Riding Between the Storms and Thumbing Your Nose at the Devil

After the rains came rolling back on Friday it was questionable if we would be able to ride on Saturday. We waited a little while to see if the rain would continue to sprinkle down or if it was safe to ride. Determining that it was "safe" just cool, we suited up, hopped on the bikes and headed northeast. We rode the freeways for a little while just to get out of town. But we veered off somewhere and took roads that lead to someplace.


We took turns at random and just marveled at the large spread ranches and cattle just a few miles outside of town. As always, there was some "in-fill" going on. But at least these places still had some land and room.

We happened past a small county park and had to double back to take a look at it: Sells Mill Park.


There is a small parking lot, a small picnic/covered area and an old mill that ground corn and provided electricity into the 1990's. It looks like the mill has been restored, but I'm not sure if tours are available. Couldn't get to the mill and not much information on the web.

We enjoyed a little stretch and some photography ops.




Once we headed out again it was one adventure after another. As C passed a small housing tract this dog the size of a mini-horse came shooting out into the street chasing him at full speed. Luckily C was oblivious and not affected. But it presented me with a problem of yet another dog gunning for me. This dog was running across the street full tilt and would have been mown down if there were any cars. Once he missed C he turned and put me in his sights. I slowed...wondering what this dog was going to do. He started towards me, but I clutched and revved the engine and started heading right towards him, slowly. He decided that I wasn't worth it and trotted past me as I gunned it out of mouth-range. I just wanted to go and kick its owners where it hurt. This could have been disastrous if I had been riding any closer to C.

Ok. Take a break at the next stop sign to stop the shaking and noticed a burning electrical smell coming from my bike. Take a look/sniff around and see that the sleeve for one of my lights is touching the head and melting a little. We zip tie it up and off we go.

Reach a little town called Jefferson, but stopping for the stop light and I realize the burning electrical smell is getting much stronger. We pull into a gas station and have another sniff-fest over the bike. Taking the seat off we conclude it is near the battery...we think. But nothing is hot. So we give in and just turn around to take the bike to the dealer.

Once there they immediately start dismantling the bike. They remove the tank and think it is the ZF controller. But it isn't hot. Then it seems the smell is strongest at the ABS unit. But the diagnositics show that it is fine. For interest, they remove the starter. Whoa! Overwhelming smell of burnt electrical. I'm also wondering what the fine black powder coating the gears means.

So...left my baby at the shop for the weekend. Don't have an answer yet for what the problem is. C believes it is the clutch... Hmmm....

Hopefully my buddies at Blue Moon will get it fixed soon. Would like to ride this week!

Moral? Don't thumb your nose at the devil and tease C for his morning mishaps. I just knew this was gonna happen.