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Thursday
10/8/2009

I have my Kazakhstan visa registered - took a shower - ate good food last night - had a nice chat with 3 uk travellers on the road for 5 months and 2 years for the couple  - did my web site - slept well - wake up late - I feel good !!!

Yesterday, while riding in front of a bank I found out that I made a mistake in the change between US$ and Tenge (Kazakh money). It was not the equivalent of $50 I gave to the cop but $75 !!! I was very upset at myself. No wonder why the cop agreed so quickly. Later as I was resting on a bench, I realised that due to my dyslexia the $50 was not $75 but $33. Woh did I felt good suddently. It's stupid but it helped. All this is behind me now.

As for the motor problem consuming way too much oil. I have emails from the people at Ural telling me "The door of the factory at Irbit are open for you, when will you get there ?". This is great, I have a permanent solution to my problem in front of me, thank you very much Ural.

The thing is that with a Ural sidecar, the mecanic is simple and easy to fix and even if it does not run like I would like, the motor still run. I am going to the Ural factory and based on all the email I received, if I keep watching the oil level, I will have no problem getting there.

Life is pretty good.


Wednesday
10/7/2009

Yesterday was a bad day for me, I felt down for the first time in 5 years.

I went to see Victor with Smail yesterday morning, I wanted to put back the original piston but they were very confident that the segments/cylinder will break-in and stop burning oil like crazy. So I left Almaty, passed the custom to Kazakhstan witout any problem. Because I was stack in traffic a long time, after the 1st 20 miles, I checked the oil level and it was at the minimum. That was very bad news for me. I had a 25 miles wind in my face and the riding was not smooth. Every 30 miles, I stopped to refill the oil. I saw 4 or 5 cops with radars on the side of the road but I am very careful not to speed. Then there is a big permanent police control station with concrete barrier and the last sign say 20kmh (12 mph). I am in first gear and they ask me to stop. They checked all my paperwork but then ask me to come inside their office. They had a small tv screen with the photo of my sidecar coming in. They say I was at 35 kmh. It is impossible, because in first gear I would have been at full rpm. I understood immediatly the scam. I tryied have them sympathise for me but the cop come quickly to the point "Money" or I will keep your driver license ect.... I could hear jessica's voice in my head "Dad, pay him and go !!!" He asked for $100, it took 1 minutes to make him accecpt $50 and he gave me back my paperwork. As I left, a dozen of his friends in uniform outside were around the the sidecar. When they saw me coming back they wanted to take a photo with me, I was ready to expode, in a cold voice, I told them "Nieto photo, I don't do photo with fucking ass hole like you". They were shocked, they moved slowly away as I jump on my sidecar and left.
50 km further, there is a village where the speed is limited at 30 mph. I do that in 3rd gear. At the end of the village, there is a cop with 3 cars around him, he looked at me from far away with his radar, I checked my speed, I was below 30 mph. As I approach him, he sign me to stop, I started to look on the left side of my motor and I passed him wihtout stopping !!!

I was 30 miles away from Almaty, it's 6 pm. 10 miles after the village, I saw a small farmer off road track going to the mountain. I took it and was out of view from the road very quickly. I eat a can of sardine and slept under the stars thinking of cops. Reacting to the 2nd cop was good for my self esteem. I hate being abused like that. If I am stupid enough to go over the speed limit, then I understand, but really hate being set up like an idiot. I have a dead line of October 18 to leave Kazakhstan and I cannot afford to be held here for stupid reason.

My motor really bother me, will I be able to ride the 2000 miles or so to go to the Ural factory, I don't know and I hate being in that situation, the old piston were not that bad !!!

This morning coming to Almaty was no problem. No cop try to stop me, and I stop at them a couple of time to get directions.

I am here to check at the registration of my visa and take some cash.

I may leave this afternoon or tomorrow morning, definitely going to the Ural factory getting my motor straight up !!!


Tuesday
10/6/2009

I did my 300km yesterday and quite frankly, I did not like it. The motor is consuming huge amount of oil. I have white smoke coming out of the gaz exhaust permanently. Victor is telling that it will resolve soon when the new segment will found their place in the cylinder. I did the best I could to have him put back the old piston but I was not able to get that through. I have them with me... just for in case. The gaz tank is not leaking. I go to Almaty and then Astana in Kazakhstan, just over 1000 miles and will decide  at that point to move North/Ouest toward  Irbit, the Ural factory or North/East toward Mongolia directly.


The bike is running !!! Victor came back at lunch time with the gaz tank aligned and we were able to mount it.
Tomorrow, I will ride 300 miles to break-in the engine and I can go Tuesday morning to Almaty in Kazakhstan, I am on schedule.


Sunday
10/4/2009

Jessica is in her luxurious hotel in Hong Kong, preparing herself to give her training class tomorrow. I am off the hook !!!
The motor is installed on the motorcycle and run good apparently.

We runned into a problem with the guy who welded the gaz tank. He blew it with an implosion !!!

We tryied old models gaz tanks but they are too narrow.

We are going to make a temporary repair and I will ride back to the Ural factory in Irbit Russia (1800 miles) where I will get a new one. This one is way too much damage to be repaired correctly. Then I go to Mongolia.


The 2 red lines are supposed to be parallelles.

Saturday
10/3/2009

Jessica last called us while boarding from Bejin to Hong Kong. All is good.

Victor just arrived with the motor back together. So far so good.


11:00am, Victor just arrived with the motor back together... we are looking good !


Saturday
10/2/2009

Jessica is in the plane to China. Victor came this morning early for his verdict:

The clutch is in good shape but was not mounted correctly. The metal disk was after the 2 ferrodo disk but should have been positionned in between them.

The 2 big bearing holding the cranshaft need to be replaced and the piston have been damaged by the segments.

We can find the bearing from Japan or Switzerland here. As for the piston we will use the piston from a Ural 650cc. Same diameter but the head is flat so i will loose in compression and power. My visa expire next sunday and Victor told us that if everything goes to plan, the sidecar will roll by tomorrow night !!!


Thursday
10/1/2009

I realised this morning with Jessica that the last time we were together of my birthday was in 2000 !!!

I just turned 63 today, we are doing a sheep bbq tonight at Smail guest house, Absamat from the tosor pass, will be there, Illich the taxi driver with his wife and kid, Ali the colonel, Victor the mecanic... we will be around 15.

Victor is coming in an hour and should be able to tell us about his dicovery on my motor.

Did not hear from Victor yet.

We had the sheep bbq dinner, it was very nice

Don't miss Jessica's video on her trip in Kyrgyzstan.


Wednesday
7/30/2009

Jessica's visa was refused by the Chinese Consul and finally the solution is for her to travel without a suitcase and she will be OK. Thank you Smail who spend the whole day with us from office to office to have a final workable solution.

