Fender Passport
Fender Passport
 |
 Fender Passport P 51 Microphone Kit  US $39.99
|
 Fender P 51 Passport Microphone Kit US $39.99
|
 Fender Passport Systems P10 Public Address System 27W Amplifier 1 x 5 US $199.99
|
 Fender Passport P 51 Microphone Kit With Cable Clip Carrying Bag NEW US $39.99
|
 Fender Passport P 10W Public Address System 27 W Amplifier 5 Speaker US $499.99
|
 Fender Passport Headset – Small Diaphragm Electret Condenser Type Microphone US $59.99
|
 Fender 069 2201 000 FENDER PASSPORT UHF HAND Kit US $321.32
|
 Fender 069 2202 001 Microphone Wireless Handheld US $149.99
|
 Fender Audio 0692103000 FENDER Passport UHF Wireless Executive Kit US $199.99
|
 Fender W KIT UHF Wireless Executive Kit UHF US $177.95
|
 Fender 069 2205 001 Passport Wireless Executive System UHF US $374.03
|
 Fender UHF WIRELESS EXECSYS Wireless Executive System NEW US $449.99
|
 Fender Passport Wireless Handheld Microphone UHF 011907P34377 FMI0691102 US $139.99
|
 Fender 069 2202 001 UHF Wireless Handheld Microphone US $132.20
|
 Fender Passport Wireless Executive Microphone System US $227.49
|
 Fender 069 2202 001 Fender UHF Handheld Microphone Kit US $142.78
|
 Fender Passport P 10WE Public Address System 27 W Amplifier 1 x 5 Speaker US $549.99
|
 Fender 069 2201 001 Passport Wireless Handheld System UHF US $300.95
|
 Fender Passport UHF Wireless Microphone for use with fender pasport US $134.00
|
 Fender 069 2205 001 FENDER PASSPORT UHF EXEC Kit US $403.95
|
 Fender 069 2201 001 FENDER PASSPORT UHF HAND Kit US $325.03
|
 New Pyle PWMBP1 Belt Pack Wireless DJ Mic US $27.72
|
 NEW BELT PACK WIRELESS MIC PWMBP1 US $37.98
|
 FENDER PASSPORT UHF EXEC US $377.99
|
 PYLE PWMBP1 NEW BELT PACK PROFESSIONAL WIRELESS MIC TRANSMITTER FOR RECEIVERS US $33.99
|
 Fender Passport® Wireless Hand Held Microphone UHF System US $335.00 |
 Fender Passport P 51 Wired Microphone XLR Mic US $23.99
|
 Fender 069 2201 000 Passport UHF Hand US $297.52
|
 Fender 005 4915 000 VHF Lavalier Microphone f Passport US $25.32
|
 Fender Passport Handheld Condenser Wireless Professional Microphone US $.99
|
|
|
Fender Passport Dual Speaker Mount $28.99 With the Fender Passport Dual Speaker Mount, you can mount 2 PA speakers (150 or 250) on a single speaker stand. |
|
|
Fender St-280 Passport Stand Kit $149.99 The Fender ST-280 Passport Stand Kit includes 2 heavy-duty tripod speaker stands and 2 tripod mic stands constructed of anodized aluminum alloy tubing. The speaker stands are ideal for supporting Fender Passport speakers or any speakers with a polemount adapter (up to 60 lbs.). Fender gives you a nylon carrying bag for the works. Constructed of anodized aluminum alloy tubingSupport Passport speakers or any speakers with a polemount adapter (up to 60 lbs.)2 tripod mic standsNylon carrying bag |
|
|
Fender Passport Executive Pa System $599.99 The Fender Passport Executive PA system is ideal for meetings, seminars, tours, presentations and many other uses. The Passport Executive may be the ultimate portable sound system for the mobile presenter on the go. In fact the Passport is a great PA in any situation where you need to raise your voice without raising the roof. Let the Fender Passport Executive PA help you to communicate as effectively as possible with your audience. Fender Passport Executive lets your voice be heard with 100W of clear stereo sound through state-of-the-art NXT flat-panel speakers. The slim, lightweight PA system slips easily into its included laptop-style form-fitted travel bag. The Passport Executive's amp is equipped with Bass Boost, a Line In (stereo 3.5mm) for connection of an MP3 player or similar device, and a Line Out for hooking up to a recording device. You also get a 16-channel UHF wireless belt/pack headset system to help you get your point or song across. If you prefer your favorite wired mic, there is also a microphone input on the amp.Fender Passport PA systems are known for portability, ease of use, innovative design, and exceptional quality and value. The Fender Passport Executive is the latest step in that ongoing evolution, About the size of a small briefcase, the Passport PA is easy to use, easy to move, and easy to set up, all of which make it easy to like as the perfect PA system for all of your small-group audio support needs.16-channel UHF wireless belt pack/headset system100W Class-D power ampMic input (balanced XLR) for connecting optional wired micLine in (stereo 3.5mm) for easy connection to an MP3 player or similar deviceLine out (stereo 3.5mm) for easy connection to a recording device.Bass boostSlim design |
|
|
Used Fender St-280 Passport Stand Kit $136.49 The Fender ST-280 Passport Stand Kit includes 2 heavy-duty tripod speaker stands and 2 tripod mic stands constructed of anodized aluminum alloy tubing. The speaker stands are ideal for supporting Fender Passport speakers or any speakers with a polemount adapter (up to 60 lbs.). Fender gives you a nylon carrying bag for the works. Constructed of anodized aluminum alloy tubingSupport Passport speakers or any speakers with a polemount adapter (up to 60 lbs.)2 tripod mic standsNylon carrying bag |
|
|
Fender Passport P-51 Microphone Kit $39.99 The Fender P-51 is a high-quality, cardioid pattern dynamic microphone with on/off switch ideal for voice and instrument use. The P-51 comes with a cable, stand clip and a custom pouch. |
