Connections, anyone?

[doc47]

Hi folks! I haven't been here for awhile.

As some of you know, I live in West Africa where I run a charity supporting rural medical clinics and sending impoverished kids to school. (www.westafricamedicine.org)

I take no salary, living on my social security alone. To get to up-country clinics and schools I ride a 2001 F650GS.

It needs a shock absorber and my two helmets are pretty much worn out, as are my gloves and ROK Straps. Equipment of any quality at all is non-existent here. I've written to several big suppliers (Dennis Kirk, MC Superstore, A&S, Max BMW, etc.) to see if they'd be willing to donate some gear. So far I've had no response from any of them.

I am not asking for donations. What I'm asking is, does anyone have connections with any outfits that might be willing to supply these things? It would be tax-deductible.

I've gotten support for the charity in the past from Caribou Cases, Bohn Armor, Slavens Racing, and, recently, Hepco & Becker. Does anybody have an “in” with any outfits that could supply these things?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Skywagon]

HI Doc...haven't seen you on a while.  Miss your posts..  I don't have any connections to any of the vendors.  I do have some equipment I will retire this year.  I have a couple of Shoei Helmets that hit the 5 year mark.  They are in great shape just a little old.  I also have some motorcycle clothing I can no longer wear due to weight loss.  If any of that is useful to you and can somehow get shipped to you economically let me know.  It wouldn't take too much postage to exceed the value of the gear though.  Perhaps others on this site might be able to help.

 

Sure would like to see an update on your mission and pictures.  All the best.

[Mike]

On 12/29/2019 at 1:23 PM, Skywagon said:

HI Doc...haven't seen you on a while.  Miss your posts..  I don't have any connections to any of the vendors.  I do have some equipment I will retire this year.  I have a couple of Shoei Helmets that hit the 5 year mark.  They are in great shape just a little old.  I also have some motorcycle clothing I can no longer wear due to weight loss.  If any of that is useful to you and can somehow get shipped to you economically let me know.  It wouldn't take too much postage to exceed the value of the gear though.  Perhaps others on this site might be able to help.

 

Sure would like to see an update on your mission and pictures.  All the best.

Same here. I have some gloves that just didn’t work for me. Sizes of what you need would help. Also, if you could post this in FB, we could share with folks we’re connected to there. 

[Tri750]

Hopefully, he has a shipping point where a bin or two of items could be included with regular shipments and those that can donate can forward items there ? 

Or a paypal type account ? 

[doc47]

I wear large size gloves and large helmet. Gloves would have to be mesh/summer-weight. Helmet: off-road or dual-sport. It gets hellishly dusty and goggles are a necessity.

So far, the only response I've gotten was from Giant Loop in response to a kind letter to them from John Ranaletta. Sadly, I'm not in need of panniers but I did tell them my Rok Straps are dying. It was kind of them to take an interest in what we're doing here.

Shipping is always a problem. USPS is bloody expensive. So is UPS. DHL International isn't too bad, at least from Europe and the UK. That takes a month.

The cheapest way is to get items included in a container being shipped from  the States. That takes about 3 months minimum. I occasionally hear about someone sending a container and there are some companies that do it on a regular basis to The Gambia. I don't know of any that ship to Senegal, but if they did it would be to Dakar, which is really far from here.

Postal service in The Gambia has gone downhill since Jammeh, the dictator, was thrown out 3 years ago. (Mussolini made the trains run on time, and everyone was scared enough of Jammeh that some things worked better!) Packages and letters get sent to the wrong post office routinely and nobody bothers to search for missing items.

Here, in southern Senegal, the poste is much more reliable. (Government agencies, in general, are more professional here.) Plus, the guys at the nearest post-office (25 km away in Diouloulou) know me and the work we are doing and watch out for anything sent to me. In exchange I occasionally treat them to cafe touba and give free medical consultations.

I'm open to any suggestions for contacts. I've written to WP and Wilbers to see if they would comp me a new shock for the GS, but I haven't heard back from them. I'm amazed that the shock on the bike, which I assume is original, is still functioning as well as it is but, after 18 years, it is showing its age. That F650GS takes a licking and keeps on ticking. 

Thanks for the interest, guys! Thanks much!