Well, my mom is all moved to Great Falls. Other than being super tired and super sore there is little of significance to report. A few interesting bike-related things happened that I documented over on BonnevilleAmerica.com here and here (no registration required just for reading, copied below).

First Post:

I should have listened to Greg (I think it was Greg, but I think someone else mentioned wheel walking and I’m too tired to look through the whole thread again).

Everything worked out but the front tire did walk to the left a bit against the 2x4s I had used up front to bolster the front wall of the trailer. Also on the right side, those fancy little clips I used with the rope to secure the sissybar broke.

Unloading I didn’t use my makeshift ramp at all and I did it all by myself. I had some time to kill once I got to Great Falls. I stopped at a shopping center that had built-up mounds with grass in the dividers around the parking lot. Found one tall enough, backed the trailer up to it and offloaded the bike. Piece. Of. Pie.

All in all there are only three things I would have changed. I should have found a small hill to load the bike instead of that dang ramp, I should have put too boards on the front 2x4s to hold the wheel in place (it wouldn’t have taken much) and last, used tie downs in the back from the side of the trailer to the sissybar.

This isn’t even the most annoying thing that happened to me today. But that deserves a fresh thread and a good night’s sleep…

Second Post:

So, continuing from my other thread about moving my mother yesterday…

I’d offloaded the bike earlier than planned after finding broken rope clips and a walking front wheel. I had about an hour and a half to kill so I rode around Great Falls. Went to the Harley dealership to see if I could complete my eternal quest for a pair of perforated leather gloves that actually fit. I found a pair that were nearly perfect but their were only two problems: they said Harley on them (generally I could live with that – I’ve got other Harley gear) and they included the “Harley tax” – I wasn’t going to pay $45 for a $20 pair of gloves.

My bike was pissed that I took it to a Harley dealership, so it decided to kick off the right air cleaner. Of course I didn’t know this for a little while yet (once again, thank Zod for my safety wires). When my bike started running like crap I was afraid it was because of all my recent work on the carbs. I got back to the lot where I’d parked the U-haul and reattached the air cleaner.

Fast forward to 8pm, after we’d unloaded the U-Haul and turned in the truck and trailer. I started out from Great Falls and it ran like a raped ape …for a while. About 30miles down the road it started running rough again. Sure enough the air cleaner popped off again. The problem is that the mounting ring has become distorted over the past few years and the hose clamp doesn’t want to stay in the channel moulded into the cleaner for it. It pops off if I don’t get it just right and don’t tighten it too much. On top of all that it started raining.

Now I’m running between 90-100 the rest of the way, loving the new found power on the top end. I’m trying to get home before dark. Even at dusk I’m super paranoid about deer and other critters (even saw a bear cub on the side of the road on this route a few years ago). Wait, what’s this? I have to turn to my reserve at 87 miles?

I’m about 17-20 miles out and I’m thinking, “Certainly I have enough gas to get home.”

I make it into Helena but my bike runs out of gas a couple miles from home and nowhere near a gas station. Apparently those 150 mains at full throttle REALLY burn through the gas. Now I did pass some gas stations, but for some reason I thought I had more to go on my reserve, however…

Luckily my buddy’s wife was home (he was on his way back from a car show in Utah) and they happened to have a gas can full of premium sitting in their garage. While I’m waiting for her to come rescue me, the days moving exertions catch up to me and it’s all I can do to get home and collapse.

Ugh, what a day.