First ride for me on Red.

Saturday April 16, 2011

Well, the first ride on Red was great.  Blue is a 1997 Soft tail and she is not built for cruising or long distance comfort.  I have had a lot of fun on the back of her but I think that is over for me!  Sorry Blue.  By the way if it upsets anyone to have us slightly humanize our motorcycles by calling them a name or referring to them as “she” I suggest that you stop reading this blog!  Or, if you have a dog think of us when you are talking baby talk to it or it’s lying in bed next to you.  Nuff said!

 

This was our ride yesterday from Apache Junction to Superior then south to Winkelman up to Globe and then home.  The trip was about 170 miles round trip and I was more than comfortable.  Yeah!  Makes me want to go on a trip.  This was the purpose for buying the new bike, so we could actually travel comfortably and that is what these big cruising bikes are built for.  No wonder Rita was looking around and waving at cows when were travelling together in Mexico.  I was too busy hanging on! 

Today we will go for another ride and tomorrow we will check the weather to see when we will leave on our trip back to Canada.   It still isn’t very warm north of Las Vegas but we have to move some time and I guess it’s now.  We think we will only make it as far as Kingman the first night as we have to load both bikes in the morning and it will be a bit hairy to do that.  Eric has to ride both of them into the back of the toy hauler without ending up in the kitchen!  We will tie them both down and hit the road.  Second night likely some where around Lund before we head up the big hill to Ely and onward.  It’s still too cold to overnight in Ely (below freezing) so we’ll try to make it to Twin Falls and then onward to ……maybe Baker City and then probably Salt Lake.  We’ll keep you posted. 

So today we are going for another ride so Eric gets a little more practice before we load the bikes. 

“Red” joins the family!

Wednesday April 13, 2011

Well, we did it.  We finally found someone who was willing to take our money.  In the end we had to buy used because of Harley’s protectionism between Canada and the U.S.A. regarding new bikes but we did find a nice one. 

We started on our mission on Sunday morning when we picked our buddy Ken up at home on our way out to Hacienda Harley in Scottsdale and Arrowhead Harley in Peoria. 

This is Kenny’s home in the trailer park that we stayed in two winters ago.

Kenny out front. 

He has been fixing up the place with a new paint job as he thinks he might want to sell in the future.  His comment about that was that he didn’t want to spend too much money on the place because “It’s just like putting lipstick on a pig…..At some point you just have to stand back and say …..no matter how much lipstick you put on it……it’s still just a pig!”  Kenny is a funny guy. 

We set off for Scottsdale on the 202 loop and then on to the 101 north which is a pretty quick trip.  We had been out that way earlier in the week but hadn’t seen anything we’d liked except new bikes which turned out to be something we couldn’t buy anyway. 

We had a look at the rental bikes and then Eric hooked up with Bill one of the salesmen.  Bill turned out to be around our age and an old school biker.  Just Eric’s type!  He asked Bill about the Electra Glide Classic but it turned out that it was sold.  Darn, it was just what we were looking for.  At that point Bill took us up to see an Electra Glide Ultra Classic that had just come in. 

 

That’s Kenny getting a feel for the bike!

Kenny used to ride dirt bikes in the old days.

How pretty is that!

Wouldn’t you know it, she was red.  Now Eric really likes any color as long as it is red.  It had taken him a long time to get used to Blue’s color but in the end he really wanted a new bike to be “red.”  The Electra Glide Ultra Classic one model up from the Classic and the only thing it doesn’t have is heated hand grips.  It is a 2009 model with 4500 miles on it so it is a really low mileage bike which is a good thing.  The previous owner had traded it in because the factory warranty was up and it had just come on the floor.  He had added all sorts of extras like Rhineheart exhaust, Stage I kit, billet floor boards and chrome handle bar controls etc. so even though they were asking $20,500. it wasn’t a bad deal.  This was a bit more upscale than we wanted but Eric decided to take a test drive.  First around town and then on the freeway with Bill in the lead.  Eric said he was doing 70mph in 4th gear (it has 6!) and thought he was doing 40mph.  A real smooth ride.  Just like a Cadillac.  So, time to deal on the price. 

 

Eric and Bill discussing the bike.

Eric checking the back rest that makes my seat area too tight.  It will have to be removed.  Not because my butt is too big, or, maybe it is!

 

Hacienda Harley Davidson, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Eric and Bill.  Go see him if you are ever in the market for a new Harley. 

