Dropped the bike next door at 9am then back to my hotel and before I know it it’s 11am already and time to vacate the room. Before I do I take time to check out the waistcoat… awww I’ve lost a couple of rally badges, Lugano Switzerland and Cascais Portugal, I’ll have to see if I can get replacements.. maybe ebay. Also lost a badge from the Nurenburg Ring that I went to on the Switzerland trip, damn not sure if I can replace that. Also a couple of other badges that are not that important.
Quite a few are damaged but I think I can repair them.
c’est la vie… well mine anyway.
I manage to drag all my luggage round to the shop and they let me leave by the ‘reception’ desk. I go round to the service dept to let them know I am here and will be upstairs in the members lounge.
There is a petrol leak from the console, which I had a look at and the rubber gasket is deformed so it probably needs a new one, I have asked them to look at it for me. So now all I can do is wait.
The bike is all done and yes they did need to replace the gasket… oh well, at least it’s sorted. They also note a slight wobble on the front end when decelerating… mmm yes I know about that, but thought that was due to the weight of the luggage… the luggage wasn’t on the bike when they were servicing so it must be some other problem. The advice is that it could be the steering head bearings or the front tyre, which has about 1000 miles left on it before it needs to be changed. In any event, I am going to have to get this sorted before I can sell it, that’s for sure.
So of course I did buy a couple of things in the shop.. but the main purchase is a Git back whip. Now I know bikers in the UK, and especially Spin, are going to roll their eyes and say FFS, but I just had to have one… so there… and it matches the bike!
If I do find myself in a situation where it might come in handy I won’t hesitate to use it.
Pack the bike up and say my goodbyes… they have all been wonderful, but especial thanks and appeciation must go to Cat and the guy in servicing whose name I don’t recall, (Cat if you do end up reading the blog, can you send me a comment with the guys name; he’s the older guy with white hair, drives a dark pick-up, could be blue… thanks).
On the road again now aiming for Beaumont Texas, some 280 or so miles away so not too bad. Of course it is a very late start, 1.30pm, so I might not make it that far.
Oooo that’s a nice onion…
Again lots of interstate monotony, occasionally interrupted by something interesting..
yep… the weather is closing in and it seems I’m not going to evade the thunderstorm for much longer.
I arrive in a place called Katy and stop for petrol
It’s not long after this that the storm starts, just west of Houston. I stop and put on the romper etc. and decide to continue even though I can see lightening ahead it is passing by so I think I’ll be ok; I don’t have any choice either as there is nothing around here to stop at.
As I get into Houston I spot a Starbucks and decide to stop for the wifi to find somewhere to stay. As I arrive the area is bone dry, not a drop of rain and now the sun is shining… how about that.
I get myself unwrapped… talk about boil in a bag!! Order my coffee and get ready to search booking.com. The bloody wifi is broken.. seriously how unlucky can I be??
Well, at least the rain has stopped so I guess I’ll carry on a bit further then. After about another 70 miles I come to a place called Winnie… makes me think of Churchill and the Pooh of course. Right I’ve had enough now so I pull in to a MacDonalds, my first one, to use their wifi and book a room. All done.
I arrive a few minutes later at the motel and the woman lets me park the bike under some shelter next to the reception area… very helpful.
It’s about 10pm when I arrive, but they have a laundry so I crack on with getting my things washed. By the time that is done I’m well knackered so off to bed.
NOLA, the Big Easy tomorrow… yay!!!
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