Day 30: Life is Golden

Golden, BC
0 miles ridden (Explored town while waiting for parts)

Random bike thoughts:

  • How did the wire from the regulator short out on the frame and not blow the fuse?
  • There’s a bike shop in Cranbrook (~155 miles south) if issues persist

Email:

Everyone –

Well, I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later: Either the bike or I would have a breakdown.

I had just left Lake Louise yesterday when the bike konked out, and luckily, I was able to flag down a Harley rider from Florida shortly thereafter. He checked his GPS and found a tow service in the next town (Golden, about 75 miles away), and headed out to send them my way. About an hour and a half later, I flagged down a second couple, who said they’d place another call to the tow company when they got to Golden, and at ~1p, I was on my way to civilization. While the old me would have complained about the wait (I broke down ~8.30a), I did get to work on my tan for a while, so something of a win-win.

After speaking with the bike shop owner here, it seems the generator and stator are not recharging the battery, hence the bike dying on me suddenly (the low battery charge light had mysteriously turned on yesterday morning, so something nefarious was bound to happen sooner or later). Now I’ve just got to wait until Tuesday for the parts to arrive from Honda CA, so I’ll be soaking up all this town has to offer in the interim. The disappointing thing is I’ll be spending money and not moving forward on the trip (and I was already behind schedule), but the good thing is it should stop raining by Wed., so it’s all going to work out for the best!

When I think about it, to ride for four straight weeks and cover 7,500 miles without incident is pretty good, so aside from the costs involved in getting the bike fixed, this isn’t that big a deal. I was actually pretty disheartened yesterday and thought about throwing in the towel, but these parts would have to be replaced at some point eventually and I’ll never be out this way on this trip again. So despite what momentarily seemed like a major setback, a little perspective brought me back to my senses. Plus, the shop owner (Jeff, Mayhem Motorcycle Co.) and his wife (Lisa) have been super nice: they gave me a lift to the town campground and offered to loan me a bicycle so I could get around town more easily. (I declined, but it’s the thought that counts.) And while walking to the library, I saw a flyer for some band playing at a bar tonight, so that could be entertaining.

Once I’m back on the road, I should be in Minot, ND, in 2 or 3 days, where I’ll have the local Honda dealer give the bike a thorough once-over… If only I could have made it there! Still, feeling much better today and looking forward to the 2/5ths point of the trip soon enough!

Talk to everyone from ND.

-Geoff


Email to Richard:

Richard –

Thanks for your assist and the follow-up. The tow truck showed up around 1p and I got into Golden @ 2ish. The m/c shop owner looked things over and the diagnosis was a faulty generator and stator. Unfortunately, adding more acid and recharging the battery was not enough, so I’ll be here for 4 more days waiting for the parts to arrive. But at least it’s fixable and I’ll be back on the road again soon.

Glad to hear your travels are going well. Not sure if I mentioned it, but if you’re on Van Island, you should ride the west coast hwy, 19/19A; a really great curvy, scenic, not heavily trafficked road. Sounds like you’re doing pretty well finding great rides on your own though, so you may already have a route planned. Glad to hear the weather’s working in your favor as well. Enjoy it while you’re here!

Incidentally, at about 11a, I flagged down a 2nd couple who placed a follow-up call with the tow company. All things have come to a relatively good end so far, so I can’t complain. And again, I really, really appreciate your assistance. Thanks so much and I’ll be back in touch once I get back to Boston.

Hope the rest of your travels are well. Ride safe.

-Geoff


After exploring most of what downtown Golden has to offer, I made my way to the shop for an update. It turns out Lisa had left a note on my tent – which promptly blew off – to let me know the bike was ready! Good thing I made swinging by Mayhem part of my daily routine.


Email sent later that day…

Everyone –

It turns out some of the wiring had fried, and the issue was not with the generator or stater. That means the bill came to about 1/5th the original quote and I can leave town tomorrow. Huge sigh of relief. Jeff gave me the name of a shop along my route, and once I head east again, I’ve got the list of Canadian Honda dealers to refer to.

The last 24 hours have been quite an emotional roller coaster, so I’m going to stay in town tonight and hit the road fresh tomorrow. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

-Geoff