Unfortunately at this point Dave (now know as Super Dave) showed up and butted in.  Eric had talked to him a couple of times on the phone about exporting a motorcycle and not having to pay the Arizona state tax.  As he is the Sales manager that is his job.  At this point he decided this should be his sale because he had talked to us on the phone.  We were whisked into his office, told what the price was with all fees in and asked if we wanted to sign the deal.  I was stressed, Eric was mad and we didn’t even have a break down of the costs.  I didn’t like this yappy, full of himself guy and neither did Eric.  I left the office and Bill asked what was up and I told him" Eric doesn’t like this guy!”  Eric came out  and told Bill “ I don’t like your guy Bill.”  Bill had done all the work and Dave was moving right in.  What a Dick! We discussed a fair  offer  with Bill and he went back to present it to Dave.  At this point it was accepted and we went to “Bill’s” office.  I suspect that Bill told Dave there would be no sale if he continued to butt in!  What a pile of horseshit!  So, we left a deposit and decided to come back on Tuesday when Bill was in and finish the deal.  All this stuff is very corporate with visits to each department, bonging the sales drum and pictures with” who else but….Super Dave.”  Not our cup of tea.  So I managed to get a large amount of money on the Visa and the rest was done by debit card as a point of sale.  The Royal Bank will allow up to $5000. on each of our cards each day so we just had to go back a couple of times to get it all paid.  At this point I might mention the round trip to Scottsdale from Apache Junction is 75miles, so not a trip just down the street. 

We went back on Monday to give them money and then again on Tuesday to hook with Bill and finish the details.  We visited each department and I drew a playing card at each one to see what we would win.  In the end I won a $50 gift certificate so that paid for part of the shop manual that Eric wanted.  When we were all done we thanked Bill for all his help.  A really knowledgeable, quiet talking nice man.  It was at this point he also expressed his personal feelings for Super Dave!  I’ll leave that to your imagination.  Let it just be said that if Super Dave had been our salesman we wouldn’t have bought the bike. 

The proud new owners.  

So, she is insured by ICBC for 20 days, has a 90 day permit and all we need now is the title and to have the shop check out a little surge at idle before we pick her up.  Eric talked to one of the salesman about tying her down in the garage.  Oh, and I really hope there isn’t a “Cat Fight” between the two girls in the back.  Eric says Blue would win because she is leaner and much more experienced.  Are we both starting to sound Looney or what!  At least we aren’t dressing a dog up and pushing it in a stroller! 

We now have to fax a copy of the title to the U.S. border crossing at Oroville Washington 3 business days before we try to leave the States with it.  They will check the title and then when we get there we have to stop at the American side, bring the original title in and they will stamp it.  At this point we proceed to the Canadian Customs to fill out forms to register it federally and pay GST as well.  When we get home we have to take it to Canadian Tire (the approved inspection centre for imported vehicles) and they sign off and send the forms back to federal government.  They will put a kilometer decal on the Speedo and then we are ready to complete the B.C. licensing, get insurance, a plate  and …..pay more tax!  By this time it should be raining so hard in Terrace we won’t want to ride.  However, it is much more suitable for our cooler, rainy weather.  Phew….that was long winded.  But, just think if you want to import a motorcycle from the States…..now you know how!  Grateful, I’ll bet. 

We expect to have some really comfortable riding in Mexico next winter.  Except for dragging her over topes (speed bumps) as we travel. 

P.S.  Blue will require some repairs when we get home and Eric hasn’t decided whether he wants to keep her as well.  Time will tell.  He can if he wants. 

We will likely hang around till Sunday so Eric can ride her a little before he has ride her into the trailer.  A scary thought!   Also, if anything needs to be looked at by the dealership that can be done as well.

From 100F to 42F!

Saturday April 9, 2011

We knew a storm was blowing in and we’d get some rain and cooler temperatures but this is ridiculous!  Once again we have the heater on.  One week ago when we came it was unbearably hot and now…..too cold.  You just can’t win.  It wasn’t a terrible day yesterday just windy and really,really windy by the end of the day.  Eric has been on the computer and phone trying to untangle the web of information about buying a bike new or used in Arizona or any other state.  We can’t buy a new bike in the U.S. and export it to Canada without first registering it in any state and paying the sales tax and this is a Harley requirement.   We can buy a used one here in Arizona and not pay the tax if we have it shipped to California for pick-up.  That may happen once we look at a few used bikes from dealers, crunch the numbers and see how it all shakes out.  Eric is half blind from looking at the lap top and I have just been doing what ever.  We looked at moving farther north to Idaho or Oregon to look at bikes but it is just too cold.  We really can’t leave here until it warms up a little and if we are going to bike shop it may as well be somewhere warm.  Okay, so it’s actually really cold right now and it poured rain all night but it is going to warm up over the next couple of days! 