Victor opened the the cylinders and the camshaft without any major discovery. Tomorrow, he will extract the cranshaft and we will have an answer to the source of our problem !


Victor explain to Smail that he does not like to just make repairs, he likes to fix thing for good !


Thursday PM
7/29/2009

Update from Hubert:

You don't have to worry about the cop story because my mind has been distrated from that incident.

En efftet, during yesterday's ride, I could feel at different vibration and hear a slight noise when pulling the cluth but everything was working normaly. We stopped at 60 miles from Bishkek at the bottom of the last mountain for the toll and to undress from our cold clothing. I then heard a weird noise that bother me a lot. It was an intermitent clainging sound. The noise was almost normal when riding and we get home (interupted by the cop) very slowly. I thought that the clutch was not the cause but certainly the gearbox.

Victor came at 5 pm today to listen the noise. Bottom line he thinks is a cranshaft bearing  !!!

In a couple of hours, he put the motor in the trunk of his car and will inspect it tomorrow at his shop.


I feel lucky for 3 reasons:
1 - it happened at the right time at the end of Jessica's vacation,
2 - it happened at the right place where Victor is and 3 - I already forgot about the cop !!!


Tuesday
7/29/2009

Update from Jessica:

Getting my chinese visa is a problem so we needed to rush back to Bishkek to deal with the consulate.  We left Jelal Abad at 2pm and arrived in Bishkek at 2:30am.  Five minutes away from the guest house where we're staying, we got pulled over by a cop. The cop was with some guy (not in a uniform). The guy took our documents and started telling us to give him money.  Dad, by principle, doesn't pay cops bribes... so we stood around for 30 minutes trying to talk our way out of it.  Eventually the guy got frustrated and said he was taking us to prison.  He told us to get on the sidecar and he would drive us to jail.  It was 2:30am, it was cold, we had just driven 12 hours across two mountain ranges, these guys were scary, and I said "JUST PAY HIM!"  Dad took another 10 minutes before he finally agreed to pay 500 som (12 dollars).  He said he would never have done it if I wasn't there.  I was so scared though and I just wish he had done it sooner! Dad can be very stubborn.  Then, just as I thought we were home free, the guy took the money, gave dad his documents and tried to shake his hand!  Dad wouldn't shake his hand and called him a $&#^@* #&#(@&.  I was SO PISSED.  The guy got pissed to and demanded the documents back and gave back the money... he was going to take us to prison again.  Somehow, dad gave back the money, did not give the documents and the guy cooled down enough to let us go.  Dad is still "damn pissed" this morning about it. He is claiming that when I leave, he will go back to that spot at night to get his money back.  It's all part of the adventure!


Wednesday
7/23/2009

All is good, Jessica arrived on schedule with her suitcases. We are negociating her chinese visa for her safe return to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks and we go on the road.

The Chinese visa situation is resolved ($220), Smail will get Jessica's passport monday with the visa.

 

Here is the email Jessica sent to mom and me and Andrew describing her trip so far:

 

OK, I'm going to tell you about my trip over here because it was CRAZY. Warning: this is a LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGG email.