|
|
Fender Passport 150 Pro Portable Pa System $559.99 This 4-channel Fender Passport 150 PRO portable PA system is a full 3 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the Passport 150 system. Even so, it has an extra stereo channel (making it 2 total) and has improved speaker voicing. Other features include 150W output, 2 mic/line inputs, and tilt tone control on each channel, level, reverb send, master volume, master tone, and more.Take a close look and listen and the Fender Passport PRO 150 will take you places like never before. It is the sound that truly travels. For this generation of Passport PA systems Fender kept the best of previous versions and added improved functionality so that this Passport speaker system is ideal for whatever your application may be education and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses.Amp type: Class DInputs: 2 Mic/Line inputs, 2 stereo inputsOutput: 150W Class-D power ampSpeakers: One 5.25" woofer, Two 2.75" tweetersLine Out: 1/8" mini stereo outChannels: 4 (2 mic/line, 2 stereo)2 mic lines with XLR and 1/4" line inputs2 stereo channels with 1/4" and 1/8" (for MP3 player) inputsLED indicators above each channel inputImproved speaker voicingControls: Tilt tone control on each channel, level, reverb send, master volume, master tone, 20dB padCovering: Molded Plastic |
|
|
Fender Passport 300 Pro Portable Pa System $699.99 This 6-channel Fender Passport 300 PRO portable PA system takes its predecessor, the Passport PD-250, to the next level with 300W of power (up from 250), a sub-out jack for an external powered subwoofer, lighter weight (a full 12 pounds less than the PD-250), smaller overall dimensions, and phantom power. The redesigned speaker system features 2 plastic molded cabinets with an 8" woofer and 1.2" horn-loaded tweeter in each for better definition, and and a sub-out jack has been added for an external powered subwoofer. Take a close look and listen and the Fender Passport PRO 300 will take you places like never before. The speakers release with two quick flips of the spring-loaded clasps to open up into a three-component setup or once done, close back up for one convenient transportable system. For this generation of Passport PA systems Fender kept the best of previous versions and improved its functionality so that this Passport speaker system is ideal for whatever your application may be education and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses.Amp type: Class DWoofer (per cab): 8"Driver: (per cab): 1.2" horn-loadedInputs: 4 Mic/Line inputs, 2 stereo inputsOutput: 300W Class-D power ampLine Out: 1/8" mini stereo out, subwoofer outChannels: 6 (4 mic/line, 2 stereo)4 mic lines with XLR and 1/4" inputs2 stereo channels with 1/4" and 1/8" (for MP3 player) inputsPhantom power on mic input channels3-color LED indicators above each channel input1/4" subwoofer out with 120Hz High-Pass Filter on Speaker OutPreamp out and power amp insertsCD-quality WAV and MP3 file playbackControls: High EQ, Low EQ, Master Volume, System Tone, Level Control for each channel, Reverb Send for each channel, 20dB pad on input channelsEffects: ReverbCovering: Molded PlasticAccessory compartment to hold included speaker and power cables, and more |
|
|
Fender Passport 500 Pro Portable Pa System $999.99 The 8-channel Fender Passport 500 PRO Portable PA system is Fender's most powerful portable PA system and offers the greatest clarity. But now Fender has added an input for recording your performances with CD-quality (WAV) straight to a USB flash drive. The Passport 500 also offers CD-quality WAV and MP3 playback, and a sub-out jack has been added for an external powered subwoofer.This Pro 500 is also 9 pounds lighter than the previous version with reduced, more portable dimensions. The redesigned speaker system features two molded plastic cabinets with a 10" woofer and a 1.2" horn-loaded tweeter in each to deliver better definition than before. When not in use, the speaker clips to the mixer for a convenient, one-piece portable system.Take a close look and listen and the Passport PRO 500 will take you places like never before. Fender kept the best of previous Passport generations and added new features and functionality so that this Passport system is ideal for whatever your PA application may beeducation and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses. It even gives you two ways to record. The first is a Stereo Out that allows you to hook it up to a recording device without it being affected by master volume changes. The second is a USB recorder which lets you insert a USB memory stick or flash drive. This drive can also be used for playback.Amp type: Class DWoofer (per cab): 10"Driver: (per cab): 1.2" horn-loadedInputs: 6 Mic/Line inputs, 2 stereo inputsOutput: 500W Class D power ampLine Out: 1/8" mini stereo Out, subwoofer outChannels: 8 (6 mic/line, 2 stereo)6 mic lines with XLR and 1/4" inputs2 stereo inputs with 1/4" and 1/8" (for MP3 player) inputs1/4" subwoofer out with 120hz High-Pass Filter on Speaker OutUSB port that lets you record your performance with CD-quality (WAV) straight to a USB flash driveCD-quality WAV and MP3 file playbackControls: High EQ, Low EQ, Master Volume, System Tone, Level Control for each channel, Reverb Send for each channel, 20dB pad on input channelsEffects: Selectable and adjustable reverbCovering: Molded plastic |
