On the road again

The good news: we got on the road again at about 6PM today. The bike is running great, shifting smoothly (shifts used to KTHUNK, now they snick), and we have great confidence in the repairs. We also learned a lot about the innards of the clutch and transmission in the process. We certainly found the right specialist when Danny Andrews in the BMWMOGA forums recommended Anton Largiader in Charlottesville VA. We would highly recommend him to anyone.

The bad news: breakdowns can cost you plenty of time, money, or both... but you already knew this.

Leaving Charlottesville, we desperately wanted to feel like we had made up some lost ground, so we headed up to Winchester for the evening, and treated ourselves at Dairy Queen. Enroute, the trip was pretty exciting; first, we were flagged down by a woman whose daughter had had a seizure at the wheel with two children in the car on a darkening country road, and had the pleasure of calling 911 on her behalf and seeing the cavalry arrive (it only took a few minutes; good response!); then, we had a close encounter with several deer crossing the road at dusk. Nevertheless, we made it safely to Winchester, and we're planning a very early departure for points north. We may even make the border :)

Now for a few pics, starting with my transmission:



This is where it goes ;)



A rousing breakfast this morning:







Another unexpected guest:



On the road again!



I'm not sure he thought his clever plan all the way through.