StratTuner
Site Supporter
I bought my NC700x Adventure bike (if that's what it is)...to have adventures.
Here's today's.
I drove down to San Diego with Coronado Island programmed into my GPS.
My fuel state was about 40% remaining, but that was enough to get to S.D. where I could refuel on Coronado Island.
The trouble is, the GPS uses different names for the streets than San Diego does.
The freeway intersections are....interesting...chaotic.
I went on one turn and GPS sent me around again.
I went on the second turn and GPS started to turn me around again,
but by then I was headed into the checkpoint at the gate of the US Navy base there.
The guard was all business. He asked me for my license out of my wallet, so i have to raise my visor and take my gloves off....in impatient, stopped traffic. I fumbled to take my license out of my wallet, gave it to him, and stuffed my wallet into a pocket. He and his very large firearm walked forward 30 feet and then motioned me forward.
I rolled up to him, he directed me to turn, and then he gave me my license back...which I hurridly stuffed into another pocket. I rejoined traffic out of the base and stopped at the light 300 yards in front of the gate.
Several people rolled down their car windows to tell me.....
I had dropped my wallet in lanes.
I looked back, and there it was...lying on the asphault!
I decided to go out, turn and go back to the guard (not an easy decision) and hope that someone would turn in that wallet by the time i got back around.
The wallet was gone, and the guard was not especially happy to see me a second time...
but he had watched the whole thing and knew why I was there.
guard: "no I do not have your wallet. Please give me your license and turn around again"
we repeated the manuever.
So there I was in S.D. (which seems like a foreign country to me...or worse ... Los Angeles) with only my driver's license, 180 miles on the tripometer (which reflects fuel state), and NO credit card!
I decided to hit I15 and go home. I would drive until I got to the flashing fuel indicator + 30, then exit and find a gas staion and call for help.
I got behind a 16-wheeler and drafted at 60mph which is the sweet speed for my bike. I get good gas mileage there. (best is at 50 at 2500 RPMs in 6th gear.)
The flashing didn't start until 223 miles! I had 8 to go to get home, so I knew that I'd make it.
(My equation is flashing + 30 miles. at 50MPG estimate, I know I can get 30 miles at least after the flashing starts).
I came home, cancelled my CC. Luckily, I still had my license.
An hour later, a very polite civilian who works on base called my home phone and asked if he could mail my wallet to my house.
I thanked him, and that's the end of my Adventure!
Here's today's.
I drove down to San Diego with Coronado Island programmed into my GPS.
My fuel state was about 40% remaining, but that was enough to get to S.D. where I could refuel on Coronado Island.
The trouble is, the GPS uses different names for the streets than San Diego does.
The freeway intersections are....interesting...chaotic.
I went on one turn and GPS sent me around again.
I went on the second turn and GPS started to turn me around again,
but by then I was headed into the checkpoint at the gate of the US Navy base there.
The guard was all business. He asked me for my license out of my wallet, so i have to raise my visor and take my gloves off....in impatient, stopped traffic. I fumbled to take my license out of my wallet, gave it to him, and stuffed my wallet into a pocket. He and his very large firearm walked forward 30 feet and then motioned me forward.
I rolled up to him, he directed me to turn, and then he gave me my license back...which I hurridly stuffed into another pocket. I rejoined traffic out of the base and stopped at the light 300 yards in front of the gate.
Several people rolled down their car windows to tell me.....
I had dropped my wallet in lanes.
I looked back, and there it was...lying on the asphault!
I decided to go out, turn and go back to the guard (not an easy decision) and hope that someone would turn in that wallet by the time i got back around.
The wallet was gone, and the guard was not especially happy to see me a second time...
but he had watched the whole thing and knew why I was there.
guard: "no I do not have your wallet. Please give me your license and turn around again"
we repeated the manuever.
So there I was in S.D. (which seems like a foreign country to me...or worse ... Los Angeles) with only my driver's license, 180 miles on the tripometer (which reflects fuel state), and NO credit card!
I decided to hit I15 and go home. I would drive until I got to the flashing fuel indicator + 30, then exit and find a gas staion and call for help.
I got behind a 16-wheeler and drafted at 60mph which is the sweet speed for my bike. I get good gas mileage there. (best is at 50 at 2500 RPMs in 6th gear.)
The flashing didn't start until 223 miles! I had 8 to go to get home, so I knew that I'd make it.
(My equation is flashing + 30 miles. at 50MPG estimate, I know I can get 30 miles at least after the flashing starts).
I came home, cancelled my CC. Luckily, I still had my license.
An hour later, a very polite civilian who works on base called my home phone and asked if he could mail my wallet to my house.
I thanked him, and that's the end of my Adventure!
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