GPS Tracks for the trip are posted here:https://tworoads.shutterfly.com/pictures/40#38
Miles: 242
Total Time: 7:41
Total On Bikes: 4:28
Our diversion from our planned route put us on a circle trip back to Walla Walla -- and allowed us to escape any further rain. But we didn't escape the cold as Burns, Oregon sits on a high plateau -- somewhere around 4000 feet in elevation -- and much of the early part of our trip to Walla Walla today was similarly high AND cold. The temperature started out around 38 degrees and stayed below 45 most of the trip until we returned to lower elevations just before Pilot Rock/Pendleton, Oregon. We stopped a few times to add more layers (have you ever tried to put on a 2nd pair of socks while wearing full motorcycle gear and perched on the lip of a public toilet?). Our reward for enduring the cold was some beautiful high desert scenery and some exciting canyon rides on clean and perfectly slopped pavement.
But at our lunch stop, Vince discovered that his bike was missing an exhaust "bung plug." You'd think they'd come up with a better name for the little bolt that is screwed into the side of his Ducati after-market high performance exhaust. In the category of learning more than I really care to know -- it turns out that the bolt is designed to be removed and a sensor inserted when the bike is being tuned during maintenance. Apparently it had vibrated itself out -- and was lost on the road someplace....resulting in a louder exhaust and hot air escaping against Vince's pant leg as well as not being good for the bike. So, our attentions were diverted to finding a replacement -- which became a larger challenge than one might first expect for such an insignificant looking little bolt. First off...there is no Ducati dealer in these parts -- the closest being around 200 freeway miles away -- and the bolt is, well, unusual -- fine threaded metric. Several calls (gotta love internet access and cell phones) and a few stops (gotta love the GPS) -- yielded a very temporary fix -- thanks to a cruiser/Harley shop whose customers looked none to happy to have the bright yellow and red bikes pull up to THEIR shop -- but the owner was very helpful...and a Napa store actually had the better fitting temporary solution.
We arrived back at Vince's aunt/uncle-in-law's place in Walla Walla. This time his aunt/uncle were home and treated us to a wonderful dinner and relaxing evening of fun conversation.
Tomorrow's routing will take us one of three directions -- depending on which Ducati dealer has the needed bung plug -- the temporary fix is shown below.
But at our lunch stop, Vince discovered that his bike was missing an exhaust "bung plug." You'd think they'd come up with a better name for the little bolt that is screwed into the side of his Ducati after-market high performance exhaust. In the category of learning more than I really care to know -- it turns out that the bolt is designed to be removed and a sensor inserted when the bike is being tuned during maintenance. Apparently it had vibrated itself out -- and was lost on the road someplace....resulting in a louder exhaust and hot air escaping against Vince's pant leg as well as not being good for the bike. So, our attentions were diverted to finding a replacement -- which became a larger challenge than one might first expect for such an insignificant looking little bolt. First off...there is no Ducati dealer in these parts -- the closest being around 200 freeway miles away -- and the bolt is, well, unusual -- fine threaded metric. Several calls (gotta love internet access and cell phones) and a few stops (gotta love the GPS) -- yielded a very temporary fix -- thanks to a cruiser/Harley shop whose customers looked none to happy to have the bright yellow and red bikes pull up to THEIR shop -- but the owner was very helpful...and a Napa store actually had the better fitting temporary solution.
We arrived back at Vince's aunt/uncle-in-law's place in Walla Walla. This time his aunt/uncle were home and treated us to a wonderful dinner and relaxing evening of fun conversation.
Tomorrow's routing will take us one of three directions -- depending on which Ducati dealer has the needed bung plug -- the temporary fix is shown below.
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