Overlander Interview - Cecilia Rojas

[dhackney]

Date: 5 August 2008
Location: Cusco, Peru
Overlanders: Cecilia Rojas
Nationality: Switzerland
Expedition: Trip 94-97: North America, Australia, South East Asia; Trip 2005 - ?: Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia, Mongolia, China, Pakistan, India, South America
Expedition duration: 10/2005 to ?
Vehicle: 1989 BMW R100GS
Engine: 1 liter, 2 cylinder, gasoline
Total Vehicle Kilometers: 320,000
Current Expedition Kilometers: N/A [I did not obtain this data]
Fuel Effeciency: N/A [I did not obtain this data]
Vehicle notes: The motor has never been rebuilt. Transmission rebuild twice (bearings). Frame broke in Colca Canyon, Peru. Local weld repair. Replacement frame inbound to a friend's shop in Argentina when we met Cecilia. Stripped Heli-coil on head stud (see details below).
Trip notes: Plans to be in Alaska for summer 2009.
Comments: Exceptional amount of solo world travel by motorcycle.
Web site: http://fernweh-travels.blogspot.com/

 

[Dave Bennett]

Awesome! :bowdown:

 

[dhackney]

update

Cecilia with her new tent. She lost an identical one off the back of her bike the day she arrived at the campground. It took over two weeks to arrive and clear customs.

The tent is very expensive but it's the best design I've ever seen for motorcycle camping.

Cecilia pulling her left head while the rest of the campground relaxes and plays. This was her second time replacing the weeping base gasket. When she got it off she found that the factory heli-coil on the upper rear stud had failed. This was the first major engine problem she's had. She's rebuild the tranny twice.

 

[dhackney]

Update on Cecelia and the heli-coil.

The part finally came in and the day before we left she was successful in installing it (on the second try).

We last saw her on the road to the sacred valley as she was returning after a 200+ KM warmup ride. She needed to re-torque the head after that and was then planning to depart for central Peru.

We hope to see her in that area when we get up there.

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Very cool. Keep up the good work and have safe travels.


Thank you