Here's Nick' latest. He pays the S10 a high compliment!
If he hasn't broken the S10 by now, I doubt I'll ever be able to (unless I'm being extremely stupid, which has happened, BTW!).
The first part is completed. I was 8 hours ahead of the record until 297 kms to go and the final frontier at the Argentine border San Sebastien on Tierra del Fuego, which closed at 22.00 and didn't reopen until 09.00 the next day. I lost the advantage and trailed in a few hours behind. Part of getting this right is working out a strategy that takes this into account. I am sorry if I have let anyone down. At 21 days 19 hours I am the second fastest rider to have completed the length of the Americas. The American Dick Fish is still several hours ahead at 21 days 2 hours.
The north bound route will be easier because borders up there are all 24 / 7. I am very confident of getting the record this time and the present holder has just been in touch and supports me. Compare 21 days to the Guinness record of 34 days....I have 100 of my clients who could do that - so I will make it a mission to have the American organisation IBF to authenticate it and select a European premier motoring organisation to recognise it on our side and will discuss also with Guinness. There is a story about 'why will Guinness not support a motorcycling record...'
There is no reason to fail unless the bike goes down or I crash. The bike appears to be exceptionally reliable, a tremendous testiment to Yamaha reliability, I am really impressed with that. Early on a young scooterist drove into me in Ecuador and I narrowly missed being wiped in a head on. I managed to get away with his handlebars clipping my right side of the bars and sent me across the road with a tank slapper and how I got under control against prevailing traffic I will never know. It seems to have twisted the front end, hard to describe but Yamaha Santiago are servicing it for me on route so I might ask for a report. It is quite rideable but because of this balance problem it makes counter steering difficult and wants to take me to the left.
I arrived in Ushuaia at 4.30 this morning and hit 50 kms of snow over the mountains which took me 5 hours to complete. I head planted into the side of the road and broke a bone in my foot, can't walk on my left foot, but as I'm on a bike it doesn't matter. Keep it in the boot and it'll be fine. Big snow coming so I have found an amazing workshop and expert moto crosser and he is fitting snow tyres with studs for tommorow. Will cope with a foot of snow, should make good pictures for the Super Tenere.
I leave at noon Wednesday 29th June. There will be no more blogs until I complete the journey. I apologise for this but the record is too tight and I will require every moment riding or resting.
Nick
