Saturday, November 2, 2024

2024 has been a hard motorcycle year.  

My beloved dr650 broke a valve and the cap bounced around until it punctured the piston in rural Wisconsin.  I always knew a breakdown was a possibility on this kind of travel but I had never really thought what I would do about it.  In this case cell phone local sheriff to local tow to local U-Haul rental. 

My original plan was get a ride home and come back with my trailer.  I was only three hours from home at this point.

After a few hours, including attempted hitchhiking, I thought of U-Haul.

I had the truck operator stop at the hardware store on the way to U-Haul rental so I could buy ratcheting tie-downs.

I had called-ahead and rented the truck, they were closing as we arrived, they left before I did.

I had the flatbed operator align his deck with the truck, but I had to roll it myself for legal reasons.  I never would have got it up the ramp from the ground myself.

I knew I had to proceed with the plan immediately to succeed before business close

A lot of pieces to think through and I was hot and dehydrated from not bringing water, the Sheriff brought me some.  Lesson learned

 In the end only a 5 hour delay in my trip.

So happily eating cheeseburgers and drinking ice cold soda in the loud cab of a U-Haul stopping to check the bike every hour.  I'll be sleeping in my own bed tonight