2/17 – Rip-Off in Maryland: 23-30 May 2024

The ride from Catasauqua to Hampstead must rank amongst the most fraught I have ever done. Started out with a battery that had run flat, but then been charged overnight and seemingly behaved correctly – 13.3 V off the charger and reaching 14.5 with the bike running. The plan was to ride to MD where a new battery was being delivered by Amazon. At the same time I had ordered a new tyre arranged for this to be fitted at Pete’s Cycles in Baltimore.

The ride started well enough with Joe leading me through the traffic to the relevant highway. Traffic was heavy and all start and go. Stop for a coffee, and all well. A while later with more stop-and-go the GPS signals loss of external power; a bad sign as that’s what had happened yesterday.

Sure enough at one set of lights I let the revs drop momentarily and the bike dies. A call to my insurance company and roadside assistance is on the way. t’s the same story as yesterday; the battery shows only 6.5V but starts instantly with jumper leads and the voltage only rises to 7.5 with bike running. Towing is out of the question, as to Kathy’s it’d be $445!

René the roadside assistance guy suggests getting a new battery from AutoZone, using it to get “home” and then returning it tomorrow. Decide this is the best way as battery is only $98. Of course, even thought it is the battery listed for the bike, the terminals are in the wrong places, so I have to wire up a lead to connect to the -ve terminal.

With the new battery installed I set off. It is now gone 7:30, with dusk fast approaching. The bike is running sweetly, and I make good progress. I keep the headlight off as long as possible and all seems well. There is a huge storm visible in the direction I am heading, so I stop to don my wet gear, even thought this means losing the last 15 minutes of daylight. At the filling station I get chatting to an old guy about the direction of storm and its likely duration. He thinks the lightening is “heat lightening” meaning no rain. In any case we decide my best option is to take the highway as it’ll be faster than the cross-country route I had planned, and I might just avoid the rain.

It is now dark almost dark, but I can make good progress using lights from cars, so I keep the headlight off. Onto the highway with 60km to go, and I think the headlight is advisable. The road becomes wet, but there is no threat of rain; the moon even makes an appearance through the broken cloud. Then I get that same warning from my GPS – external power lost!

I turn of the headlight and run only on the pilot lamp, which is quite visible, but doesn’t illuminate even the front mudguard, never mind the road. In places the spray makes things difficult and the. I get a shower as a passing truck runs through a deep puddle under a bridge. Anyway, I run like this for 30-odd kms, just hoping to keep going long enough to get off the highway, at which point I will have only 20 kms to go +/-. During this spell I pass what is obviously a serious accident on the other side, judging by the number of emergency vehicles; obviously there had been a major downpour not long ago,

Finally, I reach the end of the highway and breathe a sigh of relief; too soon, my boy, too soon! The next 20 kms is along poorly lit, windy – that’s twisty, not blowy – country roads. I can barely make out the lines in the centre and at the side of the road, but I use these to guide my path. Occasionally I have a car behind for a short while which helps me along. At other times I am peering round the side of the windshield which makes the centre line easier to follow. Now I’m down to about 40 kph maximum. I don’t know if my rear or brake lights are still working, but I am certainly not going to stop to look. Thankfully cars that do come up behind me are patient and don’t try to overtake or do other stupid things – like riding along country roads at night without lights.

Did I mention that the roads a still a bit wet and I’m on a rear tyre that has had a No1 shave? The new tyre is waiting at my destination along with the battery.

I count down the kilometres not wanting to look at my GPS because the bright screen temporarily spoils my night vision. “Just keep it steady, and you’ll make it,” I keep telling myself. Keeping it steady, means not going too fast, but keeping the revs up so the engine doesn’t cut out; that means 3rd gear.

Eventually I make it to Hampstead and turn into Kathy’s road. This is dark and I cannot see the road. I can, however, see the outline of some large trees. I have no option but to stop and, of course the engine dies – 70 metres from my goal.

I call Kathy and we manage to find each other. We then unload my gear into her truck and I push the bike with a head torch dangled around the mirror stalk to light my way until Kathy turns the truck and does it for me; earlier on, I did think of getting the head torch to replace my headlight but was too worried about the engine stalling and then not being able to get it started again.

Initially I thought to leave it out overnight and worry about it in the morning, but then thought better of that plan and push the bike up the drive into the garage, where I attach the battery to a trickle charger. The picture is the same as last night; battery voltage is 7.5 not rising vey much with the charger attached. This suggests that the problem is not the battery and memories of the Sudan come flooding back.

