Posted: 17 March 2007 at 3:03pm | IP Logged

Well here they call it Iraan, Texas. This is a town of 1200 people. I have no cell coverage, the motel phone won't let me credit card charge. The motel has no computer so I was in a Library.

So how did I get here? It started with 50CC (SF/Daytona) with a scheduled departure time of Sat 5pm (3/3/07). Jerry White tried to hook up with me for witnessing (good thing we didn’t). I tried for this trip – same time of year in ’04. The cold hampered my timing. This time I was prepared for it.  (phase change long johns, Widder vest -  Revit high tech undershirt). I was packed ‘n climbed on board to start and the battery was dead… damn. Put my charger on and finally left at 10pm, 5 hours late.

Iraan is a Texas wildcatter town, there are a few oil wells here and most of the town maintains them. The town name has nothing to do with the middle east, its made up from the couple who bought the ranch in '58 (Ira & Ann Yates).

I was making good time (26 hours into the trip – 1600mi), but it was getting cold .. really cold. I couldn’t make time – I would pull into a convenience store when I started to tremble to get a cup of coffee (to hold, not to drink – it makes you pee); to get my body temp up.  That 5 hours late start came back to haunt me

I was doing about 75 when I hit something with my left peg foot. It was a deer carcass. It twisted my leg inward to hit the bike (which had no loss of control). I figured I broke the leg so I got off I10 at my first opportunity which was near Sheffield TX.

My plan was to sleep on the bike until morning when I could sort things out. I hung over the bike for an hour & slept (w electric vest keeping me warm). I woke up trembling; it was getting real cold (they said 29 degrees). Two things: taking all the weight off my leg made it feel much better and if it were a break it wasn't a compound fracture. The trembling thing, well now it was survival, I figured I better start creating some internal heat by walking and exercising. That seemed to work - on&off. I had water & nutrition so I was good.

OK now at daybreak it was getting warmer, my leg was feeling better so I better get moving I've lost a lot of time. I hit the starter button, Oh s#@**t... remember that electric vest that kept me warm?.. Well the bike wouldn't start. So I called Farmers road service to save me. I had cell service which amazed me (I was in a desolate place). After a half hour or so - she called me and said the closest place was 175 miles away and they wouldn't come to me. She would call local police in case they had someone.  She did and they came to get me and brought me to Iraan, Texas.

He was a nice guy who brought me to his home garage to allow me to dissemble the bike to get a charge on it. He had a bike and we got along well. He insisted I take his biz card and I promised to send him pics of Daytona. Temp was high 60's when I left at 11am. Great.. I had 15 miles to get to I10. What a great day for a ride.

I got to the entrance to the freeway and stopped to check my load. I looked down and saw the whole side of the bike covered with motor oil, me included. I didn't even feel it. The oil filler plug had blown out and the motor lost 3 quarts of oil. I couldn't turn on the bike.

Remember that biz card? Well I called and asked him to come pick me up; he did and brought me back to Iraan. He brought me to a motel in town and the motel phone wouldn’t allow a credit card call and my cell didn’t work. I had the motel lady call SF BMW so I could get the part over night. She they had an answer machine response (which I found unusual). I waited some time for them to call back; then WAIT A MINUTE all BMW dealers are closed Mondays (the motel lady didn't tell me that even tho she heard the message). All BMW dealers are closed Mondays... but maybe one. I called Daytona BMW.. Bingo.. They were open. They had the part... but it was after 5 and their UPS guy had left, so they couldn't ship that day. So I would have to wait until Tue to order the part to get it on Wed. Tuesday, SF BMW had the part & said I would receive it Wed mid day.

Well I figured it would be a good time to get to the Laundromat to get some of the oil off my pants and duffel bag. So I washed the items and put my pants & socks in the dryer. I didn't think it was good to put the duffel in, it had plastic in it & I thought it would air dry better, so I left it in the basket in front of the dryer. I returned later to pick up my stuff & found that someone had stolen my duffel. I mean this was a small vacant Laundromat with my load being the only one, unbelievable.

So the gimpy geezer strolled around in Iraan Texas for two days. I had covered 1600 miles in 26 hours so I was doing good, but I would miss the races I wanted to see because of the layover. I put in the parts and decided to head back, since I had a date in Palm Springs for the tennis matches. I’d be a couple of days early, but what the hell, I could take some photos for a day or two. I figured I could get in civilian clothes and eat in a good restaurant with a good glass of wine, game leg and all.

I got settled in Palm Springs and opened up the side case with my civilian clothes (the ones for the IBA dinner I missed); to find my emergency gas container had leaked and all my clothes had eau de Exxon on them. I trolled for an uncrowded restaurant with outside seating and sat in the corner; and man I enjoyed it.

All the folks (except one-see duffle story) in Iraan were great, a fellow even offered to lend me a car for my stay. Staying in a town of 1200 was an experience for me (a New York City boy) and it was really pleasant.

Posted: 22 March 2007 at 6:38pm | IP Logged

Thanks for the report.

how did the tennis match turn out with a bum leg?

btw Green bay wisconsin BMW is open on mondays also. For anyone who is doing the Mich 1000 or Great lake challenge.  {They also sell/service Hraley.}