pglaves
#13338
Think of it as “The Harley Hajj.” They wobble their way there from all over the world.
Do their trailers wobble too?
The last time we went to Sturgis Voni made me promise not to stop for every bike beside the road or we never would get there. I agreed. We did pass a few breakdowns but since there were always other bikes and sag wagons there I didn't feel bad doing it.
We parked in a grocery store parking lot a couple blocks off main street and started to walk downtown. We got to the sidewalk and there was an attractive bikini clad young lady standing on the sidewalk, in her high heels, crying, and a guy kicking the rear brake caliper on his bike which had been pulled up onto the sidewalk to get it out of traffic. I could smell the rear brake - it smelled like a semi coming down off Beartooth pass.
I asked what was wrong and he said the brake was locked up. Duh. He said he had unloaded the bike (from his trailer) and the brake had locked up. It had done so on his six-block ride to main street. I asked if he had any tools and he said yes. He got his tool roll off the front fender. It contained - honest to God - a pair of slip joint pliers, a 10 or 12 inch Crescent wrench, a wooden handled screw driver and a claw hammer. A claw hammer! I told him and his bikini clad lady to stand back and used his Crescent wrench to open the bleed valve on the rear caliper. With a spptt it shot out a little very hot brake fluid and released the pressure on the brake. (Don't gloat yet. I learned this trick when a friend's /7 suffered the same fate going down the highway.)
I asked him when the rear brake free play had been checked. He gave me a shrug and a blank stare. I used his Crescent wrench and my Leatherman Tool to adjust the brake pedal so there was actually some free play instead of none. I didn't know the spec, but did know some was better than none. He and his lady friend rode off, going the block and a half to cruise down Mainstreet. We wandered over to watch.