Last Minute Repairs, Last Pre-Trip Post

Owning a motorcycle is a pretty special thing sometimes. The sound of two long chrome chutes billowing out the sounds of thousands of explosions per minute, the sun beating off your face as it separates the air into wind rushing past your ears, and observing the world rush past your eyes faster than you can process are all perks of owing a two-wheeled boredom smashing chariot that hopefully one day you can legally kill hipsters on. Not a thing in the world that compares.

But damn, sometimes you're bike just doesn't think that way too.

In a matter of 12 hours, both my kick stand spring and license plate bracket decided that they wanted to not go on this trip, and protested promptly. I had to bungee my kickstand up to get home, while listening to the hum of a license plate bouncing off itself over and over for the rest of the day, only to over-estimate my reserve gas and get a nice 9pm leg workout in a not so affluent area of Harbor City. Not cool for the night before you're supposed to journey across a continent. WHY!

After pushing my bike to a gasoline oasis at the end of a streetlight mirage, I was back on the road and got home quickly. examining what broke on the bike, it was clear I had to stay an extra day. Some thought and a beer enlightened me: this probably happened because I don't want to admit I need a new back tire.

The motorcycle gods have spoken, and I appreciate it.

So 10 dollars at the HD dealer for a stupid freaking spring, 1 quick call to a welder-yielding homie, and 250 smackers paid to MC Tire Works in Lomita for a fresh Michelin, and I'm now set. Tonight I rode home smoothly without error.

The motorcycle gods have blessed me.

SO! WITH THAT SAID, TOMORROW MORNING IT'S TIME! GET READY AMERICA, DALLAS IS COMIN'!