Fun & tribulations in Moab

I can't believe it's been a month since our trip to Moab and none of us got a chance to even start a RR! Let's give a try, even if it's the short one, the place is so worth it that it might give ideas to some ADVriders...

Tiny, Whammo and I left from San Francisco early morning on a Friday and it didn't take long for the tribulations to start for Whammo:



He ended up with just a warning so we thought that luck was still on our side. Moab is more than 1000 miles away from San Francisco and our goal for the first day was just to cover ground so no more pics or stories to tell. I can only confirm that the Hwy 50 in Nevada is indeed the "Loneliest Hwy in America"!

It was starting to get dark when we arrived to Ely, not far from the Utah border. Something tells me that, maybe, we shouldn't push any further...



The other hint was that Whammo's battery light was on! When we arrived in Ely we assessed the situation and reached the conclusion that it was the alternator belt that was kaput . Ely is pretty small and none of the auto-shops had a belt "flat" like the BMW's ones. We place phone calls to BMW shops but even an overnight would only arrive on Monday. Crap! We buy a few car belts, hoping that one would fit, then grocery up and ask for the closest campground.

It was unfortunately a bit further than indicated and...



Whammo didn't have to push his bike for too long since we found a decent place close by to work on the bikes and probably setup our tents. Smiles are still on!



It's getting cold and we're getting organized to work on the bike in the dark...



To remove the alternator cover we have to remove the crash bars that require to remove first the gas tank :huh. Finally the cover is out and the diagnostic confirmed:



One of the 3 belts we bought has the correct size and we decide to give it a try, even though the V-shape of it seems hardly compatible with the flat-grooved profile of the pulleys.



We put everything back in place and push to jump start the bike that Whammo takes for a spin. Yeah! it seems to work OK and he's gone for a few minutes, trying to recharge the battery as much as possible. Hope doesn't last long however and when he's back with a burned rubbed smell and even some smoke. Damn, back to square one. Let's grab a beer and call it a day.

I stayed in a nice campground around Ely in June - Caves... looking forward to more.

It's cloudy this morning. I think it snowed on the summits around.



Whammo is up early, worried about how to solve that mechanical issue. Tiny doesn't want to hear about it!



Whammo borrows a bike and head to town. In one of the auto shops he gets lucky since one of the customers hears what he's looking for and indicate that his nephew leaves from Reno this morning to come to Ely in the evening. And in Reno, there's a BMW shop that has the belt in stock... Yeah! The nephew is OK to make a detour to pick it up so things look cool again.

We decide to all stay here one more day and tow Whammo's bike to the nearby campground.



We prepare the bike to be ready for the new belt and mostly just enjoy the nice weather.



It's a nice place but hunters are all around. It seems like the #1 activity in this area.

Whammo heads to town again at the end of the afternoon. Everything goes smoothly and he comes back with the belt. Time to put it in place... NOT. Whoever messed it up, the dealer in Sparks sold us the wrong belt and it's too short!

Bad luck again. We try everything to lower the alternator enough to force the belt in place but to no avail. Proof again of our optimism (or denial?) we finally resolve to cut that BMW belt and "extend" it with a piece of the belt that got "flattened" last night.



The crazy thing is that it worked for a bit! The glue did hold but, because of the gap, the belt's grooves didn't stay aligned with the ones in the pulleys. Back to square one (and beers) again. Luckily Tiny knows how to comfort people with good camping cooking!

It rained all night and (what's that sound on the tent?) then it snowed early morning!



Last night in town Whammo got a voicemail from Lone*Star who's joining us in Moab from Kansas: he was able to pick up a belt in Denver. We can't reach him on the phone now but that seems like the best option (if he has the right size belt!). Whammo borrows Tiny's bike and the two of us head east, hoping that the snow will not stop up on the passes. We leave the little food we have to Tiny's who will wait for us under the snow .



It's all about covering ground again: Moab is 400 miles from here and Whammo needs to get there, pick up the belt and be back on the evening in Ely!

The snow finally stops and we are glad not to be stuck because the Hwy 50 is still incredibly deserted. Further East the weather gets better, the scenery nicer and we receive news from Lone*Star who is going to meet us on the road, with the belt, an hour before Moab.

