bitten from it just to get here!

Keeping vigil, checking highway reports I learned that the pass had been plowed the next morning and we set off gingerly heading west.  Them being the pre digital days, any photos from that period would be locked in an album someplace in a box, so you'll have to take my word for it. The only photo I can include is one with my XS 750, my Velorex sidecar mounted at that point to an XS 11 Special, my RD 350 L/C on the Cabot Trail with FM buddy, Tom Tabbert who had ridden his Elsie all the way across Canada!   

Yup, a 21 cubic inch two stroke pre-power valve tiny twin... from Fort Mac to the Island and return!  Take that you 900 pound  kitchen sink touring types!  

The final photo is my SRX 600, one of the very few that made it into private hands in Canada.

Ahem... I digress, as I am allowed to do on occasion.

We set out late from the motel very cautiously.  The highway was plowed, but there were many patches of hard snow and ice on the road surface.  The lake at the top of the pass was frozen solid and at a snail's pace we crossed over into British Columbia.  Once past the pass, the topography changes gradually into desert like terrain, wide open hills and dry grass with some snow covering.  Fortunately for us we left winter behind and although cold, (we wore ski wear in those days)

I can't tell you haw happy I was to begin the descent into the Okanagan Valley at Osoyoos. I may have bent down on my knees and kissed that warm pavement!

AS for spring knocking on my garage door... turns out to be wind blown ice, there's a three foot drift there right now!