A Long Ride

I bought a well-used BMW R1150GS motorcycle about six months ago and christened her "Claudia." It's designed for this kind of trip: tall for extra ground clearance, crash guards for the inevitable drop, built-in luggage cases, and tires and suspension that can handle dirt and gravel roads. The first owner took her all the way from California to the southern tip of South America. So far she's worked great, although the front shock is leaking oil and might be a problem soon... we'll get it checked out in Guatemala.