June 20, 2011 & #6 Hitchhike

Breakdown


I get an early start and head down I-10 from Tallahassee to Jacksonville.

After about two hours on the road, I notice a small clicking sound coming from the engine of my bike.
This clicking quickly turns into a clanking sound, and i notice a drop in RPMs.

Not looking to damage my bike I pull over on the Florida highway and grab what little shade I can in the 103 degree heat. After doing a bit of searching on my droid and making a few phone calls. I get in touch with the closest Suzuki dealer (my bike being under warenty). However It was about an hour away in Gainesville.

With not many options I call for a tow truck.

Not wanting to wait an hour in the blazing sunlight of Florida, I thumb a ride back to the last exit, which I seem to remember being not that far away.

This turned out to quite a bad idea.

I caught a ride back to the truck stop quite easily. Actually the very first car to pass pulled over and a middle aged man, told me to hop in, and then explained he stopped because he saw my bike and he used to ride; (Yet another example of the community of bikers out there in the world).

I get the gas station, grab some oil and a few other things, and then with the confidence that I would soon be picked up, started hiking it back to my bike.

There have been many times on this trip that I wish I were driving a car just for the very fact I could pick up hitchhikers and help them out.

The way I figured It, I had 45 minutes to get picked up to make it down the few miles back to my bike before the tow truck turned up.

Not one single person would stop for me. hundreds of cars went flying by without a second thought.

I also tried to get a ride from a couple work release prison crews and one van with no brakes stuck in the same situation I was in.

Anyway, I ended up running along the side of the highway for miles.

I don't think I have ever sweated so much. Eventually off in the distance I see my oasis; There was the tow truck. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, I arrive to be greated by mechanic with an, "You were lucky man, I was about to leave ya."

He kindly offers me some A/C and his left over Iced tea, and we head back to deal with the bike.

We drop it off at the shop, and a few hours later I find I am gonna be stuck in Florida, for quite some time.

Time to get used to the heat...