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| Iain Glynn, Bill Dragoo Shannon Markle on Venture Beach..."Training." |
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| Wear and tear take their toll on the Mojave |
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| 500' dunes at 90 mph? No problem. Splitting lanes on I-5 with a front flat...indescribable! |
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| Dragoo at OU Stadium...growing younger... |
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| Reflections of 100 stories...a well earned breather... |
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| Kriega US 40, tight and tidy! |
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| Kriega US 30 and Rucksack, unbeatable! |
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| Adventure Designs Micro Pump, like dynomite, it packs a punch! |
One month from tomorrow Team USA will leave for South Africa. We will meet in Atlanta, Georgia, then fly together to Johannesburg, South Africa. From there, it is anybody's guess what we will do...except that we know we will be spending time in Swaziland and Mozambique. Our task is to keep BMW's International GS Trophy in the US after being brought here by our friends, 2008 Team USA, Brad Hendry, Jim Stoddard and Jason Adams, along with moto journalists, Jonathan Beck, Ryan Dudek and Jimmy Lewis. My team mates for this year's competition are 25 year old Iain Glynn from Seattle, Washington and 38 year old Shannon Markle from Laramie, Wyoming.
This weekend, October 15th, my lovely wife Susan, her son Mark and I will ride our skinny dirt bikes, KLR's to Clayton, Oklahoma for the annual Ride Oklahoma Fall Dual Sport Ride. This will be a low key ride for me since I am more concerned with not getting tissue damage on my pink body than in showing anybody just how good I am not.
I have flight reservations next week to Seattle, Washington, where Shannon and I will meet up with Iain at his home. Our plans are to ride the ruts, rocks and mud of the northwest and have yet another opportunity to gel as a team. Iain assures us that we will be challenged at this riding area, some 80 miles from where he and his new bride, Bethany live. Shannon will be joined by his gorgeous wife, Jonie. I will be a fifth wheel for the first few hours and until the boys head for the woods.
Last month Team USA flew to LA where we met up with the 2008 team for a pow wow and a ride. Jon Beck hosted us on a seven day ride through the Mojave Desert. BMW NA, in cooperation with MWW's Logan Williams from New Jersey, who assists with public relations for BMW set us up with a stable of new 2011 R1200GS and F800GS motorcycles. Our accommodations were superb with our first nights being spent at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Valencia. As time allows I will tell more of that story...and what a story it is.
Today was Susan's birthday, so we spent considerable time together, always a pleasure worth dying for. Next week will be busy as I try to remain productive on our home remodel, a dining room addition. Susan has been more than patient as I have traveled across the country several times while trying to re-open our wrecked kitchen.
