Post by Yotes65 on Sept 25, 2010 17:13:04 GMT -7
I so excited to be finally going on my first Over Night Bike this year. The plan was to meet a group of Triumph Riders from the TriumphRat.Net web site in Taos, New Mexico on the weekend of September 10th to the 12th... Ready, Set, GO!!!!
Well, my weekend trip to Taos did not started out very well. Since I had to work for a few hours on Thursday morning, I had the group (Jeff, his son Jesse, and Arthur) meet me @ my house @ 10:30 AM. We were on the road by 11:00 AM. Approx 45 miles from my place, Jeff's 1999 Sprint broke down. His son Jesse was riding it. Jeff flew Jesse in from Florida so he could join us on this ride. The look on the poor kids face said it all when he asked his dad if this was going to be a very short trip. Jeff replied that it looks like it would be...
I said not really... I have a spare bike. We could have his biked towed back to my place & I could grab my Sprint. We all agreed for the 3 of them would continue on, & I would go back with the tow truck to swap bikes.
I get home & transfer all of Jesse's clothes from his dad's Sprint over to my Sprint. Grab a bite to eat & off I go. The original route that the group would be riding was to go from Phoenix up to Payson, to Heber, up to Holbrook and then slab across I-40 to I-25 & then North to Taos. I decide to take all Interstate, I-17 North to Flagstaff and I-40 across AZ to New Mexico so I could make up some time. Get past Flagstaff & stopped for gas approx 35 miles East of Flagstaff at Meteor Crater. As I pull out of the gas station, my oil light comes on & the bike is smoking out of the exhaust. I'd turned around & head back to the gas station. Went to trade a headlight for some oil from a BMW rider who just happened to pull up. As I kneel down to the bike I noticed the pool of oil below my bike... is that from my bike. I’d slide my hand along the bottom of the fairing and now my hand is covered by oil… Damn... I’d thanked the BWM Guy and said he might as well keep his oil.
Called for a tow truck to pick up my Sprint to take it back to Flagstaff... Only no shop in Flagstaff wants to work on my Triumph. Asked how much to tow it back to Phoenix... First 100 miles are covered by insurance. Each additional mile is $5. From where I'm stranded at to the shop that I need to take the bike to is 176 miles, so an extra $380. Crap… so I started to figure out where 100 miles would put me. Hmmmm, looks like Camp Verde, AZ. I've found a buddy who could meet me in Camp Verde & trailer the bike back to Phoenix the last 76 miles. It would only cost me a Bar Tab. What a Buddy!
So I’m sitting at the Mobile Gas Station at Meteor Crater waiting for the tow truck. It's been 2 hours since this messed all started... And still no tow truck. I’m calling & texting my mechanic, the misses, my riding buddies that I’m supposed to be with, my friend Mark who will be meeting me in Camp Verde… being in the remote roaming area, my battery dies quickly. Crap… The tow truck finally arrives and we get the bike loaded and start the trek home. My 2nd tow truck ride for the day.
As we head back towards Phoenix, I’d realize that I have all of Jesses clothes & he has mine, including my glasses & work phone. Now I can survive without these items for I have more at home. However I'm approx 100 lbs. bigger & 8 inches taller than Jesse. My stuff would look awful funny on the poor kid. Since I will be home on Friday, I am able to work from home so I do not lose the 8 hours of pay for I am a Contract worker, no work, no pay. I stay have to decide if I want to make the 585 mile trek up to Taos in the cage so I can meet everyone & have Dinner with them, have a few drinks, spend the night & then head back to Phoenix on Sunday... Don't know yet... but I’m leaning to not going.
The bike was dropped off at the shop on Friday the 10th… waiting to hear what the issue is & how much it is going to cost me.
I really need to go for a ride…
Well, my weekend trip to Taos did not started out very well. Since I had to work for a few hours on Thursday morning, I had the group (Jeff, his son Jesse, and Arthur) meet me @ my house @ 10:30 AM. We were on the road by 11:00 AM. Approx 45 miles from my place, Jeff's 1999 Sprint broke down. His son Jesse was riding it. Jeff flew Jesse in from Florida so he could join us on this ride. The look on the poor kids face said it all when he asked his dad if this was going to be a very short trip. Jeff replied that it looks like it would be...
I said not really... I have a spare bike. We could have his biked towed back to my place & I could grab my Sprint. We all agreed for the 3 of them would continue on, & I would go back with the tow truck to swap bikes.
I get home & transfer all of Jesse's clothes from his dad's Sprint over to my Sprint. Grab a bite to eat & off I go. The original route that the group would be riding was to go from Phoenix up to Payson, to Heber, up to Holbrook and then slab across I-40 to I-25 & then North to Taos. I decide to take all Interstate, I-17 North to Flagstaff and I-40 across AZ to New Mexico so I could make up some time. Get past Flagstaff & stopped for gas approx 35 miles East of Flagstaff at Meteor Crater. As I pull out of the gas station, my oil light comes on & the bike is smoking out of the exhaust. I'd turned around & head back to the gas station. Went to trade a headlight for some oil from a BMW rider who just happened to pull up. As I kneel down to the bike I noticed the pool of oil below my bike... is that from my bike. I’d slide my hand along the bottom of the fairing and now my hand is covered by oil… Damn... I’d thanked the BWM Guy and said he might as well keep his oil.
Called for a tow truck to pick up my Sprint to take it back to Flagstaff... Only no shop in Flagstaff wants to work on my Triumph. Asked how much to tow it back to Phoenix... First 100 miles are covered by insurance. Each additional mile is $5. From where I'm stranded at to the shop that I need to take the bike to is 176 miles, so an extra $380. Crap… so I started to figure out where 100 miles would put me. Hmmmm, looks like Camp Verde, AZ. I've found a buddy who could meet me in Camp Verde & trailer the bike back to Phoenix the last 76 miles. It would only cost me a Bar Tab. What a Buddy!
So I’m sitting at the Mobile Gas Station at Meteor Crater waiting for the tow truck. It's been 2 hours since this messed all started... And still no tow truck. I’m calling & texting my mechanic, the misses, my riding buddies that I’m supposed to be with, my friend Mark who will be meeting me in Camp Verde… being in the remote roaming area, my battery dies quickly. Crap… The tow truck finally arrives and we get the bike loaded and start the trek home. My 2nd tow truck ride for the day.
As we head back towards Phoenix, I’d realize that I have all of Jesses clothes & he has mine, including my glasses & work phone. Now I can survive without these items for I have more at home. However I'm approx 100 lbs. bigger & 8 inches taller than Jesse. My stuff would look awful funny on the poor kid. Since I will be home on Friday, I am able to work from home so I do not lose the 8 hours of pay for I am a Contract worker, no work, no pay. I stay have to decide if I want to make the 585 mile trek up to Taos in the cage so I can meet everyone & have Dinner with them, have a few drinks, spend the night & then head back to Phoenix on Sunday... Don't know yet... but I’m leaning to not going.
The bike was dropped off at the shop on Friday the 10th… waiting to hear what the issue is & how much it is going to cost me.
I really need to go for a ride…