Why my Transalp has a place in heaven waiting for her

[Pete Rock]

Well, I´m a bit tired and exhausted, and in the process of becoming a bit under the influence of alcohol, so I´m just going to put the same text here as I did in another forum, ok?


since nobody opposed, here it is :






I was thinking about today´s ride for a couple of days now, was in desperate need for a great ride in great weather to clear my head.

The weather´s been colder than usual here, but as I climbed out of bed at about 10 the skies were clear blue without a cloud in sight, pretty cold as I got onto the motorway though, pretty cold, but I was happy.

Got onto the hills in search of some snow but there was none, patches of ice everywhere but no snow, and now it was colder than before, somehow I was comfortable, except for my chin

Got onto a trail that was one of the first ones I ever did when I first bought the bike, and stopped for a look around and to breathe the cold crisp mountain air.













A mini water crossing getting back to the road








A couple more kms enjoying the clean air and I got onto a gravel road they use to service windmills








A few more kms and I get into a dirtroad/trail through a small wooden area, it isn´t too fast because of the low grip provided by the small loose stones everywhere, but fun, lots of fun, it quickly presents me with an unsurpasseable obstacle and I find myself unable to carry on, shame, cause the views off that trail were great







Then, climbing that trail back to the road I was having a great time, grip on the rear wheel was few and I was enjoying it immensely, before I got on the tarmac I took another trail, this one slower, more technical, with harder packed ground that made me more confident to go a little faster, it turned into a singletrack, climbing a bit with a kind of rough ground, I was having a ball, too much fun, intended on doing it again and then take a couple of pictures for the report, when all of a sudden, after a slight ridge the front wheel lofted slightly off the ground and as it fell the suspension sagged a bit and the was a huge bump from under the engine, the bump was such that it threw me up into the air. I stopped with a lump in my throat and a "****, you stupid ****" in my mind, and as my eyes dirested towards the ground cooling fluid was pouring down into a puddle underneath the bike, I looked up and there was no way I could push the bike up that trail, and I should have a few seconds before the engine started building up heat, so I climbed it as fast as I could, one eye in the temperature guage, in a few seconds there we were, on top of the hill, so I killed the engine without having let the temperature climb above what would be normal for a non-cold day.

Pushed her towards the edge and coasted down a smooth dirtroad tha was being made to build a road on, into a small village, where I stopped and looked at the damage. A big rock went though my plastic fake bashplate like if it was butter and hit the thingy where the tube of cooling fluid attaches to the water pump, the metal thingy was broken so that I couldn´t find a place to refit the water hose back since there was no place for it to be tightened against, if this is making any sense. So I had to take a lift to the next town and get someone who could weld, for that I needed a tow truck, so instead I called a tow truck to take me home and I´ll deal with it tomorrow or Monday.

As I waited for the lift:

[Dee Duble Yuh]

I was going to post an "I hate you because I'm so jealous" comment... until I got to the end of the story. Sorry to read that. At least you weren't hurt, but what a disapointment about the bash plate? Even if you replace it the same problem could happen again.

Thanks for the pics, though.

[Chad]

shame a fantastic ride was spoiled like that

time to get yourself an ali bash plate me thinks

great pics mate glad your fine

[Pete Rock]

I was going to post an "I hate you because I'm so jealous" comment...

Well, if it makes it easier on you, I´ve been there tons of times with a lot better weather than yesterday, and most likely will again too, and plan on taking pictures as well

Even if you replace it the same problem could happen again.

I´m pretty sure it will, so I´ll get some metal one, a Touratech or a custom made one.

great pics mate glad your fine

She treats me well and places herself between me and danger, this is just a minor scuff, though I think I´ll have to replace the waterpump cover. Some of that liquid metal paste could do the trick, but I´ll get more peace of mind if I do it properly.


When I told the tow truck guy about the time I got stranded on the mountain he gave me his card, said I was probably going to need him again , but that at least I´ll have plenty of stories to tell my grandkids

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Beautiful pic's, shame it ended in a damaged bike, glad it wasn't terminal tho.

Phil

[Mudwiz]

Yep, bad luck there Pete, but better coolant than oil! TAs will run well dry too, although I wouldn't recommed it! If it didn't get right up to the red then all will be well.

Even the best guards can't stop all the damage though!

Awesome countryside though! I wish I got veiws like that!

[Pete Rock]

Yeah, I rode it only until the uphill section ended, though I think I was much faster after the hit since I was in second gear trying not to rev the engine too hard to keep it as cool as possible.

The water pump is going to be replaced cause the temperature needed to weld it would probably damage the rubber sealants and they could give up after a couple of minutes or during a ride in a place without cellsignal or such, better safe than sorry so I´m biting the bullet.