I'm leaving Hong Kong and as soon as I check in, four people swoop around me and there is a problem. They are not telling me what's going on, but clearly there's a problem: I don't have a chinese visa. It never even occurred to me to look at chinese visa laws because I'll just be in airports, it's not my final destination but clearly i was wrong. They say they need to call Beijing to ask permission for me to fly thru china. I wait around 15 mintues, during which time I call Andrew on skype and send some emails saying I'm freaking out. Andrew calms me down until finally the call comes back that I can go. The reason I can go is because there is an office for "transit without visa" in beijing. The problem is that there is no office like that in Urumqi. I fly Hong-kong to beijing to urumqi to kyrgyzstan. And I fly the opposite on the way back. So because Urumqi is my first stop on the way back and they have no office of "transit without visa" in Urumpqi, they tell me I will not be able to come back without a visa. So now I'm freaking out because I have no idea if I can get a chinese visa in kyrgyzstan. I call the chinese embassy in kyrgyzstan on skype at the check in counter and they dont speak english. So I ask the woman to ask the chinese embassy guy about my visa chances when I arrive and all she finds out is that I called the wrong number. Then she says she has to go and leaves me stranded. THEN they say that I am only allowed to check one bag. And my bag is overweight. So now I have to carry two huge carry-ons that have dad's engine parts in it. I rearrange my baggage to have some extra T-shirts in there just in case my baggage is lost, and get on the plane. The flight is good... coming into Beijing is fine. The customs woman gives me a day-long transit visa and lets me go. She also says that if you are traveling for less than 24 hours in china, then you dont need a visa. But the way it works in these countries is that it depends on the person you ask. So if the guy in urumqi has a different opinion I'm screwed. So clearly I still need a visa. I also have to get my baggage and re-check it in. OH yeah... and there's all these forms you have to fill out about swine flu... are you sick, do you have these symptoms. In the customs line, someone coughed and three agents surrounded him and took him to a room somewhere. Freaky. Get on the next plane and arrive in Urumqi at 11pm. I'm not kidding when I say that literally one hour before arriving in Urumqi I fall upon an article in the economist about URUMQI. And the article is about how there are major protests in the city and a band of rebels going around sticking people with needles. There has been no evidence of AIDS being distributed, but there's no other explanation for why they're sticking people with needles. So far 600 people have been stuck. And I have a 10 hour lay-over in this city, at night. I go through immigration and they dont see my visa... so all these people get called together to look at my passport. I explain that I have a transit visa, show it to them and they are somewhat satisfied, but clearly not happy. They let me go. So I get my baggage again and have to recheck it in. I'm looking around for a place to sit for the night and go talk to the airline woman and she tells me that the airport is closing and i have to go outside. Oh my god. She gives me this receipt and says she will put me up in a hotel for free. This makes me nervous. Is it a scam to kidnap me? I ask her where the hotel is and she says its in the city, I have to take a bus there. I'm so scared at this point. She tells me to follow a woman to another room where around 20 people are waiting. They all have the free hotel receipt which makes me feel better because most of them are guys... so I figure they're not trying to kidnap a bunch of guys. There is one woman with blonde hair, she's a Russian and she speaks a little English. She asks me if I'm flying to kyrgyzstan in the morning, I say yes, and she says she is too. Then we walk to the bus outside... meanwhile I'm very uncomfortable with all this. Where are we going, why is it free, and how will I get back, will they wake me up (because my phone is dead and I dont have an alarm). Across the highway I see a 4 star hotel and I want to ditch the group and go there but it's now midnight and the hotel is across this highway and I see no obvious route there. It's probably about 500 feet away but I would have to take a taxi there. And I could probably work it out if I walked but it's midnight in the city with the needle stickers so I decide I am even more scared to leave the group and I get on the bus. The girl sits next to me and is quiet, after a 20 minute ride, we arrive at this really crappy dirty hotel. It was like our hotel in shanghai but dirtier. The girl takes my hand and says "sleep together". She gives our passports to the woman at the front desk and they give us a key. Then she tells me to leave my suitcase downstairs. She has clearly done this before and so far is guiding me well so I reluctantly leave the suitcase. We go upstairs and she tells me to lock the door behind us because there are "too many men in this hotel". So we are in the room. It is cleaner than I thought it would be... but I keep thinking about my suitcase downstairs and can't figure out why we left it with reception. Then I ask her if they will wake us up. She says we should go ask, so we go downstairs and they say they will give us a wake up call at 6am and the shuttle will take us back to the airport at 6:30... for a 9:10 flight. While I'm there, I get my suitcase cause I think stuff will get stolen and bring it upstairs. We're upstairs and the girl goes to sleep immediately. The hotel is so gross and these chinese people smoke like chimneys and everywhere. There is so much smoke in the air even in our hotel room and the walls are paper thin and apparently there's a conference going on right outside our room. So I sleep probably 3 hours out of the next six. I wanted to read but the woman turned off all the lights. I took my flip mo camera and went under the covers and tried to distract myself by reading by the light of the flip mo, but it hurt my eyes so I just tried to sleep. We get the wake up call at 5:50 and I look out the window for the first time... our view is of a slum. Crazy. So then we go downstairs there are 50 people waiting for the bus to the airport... all chinese or kyrgys. The bus leaves, takes us to the airport... arrive with no problem. KEEP IN MIND I HAVE NO CHINESE VISA and I'm driving around Urumqi. This is just nuts. We go through security where they take our temperature for the swine flu.... I pass and then I put my bags through a metal detector. So far, other than weight issues, I've been fine with my luggage. Well this guy doesnt like what he sees. He tells me to open my bag. I show him the motorcycle engine heads and my twenty packs of batteries and the cameras and he doesn't like it. He calls a guy over and the guy takes me to a back office. He sits down and says "Reminbi, Reminbi" - (chinese money). I have 50 Reminbi from my trip to shanghai that i had as a nostalgia thing and I give it to him. He laughs at me. I feel like I'm in a movie and I can tell you that I am totally scared. I take out 4 dollars and give him that. He looks at it like he's disgusted and says Reminbi, reminbi. I ask him where an ATM is, and he says no ATM. So now he's demanding more money, and there's no ATM. I have all sorts of money in my wallet including four 1's, 2 5's and a 20. Then some other people come in the room and I'm getting more and more nervous... he's not telling me how much he wants, he's just saying more more and he's very intimidating. So I just take out the 20 and put it on the table. he counts it and says more. Keep in mind that he never says how much, just more. So then I just take all the money out of my wallet including the british pounds, the thai baht, the euro's, the pesos. He looks at it like I'm crazy. I find another 5 dollar bill in my wallet, I give it to him and it seems that he's satisfied. So I get the pesos and the pounds and the baht back and he just takes the 50 reminbi and 29 dollars. He lets me go. THANK GOD. I still have no idea what I was paying for. So then I go to check in my baggage and they say my bag is too heavy. I am already carrying two bags, they're both full. But I decide I can just take out the engine heads and work it out for this last plane ride. I take them out (they're about 20 pounds heavy) and they let me go. But then just when I thought I was home free... they tell me they need to inspect my baggage. So they ask me to walk behind the check in counter to look at my baggage with them. He pulls out all the expensive stuff... dad's cameras, my computer, the tools, everything. While he's doing that, I quietly put the engine heads back in the suitcase, hoping he won't notice. He doesn't notice, and sends my bag off. Whoo hoo! I go through immigration and they take forever as usual... but eventually let me go. They make me scan my bags for the third time in 10 minutes and they ask me to open everything again for the third time in 10 minutes. Finally i get through. I fly to Kyrgyzstan and when I arrive there I apply for the visa. They say it will cost 70 dollars. There's no atm, they want cash. I gave all my cash to the last guy. So I tell him I have to go to the ATM (which is past security). Somehow they agree to it. I decide to pick up my baggage first. Then I get stopped by a secuirty guard who is making sure no one steals bags. I need to show him my passport, but I dont have it, the guy at the visa counter does and I'm going to the atm. So I show him my driver's license and he lets me go. Then for some reason, we have to re-scan our bags in a metal detector just to leave. Don't ask me why. I'm at the back of a long line and a security guard comes up to me and tells me I can skip the line and not scan my bags, dont ask me why. So I leave and finally am on the outside! I give dad the bags and he gives me enough money for the visa. I go back and the security guard on the outside wont let me back in! He says he wants to see my passport, but the guy at the visa counter has it! I explain that I need to pay for my visa and they have my passport in the back... he doesnt' care, he won't let me go. I ask again he says no. I ask again, he lets me go, don't ask me why. I slip back past security and pay for my visa... I go through security again no problem.
Can you believe it!

Quickly I'll tell you about getting the chinese visa because it was hilarious. Dad and I go to the consulate. There is a mob outside this black door. A guy in a huge hat opens the door and the mob pushes its way in. But the guard wont let anyone past. There is a little piece of paper with everyone's name on it being passed around... an order to the line apparently. The guard doesn't even look at it and randomly lets people in based on his mood. It is so weird. We're there for an hour and then the guy comes out... points to a sign saying its closing time and makes everyone leave. Everyone is pissed. Dad and I linger around and flash the american passport at the guy and he says to wait ten minutes. In 10 minutes a woman comes who says she will help us. She walks us down the block then says, did you go inside? We say no, she turns around and walks us back and takes us in the consulate. Don't ask me where she originally was planning on taking us. Then we go in and explain what we need. They get together a group of about 4 people to discuss... we are not included in the conversation and after 10 minutes the verdict is that I can't get a visa. I need an invitation from the tourist agency. The woman who got us in works for the tourist agency. We tell her what they say, and she says no she cannot give us an inviation. She can only give kyrgyz people invitations. We are out of luck and that's where we left. Dad calls his friend and the guy says immediately that he will figure it out. He sends some emails, makes some calls, then takes us to a fancy shmancy travel agency. (They're selling EF packages - EF owns Hult). We pay 220 dollars and we'll have the visa on monday. Don't ask me how this guy did it.

I'll breathe easier when I have it in my hands but in the meantime, I am feeling confident I will be able to get out of this country.

That is the story, I know it was long but I thought it was worth telling!

