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It’s been a while since my last post but in 11 days and 3800 miles I crossed the continental USA and arrived in San Diego where I spent two days at a new friend’s house.
The cross country ride was tough, lots of highway most of the way until I got to Colorado were I slowed down a little and started enjoying the trip.
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| Cooper’s Landing Campgrounds & Marina on the Missouri River |
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| Cooper’s Landing Campgrounds & Marina on the Missouri River |
Before I left home I had taken my Super Tenere to the dealer where I originally bought it and had all the fluids changed including the brake and clutch fluids. Unfortunately the mechanic installed the rubber seal incorrectly and damaged it. As I was approaching St. Louis I noticed a few black spots on my yellow bag across the back seat but didn’t pay much attention since I thought it was dirt from the road. I stopped at a rest area a little later and while on the phone with my wife noticed oil around the clutch reservoir and to my dismay I realized I was leaking clutch fluid. I knew I had to have it fixed before I lost the clutch. I immediately started looking for a Yamaha dealer in St. Louis and found one just south of the city center. I quickly plotted a route to .
But before I got there I had to stop the oil from going all over the motorcycle. Clutch oil is highly corrosive to paint so a quick fix was in order. I consider myself kind of a MacGyver so I pulled into a store and asked the lady which lady product would be best to absorb the oil. I walked out with a little package of “Always” thin. A pad and black tape solved the immediate problem.
I arrived at the dealer and Matt, one of the mechanics immediately told me to pull the bike into the shop. Unfortunately they didn’t have the seal and neither did anyone else in St. Louis. Matt called Yamaha headquarters and was told only four seals existed in the USA, with three in California and another somewhere else. Matt topped it off with fresh oil and tried to tighten the screws a little harder. It seemed to solve the problem but I was later to find out it was still leaking. Matt didn’t charge me anything for his work and I only paid for a small bottle of oil. Great guys and if you ever in St. Louis and need help, call them.
While in St. Louis I called a dealer in Las Vegas and asked them to order two seals for me and I would pick them up later when I passed through the city.
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| The Gateway Arch and I have been at the top where I’m pointing |
212 miles after I passed Kansas City I needed gas and pulled off the highway. As I went to downshift I immediately noticed the clutch lever go all the way down and I almost stalled the bike when I came to a stop. I knew I had lost oil and needed to top it off. At the gas station I pulled a Phillips screwdriver out and while removing one of the two screws managed to strip the head. Now I was stuck, couldn’t open the reservoir unless I pulled the screw off. The gas station attendant told me 12 miles down the road there was an auto mechanic and he probably would be able to help me but I only had 30 minutes to get there before they closed. I got there in no time and once again the owner immediately pulled me into the shop and asked one of his mechanics to check it out. I pulled the good one out and went next door to Napa Auto Parts to see if I could find a replacement 7mm screw. They didn’t have the same type but again I managed to Jerry-rigged something out of different bolts. When I returned to the shop, Joe the mechanic had managed to pull the screw out. I added some oil and closed it with the two new bolts.
The shop closed at 5 and at 5.30 Joe and I were the only ones in the shop. I tried to pay for the work but the owner had already left and Joe didn’t want any money, kept refusing my offer to give him something. I tried to offer money for beer or dinner but Joe said he no longer drinks and didn’t want any money. I quickly stuck a couple of bills in his pocket while he was still refusing. Great guy and a very good mechanic too. He noticed what the other mechanics had done and corrected the problem. By the time I left his place I was no longer leaking oil.
If you ever in the area of Ellsworth, Kansas and need help you can count on these guys Martin’s Pro Auto – 911 Evans Street, Ellsworth.
The heartland of America is in trouble and it hurts me to see little towns with boarded up shops and restaurants. Also saw plenty of gas stations closed and you can see from the disrepair of homes that people are struggling. The two photos below are from New Mexico.
I rode through some amazing roads and little towns across New Mexico. I will later make a post about the roads. Below are some of the photos.
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In New Mexico I made a longer stop in Taos, my second visit to the the beautiful town. I had been here with my brother on a previous ride. While having coffee I see this cowboy strolling into town and “park” his horse in front of the coffee shop. I later found out he’s a famous artist and has an art gallery next to the coffee shop. His name is Ed Sandoval and I got to shake his hand and take a photo with him on his horse.
To be continued……
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