Another use for the iPhone

I keep a log of every fuel stop, service, and tire change for my bikes, using a program called For Two Wheels Only.

Normally, I make a notation on the gas station receipt as to the odometer reading, then transcribe the mileage, location, volume of gas and amount paid into the software.

But there is the occasional poorly run station that doesn’t properly maintain their pumps and instead of a receipt I get a flashing message saying “clerk has receipt.”

I’m not about to hike into the station to get my receipt. That’s why I only buy gas where I can pay at the pump. So in those cases, I use my iPhone camera to snap a picture of the dollars and gallons on the pump and the odometer on the bike.

That’s what happened this morning when I topped off the tank on my ‘03 BMW K1200GT in anticipation of an early start tomorrow morning, bound for the BMW MOA rally in St. Paul, Minn. Now, with tire pressures adjusted and oil level checked, all I have to do is load the bike and I’ll be ready to roll at or a little before sunrise.

I’d like to do the whole thing in one day – I’ve done 800-mile days before, but it’s been a few years and the weather is uncertain. The sun doesn’t set in St. Paul until 8:48 p.m., so I’m not likely to run out of daylight before I run out of stamina. With more than 300,000 BMW miles in my rear view mirrors, I don’t have much left to prove to myself or anyone else, and I’ll know when it’s time to get a motel.