Love you!

Jessica
Bing brings you health info from trusted sources. Try it now!


Jessica arrived in Bishkek on time with all her luggages (and all the stuff for me inside  !)



Monday
7/21/2009

The problem on my motor is fixed !!!

It was the new air intake pipe that I installed 2 weeks ago that created a vacuum air flow and was starving the motor. I received the email below from Sunny that I did not know who pointed to me what could be the problem. I did the test and he was right, just by orientating the air intake pipe, i was going from too rich to too poor and vertically it was running good. I was able to found the original air intake pipe from Giorgio that I through awaw 2 weeks ago and the motor run normally again.

 

Thank you Sunny for your thought and to all of you who wrote me to suggest me what to do, I never felt alone and lost. I am telling you, travelling with internet is amazing, the right answer was waiting for me in Taiwan.

 

Dear Hubert,
first about gurgling, because it looks a bit urgent.
Could it be so called "self-quenching effect" due to new position of your air intake! It is now on aerodinamic "vacuum" line created by sdecar body. So as faster you go, less air can go inside. Finally at certain speed there is not enough air and it caused "gurgle".
The absolute same situation happened with Ural bike if regular air filter was replaced by cone-shaped carb-mounted ones: all looks and works great till higher speed!
Solution may be just to twist your beautifull savage pipe to front, just to test. If positive, permanent solution will be to redirect the tube inlet!
Now, please allow me to introduce myself: my name iz Zeljko Prijovich - Sunny. I am an Serbian (ex Yugoslavia) citizen, last 11 years in Taiwan for work.
I have my Ural from 2003. and great experience wrenching on it (much more than driving it, and I like both times equaly:)
Also I do speak Russian and am in contact with lot of guys from Ural community world wide.
I follow your story with more than great interest from a special reason. I am an biochemist working in cancer research lab, so my working day is commonly 12-16h long, entering lab at early morning and leaving at midnight (keeping this schedule most of time last 10 years with no week-ends and no holiday....). So I am looking this world and my beloved nature and humans from real life through your eyes: when you enjoy - I enjoy, when you freeze - I freeze...).
Please keep great work you have been doing already!
If I can help anyway pleae just feel free to ask anyway!
All the best and hope to meet you someday, somewhere on the road!
Sunny

 

and here is the email from Sunny answering my thank you email I just send him:

 

Dear Hubert,
you makes my day!
It is not very often that a poor laboratory rat like me makes something usefull in real world:)))
All the best on your voyage and stay safe, however taking risk every day (and posting it so we can enjoy:).
Sunny


"The gulty seat on the bike", not the colonel who is a really great guy but
the white toilet pipe for the air intake that I installed 2 weeks ago and created all these problems.


I found the authentic air intake pipe from GIorgio that I through away 2 weeks ago and the motor run great again.


Sunday
7/20/2009

What happened:

We tested again all the electronic components, we tested with main jet 130 and the motor was working much better without the air filter than with it. Now we are back with the main jet of 125 and it run good in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear but start to gurgle at 45 mph, then if I cut the gaz and reaccelerate, it will go with a few gurgling here and there up to 55 mph. With this set up if I disconect the air filter, it is running very bad at all speeds in all gears.

So I will keep this compromise for the present, Jessica arrive wednesday and I don't want to do any mechanic with her, I just want to go on the road and enjoy the country side with her.

My feeling is that every single component is working but they are not working together ! I don't know why. It seems to be very sensitive to the ratio air/gaz.

This problem stated 2 weeks ago one morning and has been consistent since !!!

 

PS: I have a spare set of menbrane that we tested, and the gaz flow is excellent from the peckok and we changed the gaz filter, just to be sure. We cleaned the air filter in a full bucket of gaz and replace the oil in the air filter container. I checked all the tubes  of the air intake to be sure nobody left a piece of rag.


Friday
7/18/2009

The road test is negatif !

The acceleration in  1st, 2nd and 3rd gear is normale, both cylinders works in harmonie, when passing the 4th gear at about 40 mph and accelerating at 45 mph the motor gurgle big time. It is possible to go over that speed by cutting and re-accelerating then if I shut the gaz slowly, there is a big hole (the gurgling).

Do not hesitate to give me suggesions, because so far, we did not touch the problem.

PS: When I was riding in higher altitude, the same problem accur in 3rd and then 2nd gear


Thursday
7/17/2009

Victor came at 8 am and opened the heads. The left side was good but the right side needed more inspection. He took it to his shop, and had to smooth the exhaust valve. He put them back on and started the motor. The timing needed to be moved over the normal range. He modified the support of the contactor and adjusted the timing to his liking. We did a test ride but being in a big city and with a lot of cops we could not really push it to a road test but it runed quite smoothly in the city.

My passeport is at the emigration office for a visa extention in Kyrgyzstan, I will get it back tomorrow morning then I will be able to do a real road test. I don't want to take a chance to be on the road without my passeport, it could works quite badly for me.


Saturday
7/13/2009

I ride the mountain road from Jelal Abad to Kazerman to Narvyn. It is a magnificient mountain road. Then, because my motor started to gurgle, I came back at Bishkek to fix that. I spend 9 hours at a garaga who specialize in carburator and Ignition. It was fantastic learning day for me. They cleaned up the carbs 100% and ajusted the ignition with new spark plugs after checking the valves. But because it was not yet normal, we changed the electronic ignition, then remove the air filter and the gas exhaust to pint point the problem. During the 9 hours of work, I had the main mecanic working on my bike and 3 differents master mind of mecanic at different time. The first one was the owner, he had raisonable logic and left when he thought the problem was resolved. Then a client took over demonstrating that the ignition was working at all rpm. Then a neighbour mecanic came and pint point at the motor balance and made us remove the air filter and the gaz exhaust.

What a learning day it was for me and what a nice group of people it was.

Hofully, Jessica is going to bring me a new CDI module (mini computeur that regulate the electronic ignition) next week and it will be all good.

Meanwhile I can still ride, but at full throttle, the motor still gurgle.
I am going to Char Kuduk where there is a horse game this Tuesday.


Monday
9/7/2009

I left Bishkek under the rain and it snowed as I was going up in the mountains. The carb rattled a lot when accelerating. I thought of a new problem, like gaz filter plugged or broken menbrans in the carburators. As I was going down the moutains, I removed the 118 main jets I put for high altitude and put back the original 125. The motor keep rattlling. A mecano on the road told me the bad gaz is the cause of my problem. I run the gaz tank empty and filled it up with the best gaz you can buy. I usually put 93 but I took 95. It does run much better but the rattling persist even if it is much more subtle.

