After agonizing for a week and a half on my last trucking trip, the '83 GL 1100 I bought was supposed to be ready to go, certified and all.
Everything checked out on the bike and I was (read "was") ready to go and do the registration bit and ride off into the sunset to Montana! (Frank Zappa song.)
Not likely!
The mechanic, at the last moment said that he didn't like the front tire (which was an older one, but not worn out at all.)
So buddy ordered a new one to match the new rear tire he'd installed a while back. (never a bad thing on a new strange bike.)
This is how "buddy" became a new friend as he was the original owner and bent over backwards to accomodate my hairy schedules.
The problem was that I only had a day and a half off to get motoring with it and the tire was not going to show up till two days after that.
So after some whining and complaining my dispatcher let me switch trips so I could wait a few more days.
In the mean time the weather is declining to mid-arctic temperatures by the day and by the time the tire showed up it was 0 *f.
When I got to my buddy's garage the day the tire came in, he had the tire mounted and he had re-installed the wheel and we raced to the shop with the picky mechanic who then said "leave it, and ill try to get it done."
Looking for my gun...I realized I'd left it at home so I had to wait on fate. :rant:
After a whole afternoon of waiting he was able to find the time to sign the slip too late for that day and moods were forming.
Bright idea from buddy to phone the license issuer who was a friend of his and found out he was open for an hour or so longer that day.
And the bike was given a new tag and life!
Long story short, preparations were made to allow me to ride it home some thirty miles east and arrange the ride back to get my truck home too.
The ride home showed -7 *f on the digital readout on the bike, and it was, but I just had to ride over to my other buddy to show him the bike, and after that I took the long way home.
After gently putting the bike away for the night anxious for another ride in thee moning, I got the call to come in now please as "your trip was moved up"
And I had to go to Miami AZ. As there were three of us and we needed to load NOW together.
No rides in the morning.
I made it back as far as Houston where im at today to load out for home in the morning, where I should arrive by Friday in the hope of fair weather to take a few last rides before winter hits.
Pretty cool for a first time GL owner huh? :mrgreen:
Regards, relic.
Everything checked out on the bike and I was (read "was") ready to go and do the registration bit and ride off into the sunset to Montana! (Frank Zappa song.)
Not likely!
The mechanic, at the last moment said that he didn't like the front tire (which was an older one, but not worn out at all.)
So buddy ordered a new one to match the new rear tire he'd installed a while back. (never a bad thing on a new strange bike.)
This is how "buddy" became a new friend as he was the original owner and bent over backwards to accomodate my hairy schedules.
The problem was that I only had a day and a half off to get motoring with it and the tire was not going to show up till two days after that.
So after some whining and complaining my dispatcher let me switch trips so I could wait a few more days.
In the mean time the weather is declining to mid-arctic temperatures by the day and by the time the tire showed up it was 0 *f.
When I got to my buddy's garage the day the tire came in, he had the tire mounted and he had re-installed the wheel and we raced to the shop with the picky mechanic who then said "leave it, and ill try to get it done."
Looking for my gun...I realized I'd left it at home so I had to wait on fate. :rant:
After a whole afternoon of waiting he was able to find the time to sign the slip too late for that day and moods were forming.
Bright idea from buddy to phone the license issuer who was a friend of his and found out he was open for an hour or so longer that day.
And the bike was given a new tag and life!
Long story short, preparations were made to allow me to ride it home some thirty miles east and arrange the ride back to get my truck home too.
The ride home showed -7 *f on the digital readout on the bike, and it was, but I just had to ride over to my other buddy to show him the bike, and after that I took the long way home.
After gently putting the bike away for the night anxious for another ride in thee moning, I got the call to come in now please as "your trip was moved up"
And I had to go to Miami AZ. As there were three of us and we needed to load NOW together.
No rides in the morning.
I made it back as far as Houston where im at today to load out for home in the morning, where I should arrive by Friday in the hope of fair weather to take a few last rides before winter hits.
Pretty cool for a first time GL owner huh? :mrgreen:
Regards, relic.
