the darth peach rides on .....and then some......

Belated Happy Birthday!

We've never met but my friends told me about helping you with a dead battery during your visit through Bend

Hey! Thanks!!
Ya, met 2 awesome ADV guys in Bend and Madras who saw me pretty stressed.
Ended up being a fried stator.
I haven't got to that part of the story yet, but it's def next.
They caught me in phase 1 & 5 of 'now what??'

Was a pretty awesome reminder of how cool motorcycle folks can be and what a remarkable site ADV is.
That day ended up being looooooooong……

One can only hope..

Bombproof might be a nice quality to have??

Thanks!
Coffee bitch auditions start next June in PR.
I'm extending to you a CJO

Thanks again all for the Bday wishes..
Still working on sorting through pics from the last trip..
Soon amigos, soon....

Here's one new friend I made on Vancouver Island....

In!

Hey Peach! I have not 'tuned' in here for a long time... just checked in and read a few pages worth to catch up on some of your current travels. New Tiger!

Still have mine, love it, no plans to ever get rid of it. Might even add another Tiger to the stable some day, mad love for the Tigers here too.

Happy belated BD!

Happy belated birthday Peach! Hope you had a wonderfully fantastic day!

"Still working on sorting through" sounds like one of the finest procrastination lines out there, I look forward to seeing where you got to this time up...

Day two of the trip..
all is going relatively smooth when I decide to stop in Bend around 11- 11:30 to check the GPS on my phone.
Needed to see if there was an alternate route to get over to 5 since there were some pretty big fires going on
and the first pass was likely closed.

I pull in to a parking spot so I can check the phone map.

Didn't like my parking position and wanted to roll forward so I turned the bike on.
Nothing.
turn it off, turn it on, power but no turnover. Nothing.
and I'm on a slope where rolling backwards is the gravitational choice.
Shit.

The bike has always had weird intermittent starting issues and sometimes would do this.
So I'm not too concerned at this point.
I figured I'll get something to eat, check the connections at the battery, do a little rain dance around the bike and then try starting it again.
But now I realize something else.. no cell signal and no wi-fi.
Great.
Good thing I died in front of a sports pub that served food.
By now I get a cell signal and start trying to figure out a few things.
After a nice lunch and what proved to be later, way too much iced tea,
I go back out and try to restart the bike.
Nothing

So I gracefully unpack the bike to get under the seat, check the connections, still tight, touch every connection (you never know and part of said earlier rain dance), nothing.

Maybe a tiny bead of sweat starts on my forehead when I hear 'hey, bike problems?'
I turn around and met Pat, who ended up giving me a jump start and helping me on my way.
And is an ADV member himself as well as one of the most helpful people of the day.
We chat for a minute while I load my bike up and roll on.

Now every light you can think of is going on in my dash..
the temp gauge is steadily rising and all of a sudden it's hot as hades out.
oh, and I'm almost out of gas,
which means turning the bike off full well knowing it may not start again.
No spare key for the tank and the bike was running hot.

But I'm on a mission.

Something is now obviously wrong
and if I can just get to Tacoma where there is a dealer that I know of, I'll be a lot happier.
300 mi and 5-6 hours away.
I can do this, just not sure how.

My original plan was to leave Phoenix, OR that morning, take the scenic route through Bend, go back over through Sisters and make it to Port Angeles to catch the 5 something ferry to Vancouver Island.

It was now glaringly apparent after a late morning start and present troubles, that the original plan may need some tweaking.

About 1pm now, I stop for gas in Madras and guess what.......

Ugh...

Mine has the occasional starting issue too. :ddog

Thanks rev!
I'm liking it too. Just needs a few tweaks here and there.

phase one, cat removal...

From one gato lover to another...don't mess with the gato!

With a yawn that big, he was probably asleep (again) within 5 minutes.

You went where and didn't bring back any salmons?
So much for your seat.

fixed.

So it’s September 18<SUP>th</SUP> and I am on the return leg of a trip I had started on the 9<SUP>th</SUP> from San Diego and now heading south from Vancouver, WA. I had just left my campsite (East Lake in Newberry Volcanic NM) outside of Bend, Or about an hour ago (around 8AM). I had stopped for coffee at a café in La Pine and as I did not need fuel at the time inquired as to where the next gas was. The nice lady behind the counter advised that the cheapest gas was at the Pride Truck stop in Gilchrist about 40 miles down the road. Sold….mounted up and took off on a perfect, crisp, cloudless, early fall mid-week cruise. Rolled into town about thirty minutes later and filled up as suggested. Great place…nice folks. Got another cup of joe and while enjoying it in the parking lot watched another bike…traveler actually as was evident given the side bags and duffle straddling the rear seat, roll up from the south and shut down in front of the island gas pump. I continued to watch the rider dismount and immediately noticed the distinct curves of a woman…and in full leathers. Instantly intrigued . But as I am standing there she keeps glancing my way and then waves in my direction. I glance around thinking that she was acknowledging someone she knew standing nearby but nobody else was around. Then she waves again. Really intrigued . I toss the half cup of coffee, get on and start up my VFR and roll over stopping beside where she is parked just finishing her refueling.
Me – Howdy…how’s it going?
Her – Good…
Me – Great day for a ride, huh?
Her – Yeah, it’s great…
Me – Where you from?
Her – Sonoma…had a few days off and decided to go ride for awhile. You?
Me – Oh, just cruising around…heading south back home to San Diego. Came up the coast, saw my parents in Vancouver…heading to Crater Lake today.
Her – Nice…by the way, I noticed your ADV patch on your saddle bag. What’s your site name?
Me – Wow, cool…its draglemmag. What’s yours?
Her – I’m darthpeach.
Me – WHAT! Seriously!?!
I then instantly recognized her because of her avatar…the eyes…they were exactly the same peering out from the inside of her white helmet. She had this black balaclava pulled up around her mouth and I couldn’t help but notice the weathered look of her leathers from many miles of riding.
Me – This is so crazy! I’ve read all your stuff! Can I get a picture? (I’m like this little school boy wetting himself in front of the pretty girl on the playground who is showing him some attention)
Her – Uhhh….sure


Her - Nice VFR...I really like that bike.
Me – Thanks! It’s so cool to meet you here like this!
So we had a few minutes of pleasant conversation, said our obligatory “ride safe” to each other and went our separate ways in opposite directions.
Great to meet you Peach! I’m glad you recovered from the bike trouble. Wish I had been there to help. Beautiful new Triumph btw!
So…it is just a special memory I have now from one of my trips that I had to share.

Man, What a small world it is! And to meet her in person is very cool.

You are a wise guy for driving a red color cam geared VFR 750 but more than that, you are a lucky guy for having met darthpeach on the action

Cheers from Athens Greece