Lost with Mike
  • Scoot
  • Paddle
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  • Moto
    • The South >
      • Merchant's Millpond State Park, NC
      • BRP and a visit to Charlotte, NC
      • South Carolina and Back on my GS (2011)
      • Jaw-ja Trip #1 - Visiting my Nephew
      • Jaw-ja Trip #2 - Cousin's Wedding
      • "You rode 1300 miles for BBQ?!?" (2010)
    • Canada (eh) >
      • 2012 - Beards to Canada >
        • Day 1: Arlington, VA > Arlington, VT
        • Day 1-2 (Continued) Back to VA!!!
        • Day 3: Newburyport, NH > Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 4: Loafing around "The Neck"
        • Day 5: Sandy Cove, NS to Antigonish, NS
        • Day 6: Antigonish, NS to Meat Cove, NS
        • Day 7: Meat Cove, NS to Port Aux Basques, NFL
        • Day 8: Port Aux Basques to Port Saunders
        • Day 9: Port Saunders to Big Brook
        • Day 10: Big Brook, NL to Trans Lab Hwy
        • Day 11: Trans Lab Hwy to Pinware River
        • Day 12: Pinware River, LAB to Norris Point, NL
        • Day 13: Norris Point to Blue Beach
        • Day 14: Blue Beach, NL to Port Aux Basques Ferry
        • Day 15: Sydney, NS to Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 16: Chillin on the Digby Neck
        • Day 17: Sandy Cove, NS to No. Sandwich, NH
        • Day 18: Sandiwch, NH to Arlington, VA (Home)
      • Algonquin Park 2013 >
        • Day 1: Home to New York
        • Day 2: Chataugay State Forest to Brent, ON
        • Day 3: Brent, ON to Nipissing River Portage at Nadine Lake
        • Day 4: Nipissing River @ Nadine Lake Portage to first island in Red Pine Bay
        • Day 5: Red Pine Bay to Hogan’s Lake
        • Day 6: Hogan’s Lake to Catfish Lake
        • Day 7: Catfish Lake to Cedar Lake to Fredonia, NY
        • Day 8: Fredonia, NY to Brookville, PA
        • Day 9: Brookville, PA to Alexandria, VA
      • Think I'll ride to Montreal this weekend...
      • Ontario on a Whim
    • Maryland >
      • How to Hit a Tree, By ME!
      • Ruckus Stealth Camping in MD
      • Ruck'n around Southern MD
      • White's Ferry and some Maryland Backroads
      • 1000mi right near da' beach (2010)
    • New York >
      • Cornell, Niagara Falls and PA Coal Country (2012)
      • Finger Lakes trip to NY (2011)
      • New York City Trip (2011)
    • Pennsylvania >
      • Early Spring in PA
      • Michaux Camping
      • From a Wedding to "Where-da-fugawi?"
      • Pennsylvania Leaf Peeping (2012)
      • First Big Trip to PA (2010)
    • Virginia >
      • From the Mountains to the Sea in Ol' Virginny'
      • What the Fog? (Northern Neck, VA - 2013)
      • Uncle Bucks Ride to Eat and Snowy SNP
      • Charlottesville Area Ride
      • Serious Helmet Time in VA (2011)
      • Ruck'n Across Virginia (2010)
      • Impromptu Camping with 'DC Rider' (2010)
    • West Virginia >
      • Rella-Vous and Skippii Rescue
      • New River Gorge Ghost Town Exploration (2011)
      • Five States from Laurel Fork (Spring 2013)
      • A Little Dirt, A Little Clouds, A lotta Fun, WV (2012)
      • GS and an NSX? (2012)
      • Seneca Rocks Camping Two-Up (2011)
      • Panniers Only Club at Seneca Rocks, WV (2010)
      • Laurel Fork Fall 2010 on the Honda Ruckus 50cc (2010)
      • Dog Days Rally and Rella's Gift (2010)
      • Pops and Richmonders in WV (2010)
      • Rocket Boys (2010)
      • New River Gorge and Rella's (2010)
    • Cross Country 2009 >
      • Trip Preparation
      • Day 1: (Sept 3, 2010)
      • Day 2: (Sept 4, 2010)
      • Day 3: (Sept 5, 2010)
      • Day 4: (Sept 6, 2010)
      • Day 5: (Sept 7, 2010)
      • Day 6: (Sept 8, 2010)
      • Day 7: (Sept 9, 2010)
      • Day 8: (Sept 10, 2010)
      • Day 9: (Sept 11, 2010)
      • Day 10: (Sept 12, 2010)
      • Day 11: (Sept 13, 2010)
      • Day 12: (Sept 14, 2010)
      • Day 13: (Sept 15, 2010)
      • Day 14: (Sept 16, 2010)
      • Day 15: (Sept 17, 2010)
      • Day 16: (Sept 18, 2010)
      • Day 17: (Sept 19, 2010)
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69'000 miles on a      Honda Ruckus named
La Tortuga

Still Broken

12/23/2014

1 Comment

 
So...I returned to the shop today to find my exhaust on the floor and the wheel off. Curious and shocked, I asked what was going on. He smiled and pointed to the wheel hub itself. The threads inside the hub were stripped clean. So...that was actually my problem all along, not the clutch (though I found out that it was broken).