I get stupid again at getting dressed for the cold too late. My body was freesing and the night was coming. I stopped in a yurt on the side of the road asking for their hospitality. They are amazing people, you stopp and ask them if you could sleep in their yurt, they say yes immediatly and start feeding you for the next 3 hours. Then you go to sleep along them in the yurt.

I am in Jalal-Abad, back in the warm weather, riding on short and T-shirt again .


I get snowed at the Töö Ashuu Pass (10750 ft.). I eat sheep's head and slept in a yurt with these nomads.


Saturday
9/5/2009

It's official, Jessica (my daughter from California) is giving a training class in Hong Kong begining of October and she managed to come to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for 10 days before that.

This is going to be so great for us.

By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUDOU !!!

I love you very much

Your daddio, humbertof


Friday
9/4/2009

The sidecar is ready and so am I, I am leaving Bishkek for the high mountains.

I met yesterday morning an amazing guy from Geneva. Boris is a war reporter and photograpeher for Newsweek... I hope to see him again.

I could not do my Russian visa for next year in Bishkek because I had to stay here for 3 month to be able to do it. I will try at Almaty where I have a 3 month visa.

I am up to date on all my stories.


Wednesday
9/2/2009

Yesterday, I went to a mecanic/welding shop recommended by a guy who found me at internet with my sidecar park in front of it. It was a huge building occupied at 20% by workers. They were not too excited to see me coming with my sidecar. I asked them to call the number on the buseness card from the guy who told me to get there and it changed all in a second. They took me directly to a worker at his station. In 4 hours, the job was completed and I like the way it was done. On my way back to the hotel, I stopped at an other place on the side of the road to lower the windshield. It is perfect on the road, I can see just above it like I like to do but off road, I need to see much clother. It was done in an hour. I did not cut it because I might like to have it higher again in winter.

Then I went to a bazar and found plastic pipe to elevate the air intake of my famous air filter. I was surprised to see how fast it flowded at a small river crossing last week. It went well but I still need a grid avoid rats or birds to built a nest inside my air filter.

Today, the Russian Ambassy was closed. I will go back to do my visa for next year (starting december 1st) with the invitation I got from Ural when I was at Irbit.

Then I will go on the road in direction of Osh in Kyrgyzstan.


Monday
8/31/2009

I went to the horse game of Kochkor. I was desapointed to found out that it was made only for the tourists. On the other hand, it was in the mountain on a beautiful landscape and the games were done by real Kyrgyz on their horses. The only down side is that it rained a lot that day.

I came back to Bishkek (the capitale) to have my welding done tomorrow (today is independence day). I wanted to see the horse game of Bishkek but I was miss informed and I arrived too late.

I have a good internet connection and I was able to put the video of the Animal Market of Karakol on line.


Saturday
8/29/2009

I went to the mountain yesterday to find out that the Kokburu is Sunday and not Saturday. I went back to my village and the welding repair done the day before broke. I did not like the look of the welding and already decided that next time I found a good loocking garage i would redone the welding or at least make somebody check it. All the welding shop of Kochkor where I am look worst than where I went. I made a new spling with my tire crow bar and will go to a big city 60 miles away on monday to get it done.

I am trying to put online a video with the story of the "Animal Market at Karcarol.

Tomorrow, i will go to the horse game by bus.


Friday
8/28/2009

I took a room in a house where people live. I downloaded all my photos and  movies. Recharge all the batteries and did 2 stories. I have 3 more to do and 1 video. Tomorrow is the Kokburu (horse game) not far from here. I will go there this afternoon and sleep in the mountain were the games will be tomorrow.
What a country, I did so much in a week since I enter the country that I feel I have been here for a month !!!


Thursday
8/27/2009

I was told that the short cut I wanted to take by the mountains was not possible, but i wanted to give it a try. I went from the 4800 ft of the lake Issyk Kor to 9000ft when i had to stop with the night. It was hard, but the 2WD was doing really good. I slept on my tarp like an angel. Early up I kept going to the Sotor pass. I was stopped at 11000ft on a difficult section. I had to change the jet of my carb to compensate the lack of oxygene. I had 100 miles more to do and I decided to U-turn if I did not wanted to miss the 4 french guys at lake Song Kol that night. On my way down, farmer with yaks, cows, horses and sheep invited me for a tea.

I sayed a couple of hour, but I will go back there. They spend the summer at 9000ft with their heird and go down in their village for winter. As I was leaving, the son raced with me on his horse... i really loved it. I will go back to visit these people before I leave Kyrgyzstan.

I met the 4 french that night a few minutes before a huge storm came on us.

In fact they are 2 couples, 27 years.

I will their story: Les Pieds Nikelés (French Gaucho) are Sidecar-ing Kyrgyzstan!

They no biker experience, and rented 2 sidecar to travel Kyrgyzstan. They are quite amazing and I love their spirit of doing it, congratulation.

We spend the day riding along the lake together. At the end of the day, the frame of my sidecar broke. i put a splint with my tire crowbar and 10 minutes later i started to ride at 8/10 mph the 60 miles mountain raod to go to the next big villaget to get the frame welded. I was able to ride the pass and 1/2 of the valley when I stopped in a farm for the night. The Kyrgyz hospitality is 100%...

Arrive at Korchkok at 11 am and at 12 the repair was completed. I just found a cafe internet and will stay here tonight...

In the mountains, I lost my left glove, my altimeter and my Lonely Planet guide of Central Asia. I feel quite bad about it !!!


Sotor pass, Kuba racing me at 9000ft !!!


Sunday
8/23/2009

I went to the far East of the country to the village of Char Kuduk in the mountains because I heard that at the end of the summer, they have Kokburu (horse race where everyone try to get the beheade sheep and bring it at the end of the field) and eagle hunt but I could not find out at what date exactly. Know I am happy, because it will be on sept 15, a few days before the end of my Kyrgyzstan visa.

I went to sleep in Karakol and I went to the Sunday morning animal market. I was there at 5:30am, and it was worth it !!! Was a spectacle it was.

I am going back West by the South of the lake Issyk Köl and will try to connect with 4 french guys who rented 2 Urals for a few weeks in Kyrgyzstan.


Friday
8/21/2009

I am leaving Bishkek for the village Char-Kuduk at the far east of the country. They are suppose to have horseback games and eagle hunting (quite bad for the bunny!!!) around the end of the month.


Thursday
8/20/2009

I went to the container-road-restaurant of the 2 woman to give them their printed photograph. I slept on the bench and went to the border of Kyrgyzstan (no problem there, very nice people).  I went directly to Bishkek the capital of Kyrgyzstan that was very close.

I get cash from an ATM and bought the details map at the Geo store. I am in  a hostel with a safe parking for the sidecar. There are 2 German guy with electronic problem on the BMW waiting for parts and a guy from UK on a honda 105cc.

