Sunday was too nice a day to spend in the shop, forecast highs in the 70s and clear enough to see contrails hundreds of miles. Warmed up quick, too- Not even a reason to hang around the shop ’til noon. Not even a need to stop and warm up at those tallish buildings spotted across the countryside that seem to mostly be populated on sunday mornings, especially this one called easter. I visit them on occasion, but figure it’s poor manners to impose on them on the same sunday when all the other prodigals show up. Maybe I’ll atone for my absence when the little Norwegian country church just across the border in South Dakota follows their service with their fall festival, featuring performances by their punkin chuckin” catapult!
So I wander southwest in search of the greatest forecast heat, making my first stop at Pioneer Village Museum just west of Madison, SD.. The gate is open, probably to accommodate campground users, so I take a look around and grab a few pixs- at the top is one serious snowplow backgrounding the F800S, and here’s their restored Milwaukee Road 2 story depot. 2 story depots were common in the frontier towns due to the housing shortages, the 2nd floor providing homes for the stationmaster and family and maybe a few other railroaders as well.
Temps in the mid 70s by now, so no need to seek further warmth, and I resolve to catch the next paved road north. Missed the first couple at 70 MPH, so 20 miles later I finally head north, and don’t even complain when the pavement yields to a few miles of gravel, so beautiful is the day and abundant the wildlife. Topped up tummy and tank in Brookings and proceed on a roundabout way home. Hmmm… stuck throttle. Got 50 miles and one stopsign between here and home, should I stop and check it out or keep goin’? Being the ever sensible rider, I pull into White, SD’s only gas station/C-store/etc. and investigate.
The situation rapidly deteriorates- doesn’t want to idle, misses, damn near sounds like a two stroke. No warning lights, but this new age BMW gives you warnings about everything you didn’t need to know about anyway, so that don’t mean much. Strip off some tupperware, tighten the one air cleaner hold down bolt I see loose, check the oil, reboot the computer via disconnecting the battery. So after half an hour and removing 20 odd screws and their attendant tupperware, no solution in sight. So put it back together, grab a Dew, and once past light throttle it runs fine all the way home. Take off more tupperware and found a poorly routed vent hose jamming the throttle linkage and maybe itself too… Is that all it takes to fool BMW’s all knowing engine control computer into emulating a crude two stroke? Good thing I didn’t have to pull the plugs, that woulda taken another hour…
Not quite so warm and comfy today, so spent the morn putting the carbs back on the R80ST, started it up, and ran it for a few minutes. Clutch clutches like it should, and the paper towel “diaper” I put under the clutch housing remained spotless. But got too nice out for work, so I’m ridin’ down to Motorvation Sidecars (again).
‘Sposed to rain next couple days, so I’ll get the work done then…
GearheadGrrrl 