Well how cool is that?

Okay so now he is looking for a new wheel in town as the time ticks down.  He offered another alternative if he cannot find a wheel to fit...that would be to torque a nut on there tight and then weld the nut and washer to the driveshaft.  This would secure the wheel and prevent it from slipping.  The only downside is that to change out my tire or remove the wheel I would have to have the weld cut or ground off the spindle carefully.  I have attached a few pics to show you the new problem.

Anyways. This is at least a true explanation of what was going on. I would have never guessed.  I think that Greg and my combined weight was too much for the wheel and stripped the threads. Fortunstely the driveshaft from the clutch isn't marred.

Tonight I am going to camp out in town in a stealth place I found a few blocks away.  A solution temporarily while I wait and see.  There is a $peso300  hotel up the road I will stay at tomorrow if I still have to crash around town.

Keep you posted. I feel better knowing that this is the issue now. Makes much more sense. Also now I have a new clutch.
Picture
1 Comment

Fixed...

12/23/2014

0 Comments

 
the fabulous mechanic at motospeed in La Paz was able to find what may be the only Ruckus clutch in all of la Paz! he is finishing up the job and it looks as if I will be back on the scooter tonight! a celebration is in order. Feliz Navidad indeed!

Also...this
Picture
0 Comments

Semi-Stranded In La Paz

12/22/2014

3 Comments

 
Leaving Todos Santos yesterday, the clutch began slipping. I thought it was the belt and after much shade tree luck and prayers it finally carried me the 70 miles to La Paz before the heat of stop and go city traffic led it to spin. No power.

I attempted to change belts and drive faces etc to no avail.  At a shop this morning, the owner helped me notice this broken piece. With the fabulous assistance of Greg Haugan, my Spanish speaking angel, we visited 6 motorcycle shops, two rental car agencies and found a shipping/export service. Nobody had the parts or any similar ones to repair it but at our final and most hopeful moment, an old experienced mechanic looked at the clutch and offered to rebuild it with completely different parts for another scooter then weld the spline from my clutch bell onto this new clutch.  It is a long shot repair but promising.  Ordering a new clutch from Honda will take until Jan 6-10 to arrive in La Paz.

I can only hope his welding skills allow it to rotate perfectly without blowing out the final drive seal from being out of balance.

When in Mexico, go with the flow...
Broken clutch support in upper piece
Picture
3 Comments

Hello Form LORETO, BAJA sur

12/12/2014

6 Comments

 
I'm doing just fine down here in Baja. the weather is warm and clear and the beaches plentiful.  I'll post a few detailed reports when I have time to collect my thoughts and find WiFi at a campsite.  meanwhile, here is an email I recently sent that describes my most recent experiences.  it is way better than I make it sound though. life is good.
"I am laying in bed along the Bay of Conception when I saw your email offline.  Great hearing from you.

I am enjoying myself but still finding the language barrier and cultural barrier greater than I'd like.  It is not impossible and I'm making do just fine, the hesitarion is probably more in my head than anything else when it comes to going inside places for food or to order things.  It is a completly foreign system and lifestyle down here. I have not seen a chain store of any kind since Ensenada and am avoiding the drinking water in favor of purified water. That alone is a huge change for me, where in the states I could fill up in every town at a gas station or fast food joint. Water is important in the desert so I just buy 5L jugs which are heavy but last 2-3 days.

Standing out like an alien everywhere I go on account of my gear and setup is also unusual. I've seen three motorcycles total in the last 4 days of travel and city visits, two of which were the police.  The discrepancy in safety concerns down here is much less than in the north.  This is much more of a small town kind of region with many miles of unhibatied deserts in which to camp/hide out. If I don't see any tire tracks down a side road/trail, there's a good bet it hasn't been traveled in a while and certainly won't be at night.

The vehicles here are in shambles. The rich own new cars, perhaps 10% of vehicles are 2005+, most are 80s-90s model cars which burn oil, creak down the highway on wornout suspensions and are missing pieces or dented.  The many trucks travelling the transpeninsular hwy are diesel burning and poorly tuned smokestacks of black haze and dust.  Drivers pass at very close distances and often three vehicles wide. Totally unsafe but with a level of comfort everyone here is accustomed to.  The engine braking is loud and groans through the night when I'm camped near a hilly section of road. Find me a "I hate engine brakes" or "FERNE CON ENGINE ES MUY STUPIDO" ;)  rant off

Otherwise the weather is dry, warm and clear. I spent today on a beach along the bay of conception then went a mile south once a guy came out of his shack and tried to hustle me and this French family for money, coffee or snacks to camp on "his" beach (they are federally owned). Nice quiet spot for the night minus the truck noise. Crickets chirping and owls hooting in the cactus.

