When we returned to the USA from Russia the second time, our GS had
disappeared into the vast unknown of Siberia. Now we were
without an off-road motorcycle. We decided to buy a
new green R1000 PD.
After putting 5,000 miles on it we decided that for Christmas
break we would ride from Oregon to the southern tip of Baja,
Mexico.
One cold winter day we started south, two-up, expecting it to
get warmer as we traveled along the coast. North of San
Francisco we headed inland where in the Napa valley there was
frost on the ground.
But by the time we passed Bakersfield, it was warming up.
To avoid Los Angles we took some back roads. The motor
developed a strange sound like "wham," "wham," so we
stopped immediately. We put in a call to MTS and they sent a
special tow vehicle after us. As it was the Monday before
Christmas, all BMW dealers were closed and those who
answered the phone anyway said the same thing.
Their mechanics were off for the week or maybe two.
Finally, MTS found a BMW dealer who was open and four
hours later we were there. The first thing they asked
was what kind of green motorcycle we had; we knew we
were in trouble.
They told us that they could not fix our green PD and if they
could they couldn't start for ten days. We were not about
to lie around LA near the slums for ten days. They signed
a statement saying they could not make repairs, took us
to a U-Haul outlet where we rented a truck, loaded up
the PD and located a storage place. We continued our
journey to Baja in a small truck, returned to the storage
place, rented another U-Haul and took the PD back to our
dealer in Oregon.
BMW NA refused to cover any of our expenses and would not even
honor their warranty. And this would not be the last time they failed to live up to their warranty. After much argument our BMW dealer
convinced them that the factory had not
properly tightened the connecting rod bolt. The company finally
caved in, paid for the repair, but no other costs.
Over the next thirty thousand mile that PD gave us constant
trouble. Replacing the rotor three separate
times was just an example of the many problems we had that took us off the road for awhile. We took it on the LA -Barstow-Los Vegas rally
where the tail light went out and "wham" we hit a rock and
the rear brake cable snaps . Then "wham" we hit another
rock and the front exhaust pipe guard is demolished. To
return to LA we drove with two German factory
representatives who thought the road was the autobahn and we
found it quite interesting to follow them in heavy traffic
with no rear brake. One hesitation on our part and they
were a mile ahead of us. Four hours later our trip was
finished.
It was not the only time though that we had driven a BMW
without brakes. That winter we went camping in the snow
about 300 miles from home across the Cascades Mountains. We were
now on a 1980 BMW RT with an EML sidecar and
two Samoyed dogs. On the return trip at the foot of the
mountains both brakes went. It was Sunday and so we had to
cross the mountains without brakes in the rain. Just
25 miles from home the highway was blocked by an
overturned semi-truck. We then had to go back to the
mountains, to connect with a parallel highway
and return to Eugene the long way. It was raining hard the
entire time. A couple of years later, going east across the same
mountain pass again with the dogs, the motor on the sidecar rig
gave up. We had to be towed 120 miles to the
nearest dealer to have the motor replaced. This was third BMW motor that
failed us.
After the LA-Barstow-LV rally we took the PD on the Ridge Runner 500, a
northern equivalent of the LA-Barstow-LV rally. At the
end of the first day the red generator light came on.
We thought the rotor was out again but this time it proved
to be overcharging. We were only able to complete half of
the rally. Back to a truck and home to Oregon.
During this time we had crossed all of Asia and Europe,
including Iceland. To complete a trip around the world by motorcycle
there was only the US portion remaining as we had never crossed it.
Leading a sheltered life, we had never seen the
Grand Canyon. So, when a professional organization
held their yearly conference in Florida, at the
same time as BIKE WEEK, this was the excuse
we had been needing to do that portion of our travel plans.
Basically it was winter; we would have to travel to Southern
California, then cross through the South. Further, one of our
daughters lives in San Diego, decided to get married,
asked us to attend, and since she was marrying a BMW rider
we thought we might. As it was to be a paved road adventure,for the
first time, we put on street tires.
The day we were to head south a giant snow storm blew in.
Our BMW dealer begged us not to go by motorcycle. We are
his second best client. Some rich doctor buys
motorcycles from him all the time but our repair bills are
so great that we are next. Reluctantly the decision was to load
the BMW into a U-Haul, unload in San Diego and attend our
daughters wedding. Then Gail was to fly home to work.
Reminder by Eric:
Since Gail has left I am on the PD alone. That afternoon I
head for the BMW dealer in Demming, NM. This is great.
