A BC Buell goes South

I headed out before it had warmed up much, but was only riding into town to meet a friend of mine for breakfast. I had known and worked with Ian for many years at many different mines. I hadn’t seen him since last year, so we caught up, talked about mining, our KLRs and he told me how all about how much he was enjoying the Ducati I sold him last year J <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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I had a couple of stops I wanted to make, and I was looking for a right hand mirror for my bike, so I also headed up to see mi amigo Dave at New Life Cycle. He looked through his Big Box of Used Mirrors, but didn’t have the one I needed. We did get in a good visit before I headed out.<o></o>
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It had warmed up considerably by the time I got out of Williams Lake. I rode along, the bike running good.<o></o>
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From 100 Mile House, I turned off on to one of my favorite local roads, Horse Lake road, heading towards Little Fort. I stopped to make my bladder gladder along the way.<o></o>
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When I started the bike, the starter seemed to turn over kind of……….. slowly.<o></o>
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Well, I know these old bikes don’t have the best charging systems, and I had bought a halogen light for it, and had been running with the light on for a couple of days ( it didn’t occur to me at the time that I had ran the light all day yesterday with no problems), so I would just run with the light off for a while to get the battery back up.<o></o>
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I wanted to stop and see good friend (inmate BucknBC) to see if he had a mirror that would work on my bike, so I stopped at his work, but he didn’t have one. We visited for a while, and when I went to start the bike……. Good thing I have a kickstarter………<o></o>
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I figured I would ride a while further, and see if I could get anything more out of the battery. I got to Kamloops, bought a multi meter, (of course mine was sitting on my bench at home), and I was putting out zip for volts.<o></o>
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Crap.<o></o>
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A friend of mine. Starsky, near Salmon Arm was a millwright / bodyman / painter / bike mechanic and had recently opened a bike / paint shop in Grinrod and specialised in working on old Harleys. I had been planning on stopping and seeing him anyhow in search of a mirror, so I called him, told him what was going on and he said he would stay open, call Terry, the wiring specialist, also a friend of mine, who worked at the shop with him, and that he would see me soon, and to call if my bike quit.<o></o>
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So away I went, sans headlight, for the hour and a half ride to Starsky’s shop. I stopped once for gas (thank goodness for kick starters) and made it in record time.<o></o>
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I pulled in right about closing time, another buddy, Heath, showed up with a 6 pack, looking for parts for his shovelhead, so we visited a bit until Terry (aka “The Doctor of Darkeness ) showed up ( he had already gone home for the day)<o></o>
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After a beer and some BSing, they tested the charging system, and, yep, I had fried the stator. No big deal, Starsky had a used stator that tested good and away we went to work. Well, Starsky and Doc went to work, while Heath and I had another beer and helped where we could.<o></o>
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The Doctor of Darkness<o></o>
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Starsky hard at it.<o></o>
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Terry headed out after a while, then Heath, so Starsky and I stayed till quite late, working on the bike and visiting. We got it mostly done, and planned to button it up in the morning.<o></o>

We got back on the bike in the morning and had it all together in no time.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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The stator that went on me looked like the original stator, and the one Starsky had was a newer, higher output one, so Terry suggested we use the regulator that came off the same bike as the stator. We spent the rest of the morning dicking around with my bike. One of them would look at something on my bike and say something like “well, what you got there is OK, but if we just did this or this with it, I think it would be a bit better”<o></o>
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After it was all said and done, and they were happy that they had tweaked every little thing I would let them, it was time to settle up. I was hoping for a bit of a deal, as I had known these guys for quite a while, but I understood that this was how they made their living and was willing to pay whatever the bill came to. <o></o>
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Well………. Starsky says, with the parts, and gaskets and labor…….. and tells me this ridiculously low number. I was like, “ Are you sure” and they say yep, that’s what it comes to”, So I says, “ Well, what about the Doctor of Darkness’ part?” and they say , “yep, that’s included” <o></o>
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I tell them that’s ridiculous, pay Starsky the original amount, give Terry some more, and thank them.<o></o>
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We visit for a while more, say our goodbyes, and I head out, happy that my bike is leaving the shop with a working charging system and some other things tweaked.<o></o>
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And….. they threw in the mirror. J<o></o>
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I rode towards Revelstoke, then down hwy 23 towards Nakusp . On the ferry, I got talking to a trucker who had just bought a Harley, and a local guy on a CBR 1000RR.<o></o>
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When we got to the other side, CBR guy says, “I am turning soon to go to the hotsprings, so you may as well unload ahead of me.”<o></o>
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Ummmmmm…….lets see, old fat guy on a 36 year old, 60 horsepower bike, and a young guy on a new 180 horsepower bike and twisty roads ahead.<o></o>
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I say, “No, that’s OK, you go ahead, I am going to go slow and enjoy the view” J<o></o>
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And away he went….. I never saw him again or where he turned off for the Hotsprings.<o></o>
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I rode into Nakusp and got a room for the night.<o></o>

