After a week of anticipation, Yesterday was the Day to Travel to Brian's (bwringer) to pick up My New to Me 1993 GSX1100G. My old 1990 Caravan looks lke crap, the body has 174,000 miles on it but the Motor And Trans. were both rebuilt less than 40,000 miles ago so I'm not afraid to take it Anywhere. I got on the Road about 5:30 am and got the Eastward leg of the KY driving out of the way by Sunrise. I was making excellent Time and decided to top off the tank in Henderson Ky before I crossed the Ohio River into Evansville Indiana. I pulled into a Shell Convenience store and pumped My Gas and went in to get a Candy Bar and a drink. I got back in the van, turned the Key and NOTHING happened. I tried a couple more times with the same result, the fuel pump would come on but No Cranking. I'm thinking Crap, what a time for the battery to go bad.
As I'm looking around the area I see an ASE certified Repair shop in the other half of the building the Shell store is in. I went in and asked the clerk if they worked on Saturday and He said 8:00. It was now 7:50 so I waited a few minutes and the Mechanic showed up. I went in and told Him I needed a Jump and He said "no Problem". First He put a Tester on the Battery and Said the Battery is good. We hooked up the Jumper cables and no Luck. He went in and got a small hammer and got under the front end and tapped on the starter and had Me try again, Nothing. He said "Man, looks like Your starter is Toast!" I explained to Him where I was Heading and that I needed to get back on the Road and He said "Let Me make a Call". He called the local Auto Zone and they had a Remanufactured One in Stock. He said He could do it but He had another Customer with an Appointment coming first. What choice did I have! The other Guy showed up and turned out to be a Real Friendly, Talkative. Traveling Salesman Who puts 4000 Miles a month on a Chevy Cavalier! He was in for His every Two week oil change and to get His tires rotated. We had a nice conversation and in the mean time My starter showed Up. As soon as the other Guy left, the Mechanic started on Mine and in less that an Hour He was done. I'm thinking "How bad will this be" as I get out the Credit card. He figures up the bill and it is $166.38 and the Starter was $109 of that. I'm Elated, Shook His hand and off I go into Indiana.
I cleared Evansville pretty easily and Headed up U.S. 41 Toward Terre Haught. The terrain soon went from Rolling Hills near the Ohio River to Flat as a Pancake as I rolled through Water Mellon Country. At Terre Haught I headed East on I-70 through the countryside. The deer along 70 are having a bad time with Semis from the carnage along the Road. My MSN Maps Directions were on the Money and I got to Brian's to Find a Maroon GS1100G out front and Brett (griffin) in the Driveway talking to Brian. Soon George (koolaid kid) showed up and We went over to get the GSX1100. The extra Muscle was much appreciated when it came to getting the bike on the Trailer and Secured.
When We got back to Brian's. Brett headed home and Myself, George, and Brian and Marge went to a Mexican Restauant for a late lunch. When We got back Brian and Myself went to work on a couple of Known issues on the bike which I had already gotten parts for from Bike Bandit. Brian changed out the Slave Cylinder on the Hyd. clutch while I changed out the Clutch and Brake levers (the PO didn't ride much but His garage was rough on the Bike!
) It was now past Dark and Brian and I were getting Tired so We called it a Night after a run to a store to get a sample of Indiana brewed Wheat beer called Highland which was very Tasty! After a good Night's sleep I rolled out this morning for a Quick and uneventful trip back Home. Here is the View out the back Window.
Here is another reason that Fall is a nice time for a Road Trip in the Heartland.
As I'm looking around the area I see an ASE certified Repair shop in the other half of the building the Shell store is in. I went in and asked the clerk if they worked on Saturday and He said 8:00. It was now 7:50 so I waited a few minutes and the Mechanic showed up. I went in and told Him I needed a Jump and He said "no Problem". First He put a Tester on the Battery and Said the Battery is good. We hooked up the Jumper cables and no Luck. He went in and got a small hammer and got under the front end and tapped on the starter and had Me try again, Nothing. He said "Man, looks like Your starter is Toast!" I explained to Him where I was Heading and that I needed to get back on the Road and He said "Let Me make a Call". He called the local Auto Zone and they had a Remanufactured One in Stock. He said He could do it but He had another Customer with an Appointment coming first. What choice did I have! The other Guy showed up and turned out to be a Real Friendly, Talkative. Traveling Salesman Who puts 4000 Miles a month on a Chevy Cavalier! He was in for His every Two week oil change and to get His tires rotated. We had a nice conversation and in the mean time My starter showed Up. As soon as the other Guy left, the Mechanic started on Mine and in less that an Hour He was done. I'm thinking "How bad will this be" as I get out the Credit card. He figures up the bill and it is $166.38 and the Starter was $109 of that. I'm Elated, Shook His hand and off I go into Indiana.
I cleared Evansville pretty easily and Headed up U.S. 41 Toward Terre Haught. The terrain soon went from Rolling Hills near the Ohio River to Flat as a Pancake as I rolled through Water Mellon Country. At Terre Haught I headed East on I-70 through the countryside. The deer along 70 are having a bad time with Semis from the carnage along the Road. My MSN Maps Directions were on the Money and I got to Brian's to Find a Maroon GS1100G out front and Brett (griffin) in the Driveway talking to Brian. Soon George (koolaid kid) showed up and We went over to get the GSX1100. The extra Muscle was much appreciated when it came to getting the bike on the Trailer and Secured.
When We got back to Brian's. Brett headed home and Myself, George, and Brian and Marge went to a Mexican Restauant for a late lunch. When We got back Brian and Myself went to work on a couple of Known issues on the bike which I had already gotten parts for from Bike Bandit. Brian changed out the Slave Cylinder on the Hyd. clutch while I changed out the Clutch and Brake levers (the PO didn't ride much but His garage was rough on the Bike!
) It was now past Dark and Brian and I were getting Tired so We called it a Night after a run to a store to get a sample of Indiana brewed Wheat beer called Highland which was very Tasty! After a good Night's sleep I rolled out this morning for a Quick and uneventful trip back Home. Here is the View out the back Window.
Here is another reason that Fall is a nice time for a Road Trip in the Heartland.
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