Change #1: If you read last month’s Quoted & Noted section, you know I’m going to vacation with Billy and the crew from Steel Thunder Outfitters (www.STOAdventures.com) in a few months. However, there’s been a change of plan. Originally, I was going to ride from Nogales, Arizona, to Mazatlan, Mexico, with the largest pack of bikes to ever make a US/Mexico border crossing. Due to the state of the economy, Billy has decided to move the crossing to April 2010. This will give more readers time to get their finances in order so they can join me on this epic ride. Billy came up with this idea in response to feedback he has been getting from riders who want to ride their own bikes to Mexico, but just can’t swing it this year.

The new plan for 2009 is to fly into Mazatlan on March 29 and do a couple of day rides with Billy and the Steel Thunder Outfitters crew. We’re going to head south and visit some colonial towns like Rosario, which is known for its gold, silver, and copper. We’ll also check out an unbelievable estuary town called Teacapan, which is located on a serene lagoon noted for its abundant sea and bird life. Not far from the lagoon is a recently discovered pre-Columbian pyramid that is over 300' tall and 300' wide, and is made entirely of seashells. This will be my third ride with Billy, and he never ceases to amaze me. An ancient pyramid made of friggin’ seashells? This I gotta see.

On April 1, we’ll party with the Hogs On The High Seas attendees (www.HogsOnTheHighSeas.com) when they come to Mazatlan for the second annual STO/HOHS Beach Party Rally. I had a blast at this gig last year when I was on the HOHS cruise. (You can read about my Mexican Riviera vacation in the March issue.) The next few days are open to sightseeing, parasailing, jet-skiing, or whatever you want to do. We fly home on April 5. Hope to see you there!

Change #2: I decided to move the Fit To Ride column to next month, to give readers some time to send in requests since we go to press with this issue just as the November issue, which has the first Fit To Ride, is hitting the newsstands.

One last thing: in the November 2006 issue, I did a product review of MDM Products’ Shelter King instant storage shed. In that review I said I would let you know how it handles a Connecticut snow. Well, here it is two winters later and my shed is doing just fine, thank you. And though I don’t put my nice customs in there, the Shelter King has done a great job protecting an ATV, a dirt bike, riding mower, spare parts for my Jeep, as well as numerous lawn tools and assorted other items I don’t want near my bikes. Works for me!

See you on the road.

Chris Maida
Editor
chrism@americanironmag.com