What a great lunch of shrimp, crab, crab soup with all the fixin's and delicious rice pudding for dessert. Great food and great friends to enjoy it with. It don't get any better than that!! The restaurant had a Mynah bird in a cage that could really talk and whistle. Johnny had a great time with the bird and with a group of women eating at the restaurant. He made their day with his and the birds whistles!! They were so happy they were hugging each other and everybody!!
We headed on out in the afternoon to tour the Northern Neck area. I had got a route from the site (http://www.openroadjourney.com/loadroute.asp?rid=2544) to ride. As I left the parking lot of Lowery's Restaurant there was quite a dip at the edge of the road and I dragged on the bottom of my bike. I have a center stand so I thought I just hit it which I have done before. The bike felt a little odd so I called to Johnny on the CB to pull over a couple of block from the restaurant to check my bike out. I thought my center stand spring had let it fall, but no I had a FLAT REAR TIRE!! My first flat tire in well over 100,000 miles of motorcycle riding. Just knew there was a nail/screw in the tire so as I rolled the bike back, Johnny looked at the tire to find the puncture, but nothing could be found. (Didn't get a picture but it was kinda funny with Johnny laying down behind my bike while I moved it back and forward!! I am sure some people passing by wondered what was going on with those motorcyclists!!) We then thought maybe the bead got broken as I ran across the dip at the edge of the road coming out of the restaurant. Funny we pulled over at a gas station, but only the gas pumps were open the station was CLOSED!
I have always carried a small air compressor (http://www.amazon.com/Slime-40020-Top-Off-Inflator/dp/B002ZC1EOM/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1320276397&sr=8-12) that I bought at Walmart for about $10. It worked great and pumped the tire back up to 40 pounds in just a few minutes. I let it set and checked it a couple of times and looked like it went down about 1 pound each time I checked it. I drove around the block and checked it again and it was down about 5 pounds so there was definitely a problem!! We rolled the bike back and forth again checking for a puncture but nothing! I finally put a wet finger on the valve end and I could feel and see bubbles of air escaping from the valve stem!! Looked like the valve was loose in the stem. I have always carried a valve stem tool in my tool bag (they are very small) but apparently it had fallen out at some time in the past as I have never needed it before. Johnny took off on his bike and stopped at a tire store a few blocks away in town and they loaned him the tool. (As is normally the case a locksmith stopped by in his van and offered assistance. He was sure he had something in his van of lock tools that would tighten the valve stem, but Johnny had already left to find one. Regardless, the locksmith stayed with us until Johnny returned and he was sure the tire was fixed! People like that are so nice!) Johnny brought it back and I tightened up the valve stem and refilled it with air. The problem was solved and the tire held air!!
We continued on our route cutting several areas short so that we could get back home before dark. It was a great ride though some beautiful country roads along water and autumn leaves. We got back home at 6:15pm as the sun was setting!! The main morale of this trip is to always check and make sure you have a tire valve stem tool in the tool bag and to check the tightness of the valve stem every time you check the air pressure!! Regardless, a great fall motorcycle ride through some beautiful country, great food and GREAT company with the wife and friends!! It don't get any better than this!!!
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