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about 3 weeks ago I was riding the new bike up a canyon not far from the house. we have had alot of flooding this winter (think torential) and the road I remember was gone, just leaving bad rocks in its place. I had attempted this road earlier this year and had to admit defeat. The first go around I was able to claim defeat without dropping the bike, this time I wasn't so lucky.
I made it past the section I did last time, but stalled out in a little rocky trench. I got my composure and headed on but had a bad start. the front end went up on a rock and I lost it, slamming the right head into the ground. My foot was crushed so I thought had saved the bike! then I find all this gas running out. hmm.......... that can't be good. I tilt the bike back up, takea look at it and determine thats not gas, thats oil. ohhhhhhhh........... thats not good. big gash in the valve cover. exactly where I figured I do it when I did it. now i'm stuck halfway up a bad road with a bike half out of oil and i have to decide.. do I go up, or admit defeat and go back.
defeat? no way. I fired it up and headed up. a few more turns and I hit snow. now snow and mud with a 400lb dirt bike don't quit mix on bad terrain. I slid out and slammed the left head into the ground. since the road was so muddy no damage done, but the mud glob was pretty big.
defeat? turn around. now way. I'm just getting started. I power through the snow and mud, up around the bend and finally hit pavement. about 10 miles of coasting/limping down a paved mountain road to get back home. I did my best to keep from shooting oil out the side but every now and again I had to use the engine.
Damage:
one 'holed' valve cover. its made out of magnesium and BMW likes them alot, so its around $150 for a new one. since i'm pretty sure this won't be my only time on the ground I opt for the 'in training solution' and head to home depot. I got some 2 part epoxy putty for $2 and patched the hole. since then I've got about another 400 miles on it with zero problems. that epoxy putty stuff is DEFINATLY going to alaska with us.
in the end, the real damage was my pride.
3 comments:
this was just one painful read. it reminds me of having a prized remote control model airplane and watching is slam into the ground.
The great thing about ummm the better bikes is you can take them in one hand sling them over your back and go across the areas where the engine doesn't have enough power or the water is too deep.
those bikes that don't use iraqi fuel have trouble doing 6000 miles to alaska in 3 weeks.
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