|
|
Fender Passport 150 Pro Pa Package $419.99 Includes the Fender Passport 150 PRO portable PA system; 1 Audio-Technica M4000S hand-held dynamic mic; 1 MS-220 tripod mic stand with fixed boom; 1 XLR mic cable (20'); and 2 standard speaker stands.Fender Passport 150 PROThe 4-channel Fender Passport 150 PRO portable PA system is a full 3 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the Passport 150 system. Even so, it has an extra stereo channel (making it 2 total) and has improved speaker voicing. Other features include 150W output, 2 mic/line inputs, and tilt tone control on each channel, level, reverb send, master volume, master tone, and more.Take a close look and listen and the Fender Passport PRO 150 will take you places like never before. It is the sound that truly travels. For this generation of Passport PA systems Fender kept the best of previous versions and added improved functionality so that this Passport speaker system is ideal for whatever your application may beeducation and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses.Audio-Technica M4000S:The handheld Audio-Technica M4000S dynamic microphone combines professional features with a ridiculously affordable price tag. Audio-Technica tailors the M4000S mic's frequency response for crystal-clear vocal reproduction. Great feedback rejection and focused pickup are due to the A-T microphone's unidirectional polar pattern. The M4000S Audio-Technica mic also is equipped with a handy On/Off switch for convenience.Audio-Technica professional microphone enhancements include a balanced XLR output, and a mic clip. Whether you're on the road, in the studio, or just performing at local gigs. Expect the all-metal Audio-Technica M4000S microphone to provide you with years of trouble-free use.Musician's Gear MS-220 Tripod Mic Stand with Fixed BoomThe MS-220 Tripod Microphone Stand has a thread adapter and tubular legs. Its adjustable height from floor to top thread is 35" to 61-7/8". The 30-1/4" fixed boom is not adjustable.Musician's Gear Standard Speaker Stand:The Musician's Gear Standard Speaker Stand adjusts from 42" to 71" in height, accepts 1-3/8" diameter sockets, and can hold up to 110 lb. Its aluminum construction reduces stand weight for easy transport, and its molded plastic leg housing with ergonomic knob is extremely durable.Fender Passport 150 PRO:Amp type: Class DInputs: 2 Mic/Line inputs, 2 stereo inputsOutput: 150W Class-D power ampSpeakers: One 5.25" woofer, Two 2.75" tweetersLine Out: 1/8" mini stereo outChannels: 4 (2 mic/line, 2 stereo)2 mic lines with XLR and 1/4" line inputs2 stereo channels with 1/4" and 1/8" (for MP3 player) inputsLED indicators above each channel inputImproved speaker voicingControls: Tilt tone control on each channel, level, reverb send, master volume, master tone, 20dB padCovering: Molded PlasticAudio-Technica M4000S:Frequency response tailored for crystal-clear vocal reproductionUnidirectional pattern for feedback rejection and focused pick upAll-metal design for years of trouble-free useConvenien |
|
|
Fender Passport 300 Pro Pa Package $719.99 Includes the Fender Passport 300 PRO portable PA system; 1 Audio-Technica M4000S hand-held dynamic mic; 1 MS-220 tripod mic stand with fixed boom; 1 XLR mic cables (20'); and 2 standard speaker stands.Fender Passport 300 PROThe 6-channel Fender Passport 300 PRO portable PA system takes its predecessor, the Passport PD-250, to the next level with 300W of power (up from 250), a sub-out jack for an external powered subwoofer, lighter weight (a full 12 pounds less than the PD-250), smaller overall dimensions, and phantom power. The redesigned speaker system features 2 plastic molded cabinets with an 8" woofer and 1.2" horn-loaded tweeter in each for better definition, and and a sub-out jack has been added for an external powered subwoofer.Take a close look and listen and the Fender Passport PRO 300 will take you places like never before. The speakers release with two quick flips of the spring-loaded clasps to open up into a three-component setup or once done, close back up for one convenient transportable system. For this generation of Passport PA systems Fender kept the best of previous versions and improved its functionality so that this Passport speaker system is ideal for whatever your application may beeducation and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses.Audio-Technica M4000S:The handheld Audio-Technica M4000S dynamic microphone combines professional features with a ridiculously affordable price tag. Audio-Technica tailors the M4000S mic's frequency response for crystal-clear vocal reproduction. Great feedback rejection and focused pickup are due to the A-T microphone's unidirectional polar pattern. The M4000S Audio-Technica mic also is equipped with a handy On/Off switch for convenience.Audio-Technica professional microphone enhancements include a balanced XLR output, and a mic clip. Whether you're on the road, in the studio, or just performing at local