We stopped over and said good-bye to Betty and Boomer at Tower Point late yesterday as they were supposed to leave for home today.  I don’t know if they did but it would have been snowing in Flagstaff and they were considering holding off for a day or two.  Up in Ely,Nevada (7000ft) where we go north it is down to 20F at night.  Too cold for the rig.  We will wait. 

Tomorrow we’ll go out with our buddy Ken and look at a few used bikes and try to figure this whole thing out.  I think we are going to need a spread sheet to figure out the costs. 

Stay tuned, we may buy a bike yet.  Even if we don’t we could write a brochure on the whole stupid process.

A visit from Mazatlan friends and a little rain in Mesa.

Wednesday April 6, 2011

A little cloudy this morning and looked like we might get a storm.  We were up early and ready for a visit from Sam and Rita who have been in an RV park just south of Florence which is about 30 miles south of us on the road to Tucson.  We had hoped to hook up for a Harley ride but since Blue is “sick” that wasn’t going to happen.  In the end when Sam and Rita showed up around 11:30 a.m. they were in their vehicle and not on their Harley because rain was threatening.  It was really nice to see them and you really start to realize what good friends you make on your winter travels.  We jumped in their vehicle and headed out along Main to find a place to have lunch.  We always enjoyed J.B’s when we were here a couple of years ago so that’s were we ended up.  A good lunch and off for a bit of shopping.  A quick stop at a tool shop and then on to the Harley dealer which is just a block from us.  Sam and Rita got lucky and found a couple of light jackets (Sam’s was a really good deal on sale) for riding in Mexico.  We are still looking!  Back to our park and a quick good-bye.  Sam and Rita start their journey back to Winnipeg tomorrow.  Good winter friends.  

Eric spent the afternoon researching this whole tax issue in Arizona and learned a little more.  In the end the whole thing is very cumbersome and although you can avoid the tax on a used motorcycle (even from a dealer) it is not an easy thing to do as it involves trucking the bike out of Arizona to take delivery.   In the end if Eric decides to buy here it will be something he really wants and we will have to deal with the used bike regulations to not pay the tax or buy new and “pay the tax!”  We’ll see.

Late this afternoon we heard a Hello outside the door and guess who,  Betty Boop!  We knew that Betty and Boomer along with Connie and Manny were likely here in the Mesa area but we hadn’t hooked up.  They are staying closer in to Mesa in the Tower Point park.  They arrived on Saturday and like us have been busy.  Both Boomer and Manny have had vehicle issues and have had to deal with that.  Boomer had battery issues and Manny had to have an engine rebuild on the Bug due to an overheating issue.  It’s always something, isn’t it!  It sure was nice to see them and we just had a quick chat before they dashed off to get groceries.  We’ll drop by their park and have a quick visit before they leave on Saturday.   Connie and Manny will leave Mesa tomorrow morning so we won’t see them.   Betty says she “just wants to go home!”  I can sympathize with that. 

Late this afternoon we got a little rain and did it ever smell nice.  We haven’t had any rain all winter and it was really nice to hear it.  I’m sure it won’t take long for that thrill to wear off when we get home and it is pouring but you  have to enjoy what you have at the time. 

Peeking put under the awning.

This a shot toward the road (Meridian north/south) and the front of the park. 

This is our nice corner lot!

It’s not pouring but it’s wet.  Looking down the back road in the Happy Days RV park. 

Night, night.

Get ready for a rant!

Tuesday April 5, 2011

Today is our 43rd wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate by doing the same thing we did for our honeymoon.  We took a drive and then we stopped and I bought Eric a hamburger!  On our honeymoon  we drove to Blaine, Washington and today we drove to Scottsdale, Arizona to get parts for Blue and look at more Harleys.  We again jumped on freeways and travelled 36miles from Apache Junction to Scottsdale.   The Phoenix area is about 50 miles from west to east and it really eats up the fuel. 

So here is the rant!  Yesterday we found out that the Harley dealers will not sell to a Canadian unless you can provide them with an Arizona address so they can show they aren’t stealing a sale from a Canadian dealer.  Now it gets even better.  For the privilege of being allowed to buy a bike here you are charged 8.8% sales tax!  This is not something that Arizona requires, it is something that Harley requires so that they don’t violate their dealer agreement with Harley Davidson.  What a load of bull!!  All you have to do to not pay the sales tax is fill out form 5012 and show that you are not a resident of the US and are removing the bike to another country and will only use the bike here passing through and that it will be delivered out of state and you don’t have to pay the sales tax.  Sounds simple except the Harley dealers won’t do it!  RV and car dealers will but not Harley dealers.  So in the end even though we found a bike that Eric would have paid cash for today we won’t because of the 8.8% tax.  Who wants to pay tax once, never mind twice as we also have to pay tax when the bike arrives in Canada.    What a joke. 

