Back to Home Base
Tuesday
The evening before – we sat around the fire pit on the deck and enjoyed the conversation of old friends.
Our schedule did not align with friends and family we wanted to see on our way to Colorado, so we decided to go back home for a week and then head out to Colorado.
We were up early and caught the sun rising over the lake.
After breakfast we hit the super slab and headed over to I-79. We took the PA 910 exit and stopped for gas at Sheetz, western Pennsylvania’s version of Wawa.
This exit is just a couple of miles from where we lived in Franklin Park, PA. We had a coffee break at “our” Eat ‘n Park.
There was construction on I-79 south of Washington, PA.
Our lunch break was at the north-bound Welcome Center in Pennsylvania. What? I thought we were going south.
This guy’s bike was broken, and we weren’t sure he needed help. Another rider stopped to ask if he needed help and he appeared to say, “no.” We circled around north bound and, after lunch, stopped to see what he needed. He had a friend coming from Virginia, 3 hours away. We offered to give him some water and filled a couple of his Pepsi bottles. Later we wished we had contacted one of the biker rescue groups to see if someone could get him off the road to wait in a better place.
Our afternoon coffee break was at a gas station that had Dunkin’ coffee.
Wednesday
We spent the night in Beckley, WV. We got on the road as the sun was coming up over the trees.
There was fog in the valleys of southern West Virginia.
Our morning coffee break – yes, McDonald’s, especially when a “senior” coffee is only $.99.
We had our lunch at a beautifully wooded rest area.
I caught a glimpse of downtown Charlotte, NC as we passed by.
We spent the night in Port Wentworth, GA.
Thursday
It was hot and we followed the usual route – I-95, US-301, I-75, I-275 to home.
Lunch was at the new-ish rest area south of Ocala.
Friday
I partially disassembled my Road Glide trike to see if I could find the problem with the rear motor mount. Marvin, of EurowingUSA, was able to explain the part he wanted me to take pictures of. I was able to get a photo part of the swing arm that supports the transmission.
As you can see by the arrow, the piece that is about two inches in diameter is broken. We have no idea how it broke or when. It certainly took a lot of force to break that piece.
Marvin is ordering a new part from Italy, and I’ll install it when we get back from Colorado. It’ll be a pretty big project as I have to remove the body and disconnect the axel and disassemble the swing arm.
We leave for Colorado at the end of the week.
Metal fatigue and vibration can do just as much damage as a high load. Looks like the part is 1/4″ or 3/8″ That is as thick as there is on a motorcycle. The break is to clean. Over loaded metal typically doesn’t fracture this clean. Based on the photo I think there is a piece of metal missing. It also doesn’t appear that there was a partial fracture and later a total fracture. If this is a cast part there could have been an internal defect from day one. The aerospace industry ultrasonically tests all casting and forging looking for internal defects…….. You are the Patron Saint for mechanical failures, if it wasn’t for bad luck you would not have any !
Very helpful info. It will be interesting to see it when I get it out of the bike. It would be great to have a metallurgist see it. We just keep moving on. The next phase starts Saturday.
You cannot tell much by eye, met labs have expensive electron scanning microscopes that give you a good view of the structure. Grain size, shape and porosity are where they start. They can find fly shit when they examine the titanium fan blades on a jet engine. Pay attention to every moving joint, bearing and bushing during the disassembly. Take pictures which will be helpful for re-assembly.
Will do. Thanks.