From Skype over the last 24 hours (apologies for Jan always typing in capital lettters but I refuse to re-write it all 😉 )
BIKE OUT OF STORAGE. I GOT THE TYRES INFLATED FOR FREE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER THEN RODE BACK TO THE MOTEL. I PARKED AT THE BACK DOOR AND, FORTUNATELY, SOMEONE HAD LEFT IT ON THE LATCH SO IT WAS OPEN.
MY ROOM IS DOWNSTAIRS BUT A BIT OF A WAY DOWN A CORRIDOR AND THERE WAS NO TROLLEY, SO I MOVED ALL THE STUFF IN, IN STAGES, PULLING EVERYTHING OFF THE BIKE AND SHOVING IT INSIDE THE DOOR, THEN WHEN I’D GOT EVERYTHING INSIDE, I DRAGGED IT TO THE ROOM. ONCE THE BIKE WAS EMPTY I GRABBED THE THIN BLUE RUCKY AND STUFFED THE OIL FILTER IN IT
WENT STRAIGHT TO ‘RON’S SPORTING GOODS’., THE HONDA SHOP. SOME GUY WAS STARTING TO SAY, ‘BUT WE DON’T DO GUZZIS’, SO I SAID WELL THE CHAP I SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE LAST WEEK UNDERSTOOD THAT THE GUZZI IS LIKE A GOLDWING; SAME OIL IN THE FINAL DRIVE, SAME OIL IN THE GEARBOX ETC
I PULLED OUT THE OIL FILTER AND THE YOUNG CHAP I HAD SPOKEN TO ON THE PHONE CAME IN AND TOOK IT. I BROUGHT THE BIKE INTO THE WORKSHOP AND EXPLAINED THE ALARM( BTW, YOUR FOB WORKS ALL THE TIME, MINE ONLY NOW AND AGAIN, SO AT EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY I’LL GET A NEW BATTERY)
I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE PAYING CASH AND ASKED FOR A TIME FRAME THINKING, WITH LUCK, THE SERVICE WOULD BE DONE BY TOMORROW.
‘NO NO, GIVE IT A COUPLE OF HOURS, THEN COME BACK’.
THREE HOURS LATER:
‘BIKE SERVICED AND ALL OILS AND ENGINE OIL FILTER CHANGED, $125. 40
GAVE THEM $20 TO HAVE A DRINK ON ME BECAUSE THEY SET TO WORK DOING THE SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. NOT ‘COME BACK NEXT WEEK’ OR WHATEVER, THEY TOOK THE BIKE IN, STARTED ON IT STRAIGHT AWAY AND FINISHED BY 1500
NOW I’M GOING TO CHANGE THE BATTERY IN MY FOB FOR THE ANTI-THEFT ALARM AS IT IS FLAT
OH AND YES, YOU ARE RIGHT; TO GET TO WALMART MEANS RIDING THAT WEIRD SLALOM THING, TO AVOID THE INTERSTATE
BAD ENOUGH ON A SUNNY DAY; WORRYING IN THE RAIN. OK IT WAS ONLY LIGHT RAIN THEN, THE REAL HEAVY STUFF STARTED AS I GOT OFF THE BIKE. THERE WAS THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AS I LEFT WALMART, BUT IT DIDN’T START TO RAIN HEAVILY UNTIL I GOT BACK TO THE MOTEL. THANK GOD ALL THE BAGS WERE OFF AND I ONLY HAD THE RUCKY.
The weather is not looking too promising for the coming few days:
Jan is planning to set off for St George on Friday as that looks to be the best weather for the ride on the interstate, I-15. That road goes through some pretty deep gorges and there are lots of curves. The winds can be vicious.
He has been too busy and the weather not good enough to get the Sony out so all photos will be from his phone for the time being 🙂
Bye for now
On The Road Again: Touring The USA On A Moto Guzzi Breva 