I spent a fortune on those so I decided to make sure they last for a while. The Touratech shield was fancy but weak, so I decided to upgrade. I hope the added weight won’t damage the mounts.
Blogging from Taiwan
After a 14.5 hrs flight we arrived in Taipei, the first stop en route to Vietnam. Unfortunately, due to some paperwork issues, the US Customs held Palomina a few more days. Hopefully, they will clear it soon.
In the meantime, the only option is to visit Northern Vietnam by bus/train/boat.
Final preparations
Since most of the troubles during the past trip came from the clip type chain master link, I decided to use a rivet link this time and I got a small press to be able to service it on the road. Also I got a portable tire inflator, to be able to adjust the air pressure to the road condition.
Since I heard good things about the Touratech fog lights, I decided to buy a set. Very expensive, at $450/set! Actually I received two Hella fog lights (a $100 value), and smart mounting kit. I paid $350 for the know-how. I hope it’s worth!
I also ordered a brand new Happy Trails rear rack, to replace the old one that failed several times, but unfortunately the manufacturer was out of stock. That means I saved $500 that I am going to spend on welding 🙂
That being said, Palomina looks ready, 36hrs before I have to deliver it to the shipping company. Which is quite an accomplishment!
The long way West
Since the last trip ended in New Jersey, Palomina has been resting and recovering there, in my parents’ garage. Now it’s time for her to come over to California, where a China Airways plane will be taking her to Hanoi. The crew of the van is composed of my father and my sister and her cat, Felix.
Let’s wish them a pleasant trip!