My $10 hostel has a very speedy internet.


Ashia and her friend were very happy. They running to all their friends all evening to show them their photos.


Wednesday
8/19/2009

I completed all my maintenance program in Almaty.

I am leaving now to the container road restaurant where I took the photos of the 2 woman. I printed them 6 photos 8.5X11 that I will give them. I will sleep on the bench tonight and I will be in Kyrgyzstan tomorrow by lunch time.


Sunday
8/16/2009

I was very lucky to meet Marat from the Silk Road Moto Club.

Everytime I ask him where can I go to fix that his answer is "Here" or  "I know where, I'll take you there !!!"

Thursday, with his mecano Andrey, we tighten the steering wheel assembly.

Yesterday, Andrey replaced the broken spike from my rear wheel.

Today, he is taking me to a place to do a little welding on the re-enforced support of the air filter and to re-enforce the secondary battery holder.


One spike broke from my rear wheel. Not a problem, I had the parts and Andrey is very used to do these kind of work.


Saturday August 15: It works as well with "Wild Rasberries"


Thursday
8/13/2009

I have now my Kyrgystan visa. (it took me less than a day to have it).

This is great news for me. I have one month to go around Kyrgystan - high mountains in the 10000ft, very green, beautiful lakes, nomad people living in yurts ect...
I am doing a little mechanical maintenance while I am in Almaty.

 


Wednesday
8/12/2009

I just arrived at Almaty, 1400 miles from Aktobe.

Yesterday was awsom. I started at 6 am, It was cold enough for me to put my jacket on top of my tshirt. Had breakfast on the road with the locals. By lunch time, I was in the mountains out of the very hot weather. Stopped at a small garage on the side of the road to clean my air filter - very good news, it works really great. Kept riding between 45to 50 mph due to the bumpy road and stopped to check the sidecar wheel, i had to tighten the nut one more time !!! Kept riding. It was a stormy weather with big black clouds and rainbow here and there. at the end of the day, I was on a no mans land along the Kyrgystan border with mirador every few miles. It already rained there so my feet get weit. I was at the edge of the storm going the same way i was. I had just drops of water but if I stopped, i knew I would be drenched. I was racing the storm on the no mans land as fast as I could. I was feeling good after the 400 miles i did and finally after 60 miles, it ended and it was paradise. A gosht  village of little kitchen for the traveller coming and going to this no mans land. No more than 5 minutes after i arrived, the rain was very heavy. I eat lamb soup and lamb Kbab. After the delicious meal, I slept there on the Kazakh bench of the table (very comfortable) and went back on the road this morning at 6 am.

I don't feel tired, i am taking care of my visa for Kyrgystan.

 


Monday
8/10/2009

I have been riding south doing 250 miles per day more or less. The heat under the sun is above the level of comfort. The people are really great and I have diarrhea.


Thursdat
8/6/2009

My body is exhausted from the work on the road with the excessive heat. Yesterday afternoon, I get lost while trying to get to the sea 20 miles away from here. There is no specific trail, they all cross each other. I am staying here today in Aralsk and will try again to go to the sea tomorrow.

It's the first time that I found a cafe internet like in South America. There is 2 computers, and they are available most of the time.


Tuesday
8/4/2009

8:am: The sidecar is packed, I am leaving for the Aral Sea.


Monday
8/3/2009

I just received the DHL envelope with my passeport and the emigration card registered. I am in order leave for the Aral Sea.


Saturday
8/17/31/2009

I was last night with Almat that I met at the emigration office ther first day I was here. He is a very well educated Kazakh and I learned a lot about the country.

Marc and Germut left last night for China, good for them.


I spotted a problem with the sidecar body coming in contact with the sidecar wheel shaft.


I found a mechanic who gave me his diagnostic "We need to elevate a little the sidecar body".


We went directly to the parts department...


...and found the perfect parts. Shock holder from an Opel.


A quick shaving adjustement.


Et voila ! It was not big deal to do but it could have bend the sidecar wheel shaft.


Friday
7/31/2009

So far so good, the agency from Almaty taking care to register my passport is on track. They should have it done tonight  and will ship it DHL for monday delivery. It's amazing how complicated it is for Marc and Germut to repatriate their motorcycle to Europe... There is no such a thing as a normal way to do it !!! Hopefully they will be done today and will fly to China.

 

3:30pm: The agency from Almaty just confirmed that my passport has been DHL back to me for monday delivery.


Wednesday
7/29/2009

I choose plan "C".

I shipped my passeport to Almaty by DHL to the agency wich provided me with the original invitation and they say they will have no problem to register my passport. Thursday being day off for the police emigration, I expect my passport back here in Aktobe on Monday. I will then start going South to the Aral Sea.

 

I have email from France, USA, Russia ect... telling me that they cannot connect to the guestbook. I had this intermitent problem since a couple of month and today, it's permanent !!!


Don't ask me why the guetbook is now thinking it has too many connections ??? I just don't know !!!


Wednesday
7/29/2009

I choose plan "C".

I shipped my passeport to Almaty by DHL to the agency wich provided me with the original invitation and they say they will have no problem to register my passport. Thursday being day off for the police emigration, I expect my passport back here in Aktobe on Monday. I will then start going South to the Aral Sea.


Tuesday
7/28/2009

I am experiencing problem to register my passeport at Aktobe by the police emigration office. Because my invitaion for the visa was made in Almaty, I should go there to be registered. It gives me 2 choices to register by friday (5 days after entering the country). 1 - Ride the 1250 miles bad condition and deserted road passing by the Aral Sea or 2 - Take the 1700 miles, better condition and normally populated road passing by the capital Astana.

I was able to buy a legal insurance for the sidecar.

I will have to decide before leaving tomorrow morning !!!


Sunday
7/26/2009

I just arrived at Aktobe in Kazakhstan. The ride was fantastic, i slept outside. The border was normal, i pick up a hotel in Aktobe where I will stay for a couple of days to do my police registration and motorcycle insurance. At the hotel, I met Mark and Germut from Paris and Germany who were on a Paris - Pekin on 2 motorcycles Africa Twin. Germut fell from his motorcycle 2 weeks ago and broke 4 toes. They are making arrangement to ship the bikes back home.

I love being in Kazakhstan where people are already very different from Russia. It is a very dry part of the world and the villages are poor. I could already experience the big heart they have.


Friday
7/24/2009

7:41am: The sidecar is loaded, I am leaving my hostel from Yekaterinburg as we speak to go to Kazakhstan.


Wednesday
7/22/2009

What do you need and how to eat  "Wild strawberries".

I finished reading my book on Central Asia and Kazakhstan, I did my packing yesterday, thinking to take the road tomorrow morning !!!


