Day 2 and "Houston, we have a problem"
Well, the tent was nice and airey - no fly (no chance of rain). Also no stakes! the ground was rock. Not rock hard, just, ah, rock. I held the tent in place in the (thankfully) diminishing wind with my hard bags and helmet. Started the night off laying atop my therma-rest, then inside the silk bag liner, then finally inside the sleeping bag itself. 64 degrees before morning.
16 miles back into Ft Sumner for breakfast... was that a hint of a stutter? Hmmmmm. This will either drive me nuts or make me let it go. Although Hico Texas claims to have the grave of Billy the Kid, folks around here know that it's really in the Ft Sumner graveyard out back. So I go check it out. Seems to be right, as he is still behind bars, along with a couple of his best buddies. I should wish the same for some folks I know.
Again, the vastness and solitude are nearly frightening. Need to put a bottle of water in the kit and bring the Camelback. Had breakfast at the re-opened Sadies on the advise of the Allsup attendant. In Texas it's 7/11's, NM its Allsup's, and further north it'll be Jug n' Loaf.
Starting to miss friends and family and conversation. You have to work to start up interaction out here on the road. Stopped in Clines Corner on I-40 heading west. Man the wind! Even the trucks were slowed down - though still passing me. Some little girl went into a screaming fit at the souvenier shop and her dad took her outside saying they just didn't have the money for whatever it was. From the tone of his voice one could tell he just didn't want to buy it. Screaming continued unabaited, and actually rising in pitch until Mom went back for candy. This undercut Dad, and to cap it off, the little vixen shrieked that it wasn't the right candy!!!
Kept trying to get a weather report from people, but no one was bothering to find out or monitor. We feel invincible in our steel cages, why worry about Mother Nature? Literally, the only time people seemed aware was the 10 yards between the car and the shop. Finally a BLM guy arrived with a report, followed by 2 riders on V-stroms reporting a low passing through dropping snow in Sante Fe and high winds. Duh.
Passed through Albuqurque no problem, and north on I-25. Got off at NM550 for my run into the Jemez mountains and stopped at a Burger d'Roi for lunch. Was attracted by a young-ish woman in long skirts (NM, remember) working on her radiator. I wandered over to watch and maybe help, and noted her putting in water and pepper. Pepper? Yes, it swells and stopps the leaks. She said she drove this old car because she could 'fix' it and didn't want to be stranded with the kids. Fixed? with Pepper? Patched, maybe.
After my sumptious repast I headed up 550 towards my turn-off into the reward for the ride at San Ysidro. BUT I began to feel the stutter and stumble again.
I think.
No, I'm sure.
Not like before for Wolf or me where the rpms and speed would drop, but something amiss. So I pulled into an AutoZone (incase I need a tool) to change the Ignition Module - the last of the original ignitions system. Must've been an impressive sight, seat and tank off, tools layed out, removing electrical components, etc. About 30 min later I'm back in business, riding up 550 trying to convince myself it wasn't STILL doing it.
But I can't.
I'm less than 1/2 way through the first 1/3 of the first 1/2 (got that???) of the trip to Canada and on remote roads with my daughter on a bike that has had issues before. If this were a 777 enroute Moscow over the Pacific it would be the same decision. At agas station filling up I give Bruce Davidson, BMW guru, one last call and we got no ideas between us. So,
back down NM550
back across I-40
back down TX287
to Clarendon. All at 70mph with no problems and the only stutter at low speeds.
I stopped at the Western Skies Motel, circa 1960, for a restless night, then back to the MetroMess where Bruce couldn't feel the problem, and, after 2 beers and a couple hours decompressing with Jeff Buehner, neither could I.
16 miles back into Ft Sumner for breakfast... was that a hint of a stutter? Hmmmmm. This will either drive me nuts or make me let it go. Although Hico Texas claims to have the grave of Billy the Kid, folks around here know that it's really in the Ft Sumner graveyard out back. So I go check it out. Seems to be right, as he is still behind bars, along with a couple of his best buddies. I should wish the same for some folks I know.
Again, the vastness and solitude are nearly frightening. Need to put a bottle of water in the kit and bring the Camelback. Had breakfast at the re-opened Sadies on the advise of the Allsup attendant. In Texas it's 7/11's, NM its Allsup's, and further north it'll be Jug n' Loaf.
Starting to miss friends and family and conversation. You have to work to start up interaction out here on the road. Stopped in Clines Corner on I-40 heading west. Man the wind! Even the trucks were slowed down - though still passing me. Some little girl went into a screaming fit at the souvenier shop and her dad took her outside saying they just didn't have the money for whatever it was. From the tone of his voice one could tell he just didn't want to buy it. Screaming continued unabaited, and actually rising in pitch until Mom went back for candy. This undercut Dad, and to cap it off, the little vixen shrieked that it wasn't the right candy!!!Kept trying to get a weather report from people, but no one was bothering to find out or monitor. We feel invincible in our steel cages, why worry about Mother Nature? Literally, the only time people seemed aware was the 10 yards between the car and the shop. Finally a BLM guy arrived with a report, followed by 2 riders on V-stroms reporting a low passing through dropping snow in Sante Fe and high winds. Duh.
Passed through Albuqurque no problem, and north on I-25. Got off at NM550 for my run into the Jemez mountains and stopped at a Burger d'Roi for lunch. Was attracted by a young-ish woman in long skirts (NM, remember) working on her radiator. I wandered over to watch and maybe help, and noted her putting in water and pepper. Pepper? Yes, it swells and stopps the leaks. She said she drove this old car because she could 'fix' it and didn't want to be stranded with the kids. Fixed? with Pepper? Patched, maybe.
After my sumptious repast I headed up 550 towards my turn-off into the reward for the ride at San Ysidro. BUT I began to feel the stutter and stumble again.
I think.
No, I'm sure.
Not like before for Wolf or me where the rpms and speed would drop, but something amiss. So I pulled into an AutoZone (incase I need a tool) to change the Ignition Module - the last of the original ignitions system. Must've been an impressive sight, seat and tank off, tools layed out, removing electrical components, etc. About 30 min later I'm back in business, riding up 550 trying to convince myself it wasn't STILL doing it.
But I can't.
I'm less than 1/2 way through the first 1/3 of the first 1/2 (got that???) of the trip to Canada and on remote roads with my daughter on a bike that has had issues before. If this were a 777 enroute Moscow over the Pacific it would be the same decision. At agas station filling up I give Bruce Davidson, BMW guru, one last call and we got no ideas between us. So,
back down NM550
back across I-40
back down TX287
to Clarendon. All at 70mph with no problems and the only stutter at low speeds.
I stopped at the Western Skies Motel, circa 1960, for a restless night, then back to the MetroMess where Bruce couldn't feel the problem, and, after 2 beers and a couple hours decompressing with Jeff Buehner, neither could I.
So, now what?????
posted by Randy Masters at 1:08 PM
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