The Mobius Trip

[DR. Rock]

when we connected with this super-highway:



If it stays like this, maybe we have a shot at making the coast by nightfall.



but even here, it was hard to get our speed up. In the vid, I try to explain why... "taking a turn 'a little wide', turns into 'a lot wide' when you start sliding down the cliff."

[DR. Rock]

of photographing signs as we pass them... just in case we have to backtrack or re-route, I can bring up the photo on the camera, and see how far it is to wherever.



This was the first time that habit really came in handy... note: Glendale 25miles.

[DrLewall]

DR, You have got to submit this one for front page!

[DR. Rock]

the road started to open up some,



and I remember thinking to myself,



"if it stays like this...



maybe... just maybe



if we push... we'll make it to the beach!

[DR. Rock]

we bounced on to a short paved connecting road. The dirt road we wanted forked off to the right. Francine missed it, and stayed on the pavement.

I yelled over the Scala... "you missed the turn"....

"Fine, wait for me while I turn around".

I waited.

"Hey," I hear over the intercom. "my bike stalled while I was turning around and it won't start back up... it sounds like the battery is dead."

Grrrr....then hmmmm.... then...



"we don't have time for this", I'm thinking. Maybe the revs weren't high enough in the technical riding we've been doing today to keep the battery charged???"

As quickly as possible, I pull out my multimeter, the jumper cables, get the side panels off both bikes, which necessitates unstrapping the bags...

grrrr....



and still, the bike's not charging. I can get it jumped from my bike, but it's only putting out 11.36v at 5-6000 rev's.

It starts to look like we won't make it to the coast today... and maybe even never. We're 60 miles from Port Orford. LDF is having a hard time wrapping her head around it all. You can see the disappointment in her expression as I explain the troubleshooting and diagnostics I've done up to that point:

[Trailace]

Your not going to believe this but that is the same spot my GSP quite working.

[Klay]

Trouble so close to the end...

[DR. Rock]

Originally Posted by Trailace

Your not going to believe this but that is the same spot my GSP quite working.

Here? N42 47.207 W123 44.756 ... it's like the Bermuda triangle or somethin'... I wouldn't be surprised if Amelia Earhart's plane was found nearby.

[Trailace]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

Here? N42 47.207 W123 44.756 ... it's like the Bermuda triangle or somethin'... I wouldn't be surprised if Amelia Earhart's plane was found nearby.

The best I can tell my issue was here N42 47.180 W123 44.481

[DRZmaui]

I think I know what your problem is, Check the alternator/rectifier wire coupling. Had the same thing happen to me.
They have a nasty habit to melting, and then they ground out. It’s an easy remedy; just get rid of the coupling, and hard wire them.

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

DRZmaui

[RenoDeano]

Make it easier to jump start (exposed plugs from each battery), keep it running, keep heading for the coast....would have been my remedy. Sheat, it is only 60 miles.

Reno Deano

[RenoDeano]

Sorry, I forgot Blue Bell was running rough also. But, couldn't you have pulled her into Port Orford (nearly same mileage).

Reno Deano

[DR. Rock]

So after checking the maps, my first idea was that since we had access to pavement, to get the bags back on with the side panel off, jump start blueberry, and ride back to Glendale which was close enough to the I-5 corridor to have cell service.

We didn't want to carry on forward, 'cause we weren't sure how much technical riding we'd be doing. If this had happened just 40 minutes earlier on that nasty trail, we'd really have been stuck. I was applying a "damage control" strategy where the primary directive is to stop further harm to the ship, and the secondary directive is to seek safe harbor where thorough repairs can be performed.



So that's what I did... only Blueberry would have none of it. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, first just a few backfires, then idling only and dieing if the throttle was cracked, then she wouldn't even start, and I was risking killing my battery as well.

So now she's dead in the water. It's about 4:30pm, we've been at this for about 2 hours, and the shadows are starting to get long. It's about 25 miles to Glendale, so we load the bikes back up, and I break out the tow strap.



Mr. Happy Puppet tried his best to boost morale, but things were looking grim.



I'd only towed once before, but knew that the opposite footpeg-footpeg technique was the safest way.



I briefed LDF to be attentive to the slack, and off we went.

[DR. Rock]

about an hour to tow out of the mountains,



even though the road was paved,



it was twisty, and single lane.



There were some nice views along the way,



but I didn't take many photos,



because every time the tow strap snapped taut, my bike felt like it was going to get pulled out from under me.



It was mostly downhill, in more ways than one. (In fact, for one stretch we disconnected, and she just coasted). This was about as stressful as anything we've done together as a couple. She wanted me to stay more to the right in case there was an oncoming vehicle, but I didn't want to run her off the road. Meanwhile, on the uphill climbs, my bike is starting to overheat. Add to the mix that we're disappointed and frustrated, and now getting tired, hungry, etc. We're connected with the Scala's, thank god, but it was no picnic.

[DR. Rock]

we picked up a bigger road. In the silent periods between when we were yelling at each other about the slack, I was racking my brain, going through the various components of the charging system to try to figure out what went wrong that would explain the bike's behavior and failure.



as you can hear, I had narrowed it down to CDI or stator.