The 'thing' being a motorcycle adventure tour of South America. Conceived of five or so years ago, spoken of for the last three or four and deferred for two years for family events. Turning the page from 2018 to 2019 will, allegedly, put fantasy in the rearview mirror, elbowed out by reality.
The final step in a two month endeavor to prep the bike concluded yesterday with an oil and filter change. All other consumables (a longish list of motorcycle technobabble) and a few more challenging items for a home trained and sometime ham-fisted mechanic are in the maintenance log.
At 12,700 miles the 2015 Honda CB500X is a youngster. The stock bike was put on steroids with a rebuild using parts from Rally Raid in the UK, mostly aimed at readying the suspension and wheels for the sometime smooth, more often potholed and unpaved roads ahead. A little protection for the vulnerable parts on the engine and some gismos (known as 'farkles' in the motorcycle community) to help cosset my 60 year-old frame completed the package. She entered service in April 2016, christened 'The Mule'. She has carried me to a few places in the USA, sharing duties with the other two (and three) wheelers in the garage but is now ready to take the lead role.
As it turned out naming her 'The Mule' proved ill-advised given Colombia is the first country on the adventure ride. Rebranded 'El Burro'; many people can't tell the difference between a mule and a donkey anyway. I know Spanish is gender specific but I didn't like 'la burra'. She is going to have to cope with gender confliction; after all it is 2018 and she must move with the times. So far she seems comfortable in her new skin.
A couple of beauty shots of her to finish this post.
..and the new moniker....
Cheers, T2
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