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First longer trip, and a good lesson for a newbie
It was Saturday, the girlfriend was going to be busy and it was going to be a beautiful day. I decide to use this time to take a really long ride (for me), aiming for over 600 km. I am trying to work up to longer weekend trips. I get everything ready, pack some tools I think I might need and head out on my way by 12 noon. I plan to do the "thumb" tour of Michigan; a full circle that is almost 600 km (about 350-400 miles), and will be taking back roads that will lengthen it. I get to travel right up Lake Huron, so it should be good. All is good on the trip till I get to the tip of the thumb...
I travel over on I-696, heading west and connecting to 96. I head north on 23 and start looking for gas. I had only gone about 60 miles, but I did not get gas yet and had just wanted to get as far as possible out of the city before I stopped. I fill it up to the brim, and head out on small highways running alongside 23. I am not really sure which roads I was taking, just the general direction. I hit I-96 and decide to finish the rest of the northerly ride on I-75 so I can take my time along the lake. I run through Bay City and get stopped by a drawbridge, never seen one of those in action! I continue on I-25 east and that follows the lakeside all around the state till Port Huron.
The riding here is cooler and relaxing, with wide sweeping turns and the occasional glimpse of the lake. I pass Harley riders constantly and I don’t think they knew I was on the XJ since they all waved. They figured it out later though. I hit Port Austin on the northern tip of the thumb and stop for a light. Immediately I feel a snap, and my bike stalls!!! I broke my clutch cable!!! CRAP!!! I get it into neutral and push it to the edge of the road. I check my phone since I had an extra cable in the garage, but there was no service. I was also 2 hours away from home so it would have destroyed Natalie's night out. Why did I not pack this?? No problem there, there was no service either! I really start getting worried I would have to find a place to stay, and go look for a phone. The corner I stopped at just happened to be a hardware store, and they were still open for another half hour. I go in and try to find something to fix it while it is open.
The guy inside suggests some aluminum cable anchors that crush on the cable. I try the first one and it sticks till I try to pull on the handle. I try to fix this thing for an hour, going in and out of the hardware store. I must have spent $30 of stuff to try to get it to work. I was sweating profusely, had to pee and people were staring at me the whole time. I had to repair this before the store closed in 45 min. Harley riders passed without a comment, or offers of help. Some older guy stops to talk to me and asks if I need help, and he gives me a hand. Turns out he was a Suzuki rider with many miles in the saddle. I try to re-do the anchor idea and finally get it to work with some issues, the cable is too short and will always be partially engaged but I can pull it without the anchor slipping off!!!! It is almost 6 (about an hour later) when I get back on the road, catching a chill from the sweat evaporation. I gingerly pull the clutch and wince as it holds, and stopped for gas. I stick to the major highways after this so I don't have to stop, but by this time I realize the clutch is still partially engaged. Nothing I can do about this since there is no more wire to play with, but I cannot go faster than 100 km/hr or the clutch starts slipping. If I go down a hill I can get to 120 km/hr (80 mi/hr) and try to hold that speed to keep up with traffic. I get home by 9:30, having left at noon that day, with a total driven distance of 520 km.
Pulled out the new cable I had thought to bring and didn't, and just shook my head at my own stupidity. I got home OK, but if I had been anywhere else but beside the hardware store, I would not have made it. Mental note: buy replacement cables and keep them on the bike at all times!!! Sunday I go out to replace the cable and notice my rear tire is low. I got lucky again and did not even know it. I knew my front should be replaced, and now I am also in the market for a new rear.
Overall it was a great ride, and fixing it on the road was more fun that it really should have been. I was able to fix something on the road without the proper tools and get home safely. I will be pushing for further distances next time, aiming for leaving in the early morning and try to get in a full 1000 miles in a day. I was comfortable and relaxed other than the bike problems. I am really looking forward to the next ride, but I will be replacing the tires and carrying replacement cables!
I travel over on I-696, heading west and connecting to 96. I head north on 23 and start looking for gas. I had only gone about 60 miles, but I did not get gas yet and had just wanted to get as far as possible out of the city before I stopped. I fill it up to the brim, and head out on small highways running alongside 23. I am not really sure which roads I was taking, just the general direction. I hit I-96 and decide to finish the rest of the northerly ride on I-75 so I can take my time along the lake. I run through Bay City and get stopped by a drawbridge, never seen one of those in action! I continue on I-25 east and that follows the lakeside all around the state till Port Huron.
The riding here is cooler and relaxing, with wide sweeping turns and the occasional glimpse of the lake. I pass Harley riders constantly and I don’t think they knew I was on the XJ since they all waved. They figured it out later though. I hit Port Austin on the northern tip of the thumb and stop for a light. Immediately I feel a snap, and my bike stalls!!! I broke my clutch cable!!! CRAP!!! I get it into neutral and push it to the edge of the road. I check my phone since I had an extra cable in the garage, but there was no service. I was also 2 hours away from home so it would have destroyed Natalie's night out. Why did I not pack this?? No problem there, there was no service either! I really start getting worried I would have to find a place to stay, and go look for a phone. The corner I stopped at just happened to be a hardware store, and they were still open for another half hour. I go in and try to find something to fix it while it is open.
The guy inside suggests some aluminum cable anchors that crush on the cable. I try the first one and it sticks till I try to pull on the handle. I try to fix this thing for an hour, going in and out of the hardware store. I must have spent $30 of stuff to try to get it to work. I was sweating profusely, had to pee and people were staring at me the whole time. I had to repair this before the store closed in 45 min. Harley riders passed without a comment, or offers of help. Some older guy stops to talk to me and asks if I need help, and he gives me a hand. Turns out he was a Suzuki rider with many miles in the saddle. I try to re-do the anchor idea and finally get it to work with some issues, the cable is too short and will always be partially engaged but I can pull it without the anchor slipping off!!!! It is almost 6 (about an hour later) when I get back on the road, catching a chill from the sweat evaporation. I gingerly pull the clutch and wince as it holds, and stopped for gas. I stick to the major highways after this so I don't have to stop, but by this time I realize the clutch is still partially engaged. Nothing I can do about this since there is no more wire to play with, but I cannot go faster than 100 km/hr or the clutch starts slipping. If I go down a hill I can get to 120 km/hr (80 mi/hr) and try to hold that speed to keep up with traffic. I get home by 9:30, having left at noon that day, with a total driven distance of 520 km.
Pulled out the new cable I had thought to bring and didn't, and just shook my head at my own stupidity. I got home OK, but if I had been anywhere else but beside the hardware store, I would not have made it. Mental note: buy replacement cables and keep them on the bike at all times!!! Sunday I go out to replace the cable and notice my rear tire is low. I got lucky again and did not even know it. I knew my front should be replaced, and now I am also in the market for a new rear.
Overall it was a great ride, and fixing it on the road was more fun that it really should have been. I was able to fix something on the road without the proper tools and get home safely. I will be pushing for further distances next time, aiming for leaving in the early morning and try to get in a full 1000 miles in a day. I was comfortable and relaxed other than the bike problems. I am really looking forward to the next ride, but I will be replacing the tires and carrying replacement cables!
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