Riding my BMW while the wife is home making money to pay off
the credit card debt. Too bad I don't have ten wives.
I leave the bike in Demming for maintenance and storage and
fly back to Eugene. Since SW airlines will do this for
$100 it is affordable. Two weeks later I am back in
Deeming, NM and start the ride through Texas. My PD never
ran so good and at 90 or 100 mph it functions well. But
only for the first 100 miles when it starts to run rough
again. Unfortunately, Texas has a snow storm. Up at
6 a.m. I stop at noon for breakfast and realize just how
cold it really is. Each day it is on the road at
light and back to bed at dark. I reach Daytona for BIKE
WEEK two days later, have the timing fixed, and finally attend
BIKE WEEK.
Gail meets me at the professional conference., again flying home to work.
On Saturday I leave Florida and take some secondary roads. Just before
crossing into Mississippi, about noon on Sunday, there is a strange sound of
"wham" and smoke from the PD . Only God knows what is
wrong. I had just passed through a rural intersection, it is mostly downhill,
so I coast back. At the gas station some phone calls to MTS.
Of course, not only are there no BMW dealers open, there
are none in Mississippi. The nearest dealer is about 1500
miles away. The owner of the gas station has one of his
employees drive me back 20 miles where we find a U-Haul.
Back again at the station there is no one to help me
load the PD, but there is a slight incline. I can back up
the truck, put out the ramp and play Evil Knievel. Without
any tie downs I take off my belt to strap the PD to the sidewall rail.
I drive all night reaching Fort Worth about 4:00AM. What remains of
the night is spent in BMW dealer's lot where I am waiting as they open.
I tell them my problems and suggest something is wrong with
the motor. They find out that I have about 30,000 miles
on it almost all two-up. They said it will probably be a
drive shaft problem which proves to be correct. In fact it
is the u-joint. They say this is such a common problem
they keep one in stock. Two of their clients drove PDs to
Labrador, one rode two-up and the other client weighed about 250
lbs, about the right weight to manhandle a PD. Both drive
shafts went out on the trip at about 30,000 miles.
By the next day the PD was fixed. Back into the U-Haul went the PD
to return the truck to a dealer. Then with the ramp down I
played Evil Knievel again.
A day or so later I am back in Demming where I meet Gail at
the airport and have dual purpose tires put on. We
are going to Mexico and the Copper Canyon, which we are told
is 5 times larger as well as deeper than the Grand Canyon. It is
possible to drive one's motorcycle down into the canyon where
Tarahumara Indians live. This we do though it is quite steep, but
no problems, in fact, we visit two of the five or so
fingers of the canyon. We meet a German there on a dirt
bike who is exploring the entire canyon. Starting up one
canyon we find it is difficult to steer, almost hit
a cow, and find upon reaching the top, with great effort, find that
the front tire is almost flat. Flat tires are no problems
for us so it is eventually back to Demming and then on
the Grand Canyon.
After driving the south rim we arrive at the north rim the day it
opens. There is snow on both sides but, no ice
on the road. If we have to be on-road, this is the way to
do it. We have never ridden a motorcycle in Utah because we
always thought of it as hot , now it is cool. We visit
many of the famous parks which our friend, Greg Frazier is
now writing stories about, until we reach Vernal, Utah.
There Gail gets off to visit her parents.
I proceed to Steamboat Springs and the vintage races. I
also see Greg Frazier again. We had just met at Bike
Week. Greg likes to race, but it bores me seeing someone
else have fun. The next day I high-tail it back to
Oregon. Now, we have completed another 10,000 miles with
only one major breakdown. We have driven around the
world east to west. We enjoyed the challenges and feeling of
success but, the constant breakdowns leave a bitter taste in the mouth
especially the action from BMW NA.
Gail decides that we should go around the world south
to north, so we plan our next trip to New Zealand.
We will go through Australia, into Indonesia, farther into South
Asia, for we have been told that the Burma Road has now
been reopened. We hope to ride through China into North
Korea, down to Japan, up to the Sakalin Islands and
travel along the parts of the BAM in Russia that we have not
yet explored. But,we are not going to take our
unreliable PD since it has nearly 40,000 miles on it. If
Dr. Suess had been a motorcycle rider he would have written
"I do not like it. A Green PD and Wham."
Everyone
tells
us to get a Honda, but we bought a 1992 used GS and prepare to
ship it down under. AUSTRALIA, we're ready, are you? The Yanks
are coming!
BY GAIL AND ERIC HAWS FOR INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURERS
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5 Feb 96