Despair and Kindness

Started in: Albuquerque, NM
Ended in: Albuquerque, NM
Pandora’s Status: Apart at the shop.

OK, just when I was starting to think I was able to fix a few things on Pandora -- I do this...

I did not get the axle tight enough when I installed the spare. To change the rear tire, I needed to remove the axle. I tried to replace the axle with the same tightness as the original. Because the I did not get it tight enough, the splines of the axle (like the teeth of a gear) we damaged as I drove Pandora. With a little more driving, the splines would have been gone, and Pandora would not have moved -- kinda like cutting a motorcycle's Achilles tendon.

It's good I had the dealer perform the 10,000 km service while I was here -- I have just over 9,000 km on her right now. He noticed the problem when doing the standard maintenance. Now I need to wait for parts. I will know tomorrow when the parts will be here. Because of all this, I am not sure when I will be back yet.

As an interesting commentary on people helping people.

There is a Ural owner here that has two Urals. He stopped by the dealership today and saw Pandora taken apart. He talked to the mechanic about Pandora and found out that I might be waiting for an ignition module. He said that if the part did not come soon enough, I could have an ignition module off one of his bikes!

On this trip I have encountered so many helpful people that it has positively changed some of my perceptions of our country.

Random observation: You can best see how helpful people are when you are having problems yourself.

I'm going to have a margarita know and drown some of my sorrow.