International moto maintenance

Mike took advantage of a trip back to the states (Feb/Mar 2012) to grab a few maintenance items and spares for the TA.  Routine maintenance was due, but it was also a perfect time to try to straighten out the front end again (thanks to that mutt in Guatemala and low side in Venezuela).  I couldn’t easily track down used bars in good shape, so I sprung for some Renthal aluminum bars to replace the badly bent originals.

Pulling the entire front end apart and reassembling still left a bit of a twist to the handlebars, probably less than 1/4 - 1/2" difference in height of the grips.  It seems like the top triple clamp is somehow twisted, but only affecting the right handlebar clamp – I can easily lift off/slide on the top triple clamp with both forks in place.  That suggests that the forks, bottom clamp and steering stem are all in good alignment.  So I bridged the rubber mounts on the handlebar clamps with big ol' metric washers, and shimmed the right side handlebar clamp a touch to bring the bars into alignment.  It feels right on the road, and seems a helluva lot easier than trying to flex that top clamp straight.  More to follow if the situation changes…

New steering head bearings were installed!!!  This was much needed.  The old races were badly worn and had a bad dent just off center line.  Ahhhh, steering is sooo smooth now! 


(And a quick poll:  how many of you have used a machete while changing out steering head bearings?  In this case, making a drift out of a screwdriver.)


(cheap tool - all thread and washers - to push the outer races into place)

It was already time for a new air filter, this one was installed with a sexy new feature:  pantyhose.  Some friends of ours, Daan and Mirjam, told us about their successful use of the pantyhose prefilter on their Africa Twins which they are riding around the world.  If it’s good enough for the AT, why not for the TA?  And by simply replacing the pantyhose prefilter regularly, the air filter life should be extended substantially.

The forks got fresh fluid.  I brought back new oil/dust seals, but the old ones aren’t seeping, so the new ones will be spares until needed.  New wheel bearings.  And some other wiring updates (manual radiator fan switch installed) and inspections.


After a 30km test ride, the TA is up and ready to roll!  Now we just have some gear to sort through… After a 6 month hiatus, it's almost like we're starting all over again. Almost.

What lives in YOUR bathroom?

Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably not as cool or as cuddly as sloths.  That’s right, sloths.  A friend of ours is working for a small NGO here in Paramaribo that rescues exotic animals, particularly sloths and anteaters.  Apparently many people get sloths for pets, then realize they don’t want them anymore (I think this is a usual trend for exotic animals as pets), so this NGO helps take care of the sloths and find them new homes.  But for now, these guys spend a lot of time in the bathroom.  Even while the employees are in the bathroom too.  I guess it’s a good timer – if you haven’t finished up by the time the sloth gets to you, it’s time to wrap things up.


(3 toed sloth hanging out in the bathroom.  These little guys have clamp-like grips.  Once they get a hold of you or anything else, it can take a couple of people to get them to release.)


(Mike and friends)


(sloth crawling at you...slowly. There was 1 female and 3 males locked up together. The female was the first to escape when the bathroom door was open, and tried her best to stay away from those other guys.  Poor girl.)


(sloths will apparently even hang off of each other)

The anteaters were also really cool to see.  But they live in separate cages and may not appreciate it if you use the bathroom in there.


(a medium sized anteater)


(feeding time)


(splayed anteater


(that tongue is good for anteatin'!)

And despite what you may think, the anteaters were not fed a massive cup feel of ants at each meal.  Instead, they get a vegetarian grog that they seem to enjoy all the same.


(get it!)

Family time in the USA

Mike took advantage of his lack of responsibilities here in Suriname to go visit his family back in the midwest for a couple of weeks in February/March 2012.  Since leaving the states last May, Mike had yet to meet his new niece, of course he wanted to visit his 2 year old niece.  While those 2 reasons were huge, parents and a sister and brother-in-law were major draws as well. 

Traveling through New York’s LaGuardia airport was a glimpse of minor reverse culture shock.  While all of the people I asked questions of were extremely nice and helpful, everyone in that airport was moving so fast!  That is quite different from Suriname, especially Tutubuka.

Hanging out with my sister and her family in Chicago was a blast.  We got to do lots of fun stuff, like:
(go to the SkyDeck platform in the building formerly known as the Sears Tower. Claire showed absolutely no fear or hesitation walking out onto the platform, which is a clear glass box extended out of the 103rd floor, 1,353 feet above the streets:)

 
(sideview of the SkyDeck)

(Mike, Claire, Alice, and Amy looking out over Chicago)

(and we even got to practice milking cows!)

It was really nice to visit with my parents back in Des Moines, too.  I was able to take some pictures of snow to show Tutubuku-onians.  Even with the pictures and with Jill’s Saramaccan explanations, they don’t believe that snow’s a phase of water, that it falls from the sky, and that it melts when it gets hot.  Basically they still don’t believe in snow.


(the climate in the midwest, while mild for the midwest in Feb/March, was quite a change from Suriname)

Suriname update - last one for now

It's time for us to take another break from our blog updates, and get back to our Tutu routine. In the meantime, Jill will be keeping the kids in line:



We are excited that a good friend of ours is coming to visit in April, and we are starting to think about our route south in June. I know it's still a few months out, but we do have a whole continent to consider...