30th September
I'm up relatively early, as Hank (an ADVRider - pfestus) is meeting me at the lobby for breakfast. Evelyn, the acceptable face of receptionists in Roanoke, very kindly allows Hank to join me in the 'complimentary' breakfast for free - top girl.
Hank is a EMT (Paramedic) who is also trained as a fire-fighter - a combination not found (to my knowledge) in the UK, where paramedics are specialists in the Ambulance Service - but not unusual here.
We have a good breakfast and Hank offers me the use of his garage (about 15 miles away) to do a precautionary oil change in the final drive - a look at the oil and the magnetic drain plug should give us the definite ok/shot assessment.
Hank departs to do some errands, I go back to my room and spend the next few hours wrestling with flight schedules and hotel companies, whilst emailing some friends back in the UK and trying to arrange some short notice accommodation and other stuff (like buying a car, so I've got transport when I get back in November...).
I look up and realise it's 1400 already, so quickly get booted & suited and before leaving, check my pre-load on the rear shock. This is adjusted by a handwheel on the left side of the bike. I find that it's been wound almost completely off - someone had obviously tampered with the bike when it was parked in Beckley. I wind it back up and leave for Hank's place, via an Auto Zone, to buy some synthetic gear oil.
My route takes me up the Blue Ridge Parkway, part of which I rode when I was here last, back in February. It’s a tourist road - no commercial traffic, and is designed to be a scenic drive - it's very successful...
...although I'm only seeing the beginning of the colours that will be on display here in a couple of weeks (when I'm in the UK ). After some re-calculating, when Bettie tries to entice me down a track that was last used just after the last Ice Age, I arrive at Hank's place, which is built on top of a small hill and has a great view. Hank's bikes...
...a 98 GS (with a vanity plate - what a poser ) and an old 75/5 combination...
...are joined by my bike in the garage. We drop the oil out and, to my relief, it's fine - whatever is causing the problem, it isn't another toasted final drive. After re-filling the drive, I do a throttle body balance and a TPS re-set, all of which should've helped sort out the surging and rough running which is now affecting the bike at all speeds. Even as I manage to get a pretty consistent synchronisation, I know it hasn't cured the problem, I can feel the engine's roughness even when the bike's static...
Hank gets suited up and we take the long way back to the hotel, through some great little back roads...
...with Hank leading at a nice steady pace. The trouble is, my mind isn't on the pretty hillside roads we're riding - it's wondering what the problem with the suspension is (it seems like it wants to buck me off on anything other than a smooth surface) - it's also wondering what's wrong with the fuelling, causing the bike to run in such a rough and lumpy manner - and of course, it's also full of a million details I need to sort out before I depart for the UK next week.
After a while, when we come to a stop, I apologise to Hank and tell him I need to get back to the hotel - agreeing to come out for a ride when I've this much on my plate was a mistake. We ride back and I say my goodbyes - a shame, another time Hank would've been an excellent chap to show me around this part of Virginia, but it's not to be - sorry Hank & thanks!
I get back to my room and I'm still emailing and sorting stuff out at midnight, when it becomes October...
I'm up relatively early, as Hank (an ADVRider - pfestus) is meeting me at the lobby for breakfast. Evelyn, the acceptable face of receptionists in Roanoke, very kindly allows Hank to join me in the 'complimentary' breakfast for free - top girl.
Hank is a EMT (Paramedic) who is also trained as a fire-fighter - a combination not found (to my knowledge) in the UK, where paramedics are specialists in the Ambulance Service - but not unusual here.
We have a good breakfast and Hank offers me the use of his garage (about 15 miles away) to do a precautionary oil change in the final drive - a look at the oil and the magnetic drain plug should give us the definite ok/shot assessment.
Hank departs to do some errands, I go back to my room and spend the next few hours wrestling with flight schedules and hotel companies, whilst emailing some friends back in the UK and trying to arrange some short notice accommodation and other stuff (like buying a car, so I've got transport when I get back in November...).
I look up and realise it's 1400 already, so quickly get booted & suited and before leaving, check my pre-load on the rear shock. This is adjusted by a handwheel on the left side of the bike. I find that it's been wound almost completely off - someone had obviously tampered with the bike when it was parked in Beckley. I wind it back up and leave for Hank's place, via an Auto Zone, to buy some synthetic gear oil.
My route takes me up the Blue Ridge Parkway, part of which I rode when I was here last, back in February. It’s a tourist road - no commercial traffic, and is designed to be a scenic drive - it's very successful...
...although I'm only seeing the beginning of the colours that will be on display here in a couple of weeks (when I'm in the UK ). After some re-calculating, when Bettie tries to entice me down a track that was last used just after the last Ice Age, I arrive at Hank's place, which is built on top of a small hill and has a great view. Hank's bikes...
...a 98 GS (with a vanity plate - what a poser ) and an old 75/5 combination...
...are joined by my bike in the garage. We drop the oil out and, to my relief, it's fine - whatever is causing the problem, it isn't another toasted final drive. After re-filling the drive, I do a throttle body balance and a TPS re-set, all of which should've helped sort out the surging and rough running which is now affecting the bike at all speeds. Even as I manage to get a pretty consistent synchronisation, I know it hasn't cured the problem, I can feel the engine's roughness even when the bike's static...
Hank gets suited up and we take the long way back to the hotel, through some great little back roads...
...with Hank leading at a nice steady pace. The trouble is, my mind isn't on the pretty hillside roads we're riding - it's wondering what the problem with the suspension is (it seems like it wants to buck me off on anything other than a smooth surface) - it's also wondering what's wrong with the fuelling, causing the bike to run in such a rough and lumpy manner - and of course, it's also full of a million details I need to sort out before I depart for the UK next week.
After a while, when we come to a stop, I apologise to Hank and tell him I need to get back to the hotel - agreeing to come out for a ride when I've this much on my plate was a mistake. We ride back and I say my goodbyes - a shame, another time Hank would've been an excellent chap to show me around this part of Virginia, but it's not to be - sorry Hank & thanks!
I get back to my room and I'm still emailing and sorting stuff out at midnight, when it becomes October...