The Eighties: the second and third big trips on the Honda CB 400

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Português

The second big trip, again with my friend Mauro Vieira, was to Curitiba - PR and region e to the State of Parana beaches. When going there we travelled across the States of Sao Paulo e Parana hinterland, and in our return we went to Sao Paulo (State's capital city), Belo Horizonte - MG and Triangulo Mineiro (Uberlandia). This time Mauro rode his Honda ML 125.

Heading towards Guaratuba - PR. Me and my Honda CB 400, Mauro Vieira and his Honda ML 125, Fernando Chaves and his Suzuki GT 380. The Yamaha TT 125 belongs to my friend Luiz Sergio Machula.

Me and my late friend Luiz Sergio Machula inside the ferry-boat, crossing the Guaratuba bay.

Paying a visit to the Volvo factory (trucks) in Curitiba - PR. My friend Luiz Sergio Machula used to work there at that time; he showed us the assembly line of the trucks specially made and exported to Saudi Arabia.

During the two months I travelled through Europe (September and October 1982), crossing France, Italy and Greece with my wife, we could visit many motorcycle dealers in those countries. In Greece, when staying in Corfu (Kerkira), we rented a Honda MT 50 cc. for one week. We had a nice surprise regarding this bike: performance, size and power to match a 125 cc bike. Still in Greece we saw the first Suzuki Katana recently unveiled at that time. There in Corfu we had for the second time the chance to rent up-to-date small motorcycles and scooters. Those machines weren't available in Brazil those times due to the market protection strategy, that prohibited imports during many years.

The surprising and valiant Honda MT 50, in Corfu - Greece, September 1982.

During a pit stop to buy black olives direct from the producer. The tree aside the log house is an olive tree approximately 200 years old.

Riding the Honda MT 50 we went through many secondary roads leading to small villages in that wonderful island; there I came across the biggest number of small size motorcycles and scooters for rent so far. I choose to visit again this beautiful island simply because I had a great time there in 1976, with my Canadian friend Graham Alexander Wilson. The first time I rented a Suzuki 50 cc and rode almost all island. Then, in 1982, I decided to repeat the dose having Theresa as my companion.

The assembling of the Krauser travel set was quite easy, the only detail missing by my friend Mauro (at that time he was the Technical Manager of the Honda dealer Cical) was related to the piece attaching the equipment to the back suspension. All parts should interact with the suspension in such a way that everything should "work together". We only perceived that during a trip to the South of Brazil in January 1984. Before that we did other trips to Brasilia - DF using the full set, but with little luggage the problem didn't became apparent.

My Honda CB 400 at the beginning of 1983. Tocantins Avenue - downtown Goiania - GO, at my grandmother's house.

As the components didn't worked in harmony I had two broken shock absorbers (left side); one time it happened close to Ponta Grossa - PR. We went to the Honda dealer and had it changed, it cost me an arm and leg as the part was imported by then, and the exchange rate was unfavourable to the Brazilian currency.

The third big trip was done with my wife (Theresa). I went through the same route taken with my friend Itajara two years before riding a Honda ML 125 cc. A diferença é que na volta do Sul do Brasil, fomos a São Paulo - capital - sul de Minas, Belo Horizonte e daí de volta a Goiânia.

Returning from the south of Brazil in 1984. Theresa and the CB 400 near to Paranaiba River, at the state border (Minas Gerais and Goias).

My Honda CB 400 this time was completely equipped with the Krauser set, and a fuel tank bag (Elefante) bought in Italy during my honeymoon trip. At that time Krauser was the official supplier for the BMW motorcycles. I had to buy the Krauser set for the European model - CB 400N - that had only slight differences when compared with the Brazilian version - CB 400. The Krauser set and the fuel tank bag were bought at Provini in Milan - Italy, in October 1982.

Beginning of January 1984. Theresa and my Honda CB 400 minutes before initiating our trip to the south of Brazil. The CB 400 completely equipped and fully loaded.

Business card of Provini, a complete motorcycle accessories store in Milan - Italy where I bought all the equipment for my Honda CB 400.

The load my Honda CB 400 was carrying really impressed my cousin Luiz Miguel when we arrived in Curitiba - PR. After unloading the luggage we put it inside my cousin's VW 1300 (Volkswagen Beetle 1983), and for our surprise it took almost all available space inside the car.

Later in the same trip the left side back shock absorber broke again, this time close to Porto Alegre - RS. This time we went to a hotel first, left all luggage there and I went to Chambord (Honda dealer). The engineer responsible for the workshop immediately identified the problem that had caused the shock absorbers to break: the alloy structure that holds the hard cases should work harmonically with the vertical movement of the absorbers. In this way the fixation points should be widened allowing more room to the parts to move. Having the problem fixed we could enjoy immensily the rest of our trip.

Every time I travelled to Curitiba - PR I would pay a visit to Cabral Motor, Honda dealer, where I always had a vip reception.

With friends in 1982 (Guaratuba - PR)