I was tired arriving in Moab and not envying Whammo, riding back to Ely, not sure if the belt is right...

boy this is entertaining! Chalk it up for one more reason I will never buy a beamer.

Seriously though, sorry to see the troubles. I am surprised the autoparts store or a hardware shop didnt have a lawnmower belt or 6-rib you could have shaved down to 4.

Then again i have driven through Ely, NV and I surprised they even had a store to begin with.

Wow, two people in this thread who've been to Ely, that's more than I imagined! Funny place for sure...

I think we looked for a lawnmower belt but I'm not sure what the deal was there...

PS: You're right, I think that the boxer's engine might be the only motorcycle engine with an alternator belt. Still a good bike though .

L*S and I feel sorry for our friend but we are lucky to be here and should enjoy it as much as possible!

Nice weather, fantastic are, two KTM 950 and two riders avid to ride, it should be a nice day. I have been to Moab a very long time ago and it was on a car. I can't wait to discover the more remote trails off-road. We head SW on Kane Springs road. It doesn't take long to get into a spectacular scenery...







We stop every 5 minutes because the terrain is constantly changing







We then take Cane Springs rd West through Hurrah Pass towards the Colorado River.





We have so much fun riding in a fantastic scenery with almost no one else on the trail! We're now looking for Lock Hart rd that goes South and it becomes challenging. We have detailed maps but not on the GPS so it takes a lot of trial and errors in the numerous canyons that dead ended.



The only person we met the entire day on this trail is that ATV but he was even more lost than we were .

What a coincidence....I just got my bike out of the shop an hour ago!

Thanks for starting the RR Jean-Luc. As I did little to no riding, I didn't think I had it in me. Maybe if advrider had a "push bike/cook/drink beer/sit around" forum, I'd have something to add...

I've been wondering how the belt search turned out. :huh

I spent a month in Ely one day in September...waiting for wheel bearings for my Husky.

So that's what it looks like when it's runnin'.

Hope it wasn't too painful.

You rocked the PB/C/DB/SA/Drive Jeep aspect of the trip.

Tiny deserves the credit for organizing this trip every year. He say's Moab,
October. We say "in" or he talks shit until we are all obliged to go unless we have a great excuse not too.

I'm never one for an excuse.

The bike was "ready" daze in advance.



A new sticker from Jason Boland on the saddle bags....



I left on a breezy, Kansas afternoon. Headed for the land of Sodbuster...

Looks interesting

headed west on KS 24 I hit sundown just east of Clay Center.



I stopped in Cawker City to check out the ball of twine.... so exciting!



I stopped for the night in Phillipsburg I believe. Got a room at the Cottonwood Inn. I checked my phone and a message from Whammo to pick up an alternator belt on the way to Moab. I knew Denver BMW was on the way so I found the address and put the via into the GPS. In the morning I was ready to get to Moab.

I was on US36 now headed to Denver. The plains of western Kansas and eastern Colorado look about the same.



I really enjoy being out on the plains of the west on the bike and covering miles headed toward the setting sun. This was close to the same route I took a year ago but without the ticket and without running out of gas. The experience of another year made a big difference.

I picked up I-70 just east of Denver. I worked my way over to the BMW dealership just after noon-time. When I stopped I checked my messages and Whammo sounded relieved that a new belt was on the way from Reno - "Don't worry about getting the belt." I was a few feet away from the parts counter so I ignored the advice and bought an alternator belt anyway.

After fighting through Denver traffic and a closed highway on-ramp I got back on to I-70 headed to Grand Junction and parts farther West.

I had a great ride from I-70 down the Colorado River canyon toward Moab. I was chasing the setting sun trying to make it to the rendezvous. I thought that the CA group might be there before me.

Pause/on ...... NY Yankees = 27 WS Championships ..... :fyyff Pause /off

I get to the campground and find only one spot open. I grab it and make camp for the night.



I'm expecting a morning of tire changes and the arrival of my CA posse.

I've been in a similar situation in Bridgeport CA (80mi from nearest service station), but Hwy 50 is truly a different story. I guess that is one of the draws of hwy50 for me (Without the breaking down and everything). I think I will go out and check my belt now, and maybe pack a spare.:eek1