Motorcycle Journeys Trip Logs

Author: Gale

  • Aerostich Roadcrafter 40k maintenance

    Such a little thing — whoa, what a project.

    On my ride to Big Bend National Park I had the right leg zipper pull on my Aerostich 2 piece Roadcrafter suit self destruct on the way to Granbury, TX. I went to the hardware store in Alpine, north of Big Bend, and got a ring to thread throw what was left of the pull, but it was extremely difficult to use. I initially thought I’d have to send the suit back to Aerostich (at great expense) but was able to order zipper repair parts for $10 instead. So today I needed to install the replacement parts to repair it.

    I speak as someone who unhesitatingly tackles motorcycle maintenance (okay, so I’m a girl) and have sewn pretty much every thing and anything I’ve wanted since I was  five years old and, without saying, this had involved a lot of zippers. So I thought no big deal. I’ll replace the blown out zipper pull.  Good lord.

    It starts with the instructions to use a needle nose plier to get the zipper stops off. Okay — needle nose pliers are a pinching instrument — how does this get the stops loose? This is the first call to Aerostich. I don’t know Aerostich’s experience with needle nose removal technique, but after discussing this with them I was able to insert a very small screw driver blade under each side of the zipper stop and loosen it enough for it to pop off the zipper tape without tearing up the zipper tape.

    Next comes the zipper pull itself. Which of course will not come off because the zipper tape is turned under so abruptly after the zipper teeth. Second call to Aerostich. Their suggestion is to pry open the zipper pull without damaging the zipper teeth. How does one do this when the metal zipper pull is firmly lodged over the fragile zipper teeth. No explanation.

    I look at the replacement zipper pull and see that one end is open so I work on opening that end of the existing pull. About 30 minutes later the broken pull comes off. Hallelueah.

    Now to get the new pull on. The recommendation is to also pry open the new pull and then close it after it is on the zipper. After a lot of struggle I am able to get the new pull started on the zipper tape — only to find out I’ve picked the wrong  pull. Groan… Their instructions don’t mention that the zipper size is clearly noted on the back of the zipper pull, which would of course tell you which one needs to go back on. I get the 1o zipper pull off and start working on the 8.

    About 30 minutes later I have the zipper pull on but when I get it all the way to the top, the teeth don’t quite match and it leaves a little gap for air and rain to get into. If you think I’m starting over, you’re out of your mind. I’ll live with it and if it ends up leaking too much I’ll.\try this again.

    I attach the zipper stops and after 2 hours of stuggle the zipper pull is working.

    I should mention that I’m a scuba diver and know the wisdom of zipper maintenance, so I wax the zippers regularly to keep them in good shape and also to hopefully seal out moisture. A good dry suit zipper wax would be good for all motorcycle gear since the zippers take so much abuse.

    The next time I need this done I think I’d adjust my valve clearances (a horrible job on the F650) and let someone else fix the zipper.

  • City rider vs. Adventure rider

    Have you ever heard the saying that the adventure doesn’t begin until the first thing goes wrong? This one concept may be what separates an adventure rider from a city rider.

    I ride a BMW motorcycle. A fairly eclectic breed of motorcycle, but I ride an F650 GS which may be considered by some the red haired step child of the BMW line. But even at the low end of the line, I suspect GS riders may be a different group from the average BMW rider — they more firmly adhere to the aforementioned idea of when the adventure begins.

    An example of this is that if I have motorcycle problems I’m not a prima donna rider — I’m the strip off the gloves, pull off the fairing, and figure out what’s wrong kind of rider. And I’m a girl. I do not want  to be defeated, to be stopped by a mechanical problem. It’s simply a challenge that presents itself and needs to be solved. One of many challenges that present themselves along the road and need to be solved. But I temper this desire with the fact that I don’t have the skill or the strength to fix all problems. And there are simply some problems that require a part that I won’t have with me.