gigs. Expect the all-metal Audio-Technica M4000S microphone to provide you with years of trouble-free use.Musician's Gear MS-220 Tripod Mic Stand with Fixed BoomThe MS-220 Tripod Microphone Stand has a thread adapter and tubular legs. Its adjustable height from floor to top thread is 35" to 61-7/8". The 30-1/4" fixed boom is not adjustable.Musician's Gear Standard Speaker Stand:The Musician's Gear Standard Speaker Stand adjusts from 42" to 71" in height, accepts 1-3/8" diameter sockets, and can hold up to 110 lb. Its aluminum construction reduces stand weight for easy transport, and its molded plastic leg housing with ergonomic knob is extremely durable.Fender Passport 300 PRO:Amp type: Class DWoofer (per cab): 8"Driver: (per cab): 1.2" horn-loadedInputs: 4 Mic/Line inputs, 2 stereo inputsOutput: 300W Class-D power ampLine Out: 1/8" mini stereo out, subwoofer outChannels: 6 (4 mic/line, 2 stereo)4 mic lines with XLR and 1/4" inputs2 stereo channels with 1/4" and 1/8" (for MP3 player) inputsPhantom power on mic input channels3-color LED indicators above each channel input1/4" s |
|
|
Fender Passport 500 Pro Pa Package $1019.99 Includes the Fender Passport 500 PRO portable PA system; 1 Audio-Technica M4000S hand-held dynamic mic; 1 MS-220 tripod mic stand with fixed boom; 1 XLR mic cable (20'); and 2 standard speaker stands.Fender Passport 500 PROThe 8-channel Fender Passport 500 PRO Portable PA system is Fender's most powerful portable PA system and offers the greatest clarity. Fender has added an input for recording your performances with CD-quality (WAV) straight to a USB flash drive. The Passport 500 also offers CD-quality WAV and MP3 playback, and a sub-out jack has been added for an external powered subwoofer.This Pro 500 is also 9 pounds lighter than the previous version with reduced, more portable dimensions. The redesigned speaker system features two molded plastic cabinets with a 10" woofer and a 1.2" horn-loaded tweeter in each to deliver better definition than before. When not in use, the speaker clips to the mixer for a convenient, one-piece portable system.Take a close look and listen and the Passport PRO 500 will take you places like never before. Fender kept the best of previous Passport generations and added new features and functionality so that this Passport system is ideal for whatever your PA application may beeducation and presentations, party gigs, small clubs, and coffee houses. It even gives you two ways to record: The first is a Stereo Out that allows you to hook it up to a recording device without it being affected by master volume changes. The second is a USB recorder that lets you insert a USB memory stick or flash drive. This drive can also be used for playback.Audio-Technica M4000SThe handheld Audio-Technica M4000S dynamic microphone combines professional features with a ridiculously affordable price tag. Audio-Technica tailors the M4000S mic's frequency response for crystal-clear vocal reproduction. Great feedback rejection and focused pickup are due to the A-T microphone's unidirectional polar pattern. The M4000S Audio-Technica mic also is equipped with a handy On/Off switch for convenience.Audio-Technica professional microphone enhancements include a balanced XLR output, and a mic clip. Whether you're on the road, in the studio, or just performing at local gigs. Expect the all-metal Audio-Technica M4000S microphone to provide you with years of trouble-free use.Musician's Gear MS-220 Tripod Mic Stand with Fixed BoomThe MS-220 Tripod Microphone Stand has a thread adapter and tubular legs. Its adjustable height from floor to top thread is 35" to 61-7/8". The 30-1/4" fixed boom is not adjustable.Musician's Gear Standard Speaker StandThe Musician's Gear Standard Speaker Stand adjusts from 42" to 71" in height, accepts 1-3/8" diameter sockets, and can hold up to 110 lb. Its aluminum construction reduces stand weight for easy transport, and its molded plastic leg housing with ergonomic knob is extremely durable.Gear One XLR Microphone Cable 20For serious-minded musicians, Gear One's XLR cables have the strength and durability to withstand more |
 |
Fender Passport 500 Pro 500-Watt Portable Sound System List Price: $1,399.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $769.99  |
|
500 Pro 500-Watt Portable P.A System |
 |
Fender Passport P-51 Microphone Kit List Price: $55.99 Sale Price: $39.99 |
|
The Fender P-51 is a high-quality, cardioid pattern dynamic microphone with on/off switch ideal for voice and instrument use. The P-51 comes with a cable, stand clip and a custom pouch. |
 |
Fender Passport 300 Pro 300-Watt Portable Sound System List Price: $979.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $559.00 |
|
Any time and any place you need big sound with great clarity and convenience, there’s a Passport PRO system by Fender that’s right for you. Take a close look and listen, and we know you’ll agree that Passport will take you places like never before—Sound That Travels... |
 |
Fender Passport 150 Pro 150-Watt Portable Sound System List Price: $559.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $327.63 |
|
150 Pro 150-Watt Portable P.A System |
 |
Fender P-10 FEN Passport Portable Personal Sound System List Price: $279.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $169.99 |
