The first three (almost 4) weeks of our trip have been spent in Los Angeles getting our KLR's ready. It's been a long time. Definitely, doesn't need to take this long. Must be the freedom thing happening. When you get it, you can either choose to slack off most of the day or do something productive. So far slacking has taken priority. Sorry you can't see the smile on my face.
Enough of that though we have gotten some things done and here it is.
We've done (bought the pieces and had the shop put them on) the following mods on both bikes - Acerbis metal hand guards, larger windshields, radiator guard, water pump guard, metal skid plate, fork brace and fitted fork boots for the brace, upgrade to the subframe, lite guard (just a thick plastic cover placed on the front headlight, damn thing costs $13, sick!), replaced stock tubes with heavy duty tubes, and replaced the stock seat with the Corbin dished seat (future passengers should thank us).
My bike will also run with Kawasaki soft saddles bags, and Aerostich tank panniers (thanks David).
Smokey's will have Cortech saddlebags and a JoeRocket tank bag.
Most of our cloths and camp gear will be stowed in ruksacks that we'll bungy to the seat behind us.
Today we did our packing and so far so good. Everything we planned on taking will probably fit (don't have Smokey's saddlebags yet, so can't say for sure) and I think total weight of all bags will end up being about 60-70 pounds each.

Now it's time for the latest "plan".
Leave Tuesday (Nov15th) morning and head to Vegas (Vegas Baby, Vegas!). Meet up with Smokey's brother Mickey for a day. Leave Vegas on Wednesday and head back to Los Angeles to pick up saddlebags and any last minute things.
Thursday head south. If I'm allowed to cross the border without my bike registration head to Ensenada, where the start of the Baja 1000 takes place on Friday. I could go on, but it feels futile. I'm just dying to get out of Los Angeles at this point. Hopefully, my next entry will be from somewhere with fewer gringos.
Till then,
G