Started Dry But Put Away Wet

To make sure things are in top shape before the big trip, I took my Harley to the shop a few days ago for its 5,000 mile service. (That's what I said in 1987) The appointment was for Friday at 10 a.m. but inasmuch as rain was predicted Friday, and possibly Thursday, I took advantage of the only dry day (Wednesday) to make the 40-mile ride and leave the bike. Sherry met me there and drove me home.

I mistakenly told the service manager there was no hurry with my Friday appointment (the procedure is a 4 hour job) because due to predicted rain I'd prefer to leave the bike until the next dry day. Aware of my hour long ride from Oakridge, the service manager agreed and said there was no problem leaving the bike for however long I wanted. Nevertheless, he'd give me a call as soon as it was ready on Friday.

Wednesday's dry weather was slightly cool and overcast but made for a pleasant ride to town. Along the way I practiced with the "GoPro" video camera, mounting it at various locations on the bike, as can be seen in the video inserted below.

I also experimented with my Garmin GPS, which I'll be taking on the trip and have recently installed a handlebar mount for it. It works fine. Though I don't have it wired to the bike, allowing for continuous display, its own battery is good for 90 minutes. My plan is to turn it on only when needed, such as when negotiating big cities and/or searching for a particular address. There will be little need for it on the open road.



Rear-View Mount of GoPro Camera



Rotatable, Ball & Socket Mounting and Waterproof Case

Remote Control

Time passed and our TV weather man changed his mind about rain on Friday. Rain wouldn't return until late afternoon on Saturday, he promised. It would be clear on Sunday and Monday (but the shop is closed on those days). Then, with a cold vengeance, rain, bordering on snow, will return Tuesday and will remain all week. Ummm? I thought. Perhaps I'd better pick the bike up on Friday after all. Or at least no later than Saturday afternoon.

If the 4-hour job started as scheduled, at 10 a.m., it stands to reason I should have received a call by 2:00 or a little after reporting its completion. When I heard nothing by 3:00, I called the shop. The service manager was out to lunch. At 3:00? He would call me back, they said. He did, and said the bike wasn't anywhere near ready. Because I said there was no hurry they weren't concerned when a previous job took longer than anticipated. Well, no problem, I said. Most of Saturday is supposed to be dry. The service manager said he'd give me a call as soon as it was ready Saturday.

At 11 a.m. Saturday morning, just as sprinkles started in Oakridge, the service manager called and said the bike had been inspected, serviced, tweaked, adjusted and passed muster. It was freshly washed and ready to roll. Sherry and I were en route.

After the wallet-draining ritual at the counter, I returned to the parking lot and retrieved my rain gear from the car as the boys brought around my bike, its sparkling surface quickly beading up in the non-stop drizzle.

I discovered my waterproof gloves were too small. I must've grabbed Sherry's instead of mine. Oh well, the 50-degree temperature shouldn't be that bad, I surmised, and figured I could make it home gloveless.

Two miles later my hands/fingers were numb. I wheeled into a gas station and dug out some fuzzy wool gloves. Even as rain-soaked sponges they are better than nothing and more flexible than wet leather gloves, my only other option. The stop was also an opportunity to extract the camera and give it a rain test. Housed in plastic, the camera is advertised as water submersible, so there should be no problem in the rain. It did quite well, recording my miserable ride all the way home.

Wednesday's Dry Run:

Wet Ride Home: (Select Resolution 640 On Video Task Bar For Best Viewing)