    In the past I’ve been blessed with a riding buddy who is the skilled, knowledgeable, and inventive. He will not  be defeated by mechanical problems either. Actually I don’t know if the word defeat is even in his vocabulary. When we were camping in Guadalupe Mountain National Park with winds gusting to 60 MPH that afternoon (75 MPH that night) a wind gust blew over his fully loaded motorcycle breaking several things in the fall. It took him a while, but he calmly and patiently glued a crack in his windshield, ducted taped a broken turn signal, found a way to secure a broken side view mirror stem, and used JB Weld to repair a broken windshield bracket. On another trip I watched him use JB Weld to seal a crack in a valve cover well enough to get him home. Need I say he’s a great mentor for me to ride with?

    I’ve been blessed with few problems on the road, but that may because I haven’t logged enough miles for it to happen yet. In December 2008 my battery gave up the ghost when I was on a ride to San Antonio by myself caused by too much electric heated clothing on a failing battery. I was stuck in a left turn lane in the middle of a Christmas Eve shopping frenzy with people blowing their horns and zooming around me. I realized the horns and zooming had stopped and turned around to find a pickup stopped behind me providing protection. Not long after a young cop pulled behind him to protect the pickup and both men helped me jump the motorcycle and get me on my way.

    I had my second motorcycle failure last week when it hesitated and stopped completely on the way to Big Bend. I was somewhat dismayed that I was riding with someone who stood around and offered no assistance, but pleasantly surprised by four other men who stopped and did help. While not on their motorcycles at the moment, they were all riders and very nice people.

    When the motorcycle first stopped I called the dealership where I bought the motorcycle and the only assistance they would offer was for me to have it towed to the nearest dealer. I resisted the desire to ask the service manager if he was smoking crack and politely hung up. They sell “adventure” motorcycles and this is the help they provide?

    I’m currently researching a troubleshooting guide to print and take with me so I can do a better job of diagnosing problems. I’m going to buy a card size multireader to help with electrical problems on the road. And thank god for cells phones since I should be able to get hold of someone for help and suggestions wherever I am.

    My fervent wish is that my motorcycle will never be on a trailer. I don’t know if I’ll be lucky enough to get my wish, but I’m going to do all I can to make it so. I feel like I have great guardian angels riding with me since I think my son and dad are with my every mile of the way. My dad is the one who taught me to fix things and who didn’t believe in the two words “I can’t”. If I ever slipped and used those works I was quickly corrected “You can do anything you want to. You decided you don’t want to.” Another great mentor…

    I can’t imagine riding with anyone who I wouldn’t get off my motorcycle and help if they were having problems. Even if all I could do was to hand them tools — I would never stand by and do nothing. I guess  I would expect nothing less from anyone I ride with. Up until this weekend I thought everyone was this kind of rider, but I apparently I was mistaken. I wonder if this speaks to the adventure rider vs. city rider difference.

    I am the first to admit that I’m sort of a baby adventure rider, but I guess the 12,000 mile ride to Canada last summer earned me the category even if I’m in the infancy of the stage. I’ll have to see how I do if I break down and there’s no one around. Or a break down and the people who are around aren’t nice people. Or if the problem is too severe for me to do anything about. I already know I don’t stand a chance of fixing a flat by myself since I have tubed tires and can’t just plug it. I carry the things to fix the tire, but know I can’t do it alone.

    But I’m also a firm advocate of the quote by Sir Edmund Hillary (first man to summit Mount Everest) “If you’re going to start out on an adventure, and you’re absolutely convinced you are going to be successful, why start?”

  • Starting to Plan for Yosemite

    I need to get serious about planning for the ride to California to go to the Treasures of Yosemite rally. The president of the Expresso riders, Bob Morrow, has been my point of contact for the rally and he’s been really wonderful. He helped me track down a roommate to split the cost of the room and even kept an eye out for folks coming from my part of the country to see if I could come up with people to ride with. The latter didn’t pan out, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying on Bob’s part — and he lined up a great roommate. I’m looking forward to meeting him at the rally

    http://www.expressoriders.org/2010%20Rally.htm

    Since this will be my longest solo ride to date I want to have it well planned out — how many miles I want to do each day and a variety of options of where to spend the night that include motels, hostels, and camping.

