Vive Le Dakar! 1981 GS 800 recreated at Deux Ex Machina

Lucky me, got to visit deus ex machina in Venice, CA...my Dakar radar led me straight to this amazing recreation of Hubert Auriol's 1981 BMW GS 800 that he rode to first place in the 1981 Dakar.
That card on the seat said 'sold'.  No price was listed.

The original looked like this according to the website dakardantan.com- check it out for amazing photos/history and route maps of

Dakar history when it was still in Africa.  That's Hubert Auriol on far left, pretty sure. He's the organizer of the Heroes Legend!

Corralitos 100 race track

MY FIRST RACE attempt....

Corralitos 100 in Las Cruces, NM  March 2012

It's a long story... stay tuned for details... it's kinda funny, kinda not,

and then there was the sand storm.

Natasha's Race to Dakar ... postponed to 2013

Natasha's Race to Dakar has been delayed to 2013, which THANKFULLY, I've been told by Anne Marie Girandi  (at Heroes Legend organisation) will occur!

Due to family and health situation could not compete in the rally this year.

Don't give up on me, check back soon for entertaining training videos and photos!

Thank you for checking into progress et bonne route!

NOT lost in IDAHO!!!

I did not get lost in Idaho.   Now back in Las Cruces, New Mexico after great summer in Idaho ... 
But my summer riding came to an end when I fell off and landed on my left pinky finger.  No, you cannot break a fall with your baby finger!
Once I got the bike up and the glove off, realized it was dislocated, sticking out to the FAR left at the mid-knuckle!
I buddy taped it to my wedding finger for a few weeks, as advised by my father, who should know, as he was a doctor for many years in Sun Valley.
But it was healing funny, kinda perma-bent style...so finally went to the doctor.
Got the word from the orthopaedic doctor yesterday... yeah, it was actually fractured but is healing ok now and... I can ride again. 
Also back in school ... more about Heroes Legend next time, gotta go to class!
Ciao

My Own Private Idaho.....First Motocross Track!

I'm on the road in Idaho visiting my family and turns out, I landed in off road heaven!  When I grew up here (Sun Valley/Ketchum Idaho) I was a ski racer, and never paid much attention to the obvious off road possibilities.
This past sunday at Ohio Gulch, between Hailey and Ketchum, the Idaho Mountain Dirt Riders Association had a fund raiser/rally/get together to work on their awesome motocross track and I tried the baby/beginner route.

Inspiring to ride behind 4 year olds on tiny dirt bikes, and to watch the hot motocross jumpers....
On my way north now to Coeur d'Alene via Missoula... it is green and gorgeous.
So sad to read that Heroes Legend is cancelled for this year due to the situation in north africa... what a DRAG!!!!

ADV RIDER thread

Hey, I started a thread on ADV Rider today http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=682717
hoping to connect with other rally people who will be riding in the race in 2012 and light a fire under me and keep it hot.  Would love to meet people in the Southern New Mexico/West Texas area who have riden in sand dunes... I could use a coach!

Blowing hot wind in Las Cruces today.  Going to go riding tomorrow and make a movie.

Yeah!

First DAKAR Route - Algeria!

 1979.  The original DAKAR route through Algeria.

I Absolutely LOVE this photo of THIERRY SABINE.  He is L'Homme du Dakar, the man who started it all.

Looking stylish and sexy.  Bonne route!