To Guatemala and back on a 1982 Goldwing Aspencade

[commitedskater15]

As a forewarning this isn't so much of a road report, at the most it will be a few blurbs about my recent trip this past summer down to the border of Guatemala and back up to Canada and my 1982 aspy.

[5speed]

tag

[commitedskater15]

To be honest, I was completely skeptical about how this trip would go. I had spent the 2014/15 winter going through my goldwing. Complete disassembly, with the exception of removing the swing arm and taking apart the suspension. Granted I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about these bikes as I know many of you are, I felt that I had a good understanding of proper maintenance and care for most of the components of the bike. 12 hours after my last class for the semester got out, on April 31st 2015, I left for the Grand Canyon in hopes of crossing into the Baja Peninsula on day 3.

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[rcmatt007]

looks like fun

[Rat]

Great stuff ..... more pics

Gord

[wingrider]

I agree, great stuff! I bet a few more pictures might tell us how you have a broken windshield in your first picture....

[rudolphwolven]

I have great respect for you !!!
regards, Ruud

[commitedskater15]

I didn't have any Panniers or hardbags, so I used an old hockey bag mounted atop a skateboard for stability to carry all my necessities

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After a small detour, I crossed into the Baja via Tecate Mexico. Very nice to see the Pacific again, just south of Ensenada

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Kept pushing further south through the vast desert, nearly 110 Degrees Fahrenheit!

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Then I bumped into some Oaxacans on their return trip home and rode south with them for about a hundred miles. I felt like the ugly duckling amongst all the new decked out beemers with gps and LEDs

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[HOTT]

I felt like the ugly duckling amongst all the new decked out beemers with gps and LEDs

You're a Hero in my book!

HOTT

[Old Fogey]

I felt like the ugly duckling amongst all the new decked out beemers with gps and LEDs

You're a Hero in my book!

HOTT

And mine!

[commitedskater15]

Sidenote: You may notice that my front fender seems to have disappeared in some of the photos. Well it did. I was driving through Ensenada after a light storm, and all I ever saw was my front fender make two sudden rotations around the tire and then shoot 30 feet into the air as I was driving. Happened quicker than I can comprehend and I was on a busy highway, so I just kept driving.

[82aspy]

Sidenote: You may notice that my front fender seems to have disappeared in some of the photos. Well it did. I was driving through Ensenada after a light storm, and all I ever saw was my front fender make two sudden rotations around the tire and then shoot 30 feet into the air as I was driving. Happened quicker than I can comprehend and I was on a busy highway, so I just kept driving.

second instance i've come across for a gl1100 front fender suddenly letting loose, without any warning

[Gowing]

Lesson to check and tighten nuts we might not think to even check. Vibration....I imagine.
Great story to hear, gutsy and we'll done.

[KYpondman]

Great story. Looking forward to more installments.
Claude
p.s. My wife and I spent a night in Steamboat Springs in '96 on our way to Sturgis from Hawaii. Had some great Margaritas at a mexican restaurant there (we were told it was the local hangout). We ordered top shelf and the bartender made a big blender full and just kept refilling our glasses. I can't remember how the food was. lol We really enjoyed the ride out of there the next morning with the stream along the road and the high cliffs.

[Rat]

Great stuff ......

Gord