Once again, the stars are magnificent."
Picture
6 Comments
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    Where is Mike?

    Mike Saunders

    In May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. 

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  • Scoot
  • Paddle
  • Pedal
  • Moto
    • The South >
      • Merchant's Millpond State Park, NC
      • BRP and a visit to Charlotte, NC
      • South Carolina and Back on my GS (2011)
      • Jaw-ja Trip #1 - Visiting my Nephew
      • Jaw-ja Trip #2 - Cousin's Wedding
      • "You rode 1300 miles for BBQ?!?" (2010)
    • Canada (eh) >
      • 2012 - Beards to Canada >
        • Day 1: Arlington, VA > Arlington, VT
        • Day 1-2 (Continued) Back to VA!!!
        • Day 3: Newburyport, NH > Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 4: Loafing around "The Neck"
        • Day 5: Sandy Cove, NS to Antigonish, NS
        • Day 6: Antigonish, NS to Meat Cove, NS
        • Day 7: Meat Cove, NS to Port Aux Basques, NFL
        • Day 8: Port Aux Basques to Port Saunders
        • Day 9: Port Saunders to Big Brook
        • Day 10: Big Brook, NL to Trans Lab Hwy
        • Day 11: Trans Lab Hwy to Pinware River
        • Day 12: Pinware River, LAB to Norris Point, NL
        • Day 13: Norris Point to Blue Beach
        • Day 14: Blue Beach, NL to Port Aux Basques Ferry
        • Day 15: Sydney, NS to Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 16: Chillin on the Digby Neck
        • Day 17: Sandy Cove, NS to No. Sandwich, NH
        • Day 18: Sandiwch, NH to Arlington, VA (Home)
      • Algonquin Park 2013 >
        • Day 1: Home to New York
        • Day 2: Chataugay State Forest to Brent, ON
        • Day 3: Brent, ON to Nipissing River Portage at Nadine Lake
        • Day 4: Nipissing River @ Nadine Lake Portage to first island in Red Pine Bay
        • Day 5: Red Pine Bay to Hogan’s Lake
        • Day 6: Hogan’s Lake to Catfish Lake
        • Day 7: Catfish Lake to Cedar Lake to Fredonia, NY
        • Day 8: Fredonia, NY to Brookville, PA
        • Day 9: Brookville, PA to Alexandria, VA
      • Think I'll ride to Montreal this weekend...
      • Ontario on a Whim
    • Maryland >
      • How to Hit a Tree, By ME!
      • Ruckus Stealth Camping in MD
      • Ruck'n around Southern MD
      • White's Ferry and some Maryland Backroads
      • 1000mi right near da' beach (2010)
    • New York >
      • Cornell, Niagara Falls and PA Coal Country (2012)
      • Finger Lakes trip to NY (2011)
      • New York City Trip (2011)
    • Pennsylvania >
      • Early Spring in PA
      • Michaux Camping
      • From a Wedding to "Where-da-fugawi?"
      • Pennsylvania Leaf Peeping (2012)
      • First Big Trip to PA (2010)
    • Virginia >
      • From the Mountains to the Sea in Ol' Virginny'
      • What the Fog? (Northern Neck, VA - 2013)
      • Uncle Bucks Ride to Eat and Snowy SNP
      • Charlottesville Area Ride
      • Serious Helmet Time in VA (2011)
      • Ruck'n Across Virginia (2010)
      • Impromptu Camping with 'DC Rider' (2010)
    • West Virginia >
      • Rella-Vous and Skippii Rescue
      • New River Gorge Ghost Town Exploration (2011)
      • Five States from Laurel Fork (Spring 2013)
      • A Little Dirt, A Little Clouds, A lotta Fun, WV (2012)
      • GS and an NSX? (2012)
      • Seneca Rocks Camping Two-Up (2011)
      • Panniers Only Club at Seneca Rocks, WV (2010)
      • Laurel Fork Fall 2010 on the Honda Ruckus 50cc (2010)
      • Dog Days Rally and Rella's Gift (2010)
      • Pops and Richmonders in WV (2010)
      • Rocket Boys (2010)
      • New River Gorge and Rella's (2010)
    • Cross Country 2009 >
      • Trip Preparation
      • Day 1: (Sept 3, 2010)
      • Day 2: (Sept 4, 2010)
      • Day 3: (Sept 5, 2010)
      • Day 4: (Sept 6, 2010)
      • Day 5: (Sept 7, 2010)
      • Day 6: (Sept 8, 2010)
      • Day 7: (Sept 9, 2010)
      • Day 8: (Sept 10, 2010)
      • Day 9: (Sept 11, 2010)
      • Day 10: (Sept 12, 2010)
      • Day 11: (Sept 13, 2010)
      • Day 12: (Sept 14, 2010)
      • Day 13: (Sept 15, 2010)
      • Day 14: (Sept 16, 2010)
      • Day 15: (Sept 17, 2010)
      • Day 16: (Sept 18, 2010)
      • Day 17: (Sept 19, 2010)
  • Photos
  • Articles