What you need: Wild stawberries - Plain yogurt - Cristal suggar - Soup plate - Soup spoon


1 - Fill the bottom of the soup plate with the wild strawberries


2 - Pour yogurt on top of the wild strawberries


3 - Sprinkle the cristal suggar on top of the yogurt.


4 - When your plate is empty, repeat 1 to 3.


Sunday
7/19/2009

In preparation to riding in Kazakshtan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan, I have been reading about the history of Central Asia and I am learning a lot.

 

1715 was the first Russian military expedition to the Kazakh Steppe under Peter the Great.

In 1848, as the USA was gaining land from Texas to California, Russia abolished the "Great Horde" of  Central Asia - the last line of ruler in the world directly descended, by both blood and throne, from Genghis Khan.

In 1861 Russian could not import cotton from the USA anymore because of the civil war. The natural place to turn to produce their own cotton was Central Asia.

1887, the border between Afghanistan and Russian Turkestan is determined by the British (India) and the Russians.

WWI was desastrous for Central Asia were cattle, cotton and food were requisitionned for the war effort. People who rebelled were masacred and many who did not starve or freeze refuged to China who did not show any mercy to them.  Then came the Bolshevik conquest. The people of Central Asia had no concept of firm National borders. Their idetntities were defined by religion, location, way of life and even social status. The soviet thought it was a fertile soil for Islamism and Turkism and a threat to for their regime.

Starting in 1924, Nations were invented: Kazakshtan, Kyrgystan, Tajkstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Each was given its own distinct ethnic profile, language, history and territory. Islam was cut away from each national heritage. For many of them, WWII was an oportunity to escape the Stalinist states. It is claimed that half of the 1.5 million people from Central Asia mobilised in the war deserted and turned their coats to fought for the Germans against the Soviets.

The benefits of the Soviet Era made profond improvements in Central Asia. It provided: health care and vast infrastructures, plants, mines, farms, ranches and services employing millions of people. Education reached all social levels. Literacy rates hit 97%. Woman had "economic equality".

In 1991, none of the republics was prepared for the reality of independence.

 

Tomorrow morning, I am leaving the comfort of my hostel in Yekaterinburg to visit these countries starting with Kazakhstan.


Central Asia: Kazakshtan, population 15 million - Uzbekistan 25m - Kyrgystan 5m - Tajikistan 7m - Turkmenistan 5m


Jeudi
7/16/2009

I fixed the problem of the secondary battery holder touching the final drive. I had the perfect solution in my head, with dismounting - bending - drilling and of course some adjustment. The guy looked at the problem and came back with a crowbar, he put it under the battery holder and bend it (with ease). That was it !!! it worked ! Now the battery holder clear the final drive.
I am working on it, one day, i will be good !!!

 

I have a plan for the near futur:

On the map below, you can see Russia on the top, in the middle, Kazakstan on the left and Mongolia on the right and below Kazakstan are Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan. In both of these last two country people live like in an other century. With my 3 months multiple entry visa to Kazakstan, i will apply for a visa to these country from the old capital of Kazakstan "Almaty" in the south. After visiting them, I will have to leave Kazakstan going North to Russia and go to Mongolia.

 


Kazakstan is 1/3 of USA


Wednesday
7/15/2009

Yesterday, I went to the Ural factory to repair the support spare battery that broke. We put a new one, but we did not fix the problem that it is touching the final drive when the suspension is fully compressed. I am back in Yekaterinburg. I have to fix the support before I start riding.
Thank you very much for your messages on the guestbook and in your emails, it's reassuring to feel your support.
I glued the letters on the windshield. I tried Claude's version to put water with soap before gluing it but it did not work for me. I did it the hard way but this time I did not screw up, it's almost straight !!!


I installed my new design. French on the windshield and English on the clear (top).


The Russian version is on a magnetic support. Above #14 is the word "France" appreciated by Russian people.


And now the Mongol version.


Sunday
12/7/2009

I am still adjusting to my new environment. I don't understand what people say around me and I eat what people want to give me !

I received an email from Carole the vet of France, Milou does not have the Addisson desease.

I will go back to the Ural factory tuesday to do a little welding on the spare battery box, then I will start going south direction Kazakstan.


Saturday
11/6/2009

I slept 14 hours and went to a motorcycle meeting 20 miles south of Yekaterinburg. It could have been (almost) anywhere. A noisy band, good food, lots of bear, ect... I met Doug from the USA riding from Europe to Vladivostok on his 1962 Harley Davidson. I met the girl who did the TV interview last month and 4 or 5 people from the Ural factory. I came back to my hostel, I need to rest (much) more.


Doug from Alabama - USA, is riding his 1962 Harley Davidson from Europe to Vladivostok.

Vendredi
10/6/2009

Great trip from Geneva, to Yekaterinburg, then a bus to Irbit to get my sidecar. I drove back to the hostel in Yekaterinburg.
I have an email from Lorraine who is safe at home in New York with Milou and an other email from Carole, the vet in France who is telling us that Milou does not have the Addisson desease. All is good.

Thiw weekend, I will go to a motorcycle meeting 20 miles south of town.


It's great to be back on the road, but I feel really rusty !!!
Don't beleive everything they say. I am returning to Siberia via Moscow where people are the nicest !!!


Wednesday
7/8/2009

As we prepare ourseves to fly to New York and Siberia, Milou is thinking about her options:

- Go dancing in Rochester with Lorraine

- Go sidecar-ing Mongolia with me

- Do plumbing with Giorgio in Geneva.

 

She has the full night to think about before she decide tomorrow morning.


Mardi
7/7/2009

Lorraine and I just returned at Giorgio's house in Geneva.

It was a dream vacation, from the Geneva Marcel Pagnol lifestyle interpreted by Giorgio and his friends, the pleasure to be again with Brigitte, Denis, Gaelle and Lucas at Lucie's wedding in Morzine, the visit of Milano with Jessica, the impressive "David" in Florence, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the little harbor of Riomaggiore where Milou fell apart, the week we spend at Mougins taking care of Milou at Michel's house, the astonishing "Fete Votive" of Aigue Vives with my sister Isabelle, the great dinner we had with my other sister Marie France and Bernard and Philippe. All the breakfast were luxuriously French, the lunch were all authentically country side, and we were laughing the whole time.
Thursday, Lorraine fly back to New York and I will fly to Yekaterinburg in Siberia.


Monday
7/6/2009

We had a very nice weekend with my sister Isabelle in Languedoc (between Nimes and Monpelier). We go to visit my other sister to their friends near Avignon.


The "Fête Votives" (with bulls and horses from Camargue) are spectacular y impressionante.