    It’s a 1,600 mile one way ride if I go straight to Yosemite from home, but I have no interest in blasting out and back on the interstate and want to stop at some national parks, especially Mesa Verde in southeast Colorado. I really want to see the cliff dwellings there and hopefully get some pictures.

    I am still trying to add states to my motorcycling resume so I want to take a northerly route out that loops up into Utah and then a southerly route home that will take me through Grand Canyon. Obviously Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico will be repeats, but I’ll be adding Utah, Nevada, California, and Arizona.

    One book I used in planning the route to and from Canada last summer and am using again is:

    National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, 3d Ed.

    A new one that I bought for this trip is:

    National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, 6th Edition

    I would highly recommend both and I’m really enjoying the information in the national parks book. Great write ups on what to see at each park and how to plan for visits of different lengths. And as you’d expect I’m doing a lot of research on the internet and plugging sample routes into MapSource.

    I would like to do no more than 500 miles a day. With stops to do some sight seeing and picture taking that should get me to my overnight spot before dark. I’m checking on US hostels to save money on lodging, but the trick will be seeing if I can coordinate that with the end of a 500 mile day going to the places I’d like to see. I want to do some camping while on the trip and other than that I want to find really cheap hotels since I’m traveling on a budget. I should be gone around two weeks for this trip and after splurging on the Tenaya Lodge where the rally is, I’m going to need to seriously watch my nickels and dimes for the rest of the trip.

    I’ll post more as the planning progresses.

    Motorcycle Sport Touring Association’s STAR 2010 rally

  • My definition of a great motorcycle riding buddy

    While reading this you should bear in mind that I am a small female rider who didn’t start riding until fairly late in life so that colors what I value in a riding buddy.

    I like riding with guys. Why guys? Less drama, better riders who I can learn from, in the long run I think they’re more fun. To be honest I need my motorcycle moved occassionally because I park in a poorly selected locations (anything that requires backing up even the slightest incline) and sometimes I need my motorcycle picked up since I’ve been known to go down on gravel and simply drop it when I’m tired.

    Ideally I’d like my riding buddy to have a decent level of first aid and CPR because I want to know the person I ride with can take care of me or anyone else if something goes wrong. This is something I provide the people I ride with — I want to get it in return.

    I also want my riding buddy to have mechanical ability so if one of our motorcycles stops running his first thought will not be to call for towing. The ability to fix a flat tire, repair things that may break when a bike drops, diagnose why a motorcycle won’t run are all basic skills I would like to see. One of the reasons I prefer riding with males is because there are times when I work on my motorcycle that I’m not strong enough to break bolts loose — I need someone who can.

    A basic attitude that we’re in it together and to share all chores when camping, take care of each other, and always help each other with bike problems is definitely required.

    For a guy to ride with me he has to have the ability to dial back his testosterone induced need for high speeds so that I am able to ride with him on my 650. He also has to have a pretty decent sense of humor to get him through the times when I’m scared, over tired, or starved since I tend to get a little cranky at those times. I rally quickly, but I do have my cranky moments. He also needs to be able to handle the rare meltdown — I’ve had days when I’ve been so scared for so long that I have ended up in tears. An important point here is that I am not fearless like some people are — I do things even though I’m scared. It catches up with me at times.

    Speaking of sharing the work of camping — it’s a lot more fun to ride with someone who has good camping experience and skills. When it comes to other accomodations someone has to be comfortable in luxury hotels and also tolerant when less than stellar motels are all the available. I’ve had to spend the night in some near hovels because I was too tired to go farther. Not my favorite thing, but not the end of the world either.

