- 2016-09-12 - Day 1 - Montreal to Louisville, KY (1486 km - 16:00 hrs)
- 2016-09-13 - Day 2 - Louisville, KY to Austin, TX (1640 km - 16:00 hrs)
- 2016-09-14 - Day 3 - Austin, TX
Finally, time to hit the road! After all these months (read: years) of preparation, the project is done with and now, the adventure has begun!
Before leaving, I was lucky to be surrounded by family and friends who came home Saturday night to celebrate my 50th birthday and my departure. Being able to personally say goodbye to my friends, and especially my mother and my girlfriend, was an emotional step I needed to take.
Monday morning, I got up early. There was a lot of nervousness and excitement. I have to thank Nadine for her understanding and approval of this trip; without it, the project would have ended before it began. My friends Geoffrey and Peter offered to accompany me to the US border—truly classy of them!
We left around 7:30 AM. I received a great gift Saturday: a GoPro camera! I tried to capture my departure, but I still need to learn how to use this new toy properly.
The First 3,000 Kilometers #
I made the decision to cross the United States quickly for two reasons: the high cost of travel here and the fact that the US is easily accessible from home any time. My real goal is Latin America. I set a crazy target: 3,200 km in 2 days to reach Austin, TX.
Geoffrey and Peter saw me off just before the Thousand Islands Bridge. At that moment, it hit me—I am on my way south for 6 months. I felt a mix of relief and a sudden, great loneliness.
The word to describe these first two days: suffering. Driving 16 hours a day on a highway is not fun. Sore legs, arms, and back. However, I want to reach Austin ASAP to finalize the bike’s preparation.
The First “Glitch” #
Four hours south of Louisville, the emergency red LED flashed. The ABS light came on, and my speedometer dropped to zero. I immediately pulled over to use my GS911 diagnostic tool.
Good news: the error was just a rear speed sensor “glitch” and not the $2,000 ABS pump. After checking connections, the error disappeared and didn’t return for the rest of the trek to Austin.
Pit Stop in Austin #
Wednesday was dedicated to maintenance. I started with a 15 km run along the Colorado River to clear my head.
Then, I headed to the BMW dealership to buy supplies. The staff was incredibly friendly, even if they were jealous of my European-spec BMW helmet. I spent the afternoon in the shade of the hotel parking lot performing a full oil change (engine, transmission, and final drive).
The Horror: The oil from the final drive came out completely white (emulsified). This usually indicates a water leak. There is nothing I can do here, so I will monitor it closely in the coming weeks.
I ended the day exploring downtown Austin, walking down Congress Ave and 6th Street.
I’m spending the evening at Irene’s, writing and preparing for the big crossing into Mexico tomorrow!