Cooter does a road trip
- Thread starter Cooter
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Got to the other side and had a Bison burger. Thats what you GET when you freak me out Mr. Bigass Scary Animal Guy! You're tasty!
Still hazy from the fires:
IMG_1252 by Cooter!, on Flickr
I loved that road so much I went back the same way and did it again!
At the top of the summit, I shut the bike off and coasted for 17 miles down to the bottom. You think you get weird looks with a V-twin and a D&D going up the hill? Try shooting past someone silently
haha.
I made it to Missoula about 11pm. It's dark at 11pm... He had decided to tuck tail and go back to Spokane in the rental truck, so I had a well deserved but VERY expensive hot tub at the Marriot.
Now that I'm on my own I Walmarted a camping set up and set sights to Rigby ID for the eclipse on the 21st where I'll meet up with a forum member who knows the area for some more great riding and hot springs!
IMG_1261 by Cooter!, on Flickr
I follow the Salmon river towards Rigby and its lunchtime when I hit the little town of Salmon, ID, right on the waters of the Salmon river, where I get a chicken sandwich. And realize I am a full day ahead of schedule. Not that I have much of one, but you can't re-schedule a total eclipse!
Guess I'll find camp!
IMG_1277 by Cooter!, on Flickr
Not bad at all...3 whole spots in the whole place (BLM) and I drop into the best one. Suck it Marriot! I challenged myself to take a dip in the river and quickly realized that Glacier water isn't like the stuff from my bathtub faucet. Who knew?:black_eyed: Dry off with my towel (large washcloth) and a nip from my flask and I'm all warm again. A saintly relax... HEEEEY YIKES!! A cold nose on my elbow and I met Blue Duck. He belongs to the little girl in the farm next door and according to his filthy fur, he's having the best dog life ever
IMG_1273 by Cooter!, on Flickr
And a random gorgeous '64 Impala cruising by? Did I mention it's 3 spots? Where the heck did that come from?? I just have another sip on this flask and make a fire...
IMG_1280 by Cooter!, on Flickr
Still hazy from the fires:
IMG_1252 by Cooter!, on FlickrI loved that road so much I went back the same way and did it again!
At the top of the summit, I shut the bike off and coasted for 17 miles down to the bottom. You think you get weird looks with a V-twin and a D&D going up the hill? Try shooting past someone silently
haha.I made it to Missoula about 11pm. It's dark at 11pm... He had decided to tuck tail and go back to Spokane in the rental truck, so I had a well deserved but VERY expensive hot tub at the Marriot.
Now that I'm on my own I Walmarted a camping set up and set sights to Rigby ID for the eclipse on the 21st where I'll meet up with a forum member who knows the area for some more great riding and hot springs!
IMG_1261 by Cooter!, on FlickrI follow the Salmon river towards Rigby and its lunchtime when I hit the little town of Salmon, ID, right on the waters of the Salmon river, where I get a chicken sandwich. And realize I am a full day ahead of schedule. Not that I have much of one, but you can't re-schedule a total eclipse!
Guess I'll find camp!
IMG_1277 by Cooter!, on FlickrNot bad at all...3 whole spots in the whole place (BLM) and I drop into the best one. Suck it Marriot! I challenged myself to take a dip in the river and quickly realized that Glacier water isn't like the stuff from my bathtub faucet. Who knew?:black_eyed: Dry off with my towel (large washcloth) and a nip from my flask and I'm all warm again. A saintly relax... HEEEEY YIKES!! A cold nose on my elbow and I met Blue Duck. He belongs to the little girl in the farm next door and according to his filthy fur, he's having the best dog life ever
IMG_1273 by Cooter!, on FlickrAnd a random gorgeous '64 Impala cruising by? Did I mention it's 3 spots? Where the heck did that come from?? I just have another sip on this flask and make a fire...
IMG_1280 by Cooter!, on Flickr
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njloco
Well-known member
Oopsy, what happened ?
I was wondering where you were stowing the camping gear in the previous pictures, now I get it.
I was wondering where you were stowing the camping gear in the previous pictures, now I get it.
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The day certainly started out well! Woke and packed early for once, had a fabulous breakfast in Salmon where I was pleasantly served by a young lady in a one-piece lion(?) outfit complete with full animal make-up and fuzzy slippers with claws. It was supposed to represent one of the 4 phases of the eclipse. Because that makes it so normal. Bought a cool trinket of jewelry, made by hand, by a lady there from a piece of turquoise and an Elks tooth that she had killed herself (obviously). I got to follow the amazing Salmon river south and the cliffs and cool water did not disappoint.
IMG_1284 by Cooter!, on Flickr
I couldn't help but to stop for pics. Theres MILES of this:
IMG_1285 by Cooter!, on Flickr
First gas stop in Challis Hot Springs, ID and as I'm coasting into the station my trusty steed tells me "click, clank, BANG... clank".
