Minot, North Dakota
September 30, 2014

Dear Family & Friends:

I left for Egeland, North Dakota on Thursday, September 25. I hoped to get my bike started on Friday and ride it to Minot for service at the Honda dealer. That would allow me to start the long ride home on Saturday.

The flight to North Dakota was delayed, and I missed my connections  My bag with the tools to start the bike also missed the connections. So, I was delayed one day, and the Honda dealer was closed on Saturday. Now, my trip can’t start until Monday at the earliest.

The weather turned cold and rainy, which is exactly what I was hoping would not happen. It rained hard on Sunday.

Over the weekend, I worked hard to get the bike started. It has been sitting in a garage in Egeland, in the worst possible weather, for 14 years. It has not been serviced for more than 17 years. I replaced the spark plugs and charged and recharged the battery 4 times, trying to start the bike. I knew it would start for me. It has never let me down since I bought it in June of 1995.

Monday morning, Harold Ness (Sharon’s Uncle), Maynard Jackson (a friend of the family and Mayor of Egeland) and I worked hard to get the bike started. After much effort, it sputtered to a reluctant start. It was backfiring badly, but I hoped I could nurse it the 125-miles to Minot for service. I knew if it stalled, it would not restart, and I would be in deep trouble in the middle of nowhere.

Link to video getting the bike started

My bag was packed and ready to strap to the back of the bike. While Harold held the accelerator open to keep the bike running, I hurriedly strapped the bag to the back of the bike and made a beeline for the open highway.

The weather was cloudy and very cold (less than 40-
degrees). I was sure it would start raining and my trip would be further delayed. It didn’t rain, but the temperature made me feel like i was back on Everest. I didn’t dare stop to warm myself up for fear the bike wouldn’t restart. At times, I was shaking so violently it was hard to steer the bike. My jaw ached from the teeth clenching.

My always-faithful bike got me to the Honda dealer at mid-afternoon. When I pulled into the Honda service department, the bike stalled and would not restart. I love my bike!  In all these years, it has never failed me.

It rained all day Tuesday. I stopped by the dealer to check on the progress of the service. Here are some photos:

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In the afternoon, I received a call that the service is complete and the bike runs perfectly. I’ll pick it up tomorrow and head out of Dodge City to destinations unknown.

Please pray for good weather. The weather report  for Minot tomorrow is cloudy, with high winds and possible rain.

Bill