Great start Brian. Hope the road ahead treats you well.
Bill

Thanks Bill

So far I have ridden some great roads and met lots of nice people.

When I got to Nakusp I didn’t see much besides the hotel and the pizza place I went to pick up my supper, so I took a walk around town before heading out.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Google maps said the quickest way to Creston and the border was to head South towards Nelson, so I followed the signs towards New Denver and Kaslo instead. It was a great road with lots of “slow to 60 kmh” or “slow to 30 kmh” signs. I was pretty impressed with the old shovel, I was taking the “60” corners at about 90 or 100, and the “30” corners at around 50. No shaking or scraping. After A while I looked in the mirrors and saw…… something…… behind me. Kind of a different looking motorcycle gaining fast. <o></o>
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I pulled over to the right to let him by, and I hear this growl as he went by. What is that? Looks Italian. Hey, that’s a Laverda!! (OK, I saw that the back of his jacket said Laverda)<o></o>
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And he was gone.<o></o>
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I stopped for a look around at a rest area.<o></o>
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After a few miles, I saw the Laverda in my mirrors again. I moved over, and away he went. Sweet!!<o></o>
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I turned onto hwy 31 at New Denver. Now this road is twisty. The same “slow to” signs on the corners, but the corners weren’t quite the same. I was dragging floorboards just trying to do the posted speed. Whoo hoo.<o></o>
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If you like bikes, you would like riding in the Kootenays. <o></o>
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I rode into Kaslo, where I stopped for lunch.<o></o>
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I rode along the lake, stopping here and there for a look around<o></o>
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On the ferry I visited with a local fellow riding a BMW 650GS. He told me about all the great riding in the area.<o></o>
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I stopped for gas in Creston and got talking to a guy on a newer Harley. He told me the best way to the border ( I was planning on going to go to a different, further away crossing)<o></o>
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Got to the border and the border guard asked me all the standard questions. No problem, this is going smooth. She asks me where I work and how I am going to support myself in the USA (uh oh) then she looks at me funny and asks “have you ever been arrested or refused entry to the USA”. <o></o>
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Go inside and see the guy.<o></o>
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He asks me the standard questions, gives me my passport back after a bit and away I go. I just was thinking that whenever I ride a Harley to the border I get questioned, and when I ride something else I am left alone, and maybe there was something to that, when the guy behind me on the KTM 990 with Nevada plates gets hauled in. Well, there goes that theory.<o></o>
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I rode to Bonners Ferry where I picked up some maps and went to the Bank to deposit some money so I could use my handy dandy Wells Fargo debit card I had picked up last spring in Texas.<o></o>
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I rode into Sandpoint. Picked up some groceries and talked bikes to a couple of guys in front of the grocery store, and headed off to a campsite for the night.<o></o>
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I wanted to go over my bike this morning, so I packed up my camp, got out the wrenches and went over the bolts I thought needed checking. As expected a couple were loosening a little, so I tightened them up, checked a few things I was watching, loaded up and hit the road.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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As I rode it got hotter and smokier. When I stopped for gas or a break, people were commenting about the heat and the smoke. Everybody seemed to think the heat would break by next week, and all thought I was nuts heading towards Texas in this heat, and everybody said the smoke was because there were fires near some town called Grangeville, to the South.<o></o>
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There were lots of historic sites along the way, and made for good places to stop, have a drink of water, and read the signs stating the historic significance. <o></o>
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I stopped in Moscow, Idaho for a bit, and found they had Motorcycle parking only spaces on main street ( I like motorcycle only parking spaces)<o></o>
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Moscow is a college town, with lots of young, artsy types running around. It was kind of tough finding a restaurant with anything I wanted on the menu. J<o></o>
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The downtown area was nice, with lots of trees and well taken care of old buildings<o></o>
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As I headed south, the smoke got thicker. So thick you could taste it. I had to stop to wipe my eyes as they were stinging from the smoke.<o></o>
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I had been watching the time on my GPS, and figured I would tough out the smoke and ride for another hour or so. Once, when I stopped yet again to wipe my eyes, I checked the time on my phone, and it was an hour later than the GPS. I figured I must have crossed a time zone, so I decided to get a room in the next town. I pulled in to Grangeville, apparently the closest town to all the fires and got a room. When I looked at the time on the hotel clock, it said the same time as my GPS. I guess this part of Idaho is on Washington time or something………<o></o>

