Seven o’clock in the morning. Gib woke me up. I wanted to kill him but I was so tired I couldn’t even get out of the bed. I rolled around and listened to his gibberish for another hour until I couldn’t take it anymore and got up.
First thing, I talked to the Hotel manager and she sponsored the accommodation so I could get the bike fixed before moving out. I already missed my scheduled lecture in Prince George and also because of the delay, my Vancouver events were canceled too, so I figured I should take care of the bike at least.
I found a carwash and washed all the oil and mud off the bike and got to work with a can of brake parts cleaner and paper towels. After half an hour of cleaning, I was able to JB weld the leak area and it held. My second task was to find a tire, but after a few calls, I found out that the closest place was 300km away and I was out of luck. While I was working on the bike, a Japanese guy showed up and took me to a motorcycle shop two blocks away and they plugged my tire one more time and didn’t charge me either. Very nice folks and the shop owner had a GS1000 that he drag raced. It was a cool bike but unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me.
Wednesday morning, Gib took off early to go to the Harley Davidson dealership and said he would meet me there. When I got there, he was gone and I didn’t see him anywhere on the road either. Well, I like the solitude better anyway; that way I’m my own man.
I rode south toward Vancouver and stopped at Williams Lake to get the new tire and that’s when I met Dave Graf. Dave is the owner of New Life Cycle, arguably the biggest motorcycle shop in Canada. At first I only saw a few motorcycles here and there, but when he gave me the grand tour, I could not believe my eyes. This warehouse had over 260 complete bikes and well over 1000 bikes that have been parted out, parts meticulously organized on shelves.
A motorcycle traveler himself, Dave has been to South America four times and as soon as he found out I was heading there as well, we were in business. I switched out the old tire for a new one in his yard and he gave me a tachometer drive and cable for free so I got the tach fixed as well. He invited me to have dinner and spend the night at his house and off we went. We went through 5 giant albums full of pictures from Mexico to Argentina. Dave is a generous man who’s been involved with poverty issues in Latin America and supports many families and children south of the border. He even gave me two books to take with me so I don’t have to read warning labels off of my underwear anymore! Thank you Dave.
In the morning, we parted ways and I headed south again. I was not in a riding mood, so I stopped a million times and finally pulled over and set up my tent on top of a pass and called it good enough for the day. I will head to Vancouver tomorrow morning and will stay there for a few days. Now that I’ve missed my events, I’m planning roadside fundraisers which should be fun.
By the way, today is my birthday. Don’t bother sending me all the gifts; just make some donations so I can meet the September goal…
aunque tarde te deseo un feliz cumpleaños sigue adelante y sube la moral piensa en tu causa y lo mucho que ayudas al mundo
en ingles
When you get to, or come by Portland, OR please let me know. I don’t have much to offer, but I’d love to buy you dinner, and if you’d like a place to stay, I’ve got a spare couch and a spare bed.
I really like the idea of your trip, and love the bike. We’re the same age, and I think we share some of the same ideas. I really, really am jealous not only of the adventure, but of the work you are going to be doing. Thanks for the inspiration.
Their are quite a few of us in the Los Angeles area if you need anything