Free tools

[TinkerinWstuff]

Having STM Suspension stickers on your bike will get you free loaner tools in Iowa.

Details to follow when I get home.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Last Friday I left on a quick run to WI to check on my old house that's for sale.
It was a fast trip and I didn't have time for a lot of photos.

Bike scrubbed down and spotless for the trip, all packed and waiting days in advance:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/537564aa.jpg

Departure time and miles:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/c273177a.jpg

Friday morning, five miles away in Eaton, Thursday's storms have flooding the streets and the bike is already disgusting with road spray. Here's two pictures; the second shows dirty hail piled 3ft thick:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/c76693ea.jpg
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/638dee65.jpg

Lunch in Sterling:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/8f33c8eb.jpg

http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/a56347cd.jpg

Motel Friday night in Nebraska and she gets a sponge bath:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/510b4580.jpg

[grim]

:spit:

Bike in the hotel room!!! You sir are my hero that is awesome!

[TinkerinWstuff]

Saturday I make it to my sister's in MN:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/851d30cb.jpg

Sunday I chase down electrical gremlins causing the bike to not run:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/0df89dc4.jpg

Visited my house and cried about how much I miss my old garage:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/3b166ae6.jpg

Then back to southern MN and a motel for the evening waiting out severe weather:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/4fcc5349.jpg

Get up Monday morning at the but-crack of dawn with 800miles to do:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/2314c640.jpg

Sidelined in Sioux City Iowa with a header clamp that came off:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/7631e4b7.jpg

And made it home before the kid went to bed:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/11c45be7.jpg

[Jmetz]

I've noticed you always put your bike in your room. Generally pretty easy to get in and out?

[TinkerinWstuff]

So the STM Sticker story goes like this.....

I looked for a Honda Dealer in Sioux City Iowa. Found Midwest Honda, Suzuki, & Kubota (important to diversify in Iowa I guess).

Went in there and told them I had lost the nuts on the header clamp and was desperate to get home before my kid went to bed after being gone for four days. This Rob guy comes out and looks at it, says they would be happy to work on it but it would be an hour before he could get it in. However, he was glad to loan me to tools I needed to fix it in the parking lot if I wanted to dive in.

Rob brought me extensions, swivel, and some nuts from a mechanic's secret stash. Then he notices the STM stickers on my forks and says, "I know that guy"

me: really, you know Dave?

Rob: Ya, I did some MRA suspension tuning a few years ago and met him

wow, small world. Then I needed more tools to get the rearset off so the extensions would align with the inner studs on the exhaust manifold and Rob runs all over hell getting me the breaker bar and 25mm socket etc I needed to finish the job.

So, they were already helping me and thus I guess I cannot say for certain that the stickers got me all the free tools and help I needed. But it sure didn't hurt.

And the bike handles great.....

So I gave him $20 anyway and told him to buy a case of sodas for the crew and promised a positive Google review.

I will have to see later if I got any good GoPro footage of the trip worth posting.

[Sean]

Motel Friday night in Nebraska and she gets a sponge bath:
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/510b4580.jpg

You must be a Wisconsin boy, drinking a Miller Lite while cleaning a bike! :lol: I get so much shit for drinking Miller products out here!

[TinkerinWstuff]

I've noticed you always put your bike in your room. Generally pretty easy to get in and out?

Generally on these trips I'm just blasting through and looking for a cheap room for a shower and clean bed. The $40/$50 rooms aren't in the nicest areas and generally seem to attract some shadier looking fellows. I sure sleep a lot better with it right there next to the bed. That and I'm often trying to get it sheltered from the overnight midwest storms.

As to the specific of your question, it seems like these motels never have a big curb out front. I wait until everyone settles in the for the night around 9pm or so and roll the dice that the front desk manager isn't watching their closed circuit security cameras. Fold the mirrors and roll it in. Sometimes I have to move a little furniture.

I always put everything back and try leave no trace that it was there (no grease spots, oil etc). Roll it back out early before folks are up and moving.

http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/98vfr800/June2012%20-%20xCountry/6c8b67b9.jpg

[TinkerinWstuff]

It's been a gamble that no one parks in a way that I can't get the bike back out in the morning. Saturday morning someone checked in late and parked a truck next to my room in the above photo. Made for a little back and forth maneuvering to get it back out.

[TinkerinWstuff]

You must be a Wisconsin boy, drinking a Miller Lite while cleaning a bike! :lol: I get so much shit for drinking Miller products out here!

cuz you can't get Michelob Golden Draft Light out here :scream1:

http://www.ziegenbock.com/Images/Golden/MichelobGolden/Bottle.jpg

[TinkerinWstuff]

http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/90VFR750/VFRxcountry/VFRxcountry_014.jpg


hahaha - Miller Lite here too

http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac47/tinkerinWstuff/90VFR750/VFRxcountry/VFRxcountry_016.jpg

[rybo]

I'm guessing that was Rob Oliva - he ran a trackside vendor for Pirelli tires and did some suspension work here a few years ago with his business -Lithium Motorsports.

Super nice guy, I'm glad that you got to meet him!

[TinkerinWstuff]

yea, that's the guy. Man, it's too bad I didn't have a Rybo sticker on there too
http://www.cosportbikeclub.org/forums/signaturepics/sigpic1132_1.gif

Who knows what kind of love I would have got then :)

For sure, he was a good guy and a blessing to meet when trouble strikes on the road. He's exactly the kind of person I think of when I preach to folks to support their local bike shops as opposed to blindly shopping internet warehouses.

[kawasakirob]

800mi in a day is nothing to shake a stick at. Good stuff, thats a long day.

[TinkerinWstuff]

800mi in a day is nothing to shake a stick at. Good stuff, thats a long day.

On the stock seat no less.

I have bed sores on my ass

[kawasakirob]

On the stock seat no less.

I have bed sores on my ass

:spit: I know how you feel!!! It sucks! But it's pretty hardcore

[kawasakirob]

And it's better than taking the car any day. Big days like that are more difficult and mind numbing than some people think.

[TinkerinWstuff]

absolutely more fun. Especially across rural NE and SD