|
The Fender P-10 is a portable sound system that is perfect for tour guides, buskers, and classroom and day care activities. The P-10 comes complete with a dynamic cardioid microphone with 3-foot cord. Also includes a rechargeable battery that allows the P-10W to provide 25W of power for up to 8 hours of continuous operation... |
 |
Fender ST-275 Tripod Speaker Stands List Price: $169.99 Sale Price: $99.99 |
|
The ST275 heavy-duty tripod stands constructed of anodized aluminum alloy tubing, and a nylon carrying bag. For use with Passport speakers or any speaker with a pole-mount adapter (up to 60 lbs). |
 |
Fender Passport Wireless Executive System (UHF) List Price: $599.99 Sale Price: $429.95 |
|
1 wireless headset microphone1 wireless lavalier microphone1 belt-pack wireless UHF transmitter (instrument/line cable included)UHF receiver is built in to the "docking" unit which mounts inside the storage compartmentPower audio and antenna connections are built into the docking unitSpecialized "tone-key" system locks the receiver to the transmitterPassport system automatically mutes when the microphone is off or out of rangeAutomatically routes signal to channel 1 |
 |
Fender Fender Passport Wireless Hand-Held UHF System List Price: $499.99 Sale Price: $349.99 |
|
16-channel frequency selectable UHF receiver 1 hand-held wireless UHF cardioid receiverUHF receiver is built into the "Docking" unit which mounts inside the storage compartmentPower audio and antenna connections are built into the docking unitSpecialized "Tone-Key" system locks the receiver to the transmitterPassport system automatically mutes when the microphone is off or out of rangeElectret-condenser type capsule Cariod patternRequires 1-9V battery |
 |
Fender Passport UHF Wireless Microphone List Price: $199.99 Sale Price: $146.39 |
|
1 hand held wireless UHF microphone/transmitterUHF receiver is built in to the "docking" unit which mounts inside the storage compartmentPower audio and antenna connections are built into the docking unitSpecialized "tone-key" system locks the receiver to the transmitterPassport system automatically mutes when the microphone is off or out of rangeElectret-condenser type capsuleCardiod patternRequires 1-9V battery |
 |
Fender Passport UHF Wireless Handheld Microphone, 16 CH Transmitter use w/ Passport PA System List Price: $199.99 Sale Price: $149.99 Used From: $125.00 |
|
HELD MIC |
Chasing adventure via motorcycle in Latin America
On the pampas the horizons seem to flee. The llamas are golden, the clouds impossibly white. We let the bikes run. Suddenly, the view changes. The lead bike rises above the line of the horizon, a rider flails through the air 10 feet above the ground. This is not good. Jeff has gone off the road at 70 mph. Katie goes into paramedic mode, calming Jeff, running her hands up his spine, probing, checking ribs, legs, arms. The fall has ripped his touring jacket from shoulder to waist, peeling the back protector to reveal the We-Build-Bridges T-shirt. He is scuffed, but within moments is giggling, flashing the “I Can’t Believe I’m Still Alive” grin that is his default expression.
Ryan pulls the bike up and starts collecting the bits scattered across the desert. The luggage is destroyed. The right handlebar is bent almost to the tank. Mirrors, turn signals, front fender snapped off in a microsecond. Both wheel rims have dents. Incredibly, it still runs. He puts the parts that still work back on the bike, takes it for a test ride. It will last another 7,000 miles. Our motto: We Will Make This Work.
Jeff tells what happened. A small bird had hopped into his path. The next thing he knew he was off the road, launched into a culvert. “I thought, wow. I’m Superman. Oh look, there’s the bike. Oh look, there’s the bird…” In a field strewn with jagged boulders, he had landed on sand.
THE BEGINNING
The trip came up long before I was ready. A phone call, an invitation to tag along with a group of BMW riders embarking on a five-week, 8,000-mile journey from Peru to Virginia. I would document the ride, a fundraising effort for a group that builds footbridges in remote areas of the world. I’d been thinking about a long ride, something open-ended, without support vehicles, the experience of being totally “out there.” This seemed to fit the bill. A third of the distance around the world with complete strangers. I had a brand-new BMW F 800 GS and it was thirsty. If there was a point of no return, I crossed it before I hung up the phone.
First, the riders. Ken Hodge is an insurance benefits specialist and member in good standing of the Newport News Rotary Club. He discovered motorcycles late in life, when he bought a bike, rode it across country in 48 hours, then began to dream of a bigger adventure, something for a good cause.
He recruited his daughter Katie (a fire department paramedic), his stepson Ryan (a mechanic and dirt-bike rider) and Ryan’s best friend Jeff. I’m impressed by their preparations. They ride old BMW R 1150s and F 650 singles. Ryan had spent a year renewing the bikes, poking about the inner recesses, memorizing the shop manuals for each machine. They would bring enough tools and parts to handle almost every emergency.
