3-4 weeks ago I invited a fellow Venture Rider.org member if he is in the area to drop by. It turned into a stay over night. I road out to the east 30 miles and found them. Now 2 brothers, one was out of gas 3 miles from the nearest gas station near El Paso. I should have guessed then it would be down hill from there. His brother and he had separated in Carlsbad NM. They don't get along real well. Anyways they get to my house and Tom has a bald tire on his Venture. We party! They stay.
Monday we spent all morning calling around for a tire, nothing near here. Finally get one next day air from Sacramento, CA. They stay. $260!
Tue we search for the UPS driver find him but he's on lunch for an hour. Finally get the tire installed by 2:30 and get on the road. We ride 60 miles to the east and Tom get's a bad blow out on the installed tire. He swerves twice and avoids a telephone post and sign post only 8 feet apart. He goes into a 5 ft soft dirt ditch.
Brother Kent is in such a rush to install the tire forgets to install parts. I have to remind him. He beats on tire and uses way too much air pressure. I can only observe and remind angry brother.
Just before the bike stops there is a 1" guy wire angling down off the electric pole. Tom jumps off at the last second avoiding bad injuries. Tom hurts ribs. Hands are scratched in in 4-5 places. The bike is totaled. We use a 5' pry bar to get the split guy wire loose from the bike. 3 hours later the bike is on a tow truck but the local County Mountie, 2 border patrols, state police and EMS show up even though we ask 911 for a tow truck only.
Home at 7:30 very tired, dehydrated and upset. They stay.
Wed. we wait most of the morning for Tom's Georgia and local insurance people to inspect bike.
Totaled but still don't know how much. Wed afternoon we locate a new Venture for Tom. In Santa Terasa NM 35 miles away for a very good price of 15.3k on a 19k bike. They go to Motel.
Thur we go to dealer. Tom and Kent find 2 minor scratches on the bike. Dealer who's been beat down on price so bad won't replace to scratched parts. Deal falls thru. Brothers pissed at dealer? Not reasonable or logical. Chuck tries to keep his cool.
We go to Yamaha dealer 10 miles from house, no Ventures but they have a Gold Wing for 3-5k more. Then go to Kawasaki dealer they have nothing they like. Chuck starting to loose cool.
Buy the way we find 2 tires in stock that would fit the bike now destroyed, and we had called them!
We go back to near Yamaha dealer, Tom buys and pays extra for a bike he really does not like. Needs a trailer hitch and CB. Have to overnight parts. Maybe here Friday? Bike maybe ready Sat? Probably will be Monday/Tuesday.
Now it will be a week, could be more. Chuck's lost all cool says goodbye without much feeling after being told off several times. I get 3 free lunches and and 2 dinners after a week of helping.
And a Award from VentureRider.org. for helping. Not worth the BS!
Totaled bike and trailer in front yard for how long?
Another lesson learned. OR
No good deed goes unpunished.
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