Day 2 - Complete...ly full of adventures

Safe and sound at my aunt's house, arrived 10 minutes ago. Updates to follow (after a cup of some Earl Gray).

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and here we go....(you might want to make a sandwich first...this one's really long)

Last night that tea sure had its effect, because I was awake until about 12:30 a.m. (EST). I managed to get up around 6:15 a.m. (CST), which was decent. First things first, I went out to tend to the bike...washed off the previous day's bugs and grime, noticed a couple of boo-boos from the luggage, and went over it with some polish and a microfiber towel. I even lubed the chain! (The audience wildly applauds...)

As an aside, there are certain maintenance items that I haven't realized needed to be done more regularly than whenever the oil is changed, or just some random 'if I feel like it' time. Case in point was tire pressure. That came back to bite, and I've learned the lesson. I also didn't realize that the chain should be lubed every few hundred miles and more when it rains. Before I left town, a co-worker mentioned that my chain looked pretty dry, but I knew it had been lubed at the shop last, time before last that it was in, so it's all good, right? Another rider at work asked if I was taking chain lube and brought me a partial can to use. Just yesterday, I was thinking about the chain, and whether I'd replaced it in the year and 9,000 miles I'd put on the bike. Nope...hadn't done it. The making of an epic slowly grows...cue wicked chuckle.

So back to the story...I packed everything back into my bags, rearranged some things and loaded the bike up again. I decided to save a half hour of my life tonight, and braided my hair for today's ride. Yesterday was just a pony-tail, and after the ride it took a solid 30 minutes to try to coax, condition, cajole and convince the ratted up mess attached to my head to take on a more orderly appearance. Tonight? Forty seven seconds with a brush and I was good. See? I learn!

Bob Evans welcomed me with a breakfast of steak and eggs and the gas station across the road had a free air pump to put the extra pound or two back in the tires. Back on the road and the skies before me looked blue. That kind of dark grey blue that bodes much wetness, underscored with pink tinged suggestions of thunderheads. I sang a couple of verses of 'I'm gonna get rained on!' and kept riding. The angle of the road veered, and skies looked better. Veered back, not so good. End result...it was all sound and fury, signifying nothing. The skies lightened, the thunderheads turned out to be happy clouds and the sun came out to play. Incidentally, I think I"m getting a little sunburn on my face, even using a dark shield. Makes me wonder if Shoei's tinted shields have any UV protection. But I digress.

Once again for today I had the ultra basic directions going on. Too bad they didn't include tips like, "The interstate signage through Kansas City is totally insane and you won't find the road you need. Evar." That would have been a really super good tip. I wanted to stay on I-70. First I got onto I-35 heading south to Topeka. Rawr. Took the first exit to turn around, but apparently that road doesn't believe in left turns at any intersections, so to turn around, I had to turn right, turn right, turn right and then turn left. Buncha communists!

I eventually got back on the road I thought I needed, looking for exit 324D. First exit I saw was 321A. And then the next was 320. I took 319 and started angling the direction my internal compass said to go from what I'd seen of the map. Went a dozen blocks and started getting into a section of town that wasn't stellar. Called the branch where I was going and got directions...I had been heading in the right direction, and got to my destination in about five minutes. Stopped and visited with some folks, taking a nice break. This shot shows downtown Kansas City with the sun glinting off a skyscraper. The weather up north looked iffy, so I went ahead and put the rain covers on my luggage before setting out around 1:30.

Got back on the interstate, heading out of town, and pulled off at an exit to get some gas. I've got a Shell gas card that gives me 5% rebates for gas purchases, so I try to use it as much as I can. The sign at the bottom of the exit said the Shell station was 1/2 mile on the left. I went to the left and down a ways, there wasn't any stinking Shell gas station. The road narrowed for construction, so I pulled into the first driveway (to a school parking lot) I saw to turn around and head back to the interstate. To get into the parking lot entrance, there was a sharp little curb to get over, and when the back wheel popped over it, something went crunch and the bike stopped (involuntarily). Puzzled, I gave it gas, but nothing happened. Put it in neutral and tried to roll forward manually. That worked for about four inches and it stopped like it hit a brick wall. Tried to back up...four inches backward and the same thing. A lady who was in a car behind me in the driveway called out of her car, "Your chain's off!" I got off and looked...sure enough, the chain had gotten off the rear sprocket and wrapped around the axle. I put the bike on the centerstand and started unwinding it, but the lady came over to say I really should move the bike, because that was the only entrance to the high school, and it was 1:44. I told her the problem and she rounded up a couple of maintenance guys to lift the back end off the ground and I steered it under some shade out of the way of the entrance. I had a basic little multitool, but that wasn't a match for trying to tension a chain beyond removing the cotter pin on the axle nut.

So here it is...the chain's off the bike, I'm in Kansas City and things might seem grim. For those of you praying for my safety on this trip, here is the fruit of your diligence (God is good!). While winding and fidgeting with the chain by hand, I was able to get it back on the rear sprocket (waaay too much slack). The lady who helped get the maintenance guys mentioned that there was a Kawasaki place (she thought) just down the road. When I realized I woudn't be able to do anything with the chain, I started to see if I could track down the place she'd mentioned. Called directory assistance, and asked for Kawasaki dealer in Kansas City (metro population 2 million). No dice. I asked for just a motorcycle store listing and she connected me to the first one on her list. I called that number, and after explaining my situation to someone who almost was going to hang up on me, I got her to google Kawasaki dealers in the area and she gave me two numbers. The first one I called was disconnected. The second one I called was...the one just down the street. Hallelujah! I called them to let them know I was coming and they said no problem. I got it down there and they installed a new chain (giving me about a 25% discount on the price) and I was back on the road by 3:30. Major thanks to Jeff and the guys at Advantage Power Sports in North Kansas City for being the answer to prayer!



(I know I'll catch flak from the guys at work, but in all the hubbub, I didn't get any pics of the chain, the store, the repair...it's pitiful!)

Once back on the road, just getting out of the edges of Kansas City, it rained briefly, but not enough to get a sponge wet, so I rode out of it and dried off in short order. I went for about 75 miles and went to another Shell station to top off and get a stretch break. While getting off on the exit, I decided I wanted some ice cream, and hoped the store would have something. Did they! Baskin Robbins counter inside, baby! Here I am, enjoying my cup of mint chocolate chip :)

Kept riding north, and crossed into Iowa for the first time. I was feeling pretty worn and my stop for supper didn't give me quite the same boost as the night before. However, once I got back on the road and Sioux City was less than 100 miles away, my fourth wind started kicking in. Stopped for a couple of pics and to put on some layers. Amazingly enough, I put on my rain gear, and it actually rained some!

I pulled off at one point to double check my directions, reading over them again. When I started back on the road, I felt a little blip against my leg and looked to see what it was. Nothing major...just the directions to my aunt's house. Gone. When I'd refolded the paper and put it back in the map pocket on the tank bag, I must not have gotten it beyond the velcro seal, and the wind sucked it right out. I had to make a couple of instinct judgment calls, and got all the way to Orange City before calling to get the last few street direction details. Arrived about three hours later than I'd wanted, and after a bit more excitement than I'd planned, but it's all good.

I finally bought some sunscreen at my ice cream stop, so the tops of my wrists still got a good bit more sun today. My back and legs feel good, no problems with the neck. Not so much green scratch pad effect today (happy times!) but I'll be ready for the next two days when I'll be riding only minimally and for amusement :)

I'm pretty stupid tired right now, so future edits may occur. For now, adieu.