INTO THE ANDES
We stop at Nazca to view the ancient figures scratched in the rocky desert. From the top of a tower we can see a figure with raised hands. Just to the north, the Pan-American Highway bisects the figure of a lizard, decapitating the creature. Bound by the tight focus of brass transit levels, the surveyors who laid out the road were not even aware of the sacred relics, discovered when aerial flight became common.
I realize that we are as blinded by focus, by concentration as the surveyors were by their instrument. The trip will be a series of images, sidelong glances, captured at speed.
Descendants of the people who built the Inca trail, Peruvian builders know their stuff. But it’s the tracery, the managed flow of momentum, that has our respect. The road ascends ancient seabeds, hills covered with talus, fractured dry ridges with cornices sculpted by landslides. Midday, we find ourselves on a high pampas inhabited by thousands of vicuña and alpaca. In the distance, our first sight of snowcapped peaks. There are stone corrals on nearby slopes, one-room huts. In the middle of this giant nowhere, a lone shepherd walking on the side of the hill.
We discover that the distances on maps are those of the condor. We travel incredibly twisted roads that sometimes take a hundred turns (and several miles) to get from one ridge to the next. The map indicates towns, but to our dis-may not all have gas stations. We buy gas in a small outpost from a woman who ladles it out of a bucket with a coffee pot, then pours it through a plastic, woven kitchen funnel into our tanks. The whole town watches. We push on into the descending night. We make it to the next set of lights, 20 or so buildings on two streets, find a hotel, and park our bikes in an enclosed backyard with dogs, chickens, dead birds, plastic bottles and an animal hide tanning on the wall. Instead of the usual exit signs, the restaurant in our hotel has green arrows that say “ESCAPE.” It is not a criticism of the food. The forces that drive the Andes skyward have been known to demolish whole towns.
The next morning we fire up the bikes, and ascend into the Andes on a perfect road. We are fluid, going through hairpins, double hairpins, squared-off turns—climbing the flank of a single 4,700-meter peak. I can think of only one word: delicious. We move through mist and low-hanging clouds, with shafts of sunlight slanting into rainbows. The valleys below are green and fertile, a mix of old Inca terracing and more modern farms. Slender eucalyptus trees line the road, providing shade for huts with red tile roofs. A girl tends a flock of goats (identified with colorful ribbons) on a green meadow, book in hand. At one point I think the clouds above have parted to reveal patches of blue, but when I look up I see that it is snow-covered rock, another 3,000 or 4,000 feet of mountain. On a turnoff near the top of the peak we find a dozen or so tiny shrines, little churches decorated with flowers and ribbons and photographs of loved ones. The site of a bus plunge. On a hillside across the valley paragliders work the thermals, the canopies looking like bright-colored eyebrows, or ostentatious angels.
We share the road with vicuña, alpaca, llama, sheep, goats, dogs, roosters, pigs, horses and cows. On a narrow lane near Abancay, a bull tries to gore me as I pass, charging and making a hooking motion with its horns. One night after the sunset, I round a corner and a beautiful roan stallion wheels in the light from our bikes, filling the lane with wide eyes and flashing hoofs, inches from my head. I realize that riding sweep poses a risk. The novelty of our passing bikes wears off, and the local wildlife has time to react.
Entering Cusco, Ryan asks directions, a girl directs us onto a narrow cobblestone street, slick with rain, as steep as a bobsled run. The rocks are turned on their side, like teeth. The knobbies have no traction whatsoever. The people on the sidewalks frantically wave their hands, indicating that the road gets steeper. I touch my brake and the bike goes down, pinning my leg against the curb, a quarter of an inch shy of a fracture. The bike behind me goes down. It is harrowing. The locals help us lift the bikes, get them turned uphill.
A police escort leads us to a hotel that lets us store the motorcycles in the lobby. Without bothering to shower, we make our way to the Norton Rats Bar on the northeast corner of the central plaza. The owner, an American expatriate, once piloted a Norton to the tip of the continent. The walls are lined with photos from the trip. Above the bar are mounted heads, the four past American presidents, with their best known soundbites: I am not a crook. I did not inhale. I do not recall. We will find WMD in Iraq. We sip beers, trade stories, trying to reassemble the past few days. The dead battery. The punctured radiator. The roadside repairs. The incredible rush of unrelenting beauty.
Three days of desert north of Lima generate a few details. The total absence of life, the three colors of sand. Young boys pedaling tricycle ice cream carts in the middle of nowhere. We enter a <I>zona de nimbleras</I>, but instead of fog we find a 60-mph crosswind that sends a layer of grit skittering across the road like a special effect in a Steven Spielberg movie. Two lanes narrow to one covered by blowing sand, thick enough to swallow the front tire, deep enough that a road grader prepares to clear the drifting sands.
We decide to try a secondary route through the hills. We turn onto a dirt road and everything changes. We pass through villages alive with people, dogs, tiny three-wheel taxis fashioned from old motorcycles. Kids on motorscooters ride past, snapping pictures with their cell phones. The road throws split-finger fastballs at the bash plate that clang as loud and adamant as the sound of an aluminum bat. We slosh our way through gravel, gray dust on everything, parts falling off, teeth rattling. Oh yes, this is what we wanted.
