Ok, NOW I'm home. Left Sparta at about 9am on Sunday, headed up the Parkway. Had breakfast at the Mabry Mill restaurant, got back on the Parkway and tore it up pretty good. Saw ZERO police and damned few cars, which was very nice. Around the Music center was a little crowded... like 10 cars... but once the road opened up, they were left well behind. Took the Parkway all the way up to Staunton, across 250 to I81 with the intention of making it home 3 hours later. I had a late lunch in Woodstock, VA at the Arbys and noticed cords just starting to show. Crap!
Eased the bike up I81 to Martinsburg (about 60 miles) and hit the Krista-Lite motel immediately off the exit. Walked next door to the McDonald's to grab a sweet tea and ponder my choices. They were: get a new tire the next day, call the wife to come get me, call my brother to come get me, or keep riding on it 'til the tire died completely and then make the call for them to come get me. By then the cords were showing all the way around the tire and were starting to wear through. I figured 10 more miles and I'd be walking. It was 17 miles to I70. Called the wife and initially she was going to come get me Sunday but then kids, logistics, etc., got in the way. So... I grabbed a room at the motel ($48.15 total) and crashed for the night.
Wife was supposed to get on the road at 8am to come get me. My daughter was home sick, and my trailer was at my brother's place, so by the time everyone got their acts together, she didn't get on the road until about 10 - 10:30am.
Early afternoon, I had the bike on the trailer and we were heading towards I70, via 9 to 340. About 20 miles outside of Frederick the charging system light came on in the van. We made it to Frederick and I stopped at the Costco to call my brother. My plan was to have him take the wife, daughter and trailer home, and I'd stay in town and fix the van. Some quick diagnostics indicated it was the alternator; crap, I'd already replaced it. Well... 4 calls to local parts houses showed no alternators in stock anywhere, at least a day or two to get one. Grrrr... then the guy at Costco suggested the new Advance Auto Parts store... I called, it's in stock! W00T! we head over there.... except we go to the wrong Advance and the car won't start again.
I ask the guy about getting the alternator delivered and he went to the mat for me. Loaned me all the tools I needed, got the alternator there in TWENTY MINUTES! Just as I was pulling the old unit out, the driver showed up with my new unit. Got it back together and vroom, the battery had recovered enough to get the car started. On the road, just in time for rush hour traffic up 70 and 695. I got off onto I83 up to MD138 and took an alternate route home. A very nice ride, actually.
I got home about 8pm and immediately went to work on the bike I have in the garage for someone. I wanted to get it done tonight, but that didn't happen, so I'll finish it tomorrow.
So, I'm home, hot, tired, sore and still... great time riding all weekend.
What's that saying...? "Adventure is adversity retold at leisure."
This weekend was quite an adventure. I already have another pair of tires in stock, so I'll spoon on new rubber tomorrow or the next day.
Oh, and I have GOT to go on more rides with Jammin'... that man picks awesome roads. Even the wet, muddy, slurry-covered ones.
