REVz Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 A trip attempted by me and my 16 year old son.... Our Lake Huron SS1000 was a DNF but it still was a tremendous adventure... Warning, Big Adventure, long story ahead... Okay Wednesday was the day for the Iron Butt Lake Huron SS1000, the 1974 BMW R75/6 and side car was ready, everything running like clockwork, starting gas receipt was at 2:37 a.m., headed off from Midland, MI for one clockwise loop of Lake Huron. Hit the first turn, only 30 miles but obligatory receipt required, so off the highway, gassed up, back on the highway headed North, perfect... Beautiful night sky, full moon, a bit cold, but dealing with it, the Beemer pipes glowing in the dark..... then.... a LOUD POW! Rear tire blew, eased to the side, had passed the exit to Grayling, but near another exit...it's 4:00 a.m. we start pushing until the first sign says it's 4 miles back to town...and then I realized I would not live long enough to push that hack 4 miles...ordered my son back in the hack and we thumped into town. So slowly we ride into town and land at a Speedway gas station... I get the phone book and write down all the motorcycle shops in town, both of them...and the ones in Gaylord 30 miles North.... We ask any restaurants in town open? The answer, "Why no not at this time."...so we get a coffee and a hot chocolate and sit outside on the curb for 2 1/2 hours later... Another employee comes in and says there is a Big Boy restaurant 2 blocks away that was open at 6:00 a.m. Waitress gives another phone book so now I have a full page of motorcycle shops and truck rental places, with the AMA road assistance as a last wild card. But we still have 2 hours to scrub off before the shops would open at 9:00a As it turns out we are in the midst of a geographical anomaly, Three of the area motorcycle shops are closed on Wednesday and...the Harley Dealership has nothing our size, and all the U-haul, Budget, and any other truck rental places have all gone out of business in Grayling, MI Slowly an entire page of resources are nearly crossed off at this point...then... Finally the last local motorcycle shop opens, nope doesn't have it and the very last shop 30 miles away has a tire but it's just slightly too big. BUT WAIT, the Ford dealership next door opens and the salesman walks over and asks if we're broken down. He wants to help because his dealership is being sold, he has to come to work, but he's not allowed to sell any cars until the dealership is bought out and paperwork finalized. And as it turns out the Ford guy knows a guy at the CarQuest store around the corner, who is a Beemer nut. He let's us use his phone and computer to scout solutions, but the Beemer nut is our only chance So we call the Beemer nut, he thinks he has a tire but can't get off work, but he knows another guy....so we call that guy and that guy says he has the tire a (4.00 x 18) He and his son arrive, pulling up in an old Chevy van. They pick us up at the Ford dealership, drive us to their house where there is an old Yamaha Special sitting in overgrown grass in the back. We remove the tire and he returns us to the Ford dealership and bought his tire. He wanted no payment but we finally settled for beer money! The Ford dealership lets us use their jack, tools, and air, we change the tire in the parking lot with the BMW supplied tire irons and we turn back for home at 12:15, nearly 8 hours after the blow-out, 10 hours after the start and only 103 miles from home. Incredibly the good news is, we did make it home on an old dry rotted tire. Quite frankly my son and I set out to have an end of summer adventure and we did, thanks to a friend of a friend of a guy at a going out of business Ford dealership. It was a wonderful statement of how many people whom we never met were trying to help us out. The SS1000 will come later but the memories from this day are precious Total miles = 206 New old tire = 2 cases of beer car lift jack = free Ford dealership salesman, air, stem tools, waiting room, TV, restroom, computer access, and old tire disposal = free Injuries = none (excluding pride) An adventure with my son which will be the fodder of endless future stories =>priceless 2009 and still Iron Butt free, but we'll try er again... REVZ aka, Larry Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 An adventure is adversity rightly considered. Good on you and your son! Try again and keep us posted! Link to comment
Selden Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Great story -- shades of ZMM! You will remember the SS1000 when you finally do it, but you will never forget this 206 mile ride. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Good adventure, great story! Just the fact that you plan a SS1000 with a '74 R75 and sidecar shows that you have a adventurous spirit! Link to comment
Nice n Easy Rider Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Larry, Congratulations and thanks for sharing. Your son not only got to share an adventure with his dad (priceless) but he got to see the best side of humanity in spades - good people helping complete strangers because that's what good people do. Link to comment
tobyzusa Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 A delightful attitude. Nice job. Link to comment
KTsRidin Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Awesome... can't wait to read the next installment Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Total miles = 206 New old tire = 2 cases of beer car lift jack = free Ford dealership salesman, air, stem tools, waiting room, TV, restroom, computer access, and old tire disposal = priceless Injuries = none (excluding pride) Fixed it for you. What a great experience! People can still be really good if given a chance. Link to comment
Albert Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 That was priceless Larry. Link to comment
Charles Elms Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 What your son learned from this is that not everything in life goes as planned. When things go wrong, improvise and make the best of the situation, and have a good time as your plans change. Lesson in life: priceless Link to comment
Albert Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 What your son learned from this is that not everything in life goes as planned. When things go wrong, improvise and make the best of the situation, and have a good time as your plans change. Lesson in life: priceless That or he'll just grow up hating BMW like everyone else. Link to comment
Bullett Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Thanks for sharing. I love to hear of kind acts by total strangers to help out travelers. Brings a tear to my eye every time. Link to comment
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