We got off to a good start from Greybull, after some chiding from Milo who owns the historic hotel. The ride from there was pretty enough and we planned to stop at any decent diner for breakfast. Within 50 miles my low fuel light came on and I could only put 2.2 gallons...which also translated into 30 miles per gallon. I cannot make it home with kind of range. We were in Ten Sleeps, Wyoming as we decided to go 60 more miles to Buffalo where we could probably get parts to fix whatever we found inside the tank...after I took the tank off the bike. By the way, taking the tank off is a real pain the ass..takes me about 90 minutes and I have lots of practice.
The ride from Ten Sleeps to buffalo is worth noting...it is a spectacular
road over what the locals call "the hill". I would do that 60 miles over and over.
As a side note, the town is so named because it was half way between two large Indian villages and it took ten sleeps to get to the half way point.
In Buffalo I was about to start the job in the parking lot
of a gas station when a couple pulled in. Mark saw that the man was wearing a Norton cap. That led to instant talk about Nortons (Mark has one). The next thing I know we are being offered use of a garage, tools, and any other help we need. Gar Jorgensen has three Nortons!
While Mark and Gar talked I went to work and in about an hour had the tank off. Along the way I spilled gas all over the place (no problem, says Gar), I took the pump apart but could not find a problem.
The pump is held together by single use clips. I had to reuse them.
When I got the bike back together it ran for about a minute, then died. Frustration set in. Here's the situation: there is no Ducti dealer in the state, I am stuck with a bike that does not run, I have run out of things I can fix, now I can only fly home and ship the bike home...again. Remember this happening on the trip to Alaska? I was getting pretty depressed.
Gar got on the Internet and found that the nearest dealer was 350 miles away, fear Ft. Collins, Colorado. More depression for me. Gar insists he can trailer me and the bike to the dealer and be at the shop when it opens in the morning. I am blown away! We load up and arrive in Loveland around midnight,
getting the last motel room in the area...softball tournament. Mark stopped for the night in Code, Wy. He will get on the road in the AM and meet me at the dealership. I sleep like a dead man.
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Location:Loveland, Colorado
Sorry to read about your frustrations with your Multistrada. I sincerely hope that it is fixed. Is there a BMW or a Moto Guzzi in your immediate future?
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