Shoot. Darn, aww shucks.
I said none of that. I cussed well, loudly, and repeatedly. My first thought was catastrophic final drive trans stuff, and quickly diagnosed as a front wheel bearing had grenaded. I then remembered the last 120 miles of fast (very fast) sweeping curves, with no guardrail, no run-off, and no people. Sigh.
At least I'm in Challis, and thankfully the town has grown from 909 people in the 2000 census to well over 1,081. Wheel bearings for a 18 year old Buell should be a cinch! Turns out they aren't! Aww SHHHHUCKS. The populace of Challis are very nice, smart, and super helpful, to no avail.
I do find the bearings at a Napa. One is in Rexburg 167 miles east, the other is also at a Napa, but in Idaho Falls about 150 miles south east.
Took a bit of mental prep and I saddle my steed once more for a white knuckle cruise down the skinny emergency 'lane' at 30mph. If these can hold on juuuuust long enough. And they don't.
IMG_1284 by Cooter!, on FlickrI couldn't help but to stop for pics. Theres MILES of this:
IMG_1285 by Cooter!, on FlickrFirst gas stop in Challis Hot Springs, ID and as I'm coasting into the station my trusty steed tells me "click, clank, BANG... clank".
Shoot. Darn, aww shucks.
I said none of that. I cussed well, loudly, and repeatedly. My first thought was catastrophic final drive trans stuff, and quickly diagnosed as a front wheel bearing had grenaded. I then remembered the last 120 miles of fast (very fast) sweeping curves, with no guardrail, no run-off, and no people. Sigh.
At least I'm in Challis, and thankfully the town has grown from 909 people in the 2000 census to well over 1,081. Wheel bearings for a 18 year old Buell should be a cinch! Turns out they aren't! Aww SHHHHUCKS. The populace of Challis are very nice, smart, and super helpful, to no avail.
I do find the bearings at a Napa. One is in Rexburg 167 miles east, the other is also at a Napa, but in Idaho Falls about 150 miles south east.
Took a bit of mental prep and I saddle my steed once more for a white knuckle cruise down the skinny emergency 'lane' at 30mph. If these can hold on juuuuust long enough. And they don't.
Thankfully, I'm not stranded in the massive expanse of grass lands. The painful screaming of metal on metal, the terrifying yank of the bars when the wheel suddenly twitches left or right at its own desire, and the added bonus of knocking the front brake pads back into the caliper so the first few pulls of the lever give the heart a kick when the lever hits the grip without stopping.
I have wearily made it to Arco, ID. There is Parts city Auto parts, Nathans Service Center, a Mobile Gas station, and Lost River Honda. I've already spoken to Dave, the pleasant guy stacking tires up for the night. He's the owner. Of Arco, ID maybe, but definitely all of the above stuff. He doesn't have any bearings for me, but he does have a shop, which he gracefully lets me dig through to disassemble a sick Buell. Might as well take it apart, I surely am not going another mile anyway.
I wouldn't recommend riding 100 miles at any speed when your bearings are shot. I get lucky the races didn't weld themselves to the wheel, but they did to the axle, and some of the balls (not rollers!?!) wedged in and squished the axle to the fork lower. But it's OK! I'm a professional! hahaha, and I have a giant sledgehammer.
IMG_1291 by Cooter!, on Flickr
When I got to Arco and knew I was going no farther I made the call to a man I had never met before to tell him we wouldn't be meeting for the Eclipse tomorrow barring a miracle.
Turns out he's a miracle!
IMG_1292 by Cooter!, on Flickr
I have wearily made it to Arco, ID. There is Parts city Auto parts, Nathans Service Center, a Mobile Gas station, and Lost River Honda. I've already spoken to Dave, the pleasant guy stacking tires up for the night. He's the owner. Of Arco, ID maybe, but definitely all of the above stuff. He doesn't have any bearings for me, but he does have a shop, which he gracefully lets me dig through to disassemble a sick Buell. Might as well take it apart, I surely am not going another mile anyway.
I wouldn't recommend riding 100 miles at any speed when your bearings are shot. I get lucky the races didn't weld themselves to the wheel, but they did to the axle, and some of the balls (not rollers!?!) wedged in and squished the axle to the fork lower. But it's OK! I'm a professional! hahaha, and I have a giant sledgehammer.
IMG_1291 by Cooter!, on FlickrWhen I got to Arco and knew I was going no farther I made the call to a man I had never met before to tell him we wouldn't be meeting for the Eclipse tomorrow barring a miracle.
Turns out he's a miracle!
IMG_1292 by Cooter!, on Flickr
He just did the XB wheel swap and had them powder coated. He swears he changed them 100 miles or less before I got the bike, so 2000-ish for that pic? And not just worn. Catastrophic failure
