[prof_stack]

Friday, 9/16
Slept in since the weather forecast said things would clear up later in the day.  Loose chain again.  Dirk oiled the chain.  Owner of the Iron Horse restaurant got him tools to use.  When he went to return the tools, he was invited in for coffee and just out of the oven house-made pizza.  He left town at 11AM and rode south into Kansas, across highway 36.  Nice riding for a while until it turned into a 4 lane highway.  

He made good time today.  About 340 miles.  Marysville was the stop.  Stopped at a Dairy Queen and was befriended by a 1979 Kawasaki rider who told him about a good camping in town, in a city park.  

Dirk wandered around the town and found a Joe’s Bar, windows boarded up and pictures of bikini-clad women on bikes inside.  The door was propped open and it was very noisy.  All the people at the bar turned around and stared at Dirk and the place got totally silent.  “Can a man get a beer around here?” asked Dirk.   Bud light or Coors light were the choices.  One beer and he was out the door.  That was enough of that attitude and bad beer.  Then back to the camp and to bed.

[prof_stack]

Saturday, 9/17
"Hard-ass" riding, 440 miles today, part on the Interstate (70).  Dirk stayed at a state park in Illinois, near Springfield.  The temperatures were warmer with some rain coming later during the ride. 

Good night at the park.  He ate his own provisions, instant noodles. 

The event of the day was thay he went across/over the Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers in one day!

[prof_stack]

Sunday, 9/18
Same thing for breakfast, noodles.  He ate lunch in Paris, Illinois at a little café.  Rode to Versailles state park, Indiana.  290 miles today.  

The lock from the air filter cover came off and flew down the road.  Now the air filter cover is taped or bungeed in place.  Now he knows why the air filter has a cover over it.  I told him the lock was a warranty item.    

There is a little oil in the air filter box.  I figure it could be from the hard running on the Interstate and maybe some overfilling when it was changed in Wyoming.  What do you think?

The motor since yesterday has been missing/stumbling a bit upon acceleration.  I suggested changing to the NGK plug he has along and check electrical wiring in and around the battery.  Any other ideas I can convey to him?

More noodles for dinner.  Yum.  Salami on top with jalapeño makes it "perfect".  Bon appetit!  No alcohol sales today in town!  

Today's ride was nice and warm, the roads were wet but he was dry, having dodged the actual rain.  Lucky guy.  70F in the evening.

He will probably arrive home on Wednesday.  I want to see pictures of the B5 after this epic tour.

[Arizoni]

Your probably right about the high speed running being the cause of a little oil in the air filter box.
It shouldn't be a biggie unless it is wetting the paper air filter cartridge.  If it is, he should buy a can of disk brake cleaner and douse the filter to dissolve the oil.

If he is running the original Bosch plug he definitely should change to the NGK plug.

[prof_stack]

Here is the text message received from Dirk this evening:

Mon, 9/19
Hi Norm, another
day in the rain.
Todays heavy rain
proved to be too
much for my suit.
Budget Motel near
Charlotte, WV.
Home tomorrow,
Tuesday.  Dirk

[prof_stack]

Last entry via telephone voice mail message today:

Monday, 9/19/2011
He left the state park in the morning, packing in the rain, with light rain on the road, but it turned into HEAVY rain.  He got soaked through and through.  He rode for an hour in the drenching rain before deciding to pull in somewhere.

He stopped at a pub in Manchester, OH,  and left a trail of water to the bar and under his chair.  He stayed in a motel nearby in Hurricane, WV, just west of Charleston.   Budget Motel, very cheezy, but cheap.

Tuesday, 9/20/2011
The day started with cloudy weather that turned to open sun later.  He rode through the Blue Ridge mountains with long sweeping turns.  Dirk got home just in time for his son’s soccer practice, with a loaded bike.  Trying to dry all his stuff now.

The NGK spark plug definitely fixed the stuttering problem.  He is now a believer like the rest of us.

I hope he will join the forum and offer more insights than these transcriptions.

[500KsGerry]

Awesome. Thanks for the updates Prof. I'm looking  forward to some pics of this  trip. Glad ya made it safe and  sound Dirk.  Gerry

[Maturin]

Great ride man! Well done, on a brave mule. You´ve well earned the title:

IRON BUTT OF THE YEAR

[Arizoni]

Dirk's adventure is the kind of ride where your looking at the last 500 miles wishing it was over and as soon as it is the next morning your wishing you still had 1500 miles to go.

[GlennF]

The lock from the air filter cover came off and flew down the road.  Now the air filter cover is taped or bungeed in place.  Now he knows why the air filter has a cover over it.  I told him the lock was a warranty item.    

I have had the air filter box pop open on my B5, there is a lot of pressure on the lock, but I have never actually lost the lock itself

I am considering replacing the lock with an old school 350 knurled bolt. Not sure what is involved.

[Ice]

Great ride man! Well done, on a brave mule. You´ve well earned the title:

IRON BUTT OF THE YEAR

I second the motion !! 

All those in favor say "eye" ( or is it "I" ? )

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Aye.

[Arizoni]

I.

[prof_stack]

Dirk has 4,300+ miles on his B5 now.  He doesn't mind the OEM torpedo with it's cat converter induced heat discoloring.

Dirk said he has been lurking here but is right now a bit of a Luddite, so it might be a while before he pops up. 

I'll try to get pix.

[bymilesthebest]

For a one way effort, "epic trip" is a bit extreme. People who sailed what was then known as "epic voyages" were involved in round trips, not one way adventures. So why was this not a round trip?