ECUADOR
In Macara, we sit on the sidewalk near a minor town square, eating pork cooked by a rotund woman in a yellow dress. Her daughter brings us three beers (giant) at a time, and keeps the empties in a milk crate for accounting later. Boys on motorbikes cruise the quiet streets, the lucky ones with girls on the back. Across the square, girls sit on benches. Jeff experiences a cultural revelation, that South American girls have breasts, and wear tight pants…and “Hey, I think she likes me.”
Our dinner companion is David McCollum, an American expatriate that Ryan had met on ADVrider.com. He tells us stories about riding the Ecuadoran Andes, and gives us tips on handling roadblocks. “Act Stupid. Do not try to communicate in Spanish. Say ‘No fumar Espanol’ (I don’t smoke Spanish). If all else fails, have Katie cry.” Er, Katie does not do “cry.” The next day he leads us into the Ecuadoran Andes.
Impressions: Razor-sharp ridges. Lumpy, conical outcroppings. Monasteries on top of hills. Slopes so steep they will never be worked by machine. A couple standing above dark earth, the man holding a wooden hoe, the woman a bag of seeds. A woman on horseback, black and red cape, a whip coiled in one hand. Trees. Cloud. Mist. The feel of a Japanese block print, the ones that suggest the road goes to infinity.
I had introduced the group to a family tradition. When we travel, we end each day by recounting high point, low point and funny bone. After this day, I will add “Pucker moments.” Trucks hurtle out of the fog, running without lights, signaled only by the ghostly wave pushed before. They appear in our lane without warning or reason. We go through construction sites where the road narrows to one lane that offers no escape route. One side seems hideously close to the new concrete, studded with rebar fangs. The other side is precipice. Pucker moments? Take your pick. Sometimes it’s the surface, a half mile of muddy bobsled run, of loose gravel, of gushing water, the bike handling like a loose bowel. Twice, we round a corner and find no road, the surface having caved in, sucked away by underground torrents. Katie’s moment comes when a cow, with no footing, scrambles into the path of her bike. For Jeff, it is passing a truck that suddenly swerves to avoid a pothole, the trailer swinging toward him like a baseball bat.
We spend two days in Cuenca, a 500-year-old city surrounded by mountains. Ken phones ahead and discovers that the ship that was to have taken us and the bikes from Ecuador to Panama doesn’t exist (had we had drugs or been illegal aliens, no problem, but there are no accommodations for <I>turistas</I> with motorcycles). We ask David for help. While we ride to Quito, he will work the phones. He finds a contact, a guy known for getting things done when no one else can. We meet up with this air freight magician at The Turtle’s Head, a biker bar in Quito. At midnight.
The next morning we ride our bikes to the military section of the airport, then into a refrigerated warehouse. The steel floor is covered with embedded ball bearings, across which slide steel palettes. For the next three hours we wrestle with tiedowns. A skinny man dressed entirely in black oversees the operation, taking pictures of the bikes with a digital camera, making sure batteries are disconnected, tires are deflated. Drug-sniffing dogs poke their noses into every recess.
Then, just like that, our bikes are gone, on their way to Panama in the belly of an airplane.
CENTRAL AMERICA
Central American countries are the size of postage stamps. You can cross them in a day and a half, only to spend a half day at customs and immigration. Ken had prepared Xerox copies of all our documents (passports, licenses, titles, registration, VIN numbers) and had them notarized. As he works with the official in the air-conditioned office, we sit in 100-degree heat and watch ants carry grains of dirt from beneath the ground. We will become used to the demands for more copies, the freelance currency traders waving bills in front of our faces, the young hustlers willing to facilitate the process, the food vendors waiting for starvation to overcome caution about local cuisine.
Before embarking on this trip, I’d read State Department travel advisories. The section on Peru warned that five Americans had died from liposuction in Lima. OK, was that consensual liposuction, or were there gangs of thugs wielding vacuum cleaners with sharp pointy attachments? Virtually every entry on Central American countries warned about fake checkpoints, bandits in uniform, soldiers in the middle of nowhere.
Along the roadside are signs with a blood-red eye and the warning <I>vigilantes</I>. We round a corner to find two soldiers walking patrol, miles from the nearest town. They ask for paperwork. A surge of adrenaline turns my mouth to cotton. David, our friend in Ecuador had given us good advice: Act stupid. Smile. We seem to have a natural talent for that. <I>No fumar Espanol</I>. After inspecting our paperwork, they wave us on. In the next few weeks we will be stopped repeatedly, sniffed by dogs, x-rayed, wanded with devices that look like carving knives with car antennas where the blade should be. At border crossings, guys in jumpsuits and facemasks spray our bikes with liquids designed to kill stowaway bugs too lazy to cross borders under their own power. There are soldiers at every gas station, armed attendants at convenience stores and restaurants, guys with shotguns on Pepsi trucks. We are aware of poverty, a culture of criminal opportunity. The night air can strip your bike naked, if you don’t find a hotel with secure parking.
