Chaingolian Galena Thursday

[chain]

Galena lunch on Thursday

chain and drymike
ride page 15 & 16
late notice
anyone in?
great roads

[Skinner]

Hey, pops lives over there, where ya eatin lunch at?

[McD]

Originally Posted by chain

Galena lunch on Thursday

chain and drymike
ride page 15 & 16
late notice
anyone in?
great roads

Pics, we want pics. That is a great area to ride. Watch out for Turkeys.

[Skinner]

C'mon dude fork over the pics, Me and Mcd provided some visual stimulation. Your turn.

[chain]

report later











you get the idea
gotta run
my bike is at Poopy's Parts Tavern and Tattoo Parlor in Savanah



cheers
chain

[Skinner]

Oh man that sucks, but I'm sittin here lMAO.

[chain]

Even a bad day of riding is better than a good day of work.



Sometimes you just gotta pay your dues.
I think my account was enriched yesterday.
Now I just gotta find time to go pick up my bike.
200 miles on the back of a klr

[Panic]

Curious what went kablooey? Looks like both of you had some roadside repairs going? I still got the R65 if you be looking for a spare

[skadamo]

Originally Posted by chain

chain

Chain, interesting tire combo. 80/20 knobbs for the front and 50/50 for the back. sounds like fun in the gravel/dirt!!

You definitely have something there. I like that compromise for a dual sport. I'm learning a lot here.

[chain]

with knobs front and rear I was constantly washing the front out in gravel corners.
With 50/50 front and rear Id lowside too often.
this seems to be a great combo for gravel touring, sticks amazinglyly tarmack as well

[motojoe]

want me to ride that bike to yur place, i could tie the 400 on the back of your bike

[chain]

couldnt seem to keep it running
bad karma for giving the fat fighters so much shit

[chain]

ok so Tuesday eve I had to be in Omaha. no problem, just drive out, sleep a few hours, work a night shift and come home. I arrived in Omaha at 6:30 pm, started work at 9:00 pm got off at 7:00 am Wed and drove home. Called drymike on the way and made plans for a Noreaster ride on Thursday Morn.
By the time I got home, tools unpacked, bike inspected and to bed it was 11:00 pm. up at 5:30 to have coffee with chainwife, then geared up and off to meet drymike for a 7:15 departure. The weather started off damp and cold, 100% humidity and skies that looked like walls in soviet prison.

I had reoccuring thoughts that maybe I was forcing the ride today after only having a few hours sleep in the last couple days, but good sense did not prevail and I chose to ignore the ever present voice that guides me well if I only listen.

The weather though a bit damp, was actually very nice for riding, the leaves made the corners slick. About 160 miles into the ride My bike choked and coughed like it had run outta gas, but picked up right away and continued to run fine. This has never happened before and so I thought nothing of it.
We stopped for Breakfast in Albany at a little cafe on the river. for some reason the view was of the street, not the river.

the meal very good, little heavy on the green peppers

we devised a plan for what appeared to be fabulous routes through the bluffs of the Mississippi River

[IMG] [/IMG]

Fed, warm and loaded with caffeine and a ride plan we set out
first stop the Mississippi Palisade State Park. They had some trails that appeared to be incredible single track, being too muddy for our taste we took some tourist photos from the bluff and motored on in search of the gravel paths.


Leaving the park, the Dakar choked again. I heard the quiet voice say "turn south and head for home". I chose to argue and push on. after all, I had ridden two hundred miles to get here and had not even begun to ride the roads of page 15 & 16 that I have been sulking over in my Gazateer for the past several years.

Turning East onto Mill Hollow Road the Dakar spit, sputtered and died.
with no strap to tow I purchased a ratchet strap from one of the locals for 10.00 us.


The Hill was over a mile long and if we could get up to Scenic Bluff Road the bike would surely start on the way down.

It did but only ran long enough to get to the bottom. After the second attempt I decided to have a look at the spark plug which Im embaressed to say was in terrible shape.



Drymike unhitched and ran to Napa for a plug. In the meantime I cleaned mine and set off down the hill for another try. no luck. New plug didnt help either.
So we towed the trusty Dakar down scenic ridge road to Savahna

two trips up and down main street before we found some one to take us in


It wasnt yet time for social hour so we wandered across the street, Dakar in tow to Poopys which is a Harley parts store complete with on duty Mechanic, open Bar and Tatto Parlor. for some reason I didnt take any photos, maybe not so drymike did.

we spent about an hour with the HD tech and my bike on the rack with a BMW tech from Twin Cities BM We came to the conclusion that any diagnosis would require parts. The Dakar would be staying in Savanah. The Mech at Poopys wouldnt let me pay him a dime even though I had occupied his bench and his time for well over an hour.

and so the journey home began

ever ride bitch for 200 miles on a klr?

30 minutes out the rear ire gave way. luckily drymike had tar irons and a tube and pump

and fist is right, you should allways bring your helmet as it was all we had for a jack


20 minutes tops and we were back on the road. we improvised a 21" tube in a 17" rear tire. believe me, this will work in a pinch

ready to rock only about 180 miles to go, the fog was setting in as was a steady drizzle, the light was fading fast and did somebody say adventure?


rain rain and more rain



well I made it home safe and sound, thanks to a trusty klr a genuine friend and the ability to push through a few barriers



all in all a good ride

cheers
chain

[McD]

Originally Posted by chain

all in all a good ride

cheers
chain

Some adventures are more work than others.

But 200 miles on the back of a KLR?

[Skinner]

excellent report you inspire me once again.