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The smoke in Grangeville was even thicker this morning.<o></o>
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I ate my complimentary cereal and toast and headed south in the smoke. About 20 miles south of town I went past the helicopter and fire crew camps set up on the side of the road. The smoke was even thicker, and it was hard to see oncoming cars, even the ones with their headlights on (can you believe there were a lot of vehicle WITHOUT headlights on in the smoke)<o></o>
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I stopped at a viewpoint, and I can only take their word for it there was a view.<o></o>
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As I got further south, the smoke lessened, traffic picked up, the sun was able to get a bit of heat through the smoke and it turned into a pretty OK day for riding. Not clear of smoke, but not sickenly thick.<o></o>
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Hwy 95 south of Grangeville is an awesome road. Lots of twisting and turning. Up mountains, down mountains, through valleys, then back up a mountain.<o></o>
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At New Meadows, I turned onto hwy 55, and went up, and up, and up to a little resort town of McColl. I thought the town looked pretty cool, so I stopped for a picture, and ended up staying quite a while.<o></o>
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It was a quiet little resort town, and everyone was wandering around, not in a rush. I have been feeling pretty relaxed on this trip, but just being in McColl made me feel even more so.<o></o>
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They had a pretty cool idea for crosswalks there, one that I had never seen before. At every intersection down town, there was a rack of red flags on sticks, and pedestrians could take a flag, cross the street holding the flag up for traffic to see, the deposit the flag in a rack on the other side of the street. (It took me a bit to figure out what the flags were for J )<o></o>
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I headed down hwy 55, the road winding along the river in places.<o></o>
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I rode into Boise, and had a look around for a bit. I wanted to find an auto parts store and a camping place. Finding Cabelas was a bit tricky with just my iPhone maps, but finding my way out of town was pretty easy, as Cabelas was right next to the freeway (wish I had known that coming IN to town)<o></o>
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Out of Boise I hit my first bit of actual freeway on the trip so far (boooring)<o></o>
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The speed limit is 75 mph on the freeway, but I kept to a sedate 65, not wanting to over tax the old bike for too long. I am not used to being on the freeway and having everybody passing me (75 is the speed limit. Most everybody was doing WAY over that)<o></o>
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I stopped at a little one horse town for gas.<o></o>
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I got talking to an older guy about bikes. He was pretty interested in my bike, and had a 05 Fat Boy at home.<o></o>
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I rode into Twin Falls, hoping to get there before 6 so I could buy a headlight at the Harley shop (mine burnt out. I knew that automotive headlights would shake apart in an old shovel when I installed it, but I installed it anyway) I got to town just before 6, but couldn&#8217;t find the Harley shop until just after closing. Crap.<o></o>
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At the risk of getting crap from the moderators,(I don't think I am supposed to be doing this) I have been dual posting my latest RR here and on the new thread.

From here on, I will post at The Wanderings of a 36 year old Electraglide

If anyone is still reading this threat, thanks for following at see you at the new thread.