So tomorrow, except that it’s already tomorrow, or today, or whatever, it’ll be a complete system check. One possibility is that the new field coil with the higher output is damaging the battery; at least I found out with someone else’s battery!

Next morning, Friday, and with a recharged battery the first task is to get the new tyre fitted. Kathy leads me to Pete’s Cycles where they quote me $250 to replace the tyre! Flabbergasted is not quite how I would describe my reaction, but it’s close; I manage to keep my verbal response civil enough to stay out of jail. They will replace the tyre for $75 only (haha) if I take the wheel off, so it’s back to Kathy’s where I wrestle with the job of getting the wheel off without splitting the chain. Putting the centre stand on a block of wood makes the job easier, giving more space underneath, but, as I was to learn next day, makes it more difficult to put it back on. Swings and roundabouts, I guess.

The next day, we are at the shop at 0900 waiting for it to open and beat the queue they said would the forming. The tyre was replaced quickly and I managed to remain cordial when handing over my $100 – tube, rim tape and old tyre disposal bumped up the cost. Saturday afternoon was spent Struggling, and I mean struggling with a capital “S”, to get first the chain back on and then the wheel back in place. The block that helped get the wheel off meant I had to hold the wheel higher to get the axle into the swinging arm. Finally, I succeeded, washed up and then set about cooking the steaks I had bought in a local farm market.

A while later, sitting on the porch, post braii’d steak, with a glass of wine and watching the storm approaching, the sheet lightening and rolling thunder make me think nostalgically of the same situation on the verandah at Cambridge Ave. As happened so often there, the storm passes by with barely a whimper.

Apart from visiting some friends of Kathy’s for lunch on Sunday, most of the next days would be spent trying to diagnose my charging issue. I also used the time to check and adjust the ignition timing, using a timing light borrowed from AutoZone. While their return policy is as described by René, I discovered that to return the battery, because it was bought on René’s trade account, I had to go back to the shop I bought it from – a 200km round trip. It was a nice ride though.

Non-Belfast, Maryland

Monday being a holiday, and with the bike working well enough to undertake short journeys, we head out to find Belfast, Maryland. At the point indicated on the GPS, half-way along Belfast Road, there is nothing in the way of a town. I spoke with some residents, who confirm that there is nothing here, but that sometimes the area is referred to as Belfast Valley. This does not meet my criteria for a Belfast, so the number of places in North America falls by one to 19.

History Repeated, The Sudan Fix Revisited

Reading the posts on the SOHC4.net forum, I wondered at peoples’ interest and freely offered support. I think then of the reality of what I’m doing; nursing this 50+ year old machine over how many thousands of miles. The bike’s failings are just a reflection of that age, although as you will see, it’s a modern part that failed – again – and perhaps the guys empathise with the struggle to keep it running, willing me to reach the end successfully.

That struggle is, however, starting to get me down. The cause of the problem has not been easy to find; in fact, it has not been found yet. All components seem to check out and most guys are pointing at the regulator. One anomaly is the fact that the current going to the field coil is next to zero, but then there would be no charging at all. This turns out to be due to a faulty ammeter! With a new meter the result is somewhat better – not great, but better.

I’ve been here a week now and I feel I have outstayed my welcome; Kathy has been nothing by kind and welcoming, so maybe it is just my own feeling, remembering what they say about guests and fish. I certainly want to get back on the road to elevate the depressing effect of a non-functioning bike. I have also developed a bit of a head cold which doesn’t help.

Another strange feeling is that it would be nice to I’ve also had an unusual feeling that I want someone to travel with, or to be with. Hmmm. Too much time sitting about, need to get moving!

On my last shopping excursion to get some waterproofing spray for my tent, I stopped at a little café which seemed to be a cyclists haunt. At first I thought they looked at me with a certain distaste, with my noisy smelly motorbike, but later, when we got to chatting, they were a very civilised bunch. Two of them, whose names I forget for now (sorry guys) had actually been to Rennes-les-Bains on a holiday! Coincidences continue.

It’ now Wednesday and having initially thought to move on on Friday, I decide to get away tomorrow. Finally accepting that it is the regulator that’s at fault, I find an original one on eBay and have it sent to a UPS pick up point in Waynesboro, the town I plan to be in shortly; at least the delivery time is only 3 days, unlike the 2 weeks it took in The Sudan. I will use the little voltage monitor I have to help me keep the battery charged, by playing with the rpm and the headlight, until I complete the72km to Waynesboro I plan to wait there for the regulator, during which time I can catch up on admin that I’ve been neglecting.