Gremlin's Tall Stories

The alarm rings at 7am, and this time, I’m actually up in a short space of time. I shower and get ready, grab a few things together and out the door at 8.15am. I’m a little behind time, but it should be OK.

Today is service time for Jessica. A set of Continental Trail Attacks and a basic service. While they are tending to her needs I’ll go browse the madhouse they call Sturgis. 8.45am and it’s quiet outside Sturgis BMW. The shop has just started opening and I ...

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I had planned an early start to get lots of riding in the Black Hills done during the day. Rose after 10am, faffed around, watched crap on TV (50+ channels there will always be something interesting), programmed and researched the routes for the GPS and just as I was ready to head out (geared up etc.) there is a knock on my door.

Gary and Barbara are considering new helmets and comms gear inside the helmets, but want to check with me if it will be suitable. Easy enough, as I was heading ...

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I try to rise early, at 8.30am, but end up getting distracted by crap on TV, so I don’t leave Rapid City until late in the morning.

The plan is to speak to Sturgis BMW after the emails we sent back and forth prior to the trip. Get the bike booked in for a service and tyre change, and she’ll be sorted for the rest of the trip. I don’t even leave the Hotel before running to another GSA rider, David, who was going to head north to the Ukon, but staying in Rapid City for ...

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8.30am and the alarm rings. Murray has already been up, got ready and left. I head downstairs for breakfast and on the way try to pay for Murray’s movie the previous evening. The very cute girl behind the counter informs me that the entire room needs to be paid for…

I ask her to double check, and apparently when Ken was paying for the rooms, they skipped ours because of the movie, and when dealing with it last, the card had been erased from the system, so no payment. ...

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6.15am and there’s an urgent knocking at the door, calling for me. While trying to gain some semblance of open eyes and an idea of where I am, Murray is up and answering the door. Ernie reports there is oil under my bike, and looks like it has leaked.

While rubbing sleep from my eyes I’m stumbling outside to take a look, and sure enough, a large puddle of oil under the bike. I’m thinking shit, how could this happen, is it because it’s on its side stand? Perhaps ...

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*sigh... behind again in my blogging. Some nights the wireless hasn't worked, others I headed straight for bed...*

Alarm at 7.30am… still too early, but the Beartooth Highway needed to be ridden. Some crazies had started their bikes and left at 5.30am, and then some more at 7am, I wasn’t going with any of them.

Mark and Gerry had had a long previous day, so also had no intention of starting at 7am, so we made a plan to leave at 8.45am. Predictably, I was slightly ...

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Alarm at 7am, Murray is up quickly again, he likes getting on the road early, seeing lots of things and generally taking his time. The earlier he starts, the more time he has. I’m rather the opposite, leaving later, stopping less, just doing what I want to do and rocking through the mileage.

No breakfast provided this morning, but I use the morning to check emails and blog, also reading Mark and Gerry’s. Thank goodness I used the deadlock to lock the door when Murray left, ...

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Alarm rang at 7am, but I’d already heard the guys up and around at some ungodly hour like 4am. Nutters. I think I heard Murray coming up, to collect his phone, that had been on charge. He likes room sharing with me, as I’ve got the electronic stuff sorted (and I wouldn’t have it any other way).

He thought he could simply plug it in, until I told him there is different voltage and different plugs. I solved this by buying an NZ 4 plug powerboard, with 2 USB slots, so ...

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