It started out as a fine warm morning, but by the time I was about half way into BA (from Cordoba where I started), I was riding into a very sinister approaching cloud front with very dark clouds...
And then it started to rain... And then it started to blow...
And then it pelted rain and the wind was a gale!
If I was not quite as familiar with riding in extreme winds as I am after my Patagonian experiences, I would have had to stop and wait for it all to "blow over". But as it was, I had stopped earlier and put on my full water-proofs (not that it did any good mind you!) and so I just slowed down and pressed on.
And it blew and rained for the next three hours or so, though after the first couple, it did start to ease up and blow less. But I was soaked from the knees down and from the hands to the shoulders anyway... The wind manages to drive it up my sleeves, and no boot other than a rubber boot seems ever to be truly waterproof... But I wasnt too cold, so it was all OK really :)
I was hoping that when I got in to BA, that Id be able to navigate straight to a place where I could stay. Another rider I had met, had mentioned a motorbike mechanic place with a few beds where people working on their bikes can stay. Id looked the place up on the web, and found the GPS coordinates and now I was just following the route my GPS told me to take...
And, it worked out OK.
Admittedly it was a Sunday afternoon and everything was closed when I got there... And the place has absolutely no signage and is in a residential area, so it did take me about half an hour of asking around to figure out exactly which door to knock on, but pretty promptly, my bike and I were in out of the rain and drying off... Nice :)
And this morning, when I got up I was hoping to do a major overhaul on the bike. It really needs some working on on several fronts. I had most of what I needed to do the overhaul with me, but its nice to be at a good mechanics place as well, if I foud something I couldnt deal with myself.
So, today is a "bike day", and after a bite to eat I started in on the list of work...
First up was to replace the rear tire... Id had a very slow leak for the last three days and Id located the problem as being another nail driven through the now very thin and treadless tire. So, rather than patch it, I just kept adding air and waited till I could replace the tire (I was carrying a partially used replacement rear tire, so I didnt need to go find and buy one of those).
So, I rode a few blocks and found a tire fixing place and then took my rear wheel off in their lot and had them change the tire (cleaner, quicker, and easier for them since they have all the big equipment to do it.) It took them 10 minutes and then it took me another 15 minutes to put my wheel back on :)
OK, I head back to the mechanics where Im staying, and on the way I go past an oil and lube centre, so I stop and get three litres of oil :)
But, next job was to replace the chain... It too was on its last legs and had been so for about a week. But, again I was carrying a spare and I just needed a place where I could change it.
So, I started in on this job, but I had to make use of the mechanics bench grinder to take a couple of links off the new chain to make it the right length.
So, this job ended taking an hour while I waited for the mechanic to finish a different job... But it too was done with relative ease :)
Next job was the oil change... Im way over-due on this by about 10,000Km... Not good!
Anyway, I unbolt the bash plate from the bike and drain the old oil out... Its "as black as the ace of spades"... I feel guilt!
Then I unscrew the old oil filter and try fitting on the spare that I have... But it doesnt fit!... Hmmm I got it in Bolivia from a bike shop by just asking for the filter for my model bike.They assured me it was correct... But it isnt... hmm Bummer!
But, again, the mechanics place has the part I need (they see lots of my model bike coming through) so I just buy it here and give him the filters that dont fit as a gift (Im not gonna use it, and he might). So, with that fitted, I put the new oil in, and start the bike up,and it all sounds good so thats another job out of the way :)
And the next job is another brake overhaul...
The brakes have been "sucking" for a long time now... They really got bad after the long day in the mud on ruta40. Ive tried working on them before and it improved, but not by enough. But when I did that service, I figured out what was actually happening that was making the brakes bad... And so I sent an email or two to "The best Mechanic EVER" (My friend Indy in Guatemala) and described the symptoms. Indy said "ah huh! Thats because the seals on the slave pistons are dry and sticking" (which I would not know)
So... I set about carefully "poping out" each of the slave pistons from the cylinders in turn and lubricating the seals with brake fluid... Then putting the piston back in and doing the next one. It has to be done very carefully so as to not damage or lock the slave pistons/cylinders and also to not spill all the brake fluid... It took me a couple of hours to do it all and re-bleed the brakes, but after it was done, the brakes were WAY better :))) Nice!
OK, next is the air filter which means I have to take the tank off...Painful but necessary, and I have to do it anyway to fix the lights (next challenge).
So, it takes me a bit to get the filter out but its easy to give it a blast with compressed air from the mechanics shop.
And now its the head-set tightening and the headlight electrical problem...
I spend half an hour taking off all the plastic fairings off the front of the bike and then 10 minutes adjusting the headset bearings. No problem.
And then the electrical issue...
I spend the next two hours servicing the connectors and wriggling this bit and then that bit etc... But I cant seem to find the problem or even get a glimmer out of the lights...
... No idea what the problem is but the day is done, and Im hot and tired and thirsty and hungry (havent eaten or had anything to drink all day - self inflicted though).
... Its only the head lights and I really dont use them cos I only ride in the day.
I put the bike back together and move it inside the shop... But it is very frustrating to not be able to find the problem!... I may have another go at it later...
Oh well. I did get lots of stuff done and the bike is in way better shape than it was a day ago.
But, I have to say that the whole bike is getting very "worn-out". Absolutely every sub-system on the bike is quite badly worn!
It would cost me more than a new bike is worth to replace all the worn stuff and get it back up to spec'... And I could never sell the bike for any sort of money at all (maybe $1500) when I get back from this trip... So, I think it will become a "project" bike after this trip and Ill try doing some serious (non-reversible) mods to it.
But thats off in the distant future :))
Its working OK at the moment, and thats good enough for today :)))
