The day started with a bit of spinning negative energy (sticky tree goo is on Badger, everything is damp, and no clear tire replacement option is emerging), but after successfully plugging the punctured rear and going for a short walk to a restaurant that was closed, I correctly ascertained that I just needed to get moving and get out of New Denver and that, like at home, all would come clear with a short motorcycle ride. So I quickly had a mediocre hotel breakfast and loaded out of my mediocre hotel room, and got some mediocre help to (not) use the garden hose (which I'm sure would've been mediocre anyway), and said sayonara to New Denver. |
Arriving at Main Jet Motorsports in Nelson, the service manager James proved to by super-helpful and took good care of me. He'd located two different options, a Continental TKC80 and a MotoZ Tractionator, and I opted for the former, having previously burned through five TKC80s on Badger and knowing that I could count on 6,000-7,500 km of life to get me home. James told me that if I could remove the wheel myself and bring it to him, he'd have the shop sneak in the tire swap between their service appointments. Bing-bang-boom, out came the toolkit in the dealer parking lot (I contemplated whether this was good advertising for the riding experience, or bad advertising for paying for dealer servicing), wheel off, and before I could finish cleaning my chain, James was back to tell me it was ready. I went inside, used the customer washroom to wash chain grime off my hands, settled my debt and collected my wheel, and re-installed it. James offered a torque wrench for my rear axle nut, and even brought it over and clicked it himself. All in all, this was a positive encounter. The tire cost me $335 plus 0.4 hrs of shop time plus BC taxes. They could've taken more advantage of me considering the scenario, so I appreciate that they instead chose to be fair and actually to go out of their way to make sure I was taken care of. Thanks again James! First class.
Tire anxiety resolved, I hit the road south to the border, and onward into Washington state and then Idaho. After crossing at Nelway, my route had a couple of good parallel side roads to finish off the new tire scrubbing: First, Sullivan Lake Road (thanks to Washington state for still posting the same informational sign which shows it enticingly on a map, which is exactly what led me to it in 2022 exactly as it did Kill'r & I in 2014), and later, Le Clerc Road S. from Usk to Newport (thanks to random stranger dude at the Chevron who recommended to hang a left after the sawmill, cross the bridge, then find the parallel road down the east side of the Pend Orielle River).
It became super buggy at the Idaho border (presumably just time-of-day related, not a conscious choice of the bugs based on politics, taxes, etc.) and I followed the 2-lane slab into the little town of Athol and onward to the RV park at Silverwood Amusement Park, where I've got a couple of rest days planned and where a cold IPA greeted me as I switched directly into fun uncle mode.
Day total: 342 km, 7h35m Trip total: 3,221 km | Start: New Denver, BC. End: Athol, ID. Soundtrack: Neil Young "Angry World" through redneck NE Washington. |