Fleeter Log #142c
Riding into the Light
Riding into the Light
Day 4 - Wednesday
June 10, 2009
234 milesRain is just a slight annoyance as we pack up to continue into Indiana. We are heading to the MTF Founder's Feast at Spring Mill State Park.
By the time we reach New Paris near the Indiana State line, we are seduced by the Pam's Diner sign promising home-cooked meals. The food was okay . . . but I wouldn't brag about the home-cooked part. Maybe we should have just had ice cream. Oh well, you never know what you are going to get when trying new places. That's part of the adventure. Even though the food was only so-so, the folks inside were friendly.
We find a very special tree in Greensburg, Indiana. The local folk are rather partial to their tree growing on top of their courthouse.
We rode through light rain/sunshine/heavy rain/more sunshine. It was enough rain to cool off most of the day, but not so much as to hinder our progress. At one point during the day, the rain was so heavy that I experienced the stalling issue on the GS. It has been a topic of chatter on forums of how the GS can (and will) stall and die when ridden in heavy rain. I have experienced this phenomenon more than once or twice. It happened again today. After operating in heavy rain, the GS somehow takes on water and will stall out as soon as the throttle is dropped to idle . . . such as during braking or during shifting. A quick push on the electric starter button brings the power back, but this can be very disconcerting especially when maneuvering though traffic with stops and turns . . . and in a heavy downpour. We managed to make it though Rushville, Indiana under these circumstances and onto US52 where the open highway called for a steady throttle, reducing the situational stalling.
A few more miles down the road in Seymour, the sun was out and the pavement was dry. It was under these circumstances that a clue was provided as to the problem causing the stalling. We stopped to refuel and check messages. While sitting to the side of the parking lot along the curb, I saw a flapjack-sized puddle under the GS. My first thought was, "Oh no! Did I overfill when gassing up? Wait that doesn't make sense. I filled up over at the pump island . . . Why would there be a puddle over here under the bike?" I get down close to the puddle and perform the finger dab and sniff test. It's not gasoline . . . it's water. "Hmm . . . Where is it coming from? Seems it is perfectly centered under the ventilation hose from the charcoal canister. Could this be where the water is getting into the airbox?"
Stalling Issue Update:
I shared this information with Stuart at Morton's BMW. Stuart has been working with BMW and other GS owners to solve this problem. Since he rerouted the vent tube away from the rear tire, I have not experienced this problem. In May 2010, I received my Recall Campaign Letter -- ( ) from BMW of North America advising me of the official fix to the stalling issue. They described perfectly how water was being drawn up into the charcoal canister via the ventilation tube. The fix? To reroute the tube away from the back tire and run it in such a way to prevent water from traveling up into the charcoal canister.
** Glad I didn't have to to wait a whole year to get the fix done to my GS. Thanks Stuart!
By the time we reached Bedford, Indiana, that "home-cooked" meal wasn't doing a thing to help our energy level. It was time to stop and try something else. While making a pass through the side streets of Bedford, we saw a couple out for an early evening stroll. I made a u-turn, hitting the kill switch as I pulled up next to them. They were obviously local, so I asked where a good, local mom & pop eatery might be found. They recommended the Golden Gables on the south side of town. We found it without a problem. It reminded me of the old Jim's Restaurants found predominately in the San Antonio, Texas area. The food was okay, but the entertainment better. We were entertained by the older fellas dressed in overalls and gimme caps, sitting at a table a few feet away. They smoked, drank coffee, and smoked some more as they talked of farming, the price of corn, and the old widow woman across town. When we left, we noticed that everyone of them had their eyes on us as we geared up to leave. Even the fellas with their backs to the window were twisted around in their seats to get a look. We waved as we left the parking lot. I suppose to them . . . . we were the entertainment.
Spring Mill State Park is located in southern Indiana on IN60 east of Mitchell.
We pull into the park, ride the asphalt road deep into the woods and find ourselves at the old limestone inn . . . home for the next four days.
After checking in and unloading, we start visiting with our MTF friends . . . some I haven't seen all year and some I haven't seen since Moab.
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