These countries are linked by soil to the United States, and our culture has rattled its way through. Central America is a motorbike culture. Whole families whiz by, perched on narrow seats, wearing helmets with missing visors. In Panama City we run into a group of Harley riders. The bikes have exhausts the size of howitzers, the horns blare a soundtrack of special effects. They surround us, and ask if we want to join their regular weekend burger run. We follow them to an exclusive country club just beyond the Mira Flores locks on the Panama Canal. They send us off with directions to a bed-and-breakfast up the coast. I fall asleep that night in a hammock, a bottle of beer still clutched in my hand, the blades of a fan whirring softly overhead.
Central America has a different feel than Peru and Ecuador, a different gravity. We move through verdant countryside at a speed that would be natural in Virginia or Colorado or California. The vegetation looks like fireworks, only green. Here clusters of one plant have taken over a hillside. There a different species explodes. A slow war.
We have been in the saddle for three weeks. Nothing can break our pace. We abandon the Pan-American Highway and find roads that make it seem like you have two flat tires, ones that seem like you’re riding on an oil spill. There are narrow, one-vehicle-at-a-time bridges of mismatched narrow-gauge rails, or on lesser roads, steel plates tossed across rotting timbers. The terrain is a geological mash-up, without the power of the Andes, but enough unexpected elevation change and tight corners to make for an interesting ride. Towns announce themselves with speed bumps and potholes that can swallow bikes whole. I see road signs unique to the country, silhouettes of odd animals. A snake crossing. A jaguar crossing. In Costa Rica we hit a 30-mile stretch of gravel road, and the world becomes dust. The bikes come alive. We romp, skitter, wander, trusting the gyroscope. I try to read the strange shadows that appear in the dust—bicyclists, ATVs, huge trucks with no lights—not always accurately. There are breaks in the dust cloud when I see fields filled with white cattle and at their feet white egrets. The sky tinges pink with light from a setting sun. A feeling almost like peace.
We spend a night in Arsenal, a destination resort for adrenaline junkies with discretionary income. Posters advertise canopy walks, zipline rides through the rain forest, the chance to rappel down waterfalls, night hikes to lava flows, kayaking, canoeing. We ignore the offers, saddle up and ride into the rain forest. A group of meercats swarms down an embankment onto the road. Monkeys cavort in the trees overhead. A tourist zips by on a steel cable casting a shadow on the road, a blur of color in the sky. It looks like someone was hanging laundry and forgot to take his or her clothes off.
Nicaragua has its own feel. We ride past volcanoes so large they make their own weather, the crowns hidden beneath wide-brimmed clouds. Don Quixote in his barber bowl hat. The streets are clogged with horsedrawn buggies. We find a hotel near the town square. Across the street from the hotel is a shop offering galactic Internet. The traditional culture is slowly losing ground to bandwidth. Relay towers compete with church steeples, billboards for cell service block oversized statues of saints on nearby hilltops.
We visit a bridge, built by Ken’s organization, in a remote area of Honduras. At the turnoff from the main road I think we are entering a drainage ditch. Indeed, during the rainy season the road is impassable, the clay surface too slick for traction. Now, the bikes tackle a road gouged by erosion, working their way around rocks exposed by the force of water. This is by far the most technical riding of the trip.
The 40-mile road will take five hours to cross. The clawmark gullies pull Ken’s bike out from under him; Katie rides into a ditch and smashes her bike’s windscreen. Even Ryan has trouble. The river, when we reach it, is intimidating. I take pictures of the bikes as they come through, pushing a bow wave over front wheels, jouncing up the rocks on the other side. If a trip can be reduced to 1?250th of a second, a single moment seared in memory, these pictures would be it.
We cross into Guatemala, and spend the night with Hemingway impersonators and Jimmy Buffet wannabes in Rio Dulce. The hotel has a wonderful tacky feeling. The overhead fan showers sparks. The power goes off at regular intervals, as does the water. If you want a shower, step outside. We spend a long day riding through rain. The water destroys one of my cameras, turning the LCD into an aquarium. Hey, I have enough pictures.
ALMOST THERE
At the first town over the Mexican border, we stop for directions on a crowded street. A truck sideswipes my bike, snags a sidecase, and drags me down. I’m unhurt, but the windscreen and instrument panel lie in fragments. The police, when they arrive, are the opposite of helpful. We collect the broken bits, duct tape everything in sight, and fire it up. We are unstoppable. We ride on, but the mood of the ride changes and the calendar beckons. Katie, Ryan and Jeff have to be back by a certain date, or they lose their jobs.
The ride becomes time vs. distance, a push that blurs most of Mexico, and a final border crossing into the United States.
We hurtle across long roads, nursing bikes that are showing signs of wear. Ken’s bike is missing a sidestand. Ryan’s helmet a visor. Katie treats her BMW’s busted windscreen like a badge of honor, but still, a 75-mph headwind is exhausting. Jeff’s bike has chewed the rear sprocket to nubbins, the chain is beginning to slip. It will wind up in a U-Haul 100 miles from home.
Five weeks after departing, we see the lights of Newport News. As they enter the city, Ken, Ryan and Katie spread across the road, side by side, arms raised. The long ride is over.
About the Author
To read more motorcycle tours stories like this or get reviews of the latest bikes and gear, go to ridermagazine.com or pick up a copy of Rider Magazine.