Dec 14th - Final Day Mexico Trip

Leroy, Allen, Carlos, and I were staying at the St. Cecilia Hotel in Cuarto Cienegas when we got a call from Albert that Priscilla had taken some antibiotics, was feeling better, and that she and Mike had made it to San Pedro. We decided to wait at our Hotel while Priscilla and Mike got an early start and meet us in Cuarto Cienegas and we would all ride home together. Priscilla and Mike arrived at the plaza around mid morning and we left for Eagle Pass. At the Monclova exit, Mike departed for Corpus Christi while the rest of us took a more northerly route to bisect Hwy 57 to Piedras Negras, south of the border from Eagle Pass. As we were coming up to the small town of Villa Escobedo, I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed a lot of smoke coming from Allen's bike. I motioned for him to pull alongside me and Holy Smokes!!! His bike was on Fire!!! We just stopped right there in the middle of the road and Allen jumped off his bike and we both were ripping his right side blazing saddlebag off his bike. The side panel of his bike next to the muffler was also burning and I was trying to put the flames out with my gloves when some guy drove up with a fire extinquisher and put the bike out and also the saddlebag that we threw down on the road. Fortunately, he came and put the fire out when he did - otherwise, the bike could have been a total loss. Bungee cords came to the rescue again and we strapped the salvaged baggage on the top of the seat. Everything in the right saddlebag was ruined and we left it smoldering by the roadside.

Allen and I rode the last 150 miles to the border and had no problems on the Mexican side. The American side was another matter, the customs agents searched both of our bikes - What a hassle! Anyway, we parted company just outside of Batesville as Allen headed to Vanderpool and I continued to San Antonio. I managed to hit both San Antonio AND Austin rush hour traffic - Still, it is great to be back home! Distance traveled today: 448 miles. Total trip distance: 3201 miles.