Tiffany Goes to Labrador

The mountains looked big next to Thelma

Sweet!

Where are you now?

she dropped by my shop on the 28th on her way through Toronto.

Hi Tom
thanks so much for your help at the workshop with the dodgy coil and the whirlwind tour of Toronto

I am now in Montreal staying with a GS 1100 RTW couple and talking travel non-stop. I`ll also be searching out some more photos to post up.

Hi folks,

I just got a call from Tiffany (whom we had the pleasure of meeting this week when she stayed a couple of days with us). She is currently about 300 kilometers from Labrador city (which would put her roughly in the middle of nowhere) and her starter is acting up. She thinks that getting to Labrador city will not be a problem but she will most likely need help once she gets there. From what I could gather, the starter is making a rather unpleasant "I'm about to die so just leave me be" kind of noise. She does not have internet access right now but will check in once she gets to Lab city.

Is there anybody in Labrador city that can help her sort out this starter problem? Anybody ever had repairs done up there, please pipe in!

Check the old's cool inquiry.

for assistance..

Lots of folks on the road heading for mikes place..
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=529229

Sorry, offhand I don't know anyone in Lab City who could help, straight8 went through there a few days ago and is close to me now.

Tiffany you're welcome to pop up a tent in my yard when you make it this far but I'm off to work on Wednesday.

Good luck, I hope you get a fix, if you make it to St. John's give Keith a call at the "Toy Box" for expert mechanical help, sorry I don't have the number handy.

I just got home from Mongolia last week, wonderful country isn't it?

Safe travels
mike

HI Everyone
many thanks for your advice and helpful comments, I just got to the city - bloody hell I thought, we have villages bigger than this in England, I think the population is about 2000!
Which means the sources of help will be somewhat limited.

I'll be looking up Mc Fadden (the local guy) whoever that is.

There is a chance that I can nurse Thelma through to the other side of Labrador and the ferry to Newfoundland, but I'd like to try and get it a bit sorted here, at the moment I dare not go too far from the road (not that it's much of a road) in case she won't start before the battery dies trying.
It's the whirring instead of firing noise.:eek1
Tom in Toronto knows the more technical description

And yes, Skibum Mike, I'll be taking you up on the offer of the tent space - but where are you?

Tiffany

You are actually in a decent spot for help. Labrador City /Fermont have numerous mechanical recources to repair all the massive Mining equipment and vehicles that operate 24/7 up there. You basically have an automotive starter on your GS. Ask around to find who can service starter/ alternators up there. A basic auto or powersports repair shop should get you in the right direction to someone who can look at your starter. Forget the fact that you are even on a bike just look for an auto repair option.

Hope this helps...

we had the starter out at my shop in Toronto a few days ago. it was a sticky solenoid. the starter would spin freely but the gear would not engage. we took the solenoid to pieces, removed a layer of rust and mongolian dirt from the moving bits and all was well again.
Not sure why it's acting up again.
perhaps the battery leads are corroded as well and need cleaning.

I would think SkiBum on the island would be you next best option besides whatever turns up in Goose Bay.

You can always repeat what we did in Toronto.

me thinks a new solenoid is needed here (it's a Bosch starter)

TT
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Hi Folks
thanks for all the good info and pointers
I limped into Lab City and managed to find the Hewlett Minpaco workshop where John was extremely helpful. Thelma inexplicably started OK, again and again. She does that sometimes, a female trait to be contrary and when there is a proper mechanic suddenly behaves herself.
It wasn't a wasted journey however as I had hit some rough roads getting there and once more my front fairing bracket had snapped completely. I'd spent the final 100kms into Lab City riding all the rough patches with one hand holding the fairing in place - for those who have ridden this route, you'll know how tricky that would be, the deep gravel and sharp curves with big trucks going hell for leather in both directions.
The guys at Hewlett Minpaco did a fantastic job of fixing the broken bracket.

Pictures are coming I promise....

Hi Stef

When do you get the Rock? Do you plan to come back west a bit? Through Quebec ? Let us know your route...might catch you up somewhere...

How's the ouragan....

The broken fairing bracket in situ...



and did I mention that it doesn't just support the fairing but also the headlamp, the crash bars and the whole dashboard, so looking like this is not good...

Hey Serge
having taken a crash course in french hurricane vocabulary, I have found out that I"ve managed to beat Ouragan Earl to the middle of Labrador, where I am going to bunk down for a bit as even I reckon wild camping and motorbiking are not a great combination for hurricanes!
unfortunately I won't be going back through Quebec, I'll be heading down to the Rock once the winds have dropped then on down through the rest of the Maritimes and back to America. So if you might be headed a bit further east, maybe our paths will cross.
and by the way- it's Tiffany not Steph!

The guys get to work

They decide a bit more needs doing (under Thelma's watchful eye)


The finished product


Then putting Thelma back together again


my thanks to John, Keith who doesn't even work there and had only popped by to say Hi and the un-named welder.

Cheers guys

Ready for Labrador

I'm leaving my wife & packing my GS, to go find the mighty Tiff!!!!