BC Brian

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the day I was SUPPOSED to leave on my dream ride to unknown southern locations. (as we know my departure was delayed slightly.)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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I have spent the last week cutting firewood, hanging with my family, working on my resume, applying for gainful employment, and going over my photos, personal log and ride reports, looking for some meaningful or deep or philosophical words of wisdom to share here.<o></o>
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I got nuthin’.<o></o>
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I did have a fantastic year, though. If someone had told me a year ago that my trip was going to go this way, I might have looked at them with suspicious distrust J Although I didn`t have a real plan or destination, I had hoped to get further South, and I really didn`t see buying an antique Harley (I still have a problem with “antique” being younger than I am) and touring on it.<o></o>
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Although I had factored in missing my family, I wasn’t prepared for how much I would miss them. I think that for the near future at least, I may limit my adventures to a shorter time frame, such as my Electraglide journey. <o></o>
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I have been asked what was the best thing I saw or experienced, and that is a tough one. It was all so cool. The places I saw, the people I met. From the deserts of the Baja to the Freeways of Cincinnati, there were no places I DIDN’T like. Granted, there were places I liked better than others, but there was nowhere that I wouldn’t return to. (Even Acapulco, though, if I did return I might do it a bit differently J)<o></o>
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The people I met were fantastic. No matter where I went, I found the people helpful and generous. It was mostly noticeable in parts of rural Mexico, Guatemala and Texas. That does not mean in any way that the people in other places weren’t fantastic. They were. I even met friendly people from Ohio J. I made friends in every country I visited. Friends who I keep in touch with and will continue to, and people who I hope to see again, either in their area or if they come to see me here in Canada.<o></o>
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I think the most remarkable thing I experienced was in the Latin America countries (I saw this in Peru with the family as well) and that is that they socialise as a community.<o></o>
Every city or village has a town square, and there are always people milling around, visiting, buying things from the vendors. The streets and markets are busy with people shopping and socialising. I was talking with my Mother about this, and she says 50 years ago, it was more like that here. I could feel more of a sense of a community there than I do here at home.<o></o>
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All in all it worked out to be a pretty much perfect year. I rode about 35,000 kilometers (just over 25,000 on the Buell, just under 10,000 on the Harley)<o></o>
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I saw great things and met wonderful people.<o></o>
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I was able to spend an entire summer at home with the family (and in fact am applying for a job tomorrow where I should get summers off J)<o></o>
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So, thank you all for following along. I truly appreciate the comments you all made along the way. It makes writing a Ride Report worth it, knowing that people are enjoying it.<o></o>
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On all RRs, I tried to answer all comments, but I am sure I may have missed some. For that I apologise.<o></o>
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So for now, its back to reality. I see more travel in my future, and intend to write more RRs when they happen.<o></o>
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I would especially like to thank my understanding yet somewhat frustrated wife for all her support. Without her, none of this would have happened.

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<o>Dual post atThe wanderings of a 36 year old Electraglide.</o>

Nicely said, Brian. Thanks again for sharing and good luck on the job front.

just read your first post....your wife is wonderful!!! If mine told me to do that, the subtext would be that if I went it would also end the relationship.....I could get away with a three week trip but anything more .... trouble

Thanks RockyDS. I hope you had a great summer on that Tenere :)

Thanks Blader54.

She's a keeper, all right

I hope you enjoy the rest if the RR

getting ready to jump in. Better late than never.

Hey stoney4vida

Late is sometimes good. At least you won't be waiting for the next installment :)

I hope you enjoy it.

Good point Brian

Finally caught up. As a fellow Buell Uly rider I loved it. You hear so much negative about Uly reliability ( belts breaking, electrics , etc )sometimes it makes you scared to wander off on them to far. Your RR proves that they are a great ride. I finished the Shovel RR also. Love the old iron. I have an 80 Shovel and a 65 Pan. You've got me thinking about a Panhead trip this Summer. Packing list definitely includes tools and oil . You ever end up down Central Kentucky way give a holler.

glad you liked it stoney4vida

I had read all about Uly's before I bought mine (just for reading sake, actually, as I hadn't really planned on buyinng one for the trip) and they do have some bad press. ECMs, front motormounts,wheel bearings, blah blah. But, no one usually writes in on forums about how GOOD their bike's running :)

If a guy reads to much about anything,he would never buy anything (BMW singles and water pumps, BMW Rs and final drives, not to mention Harleys (especially Shovels and Pans)

A guy just has to get on a bike he likes and go!!

Thanks for the invite and if I am down that way again I will look you up


I think a Kentucky to Alaska on a Panhead RR might bea good read...... and......You would have to go right by my place on the way there. Just sayin'.....................

Kentucky to Alaska on a Panhead hmmmm sounds like it would definitely be an adventure. Rode a 1960 hardtail panhead to Sturgis from Chicago area back in 92. around 985 miles in 2 days. Wasn't to bad, had about 20 lbs of air in back tire, so had some cushion. of course it helped that I was 27 years old. Definitely give a holler if you ever get down this way.

BCBrian,

Great RR!!! Just read it through and really enjoyed it. We'll be moving on to "The Wanderings..." thread now with great expectations!

Thanks for all of your work in posting this,
dammitdave