This is not due to the free trade agreement it is strictly protectionism by Harley Davidson Canada.  Apparently BMW and Honda motorcycle dealers are the same.

See Croft, you are not the only one who can do a rant!  

 

This is a 2010 Road King Police Special with the solo air ride seat.  I’m sure we find a seat for me too! 

 

Eric will talk to the dealer in Idaho and see if they follow the same rules. 

Too bad a really nice bike.

So, a quick shop at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and then home for happy hour.  Still really hot although it is cooling down over night.

P.S.   This morning Eric took Blue’s battery over to the Harley dealer behind us for a special load test that he couldn’t do to see if it was the problem with the starting issue.  Unfortunately it isn’t the battery but the starter system so that means another another tear down when we get home.  Boohoo!

Why, Arizona to Apache Junction

Monday April 3, 2011

We left Why early yesterday, well at least for us….at 8:30 am.  We were worried the wind was going to kick up from the storm so we got an early start.  We had decided to head up the old highway 238 from Gila Bend to Maricopa and then North up the 347 to the Wild Horse Casino on our way into the Mesa area.   The only glitch was in Gila Bend as we left town because there were no signs saying where the turn to highway 238 actually was.  I fired up the lap top, located the turn and off we went.  Eric is getting more and more relaxed about stopping and regrouping when we can’t find our way.  Doesn’t happen too much but you need a plan when it does. 

A nice quiet drive with little traffic up the 238 and a short drive to the casino on 347.  In the end we decided not to stop and just picked up the #10 freeway to the #202 freeway and went right into Apache Junction.  This all sounds quite relaxed and not like us at all…..right!   Well having spent a winter in Mesa two years ago and then almost piling up the rig coming into Phoenix that first year things just had to get better!  Practice makes perfect (not perfect just easier and better!)  Eric said it would but I had my doubts!!!

We found the Happy Days RV park on Meridian just north of Main and were lucky to get a spot for a week.  Lots of winter visitors have gone home but they leave their rigs so there aren’t that many empty spaces.  A week for $137.75 with internet and electricity so that is a bargain and the best part was that I didn’t have to help Eric park the rig.  The guy who manages the park directed him and it all went very smooth.  Yahoo! 

We set up and then gave our buddy Ken Klippert a call. He popped over and we had a good catch up visit.  He is still working so we likely won’t hook up with him again until the end of the week. 

Today  we hit the road to look at Harley’s.  Since the Phoenix area is so huge we once again had to hit the freeways to get around.  Two years ago we got a good feel for the area but didn’t use the freeways but in the end they really help for quick travel.  You have to remember we were country bumpkins when we started this whole RV travel thing and weren’t used to big cities, freeways and heavy traffic so we have come a long way baby! 

We stopped at a few dealerships and looked at quite a few bikes.  Since it was just bike week here in Phoenix some of the dealers didn’t have all their bikes on display.  In the end we saw enough bikes and were unhappy to find out that if we do buy one here we will have to pay the 8.8% Arizona sales tax.  This will likely mean we won’t buy here since we wouldn’t save much.  Oh well, time will tell.  It is good to actually see so many bikes as we don’t have that opportunity at home. 

 

Chester’s Harley Davidson, Electra Glide Ultra Limited that would set us back about $28,000. including tax!

This is the top end bike in two tone root beer.

Same dealer, Electra glide Ultra Classic in Red Sun Glow. 

Same bike.

Chandler Harley Davidson.  This is a Road King which Eric prefers to the big touring models.  We could put a quick-tach tour pack on the back for more luggage space. 

The other problem is that Blue didn’t want to start after we unloaded her yesterday.  A problem with the over running clutch in the starter system again or if we are lucky just the battery.  If it’s the clutch that means Eric will have to tear her apart after we get home.  When this happened a few years ago he was on a road trip and had to jump start her all the way home from Kelowna.  No fun and we won’t ride here unless we find out it is just the battery.  Too bad because the weather is good for riding now that it has cooled down a bit. 

So tomorrow we will look at a few more dealerships and perhaps hook up with Sam and Rita who are out in Florence just south of us.  They will head home to Winnipeg on the Thursday and we will start to move again on Sunday. 

