I watched the ‘Ol Girl slide across the asphalt in North Carolina and lay still on her side in the sand of the Atacama.  She sat cold in a Deadhorse, Alaska parking lot and mud covered in an Amazon campsite and each of these times and many others I have winced, remarked at how tough she was and moved on.  However this image was a tough one to get comfortable with.

There was no clutch at all when I shut it down the day before and this morning my hope of a miracle went unanswered.  I had to start the bike out of the parking lot off of the key and kept it rolling through all the “greenish” lights till I found my way to the BMW dealership in Metuchen, New Jersey.  I got to the parking lot behind the dealership at 4AM and settled down for the long wait when the doors would open.

Arriving at Cross Country BMW in Metuchen, NJ

A truck showed up to empty the dumpster and the driver rolled over to see if I was OK.  I told him what was up and he took pity on me and ran me down to the Dunkin Donuts to take shelter from the rain that started coming down hard.

I waited out the downpour till 9AM and got a cab back to the dealership where I spoke with the Charlie in the service department.  He gave me the bad news that the service department was closed on Mondays and typically a day off for the techs but he mentioned that one of the guys was in the back and he would run my situation by him and see what he said.

Nelly heading to the lift at Cross Country BMW in Metuchen, NJ

Well it turned out Charlie was convincing and Ray had a moment of weakness because he agreed to tear the old girl apart and find out what was bothering her.

Nelly getting some well earned attention at Cross Country BMW Motorrad in Metuchen, NJ

Nelly in traction at Cross Country BMW Motorrad in Metuchen, NJ

Ray had the bike apart in a few hours and found the problem pretty quickly.  The slave cylinder was shot and needed to be replaced.  He called me out back and gave me a look at the bike and we were joined by the dealership owner Dan for his opinion as well.  They did everything they could to get me on the road without too much of a hit on the pocketbook and Ray worked through his lunch hour to get me back out on the road that same day.

Nelly doing yoga at Cross Country BMW Motorrad in Metuchen, NJ

I have mentioned Ruta 40 in Medellin, Columbia as a first class Motorrad dealer and I would have to put Cross Country Cycle (BMW Motorrad in Metuchen, NJ) right up top with them.  The guys in the service department were truly interested in helping me out and they backed their words with actions.

I was out the door shortly after 4PM and heading to Manhattan for a quick look around.  Unfortunately I was in a bit of a rush and a bit tired from the long day.  After I had paid my bill at the dealership I most likely put my wallet in the pocket that developed a small hole in my North Carolina slide.  I noticed it was gone about 30 kms after leaving the dealership.  I returned to the dealership but didn’t find the wallet.

With an empty tank, rain pouring down and just an emergency stash of cash on the bike I again found a hotel.  I explained what happened to the manager and he agreed to take a credit I had left with family in Canada for payment on the room.  I called the bank, cancelled my cards and had new ones sent out.  I decided it was best to cancel my trip to NYC, use my emergency stash of cash for fuel and head for my sister’s place north of Boston the next day.