KrazyHorse Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 The bike is packed, gassed up, and I'll do a final air pressure/oil check in the morning. Would like to be on the road by 9:00 am and am planning on stopping for the night somwhere around Perry, GA. Monday morning I will continue north with a destination of Knoxville, TN. A good friend of mine moved up there about a year ago so she invited me to crash at her place for a couple of nights. Her divorce just went through so I imagine we'll be celebrating one of those nights. Tuesday I plan to ride the Devil's Triangle or somewhere else beautiful and twisty. Wednesday I am supposed to meet up with a couple of guys I know from the Yamaha Vision forum and we'll probably do the Dragon and the Cherohala, but again I don't care as long as it has curves! Wednesday night I'm to meet my husband at Fontana Village. Stay the night, then run the Dragon and take the Foothills Parkway early Thursday morning and continue on toward our ultimate destination of Asheville where we will be for the duration of the rally. Supposed to meet up with some fellow Chromeheads at the Hot Shot Cafe at 7:30 Saturday morning. Other than than looking forward to meeting some fine folks and riding, riding, riding!!!!!! I'll take as many pics as I can and try to post them during the week, but just in case I can't I am keeping a journal with me so I don't forget stuff for my ride report when I return. This will be my longest bike trip ever, and certainly my longest solo. I am so excited!!!! Let's hope the weather cooperates and Blue stays as faithful as she's ever been. Thanks to Jacquie for the inspiration and my husband for the encouragement and understanding of why I want to do this solo part of the journey so badly. Link to comment
BeniciaRT_GT Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Go Patti! This should be a great trip, so keep us all informed on your thoughts as you do the solo trip!!! Too bad I don't live in Ga. anymore, I am from just west of Perry and could have fed you and put you up for a night. I'm too far away nowadays though! Link to comment
Berkley Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 wooohooo!! go go go! have a wonderful time. Link to comment
Jacqueline Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Patti, Enjoy your trip . Be safe! Link to comment
TEWKS Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I can feel your excitement in Massachusetts, thats cool! Pat Link to comment
KrazyHorse Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 Hey guys!! Well, it wouldn't be a real Adventure if something didn't go awry right? I did reach my original destination of Perry GA last night...but the clutch is acting up big time whenever I come off a long section of highway, though it does kinda go back to normal once it's pumped a few times. I know I'm not explaining that very well..but no matter. I know enough that it needs to get fixed immediately. Called hubby and he put out the APB on the Chromeheads site, and we got a number for a guy in Perry in the Anonymous Book. He gave me the number of a very experienced BMW tech who he highly respects who runs a shop out of his home in Macon. Then Terry a fellow Chromehead from Perry, offers to escort me to Macon. Got here a little while ago to the beautiful home of Mark and Suzanne. They are tied up for another few hours with very important personal buisness, but from talking to him on the phone he is hopeful it is either an air bubble in the line or too much pressure. If it is it will be a quick fix and I'll be on the road this evening. If not, they already offered to let me stay the night and Terry also offered to come back with the truck and take me to one of the dealers in Austin in the morning if need be. So, in the meantime, I am hanging out in their workshop, got A/C, a computer, TV, a bathroom, a stocked fridge and some snacks...maybe even take a walk in the beautiful woods behind their home. IF the bike gets fixed tonight, I will have only lost one day of my trip.....things could be a lot worse. If it is something major, well, we'll deal with that when we get there. But for now, it's still better than being at work LOL...and most importantly it makes me feel so good that so many people would come out of the woodwork to help me out. Sometimes, I know I anyway, can feel kind of alone in the world (especially when traveling...well,, um alone LOL)...but after this little indicident I realze I never truly am. Hopefully you will not hear from me for awhile....for if it is fixed tonight I will be hitting the road immediately. If it isn't then I'll be back on tonight to update you as that means I'll probably still be here enjoying Mark and Suzanne's fine hospitality. BMW people rock! Link to comment
KrazyHorse Posted June 5, 2007 Author Share Posted June 5, 2007 Woo-hoo!!!!! Mark fixed her!!! It was moisture and "trash" in the lines. He is pretty convinced no one has ever drained the lines. He went over the rest of the bike and everything is good to go. He took it for a test drive and all systems are go. They have graciously invited me to stay the night since it is already about dark-thirty and none of us relish the idea of me being on the road and trying to find a hotel alone around midnight. So come morning I will be off to Knoxville!!! Thanks again to Terry (Chromehead), the "Anonymous" Guy in Perry who hooked me up with Mark and Suzanne, and of course my undying gratitude towards Mark Suzanne for both their technical skill and hospitality. Link to comment
Heck Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 Congrats on your great adventure- by the way......Nice bike. Link to comment
KrazyHorse Posted June 6, 2007 Author Share Posted June 6, 2007 Had a great time visiting with my new BMW friends last night and headed out feeling good. Bike behaved fine for the first 100 miles or so, and then when I stopped for gas about 45 miles south of Chattanooga, it started doing what it was doing Sunday, Ie: no pressure on the clutch when coming off the slab. So I fueled and continued on anyway....Hubby said to keep pumping the clutch everyone 15 minutes or so to keep up the pressure...which I did, until I was about 60-70 miles from Knoxville (my destination, where a good friend lives) when it wouldn't "pump up" AT ALL. I knew at this point wherever I stopped I was going to be DONE. Did some mental calculations and realized that I should just about make it to my buddies exit without stopping for gas. Which I did...and sure enough the clutch is toast. Started making phone calls and long story short, Blue is at the Lenoir BMW dealer, via a tow called by the TN DOT who took pity on my sorry butt and called me a tow. (the dealer is only 20 mins tops from my buddy's house) A new master cylinder and slave have been ordered and should, in theory, be at the dealer at 9 am. In the meantime, I have my hands on a 03 Motoguzzi that the Lenoir guys have been gracious enough to let me ride until Blue is done. *hopefully* it will be done tommorow and I can continue as planned...if it's not they said I can just take the Guzzi to Asheville if I want. So as we sit my buddy and I just got back from a fine Japanese Steakhouse where we ate ourselves silly and will proceed to drink us some beers. Life is good. Link to comment
TEWKS Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Patti, sounds like you are passing the test with flying colors. Traveling solo & having these problems would have sent many aspiring adventurers running to the Toyota dealer. Pat Link to comment
W. Mazelin Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Keep at it Patti! "If you are going through hell, keep going." - Sir Winston Churchill Link to comment
KrazyHorse Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 I'm back from the trip and had a great time. Turns out they didn't get the C fixed until Thursday morning, so I put about 300 miles on the Guzzi in the meantime, did the Dragon a couple of times and tons of other fun roads. The Rally was everything I hoped for and more. I'll start a proper ride report shortly, but just thought I'd check in and let ya'll know it all turned out great in the end. Link to comment
BeniciaRT_GT Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Congrats Patti!!! I'm so glad to hear you had a great time and it speaks highly of your attitude and your incredible "glass half full" mentality for your trip!!! Well done young lady!!! Link to comment
Heck Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I'm back from the trip and had a great time. I put about 300 miles on the Guzzi in the meantime, did the Dragon a couple of times and tons of other fun roads. I'll start a proper ride report shortly, but just thought I'd check in and let ya'll know it all turned out great in the end. So is there a Goose in your future? Nice bike by the way.... Link to comment
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