Domingo el 29 de diciembre 2024
A chain is only as strong as its weakest master link.
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My location: https://spotwalla.com/trip/fad5-5fe4c-4716/view
I awoke at sunrise.
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But was in no rush, and it was cold, so I fell back asleep for an hour or so.
My campsite is located beside a field at the end of a little-used two track a hundred meters or so from the creek.
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Today’s plan was to ride to the city of Los Mochis. Paul told me the Yamaha dealer there has a selection of tires. It would be a good time to install the chain and sprockets I’ve been carrying since Colombia, too. I maxed out the chain adjustment last week at John and Dana's place! 
I rode through Badiraguato again, and then southwest to Pericos. There’s a geologic formation along the road with a plaque describing the rock.
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Maybe Rob can explain better what we’re looking at.
I rode into and around Pericos. I think I would have had a tougher time here finding a place to stay than I did in Badiraguato last night.
I turned north of highway 15, which runs parallel to the coast.
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There’s a tremendous amount of traffic and it felt a little strange to be riding around other vehicles. A lot of motorcycles were out, mostly large ADV bikes and Harleys riding in groups of three or four.
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This is the first self-service Pemex I think I’ve ever seen.
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No pay-at-the-pump option, though.
Highway 15 turns into highway 15D, a cuota road. I had my navigation set to “Avoid Toll” and true to form, OsmAnd sent me up a gravel road, bypassing the toll booth and then back onto the highway. 
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I don’t know how much I saved, but I felt good sticking it to the man.
In quick succession I heard a clank and a thud, and the engine stopped as I coasted. It only took me a moment to realize what happened. My chain snapped.
I coasted for a long distance. I stayed off the brakes. I took a few deep breaths, wondering how bad it might be, and how I was going to solve this challenge. I rolled to a stop well off the highway.
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And had a look.
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I didn’t immediately see any other damage, but I wondered how I was going to get out of this.
With my tools I removed the countersprocket cover.
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It’s not obvious here, but I saw that the chain had damaged the engine case, breaking off the mount for the cover. The plastic cover itself was broken and a metal spacer was twisted. I also saw that the plastic chain guard was broken.
It appears that the master link came off the chain. I’ve got a couple spare master links. Could I simply install a new one and be on my way?
Well… no. The chain I have is a Brazilian brand I had installed in Ecuador back in July. The mechanic had trouble with the master link, as the chain itself seemed to be just a bit wider than standard. He used an oversized (525?) master link.
So the spare DID master link I’m carrying won’t fit this chain.
But could I bodge it?
Here’s what I came up with. I installed the spare master link, but the chain is too wide for me to try to install the side plate. So I put the clip on the link and safety wired it. If I take it very slow, this should hold until I get to Los Mochis, just fifty kilometers away.
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Uh, no.
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I don’t even think I made it a hundred meters. The chain fell off. I should have realized the master link wouldn’t hold without the side plate.
This put me in a pickle. It’s Sunday. I have no idea who to call. I posted a message on the Mexico WhatsApp group asking for suggestions, and within minutes a fellow called Grifonica, who lives in Nicaragua, got me the contact of some local riders in my area.
I sent off a couple of messages.
@ScotsFire asked if I were on a toll road. They have roadside assistance! Umm.. I suppose they do if you've paid the toll. 
The next few minutes were a bit confusing, as I chatted with several different people on WhatsApp. One guy called me, but I could barely hear him with all the traffic. And then another guy called me who spoke English.
I got a message which said he was in contact with a mechanic to come out to help me and told me to hold on.
And then ten or fifteen minutes later, a bike pulled up and parked next to mine. This is the mechanic and he had a box of tools and parts on the back of his bike. I showed him the problem. I explained that I have a spare chain and spare master links. While we talked, another rider showed up.
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The mechanic sat down to have a look.
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After a short time, the mechanic discovered the same problem I had earlier. The chain is too wide for a standard master link.
Meanwhile an SUV stopped and two guys got out. One of them was the man who I spoke to in English on the phone. This made things a little easier, as he was able to translate for me. They really sent out the cavalry!
The mechanic said he had a master link that would fit back at his shop. He’ll be back in thirty minutes, and he rode off.
The others waited with me. I talked to the guy who speaks English. He lived in the US for about twenty years, including a couple years in Phoenix and even a couple years in Minneapolis. He said he worked for the highway department and related his experience going to New Orleans and then Texas to help clean up after Hurricane Katrina.
The mechanic returned and it was a quick job to install the new master link. He refused any money I offered him.
This is Jorge Jr and Jorge Sr, Bejuco, and mechanic Rigoberto. I would have been in for a long day if not for them.
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They each got a sticker.
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Rigoberto followed me for a few kilometers until his exit.
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I’d chosen the Hotel Corintios in Los Mochis. It’s a bit more upscale than usual, but I think I’m getting soft. And with the upcoming new year, I wanted something a little fancier. I didn’t realize it was going to look like the courthouse from Back to the Future.
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It’s a plain room with a small refrigerator. There’s an air conditioner, but as I quickly figured out, no heat. It’s a chilly evening. Heat would be nice!
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The hotel is adjacent to a busy plaza.
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It’s primarily young people and families. No great food options that I saw, so I went to a taco restaurant a few blocks away. I got a taco and a quesadilla. I didn’t realize how big they were!
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