Saturday, September 03, 2011

Not a good start.

Got a half mile down the road and the GPS was not working correctly. Thinking it might be the plug we turned around and went home to get the one from the car. Okay ready off we go to meet Bernie and Shirley at 6:30AM and everyone else at the McDonalds on Kent Narrows. It’s cool and clear a beautiful morning to be riding. We pull into the McDonalds parking lot just seconds before the others and dismount. Suddenly several people notice Abigail is pouring oil from under her belly. Not just a few drops like in NY two weeks ago – oh no this is a steady stream. No way can I ride this bike another 50 feet. What to do! First thing in my mind is call my shop but it’s 7:30 and L&D Suzuki doesn’t open until 10. I’m sick; my stomach begins to churn. Out comes the laptop to find the last name of some of the guys. Then try superpages for phone numbers. Boy has this site gone downhill- no help. So I begin calling 411 and trying several different names and finally this poor operator has the name of one person – the general manager. Is it the same person? We’re going to find out. I call and a sweet lady answers the phone. I ask if her husband, Jim works for L&D. A hesitant yes. I explained my problem and told her I needed to talk to him right away. Bless her heart, I don’t know if she rides but she was so sympathetic she called him right away to the phone. Jim made some calls and in very short order assured me they would come and get Abigail. Now I had no choice but to clean out my saddlebags and prepare to ride two up on Bessie with Don. Tossing everything in the trailer we managed to leave the McDonalds an hour later than planned but at least I left with the group while my bike sat lonely in the parking lot. I tried to tell myself everything happens for a reason; at least this didn’t happen 400 miles from home where I would have had to find a shop or worse had an accident. Did it help? No I still cried for the next 50 miles but no matter how you are riding you cannot feel blue too long with the sun and the wind in your face so I’m better now. So this rally will not be exactly what I had in mind but it is going to be fun because I’ll be with my UTR family and friends and I’ll be on the road. By lunch time I had a call from the shop Abigail was on the lift. Stopped in Lynchburg for the night and the off to Walton’s Mountain tomorrow.