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| SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS We are able to reach thousands of people and bring this drive to you with the support of our fine sponsors! |
JOHN BARNES
Age: 71
Weight: 220 lbs
Bike Ride: KTM 450 XC
Age: 71
Weight: 220 lbs
Bike Ride: KTM 450 XC
| We arrived at the Baja Pits at the Chapala road to San Felipe junction around 1 PM. Hoping to meet Curt Gerritsen on 303X with a little daylight. Curt hade some starting issues with the Husky. When Dick got on the bike, the rest of us drove to El Crucero, including Bill Hitchon, Tom Green, and Troy Hansen. While waiting for Dick the trophy trucks caught up and some passed him. Dick also had some starting problems, causing us to fall further behind. Around 11 PM I got on the bike. Before I got on the bike, Bill tried to cure the starting problem. I rode okay until the first truck caught me. I was on a fairly narrow path with little room to let the truck by. I had to get out of the rutted, bumpy road or else get run over. |
The bike died and was hard to start. I got going again, but soon suffered a similar problem, You couldn’t let it
idle or it would die. I tried raising the idle rpm. After being caught a few times by trucks, it refused to start at all. John
Kelly, a Honda rider stopped and said he had reqad about our team. He asked which rider I was and I told him. He said,
“We have to get you going.”He managed to kick start it. By then it had cooled down some. We rode together for a while,
then overtaken by another truck, causing the bike to stall. No luck restarting it.
Troy, a second Honda rider, stopped to help kick start it but no luck again. I asked them to get going. I then called Bill
on the SAT phone and buit a fire to wait.That took two hours, with Bill driving up course against traffic to find me. I rode
into Bay of LA wound 3 AM. There Bill replaced the carburetor and battery, thinking this would cure things. John
Gerritsen got on the bike around 4 AM. What an adventure!
Jim, thank you for being a part of the team. I had a great time. If you do this again, I will be glad to help. You got a
good group of guys together!
John Barnes
idle or it would die. I tried raising the idle rpm. After being caught a few times by trucks, it refused to start at all. John
Kelly, a Honda rider stopped and said he had reqad about our team. He asked which rider I was and I told him. He said,
“We have to get you going.”He managed to kick start it. By then it had cooled down some. We rode together for a while,
then overtaken by another truck, causing the bike to stall. No luck restarting it.
Troy, a second Honda rider, stopped to help kick start it but no luck again. I asked them to get going. I then called Bill
on the SAT phone and buit a fire to wait.That took two hours, with Bill driving up course against traffic to find me. I rode
into Bay of LA wound 3 AM. There Bill replaced the carburetor and battery, thinking this would cure things. John
Gerritsen got on the bike around 4 AM. What an adventure!
Jim, thank you for being a part of the team. I had a great time. If you do this again, I will be glad to help. You got a
good group of guys together!
John Barnes
