Yesterday's blog crashed while I was proof reading it, so I had to redo a big chunk of it :-(. Its also freezing out there, as in 32° freezing, but hey, at least there's no snow. But I'm not too worried, as by the time I leave, its going to be warmer, I hope.
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| I took this after I cleaned my part of my seat. |
I do the 3 S's and pack the bike, and checkout. It's time to hit the highway, which is just down the street. I'm in to first gear and then 2nd and that's when it happens, I lose the shifter and I'm stuck in 1st gear. So instead of hitting the on ramp to I-40, I head straight to Love's truck stop and shut her down. It's not what I needed on the trip. The "What do I do, the fuck now", thoughts come to mind.
Anyway, time to dig the tools out and see what's actually gone wrong. 10 minutes later, I have it apart and one of the pins (screw) has sheared off the linkage. It's a known problem.
One of the reasons I upgraded the shift linkage is so this would not happen. This could have happened for a couple of reasons. The first one was, because I dropped the bike on the shifter in Trenton, ON and I had to readjust it a few years ago, to get it working again. The second reason, someone could have been playing with the bike when I was not there (like last night when I was sleeping). The third, that I can think of, was that the upgrade was actually defective. So whatever the reason was that it broke, I've still got to fix it. Thank God the guys on the BMWlt forum for recommend that you carry a spare, which I do, and its the old one. I give credit to the gentleman who designed the upgrade, because all the parts between the old and new one are interchangeable. So some of the old and some of the new parts come together and its as good a new ;-) (I hope). The biggest problem is readjusting the shifter so it shifts both up and down, which sounds easier than it actually is. It took three adjustments, which actually means taking it apart 3 times to get it working well. It's also at this time, that I noticed the rear tire had a couple of bulge's on the tread. I could ride the tire a few miles, but nowhere near all the way home. So a quick prayer to the motorcycle gods that the tire will last at least 350 miles, so I can get it to a dealer in the ABQ.
By the time I get back on the I-40 its 10:30 in the morning. This is going to be a full tank to empty run, and that's how it turned out. 220 miles later I arrive in Gallup, NM and the bike just starts going into reserve :-). A stop at McD's for lunch, fill up the bike and back on the road.
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| The lens was greasy, but I like the pic. |
I check the tire and it is holding up. Funny part is that both took 1 1/2 hours, 1/2 hour for lunch and updating the blog, and 1 home, for the time change. Now I'm back on the road for the easy part, 130 miles, and I get into Albuquerque, NM around 5pm. Lucky for me, I happen to book the motel 1 1/2 miles from the dealer, and this was before all my problems started. The only problem is that they are closed Sunday and Monday's. I like the ABQ, so if it had to be stuck anywhere, I'm glad its here.
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| Yea, that's my bike down there, hey, they can't be all great pic's. |
The temperatures rouse after I got on the other side of Flagstaff, AZ from 70° and all the way into the 80°'s when I got into the ABQ.
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| The 3 wheelers are from Québec |
The usual wind down and dinner, good night
Today's mileage 365 miles / 587 km
Totals. 695 miles / 1118 km
Distance to Niagara scooter run 1801 miles
Or 2898 km
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