The second and third big trips riding
my Honda CB 400
The second big trip, again with my friend Mauro Vieira,
was from Goiania - GO to
Curitiba - PR and region heading to the beaches of the State of Parana. When going there
we travelled across the States of Sao Paulo and Parana hinterland, and in our return we went to Sao Paulo (State's capital
city), Belo Horizonte - MG and Triangulo Mineiro (Uberlandia), returning then
to Goiania. This time Mauro rode his Honda ML 125. We totalled
approximately 5.000 km in this trip.
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.
When returning from the south of Brazil we diverted to Sao Paulo, crossed
the south of the State of Minas Gerais reaching the State'a capital - Belo Horizonte;
from there we went back to Goiania - GO. This trip was approximately
5.500 km long.
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.
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.