    There are some motorcyclists that ride only for the ride — if it can’t be seen from the motorcycle it doesn’t need to be seen. Take pictures? Forget it. This approach doesn’t work for me.

    I love the ride but I ride to see the world so I like to stop to see things and even take time to get photographs. I research the trips before I go and know what I want to see along the way. One reason I don’t like ridiculously high speeds is that I really believe the experience should be savored. I don’t have the ability to savor at 90 MPH.

    That’s a pretty good start — I’ll post more ideas as I come up with them.

  • My weekend with Murphy’s Law

    If anyone is wondering where Murphy’s Law went since their luck has suddenly returned — not to worry. Murphy’s Law is staying with me for a while. I’m going to stick with equipment problems — this would be an extremely long post if I included people problems too.

    It started with a ride that just didn’t feel right from the start (previous post) and continued from there.

    On Wednesday we stopped in Granbury to get lunch and after I get off the motorcycle I realize the zipper pull on the right leg of my Aerostich suit has self-destructed into pieces. That should make it interesting to get in and out of my suit for the remainder of the trip.

    90 miles later I’m in Brownwood, Texas and my motorcycle hesitates, dies, and won’t restart. Perfect. But not to worry — it took a little while but I found the faulty fuse and I was back on the road. I am just really concerned about what short or other problem caused the blown fuse. Okay I’m also concerned my riding buddy stood by and did nothing while four other guys showed up and actually helped.

    Thursday I get from Brownwood to Alpine without any events — other than riding into a 35-40 MPH headwind behind a riding buddy who thought 88 was an appropriate speed for those conditions. I felt like I was about to be lifted off my motorcycle and started to experience muscle fatigue across my collar bones from holding on so hard. At least my new Ztechnik windshield didn’t rip off…

    On Friday I’m headed down to Santa Elena Canyon and am watching the temperature rise on my thermometer. On the last 2-3 miles before the canyon I get stuck behind an extremely slow moving truck and as I’m crawling along in near 1o0 degree heat the overheating warning light comes on. I have ridden in 106 degree heat at painfully slow speeds in deep gravel and I have never seen that light come on. Again, perfect.

    I tell my riding buddy to go look at the canyon and I remove the plastic from my F650 and check the coolant level. I add may be less than 1/2 a cup of water and it dumps onto the pavement. It is NOT a low coolant problem despite the fact that my water pump was replaced improperly and I’m dripping coolant every time I stop.

    Oh, did I mention that? I had told the guys who helped install the water pump that there should be a gap between the seals, but they installed them hammered together. So now I have dripping coolant all the time and will need to drain the coolant and oil and redo the water pump installation. I’ve got that to look forward to, but that is not the cause of the over heating. You want to know how irritating it is to see coolant dripping every time you stop your motorcycle?

    Saturday was a low mile day due to high winds so no motorcycle problems (only people problems).

    Sunday is the long ride day to get back to the Dallas area from Big Bend. About 4 hours out from Dallas I notice my battery gauge isn’t working. Shortly after that thought I realize my heated clothing isn’t heating. Right after that it dawns on me that my music is missing in action too. Peachy. That means my accessory fuse block has completely cut out.  That means two shorts in one weekend — not a good sign.

    Okay — I said I would leave people problems out. I lied.

    I stop and tell him I’ve stopped because I’ve lost my heated clothing and I start taking the bike apart to get to fuses to see if I can solve the problem. He folds his hands, leans back against his back rest and settles in for a nap. I’m struggling to pull fuses with no fuse puller and he sits. I can’t get the fuse out that protects the Centech AP-1 and ask for help. He reluctantly and slowly dismounts his motorcycle and a pulls the fuse.

    I get a snotty “You’re not going to figure it out until your remove the plastic” (lengthy check) and he gets back on his motorcycle. Screw it. I make the ride home in high wind with no heated clothing.

    My next post is what I consider a good riding buddy.