After replacing the trailer tail lights and configuring the tow hitch, I got a late Saturday afternoon start on the trip west to pick up the R75/5.
This bike is absolutely worth the trip. It's low milage, and the engine and frame numbers are matching. This model with the chrome side panels on the tank was only done one year (1972). Not popular at the time because of the smaller 4 1/2 gallon tank, they have since become sought after by BMW collectors. Many that were sold in 1972 were delivered with the more common 6 gallon tank that was used from 1970 to 1975.
This would be the first time I had towed anything with my Chevrolet Trailblazer. The trailer towed well. Except for an occasional rattle it was barely noticable.
In Danbury CT. I stopped to quickly check the trailer (tires, hitch, safety chains, etc.) and the truck doors auto-locked behind me.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!!
The truck was running with my keys in the ignition. The spare key in my wallet, with my cell phone, on the passenger seat. I was in an area that was not heavily traveled. Twenty minutes passed until I was able to flag down a kind woman who made a call to the police for me who in turn called a locksmith. Two and a half cold hours later, (I was only wearing a sweatshirt) leaning across the Trailblazer hood to suck up what heat I could was not very effective. I had gone over to a stone wall and selected a 5 lb. stone which was going through a window if I got much colder.. I set down the rock and did some brisk walking in circles to warm up, and figured another twenty minutes before the glass would be smashed. At 15 min. the lock guy appeared. $60.-- and I was in a warm truck on the highway again.
Somewhere half way across PA. I stopped in a rest area to kick trailer tires and found the right tire half flat. Not having a spare, I kept rolling two more exits to a truck stop. Got two cans of flat-fix, one of which brought the tire back to full inflation. Back on the road to cover a couple hundred more miles. I stopped someplace in Penn. for the night, and continued in the morning.
Sunday was just another nice day on the road. I covered a lot of miles and saw lots of deer along the way. Not very confident with the tire full of flat-fix, I found a Wal-Mart and bought two trailer tires on wheels, a lug wench, and a scissor jack.. better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. As it turned out I didn't need them.
Woke up Monday morning in Vandallia, Ill. and gave the tires a kick.. good deal, they were holding air just fine. Fender on the right side had broken welds and was flopping around making a hell of a racket every bump I hit. Stopped at an auto parts store and asked about a local welder. They sent me up a road to a shop that repairs farm equipment. On the way I stopped at a donut shop for coffee, and while there I bought a dozen donuts. Found the repair shop and $5.- and 11 donuts later had a first class fender repair. I also learned a lot about some heavy duty farm equipment.
Bad pre-planning got me to St. Louis on a bank holiday. I ended up spending a day more on the trip than I should have. I had time to kill so took a few photos of the arch, the Mississippi river, and found a place for a late breakfast.
Shady Jack's "Biker Paradise" was in a falling down building next to a coffee and cigar club called "The Kat Club".
I ordered the breakfast special (minus the bloody mary). The food was unreal good! Thick toast with molten butter applied with a paintbrush, home fries burnt to perfection, bacon and thinly sliced ham, and scrambled eggs with peppers and onions. Really good!
I met the owner, Jack, and we talked motorcycles for a while.. He said I should stop back later as it was 1/2 price drink night.
After breakfast I drove on to O'fallon, MO. to locate a branch of my bank and the address where the bike was to be picked up. That done, I went over the trailer with a wrench to be sure all was tight and no other problems needed attention. I added a couple of extra tie down rings to the back of the trailer as well. Better to secure the bike. I also got a cable to lock the bike to the trailer and both to the truck. Next was to check into a motel and settle in until morning.
A three hour nap and a shower refreshed me, so I unhooked the trailer and cable-locked it to a tree. I set out to find dinner. Back to Shady Jack's to see if dinner could be as good as breakfast was. It certainly was!
On the way back to the motel I stopped at Harrah's Casino for a look around. Interesting how casinos differ from place to place. I bought a color and settled in at a roulette table. Playing my usual numbers, luck was with me.. not in a big way, but I left a couple hours later $40 to the good.
Because of the weather forecast I was up before my wake-up call. It was about 9am when I knocked on the door where the bike was to be bought. After a long pause the owner hit the garage door opener and the /5 was in view. The bike looked good as I expected. Checked the title for correct VIN numbers, started it up and did a general look over. All was well, so money changed hands, the bike was loaded on the trailer, tied down well, and I was on my way. Back through St. Louis and on the highway again. I was out of MO before noon with a fast moving storm just minutes behind me. I managed to stay in front of the bad weather for the rest of the trip.
About 9:30 pm I pulled into Wheeling, WV looking for food. Knowing there was a storm some hours behind me and not knowing how many hours ahead of it I was, I just wanted to grab something quick and make some more distance. Every mile I covered now would be one less I needed to drive when the weather turned bad. I figured at some point tomorrow I would be stuck with rain or possibly snow. I found an Arbeys Roast Beef.
I had just got my order at the counter and sat at a table where I could watch my truck and trailer when a local police car with two cops in it pulled in behind my trailer. I figured that maybe they were going to maybe give me a tough time for parking across 3 parking spots, which I had done in order to keep the bike in sight. I was torn between sitting where I was and just moving the truck. Finally, I grabbed the food and hit the door. I didn't want to eat while driving, but didn't want any problems with the cops which would delay my progress.
While I was walking out to the truck the window on the police cruiser went down. I figured here comes the questions.. Where is the title, where is the bill of sale, license an registration, etc.. That was not at all how it went. Turned out one cop was into building hot rods, and the other's cop's father owned the local Harley Davidson dealership. They both had an appreciation for classic bikes.
We talked cars and bikes a while and the hot rod cop offered me twice what I paid for the BMW! Tempting, but I told him it wasn't for sale. He suggested if I were going to stay in a motel that night, that I bring the bike into the room with me an not leave it on the trailer. I had been considering staying in Wheeling for a couple hours of sleep, but his comment spurred me onward. It would suck if the /5 got stolen off the trailer while I slept.
I went back inside, finished my food, rank some coffee and hit the highway again.. I fell in with a fast moving pod of trucks.. these guys knew how to cover distance.. not much traffic passed us for the next few hours.
At 1am I figured I was far enough in front of the weather to stop for a few hours sleep. Found a motel 6 and checked in. I cable locked the bike and trailer to the truck an turned in.. The weather channel was calling the storm behind me "the beast in the east".
The next morning I left Harrisberg PA just as it started to snow. It would be another day of keeping in front of the weather.
Somehow I missed the exit I wanted and ended up crossing the George Washington Bridge, an following I95 home.
Got home in front of the storm, but just barely.... As I off-loaded the bike it began to snow hard. Perfect timing.
I'll post a few more photos of the bike in a few days.
