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Published: August 13th 2015
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Distance driven: 40 miles / 65 km
Cumulative distance driven: 14,621 miles / 23,531 km
Complete motorcycle overhaul, including fixing the faulty clutch: yes
Zoe’s last day on the PanAerican adventure: yes, she just took a flight to the US
The goal of the first half of the day was to get the faulty clutch fixed. In addition, a larger service was due. I headed out early in the morning to get to the main authorized BMW dealership in Buenos Aires. From our hotel, close to the international Buenos Aires airport, it took over 2 hours in very dense traffic, to get to the dealership. Well there, the mechanics did a great job of prioritizing my bike, even though I just dropped in, without an appointment. Thanks guys at Trepad BMW Motorrad motors for dropping all ongoing maintenance and repair work in order to get my bike fixed during the day. Two mechanics worked in parallel during 4 hours straight to fix my bike and prepare it for the last and most difficult leg of the journey.
First, and obviously most important, the BMW mechanics fixed the clutch. The mineral oil in the clutch lines
was full of air bubbles, and had “gone bad”. At least that’s what I think they said in Spanish! The mechanics also changed the engine oil, the drive shaft lubrication oil, adjusted the intake valves, changed spark plugs and replaced the all-important timing belt. Finally, the rear mud guard was replaced. Yes it is the same mud guard that broke in Costa Rica, was replaced in Colombia and later temporary fixed in Quito. I guess all the dirt and sand riding in Bolivia vibrated the mountings of the guard so bad that they broke.
All in all, the bike should now be ready for the final leg of riding, from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, and then back for shipping to the US. Speaking of the final riding leg, I now have 3,000km / 2,000 miles to get to Tierra del Fuego, and then back the same distance to get to Buenos Aires. In other words, there is still a significant distance that I will attempt to cover over the final 2 weeks I have left on the PanAmerican highway. Due to the severe snow conditions along the Andes and Ruta 40 in western Argentina, I
will instead have to take Ruta 3 southbound, along the Atlantic coast. The latest reports indicate that this road should be paved and free of snow until I get pretty close to the final strech. The unusually cold winter in the southern hemisphere this year also means that there is a significant risk that there is snow on the road on the island of Tierra del Fuego in the south, and that I will therefore not be able to get all the way to Ushuaia. We will know either way this weekend. Stay tuned!
Today also marked the very final day during which Zoe was with me on this adventure trip. She just flew out of Buenos Aires, headed to Seattle to get some well-deserved rest and to prepare for the start of the school year in two weeks’ time. All in all, Zoe has ridden with me for over 9,000 miles, during 2 months, through 10 countries, in extreme heat and sub-zero temperatures, during day and night, along the ocean and at breath-taking (literally) altitudes. We spent many hours per day on the bike, only inches from each other, and not once did she complain. Together we have
seen a big part of the planet from the saddle while riding through cities, deserts, mountains, valleys, forests and the South American Altiplano. We have experienced wild and often stupid drivers and crazy traffic, driven through more mountains curves, hairpins turns and switchbacks than is possible to even count, and we have enough stories to tell to last an entire life time (if we could only remember them all…).
I know of few, if any adults who would even consider spending their entire summer going on such a tough and long trip, riding sometimes for up to 10 hours, instead of hanging out with their friends or just texting on their phone while sitting at a local Starbucks. Perhaps most importantly, Zoe has proven her tenacity, strong will, and how even-keeled she is, in some very hairy and difficult situations on the road, involving mechanical break-downs, police encounters, numerous chaotic border crossings, bureaucracy squared, and physical fatigue, just to mention a few circumstances. Zoe, it has been a true privilege to have you as a riding partner for two months, and as a dad I couldn’t wish for a better daughter. Thanks for wanting to ride with
me on a big part of the PanAmerican Highway. I can only hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. I will miss you on the final leg to Tierra del Fuego.
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