Thursday
7/2/2009

After a week of resting with our good friends Michel and Swava in Mougins, we are going back on the road by "Route Napoleon" direction my sister Isabelle near Nimes.

Milou has almost fully recuperate and is under cortisone for her Addissin desease. We will have the final test next tuesday.


As requested by Angelo (who gave us his car) I only park 3' away from the curves !!!

Tuesday
6/30/2009

AM: Milou in in very good shape. She is back with us, eating, drinking, pooing, sleeping... She lost a lot of weight and is tired so we just go slow on her. We hope to have the test result for the Addisson desease this afternoon and hit the road tomorrow. We had a great time at our friend house Michel and Swava in Mougins.

 

PM: We went to visit Philippe that I met by internet.

This is Philippe story: in 2002 he had an elevator accident and had to give up his Ural sidecar. After many surgery, he is able to walk slowly and turn slightly his head. He hopes to be able to drive again a sidecar with his wife. His daughter gave him his first computer 8 months ago. He found thetimelessride.com through the Ural web site. When he saw that I was in Geneva he wrote me to have my address, he wanted to send me something. A few days later I received the model sidecar on the photo below. I remember that he lived in Nice, close from Mougins where we are. It was an other rich encounter with him and his wife.

We will meet again one of these days on the road hopefully.


Thank you very much Philippe, the sidecar will stay safely on Giorgio's shelves while I am on the road.


This is the sidecar Philippe send me at Geneva.


Tuesday
6/30/2009

Milou in in very good shape. She is back with us, eating, drinking, pooing, sleeping... She lost a lot of weight and is tired so we just go slow on her. We hope to have the test result for the Addisson desease this afternoon and hit the road tomorrow. We had a great time at our friend house Michel and Swava in Mougins.


Sunday
6/28/2009

11:00am: Milou is out of the danger zone regarding the gastroentiritis. She is with us for a couple of hours for the first time. The next thing is the test for the "Addisson desease". She has some symptoms going that way but it does not mean that she has it. The test will be done this afternoon and we hope to have an answer tuesday.


Saturday
6/27/2009

9:00am: Just talk to the vet, Milou is still slightly improving, we are going to go visit her and the vet said it would be a good idea to try make her walk a little bit outside to make her feel good.

 

4:00pm: Milou passed the 3rd day and that is a very good news. The problem is that she is not drinking or eating by herself yet and she has to stay with the vet. We will check again sunday morning if we can start to have her with us.


Friday
6/26/2009

9:30am: Report from the hospital. Milou still had diarhea during the night but she did no through up and that is the most important. Her general condition is slightly better and all this is very good news.


Jeudi
6/26/2009

9:30am: Report from the hospital. Milou still had diarhea during the night but she did no through up and that is the most important. Her general condition is slightly better and all this is very good news.


Wednesday
6/25/2009

As we were visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Milou started to show signs of trouble. Heavy vomiting, heavy diarrhea, spasms, and very fast heart beat. After 2 veterinarians, one in mid-afternoon and one by midnight. Milou was rehydrated but we still did not know the cause of her problem. At 2 am last night, we decided to drive the 300 miles overnight to Mougins (next to Nice) where my good friend Michel lives and settled Milou until we found and resolve her problem. At 7:00am, we were ringing Michel and Swava's bell. One more time, I was rescued by my friends.  Like when Jean-Louis rescued Lorraine in New York last week when she had her kidney stone crisis, or like Giorgio in Geneva who was able to find us a fantastic car (Fiat Multiplat with 3 front row seats). This time it is Michel who is giving us support and shelter while we are taking care of milou.

At 8:30 am this morning, we were with his veterinarian. After Xrays and a sonogram, the diagnostic is that Milou has a very bad gastroentiritis. She is in very good hand and we should know within a couple of days if she will make it.

Thank you so much my friends !!!


Mardi
6/24/2009

We are in Florence. What an amazing beautiful city. Tomorrow, we get up at 6:45 am to go watch David !!!

Look at the movie Jessica made about her starting on my BMW Sidecar in California.


Lundi
6/22/2009

Lucie's wedding in Morzine was beautiful. We were with my close friend Denis, Brigitte and their children Gaelle and Lucas where eve, lucie and jessica were going in  vacation in Arcachon every summers. Lorraine and Jessica and I are now riding to Florence. We visited Milano (very fashion) where jessica's lived for 2 years.


Friday
6/19/2009

Jessica arrived yesterday in Geneva and Lorraine and Milou arrived this morning.

All is well finally. Tomorrow is Lucie's wedding at Morzine.



Wednesday
6/17/2009

Yesterday morning, Lorraine was in transit in New York City on her way to Geneva when she had a kidney stone crisis. I was able to talk to her just as she was dropping milou at her church to take care of herself. She called 911 to go to the hospital. Jean-Louis was home, he went directly to the NY hospital on E68 st. Her minister Javier went to the hospital also. Jessica spend the day on the phone managing the crisis from California.

At the end of the day, they let her go and she went to Jean-Louis' house. She was still under drug but the stone was gone and she was feeling ok. Now, she is supposed to take a plane to Geneva on Thursday. Jessica is flying today from San Francisco and will be here tomorrow.

What a day !!!


"Hello Melody, I am very happy to have talk to you yesterday. I am glad that you like to
follow my travel and I am looking forward to seeing you on the road, one of these day !!!"



Sunday\ 6/14/2009

In 1981 Giorgio, Vincent and me, each of us bought a Sidecar Cross EML/Yamaha to do the Paris-Dakar. We went to France to have dinner with this group of friends. On our way back to Geneva early this morning, Giorgio and I had a coffee in a little village of France. We saw 3 MZ motorcycle (1980) passing by and waving at us. They stopped and came to us, Fabrice said "Hello Hubert you don't know me but I follow you on your web site and my daughter Melody 8 y love to look at your updates". My answer was "can i use your cell phone?", "Thanks, what is your home phone number... Hello Melody, I am Hubert...".
Melany was very sweet, I was very excited to talk to her !!!


With Fabrice this early this morning in a little village in France.


Vincent on his "Magnat Debon" motorcycle "Impérial" sidecar meeting Crocket on his Terrot


Thursday
6/11/2009

To read the full article from the New York Times on why you should wear the "Hubert round glasses", click here


You have no more excuses not to wear the Hubert frame from Selima !!!


Tuesday
6/2/2009

I love passing by Geneva and witness the Marcel Pagnol lifestyle of Giorgio and his friends.


Sunday
5/31/2009

It is so weird, being in Geneva, I understand everything people say around me and for the first time since a long time, I don't have to eat what people want to give me (because I don't know how to order) but what I really want to eat.
Giorgio is as usual, it's nice to see him again.


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