Thursday, July 29, 2010

2010 Midlife Crisis Tour Wrap-up

lisa me bike

I read the weather radar correctly yesterday afternoon and caught only a few sprinkles as I rode the last 100 miles or so, clipping the back edge of a line of pop-up storms crawling east across northeast Arkansas.

I made my final gas stop at Bill’s Fresh Market on the northside of Jonesboro and rolled into my garage about 5:45 p.m.

I had a great time traveling, rallying, visiting my sons and their families, riding my favorite road, and catching up with a longtime friend.

Here are the stats:

  • Total miles: 5,414
  • Days: 17
  • Gas cost: $385.53
  • Gallons used: 131.78
  • MPG: 41.1
  • Lodging cost: $352.88
  • Cost/Day: $50.14
  • Cost/Mile: 16 cents
  • Maintenance costs: $113.97
  • Total trip cost (not counting food and incidental purchases): $852.38

Remember that right side combination switch that cost me a little less than $500 back on July 9? It gave me a major Maalox moment last Monday morning when my bike wouldn’t start on the first 6-7 starter button presses in Steve’s garage in Las Vegas. Happily, the engine fired on the first push every time after that.

But, I noticed yesterday afternoon that my right turn signal wouldn’t turn on most of the time and when I turned on the left turn signal, I couldn’t cancel it most of the time and it just had to time out by itself. BMW K-bikes have the right turn signal button on the right combination switch and the left turn signal button on the left combination switch. The button that cancels the turn signals is on the right combination switch. So everything that was malfunctioning was controlled by the right combination switch. Clearly, they gave me a faulty switch. Fortunately, BMW parts are warranteed, so my bike will make a return trip to Grass Roots BMW Motorcycles in Cape Girardeau, Mo. someday soon for yet another right combination switch.

LATER; I just talked with Pat at Grass Roots. He's ordering a new right combination switch which should arrive next week. He'll call when he has it in hand and we'll schedule a time to switch the switch.

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