Gremlins....

8/08/07
Hmm, I wonder if I've been dating the last few blog entries with "07"
rather than "08"?? I'll have to go look.
I was up early and packing the tent in the dark. I had ambitious
plans for the day and it required an early start. But as I left, I
heard a high-pitched whine and smelled something hot. Sincer I've
heard about Don Braziel having a whine that fortold a fuel pump issue,
I was hoping it wasn't the next problem on the bike. It seemed to run
ok though so I figured I'd nurse it along and see what happened.
I rode to El Paso and had breakfast at Denny's. I then headed
northeast to the Guadalupe Mtns National Park and Carlsbad Caverns
Park. I wanted the get the NM park and since a TX park was there,
that was just a bonus.
Riding from El Paso to the Guadalupe Mtns was interesting. It was
very very open with lots of scrub brush. I saw a few roadrunners
darting in the brush and I also saw a few hawks and vultures flying
about. It was about 90 miles to the Guadalupe Mtns and 130 to
Carlsbad. The speed limit was 75 but its challenging to make the
DL650 cruise control hold at that speed so I usually go about 68 or
so.
The Guadalupe Mtn stop was a "stamp and go" stop but I was hoping to
tour through Carlsbad. I'd been there quite a few years ago but the
waiting time for the tour was over 3.5 hours so that wasn't going to
happen.
I angled toward Pecos and Ft Stockton. That was another 100+ miles of
desert riding. This is where I intersected with I-10and I started the
trip to San Antonio.
No other hints of problems with the bike so I determined it was just
an overactive imagination on my part.
Along the interstate, the speed limit was 80. I could see something
off in the distance so I clicked off the cruise thinking it was an
animal. I then got close enough to see it was a motorcycle so I
thought I'd stop and see if I could assist, but then I noticed it was
moving. The rider was on the bike though. As I approached closer, I
could see it was still moving so I thought he was limping toward San
Antonio. As I pulled up, it was a grey-haired older guy with no shirt
on that was cruising along the side of the interstate on a scooter! I
waved and went on. The amazing thing was that he was wearing no
jacket or short and he had the darkest tan I've EVER seen!
Well, another AMA Everywhere town was coming up so I signaled to get
off the interstate and when I went to downshift, the shift lever was
missing. Yes, I said missing. It wasn't there!! It was dangling
alongside the bike. I got to the gas station and examined my plight.
The screw holding it had come out but it wasn't a normal screw. There
was no way to turn it and put it back! This must require a Suzuki
special tool. I asked inside if there was a motorcycle shop in town
and, being none, I improvised with my leatherman and some wire. It
held for me to make it to Junction, TX where I stayed in a KOA for the
night.
This morning I'm on my way to San Antonio to find a m/c shop to repair
that lever. Strange thing, now my GPS has decided to not power on.
Hmmm, seems the gremlins are striking at me.....

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Todd Ryan; Hudson, MA
Westborough HS Science Teacher
MSF RiderCoach