Day 17: Barryville, NY to Hamden, CT
Wed 26 Jun 2024
Miles ridden today: 160
Took the bike to the dealer for service today, and new tires as it turns out. Hung out with Damien most of the day and talked motorcycles and whatnot.
Last week the "service needed" nag came on the dash, so I called my dealer back in SoCal and they told me to get a 12K service. I'd been kinda curious about the tire wear anyways, and I called Max BMW in New Milford CT for a service for 9am. A few days ago my check engine light had gone on for thirty seconds a few days ago just after starting up as well, and that was slightly worrisome. Some intermittent electrical issue (ugh) would not be appreciated, but I suspected it was just low oil and exacerbated by overnight parking on a slope... and that was indeed the case as I found out later in the day.
Headed east to Max BMW on I-84--not too much traffic, though New Yorkers sure do love to tailgate me, and slipped into the dealership for my 9am appointment.
I found out that a 12K service is a major deal. I misheard my dealer when they said it was 'just fluids' and it was a lot more than that: Oil and air filter and spark plugs and valve clearance and driveshaft lube and rear drive oil and firmware update... and new tires. Old tires had 'chunks' out of them, and the front was feeling kinda odd on the road; the service tech said it was cupped so I just said 'yeah, replace them'. Got about 6000 miles out of the old tires that I had put on in early May; that's a bit of riding for sure, and it's all been at temps typically around 90 to 100F which probably wears them faster as well. New tires are Michelin LT6, which supposedly are longer wearing than the Dunlop RoadSmart 4's I had. The Michelins are what the motor cops use back home... and once again I'm happy I ride the civilian model of the BMW cop bike. It means parts are always in stock, and the service techs are super-familiar with servicing my bike model.
Damien had ridden over and hang out while my bike was serviced, so we headed to a nearby diner with me riding on the back of his latest project bike--a 1986 Honda Gold Wing that he bought for $650 and spent far more than that getting it running smoothly. I liked the bike a lot. It has a panache that mine doesn't have, one that says "I'm a slightly louche accountant or dentist from the burbs, and me and my potbelly and the wife love touring around the backroads of the Midwest looking at cheese-themed tourist destinations". You know a bike like that is setup for the spouse when you open the top case lid and the makeup mirror is revealed. Damien had put a lot of work into the bike and we had a lot of time to stare at his pictures of carburetor rebuilds and rear swingers removal and the like. The bike was kinda really cool because it was so analog, and it made me think hmmmmm do we have room for a hobby bike in our garage???
Damien and I stared at all the bikes in the dealership--and it's the largest BMW dealership I've seen in the US--and I pointed out all the quirks and dinguses that make BMW motorcycles fairly different.
Anyways after all my bike servicing was done and getting confirmation that my Wartungsplananderung is in alignment, headed to Damien's for some pool time via some northwest Connecticut back roads. My scoot felt super-smooth after its service and less 'ragged' in the corners. Probably those old worn out tires is what I figure, and I wonder if I'll need new tires on the way home in Denver or Minneapolis or something.
The pool felt great after the riding around in the 90+ degree temps (will I ever have a riding day where it doesn't get above 90 or even 85?) Damien and hubby Geoff made a great dinner and we stayed up chatting about leather gear and life in the desert and etc etc etc as the evening thunderstorms and lightning made an impressive show outside.