Rest(?) Day in Sturgis

Entry for September 12-17

     So after nearly a week without an update, Erik and I have finally arrived in Sturgis, South Dakota for our scheduled rest day. This meant I finally had time to sit down, get all the pictures from my camera to my computer, and write. 

    

     The last few days driving have given us some spectacular scenery, taking even the support crew through the Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, the town of Wall, South Dakota (home of the Wall Drug Store), and the town of Deadwood, SD (the resting place of "Wild Bill" Hickok). That's not to say we've just had a relaxing sightseeing route the last few days either. It's still the Cannonball, which means you're never short on things to do. 

     

     Yes, that is Erik with a Harley wheel in a hotel bathtub. One of our maintenance tasks a few evenings ago was to change the rear tire, as they wear quickly (a tire about every 1500-2000 riding miles). However, once we had installed the new tire, the bead on the drive side (look closely, the area that Erik is shining the flashlight on) did not want to seat on the rim, even with some extra bead lubricant applied. The hotel staff gave us only a strange look as we took the tire and pump up to the room in an attempt to get the bead to set, using a bath of hot water to soften the rubber on the tire and expand the inner tube. It didn't quite work, but it got the bead set almost completely, even in the trouble spot. We then decided the best thing to do would be ride on it at slow speeds around the parking lot. The "ride on it" method was a success, and hopefully we won't have to change another tire on this trip. 

   

     As I came through Iowa, I was able to visit a few interesting things. The Iowa-80 Truckstop, known for being the "largest truckstop in the world", as well as the trucking museum affiliated with it, an enormous building filled with several hundred antique trucks and trailers. 

     I was also able to go through a town called Iowa Falls. It's a small town just a few miles off of I-80 West, and unremarkable in most ways. However, when I was about 4 years old, we moved to Iowa from Kentucky, and while looking for houses, we lived in this exact hotel for a few months. I wanted to go visit my Iowa hometown, Alden, but I needed to get on the road, so I took the road back to I-80 and headed west. 

     (above, another picture from the Badlands I took- I ran into a group of Model T's on a road run)

     Today in Sturgis Erik has already started working on the bike. Some things on the list are replacing the primary drive chain, headlight, replacing a mirror that fell off the bike, and some fluid changes and other maintenance checks, but thankfully nothing major. Now to do some laundry, and hopefully I'll be able to get another update on here tomorrow.