P.S.  Tomorrow is our 43rd anniversary.  Holy moly, time is really marching on! 

Santa Ana, Mexico to Why, Arizona

Saturday April 2, 2011

We left Santa Ana around 8:30 am on Thursday March 31 and hit the highway to the border.  It had been a typically noisy night at Edgar and Anna’s but that is what we expected.  Eric says it is definitely the noisiest place we have ever stayed!  Trucks gearing down coming down the hill out front, barking dogs everywhere and traffic.  Ah Mexico!  When we arrived Anna was out front but no Edgar.  Unusual.  Turns out he had fallen and twisted his good leg backing a “woman” in a few days ago and was resting in the house.  Back luck since he can hardly walk as it is.  We did see him the next morning as Anna had told him Eric had a picture of Blue for him.  He was thrilled.  As most people know, it was a motorcycle accident (no helmet) that caused Edgar’s injuries.

Edgar and Eric.

Their business has been poor this year as lots of people who used to stop are now convoying with others and travelling longer days entering and leaving Mexico.  They had six rigs in the night we were there and four including us were travelling on our own. 

Edgar’s old truck. 

Parked at Edgar and Anna’s.

No problems on the highway to the border from Santa Ana although the puentes (bridges) are extremely rough and make for a bouncy ride.  We pulled into the check point where you turn in you stickers (San Emirito) before lunch and pulled  up right in front of the booth.  They had blocked off the opposing lane and were forcing all traffic through the check point.  The trucks had blocked the south bound lane quite far back and cars were trying to go around them to get to the other lane through the check point.  A real schmozzle as the trucks heading north have just come down a long hill and are trying to maintain speed to get up the other side.  A recipe for disaster!  It is a very poorly designed immigration stop with no thought for channeling traffic safely. 

We turned in the stickers for the truck and motorcycle but kept the sticker for the rig as it’s good for ten years.  We got a receipt for the stickers turned in but nothing to show that the rig left Mexico.  As we need to turn something into ICBC to get a rebate we’re not sure how that is going to work.  When we turned in our tourist visas we thought we might get a receipt for that but didn’t.  It seems they just do whatever they feel like at the time.  Frustrating.

Our stop at US customs was uneventful and they didn’t take anything away from us or check the rig.  We declared some beer and a bottle of tequila and nothing else and they didn’t ask.  I was unsure what food I could bring in after Sam and Rita had a big inspection at the Nogales crossing so I just ignored it and decided they could take whatever they wanted to.  By the time we hit the Hickiwan RV park in Why the temperature was around 34C and we were both feeling a bit sick from the heat.  A bit of a shock to the system.  It sure would have been nice to have that heat when we were on the beach in Mazatlan wanting to swim. 

Friday morning (April 1st) we went into Ajo to do a bit of grocery shopping and picked them up at the IGA right across from the park we stayed at coming south.  A nice market with decent prices.  When we got back it was really too hot to do much of anything and we stayed inside with the AC running.  This is the first time we have had to use AC for any length of time since we bought the rig.  We thought we might go for a ride on Blue but it was too hot.  101F.

Saturday the wind really kicked up as a storm from the southwest was moving through so another day doing nothing.  It is supposed to get worse tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to move.  Wind is the enemy of a big rig.  So, a  little internet in the wind tunnel where you have to sit to get the signal and then back to the rig for happy hour in the wind.  At least it’s warm!

Pretty empty in the Hickiwan RV park.

Happy hour in the shade.  The self timer on the new camera works great!

We will leave here tomorrow (Sunday) for the Phoenix area and will likely stay in the Happy Days RV park in Apache Junction.  It is a bit smaller than the gigantic ones closer in and we visited it a couple of years ago so we have seen it.  We talked to our buddy Ken Klippert who lives in the park where we stayed two years ago and he thought we might be able to stay there again but probably not.  They aren’t really set up for weekly visitors unless you stay close to the main road which is way too noisy for us.  No problem.  It will be good to see Ken again as we didn’t go into Mesa last year and haven’t seen him for two years. 

So, it is extremely hot and we are hiding inside with the A.C. running (set at about 76F) with the wind screaming outside.  The weather says it’s going to get cold now for a few days and then get hot again.  You just can’t win.

The nights have been spent listening to the screams of the burros as they move into the park over night.  Sleeping, socializing  and crapping on the empty pads. Go home burros! 

I tried to get some pictures of the burros but they come when it’s getting dark.  Very sneaky!   Heehaw!