It was late afternoon when I hit the road on the DL650, bound for a camp out with TWT friends. I had a 3 ½ hour ride ahead of me.
Soon the sun started it’s slide down to the western horizon. As the bike hummed along, I mused about my shadow, which occasionally appeared, skimming ahead of me.
A dip in the road, a hill, or trees behind me would cause my shadow to disappear. And my thoughts would wander to other things.
The shadow reappeared. A distorted shadow; the “shadow bike” elongated to at least 20’. Amusingly, the left side case was distorted quite a bit.
And so it went, for an hour or so. Shadow here. Shadow gone.
Shadow here, ‘humm, that‘s cool how things look so distorted, wonder what causes the left case to look so weird?’… I’m thinking up all kinds of complicated reasons why the sun at that particular angle could hit at another particular angle to do a fairly accurate shadow bike, except the left pannier appears cocked out to the side…
Shadow gone. Something niggles in my brain. Minutes go by. Only the side case looked distorted…More minutes go by. That side case… Why would just the side case….Holy Crapola! I pull over as soon as safely possible and take a look.
Incredibly, the left side case is being held onto the bike by the drawstring from my camp chair bag, which had inadvertently been locked into the case and the two pegs on the bottom, which the case usually hangs on.
I realize I must not have seated the locking mechanism completely when I put the case on the bike the evening before.
I open the case, remove the lanyard from the camp chair, make double sure the case is properly installed, thank my lucky stars and go on my merry way.
I don’t think much more about it as I once again hum along the highway. I am sure that I simply had not seated the case all the way the night before.
The evening is quickly turning chilly and very windy. I decide to stop and get the electric liner going before it gets too dark to see easily. So, I pull into a gas station, get off the bike, turn to the left side case which the liner is in…
And gawk in wonder. The case is still there…but nothing is keeping it on the bike except the two little pegs at the bottom. The bag is canted outward and resting on those two stubby pegs. Not even the lanyard from the chair to help hold it on this time. Unbelievable that it is still on the bike.
I have been warned that Givi cases have a reputation for popping off at inopportune moments. (Like there would be an opportune moment?) And these cases are old and worn. I had already been looking around at replacements. Guess I’ll start looking in earnest now.
So, yeah, the rest of the trip was spent with my left hand doing a “bag check” every few minutes and after every significant bump in the road.
I arrived at the campsite without further incident. Got a warm welcome and with assistance, got camp set up and in no time was sitting by a roaring fire, food and drink in hand, friends all around.
The next day, at the Meet and Greet, I tell my story to those at the table. M38A1 (Scott) says, “I have a strap for your bag.” Turns out that just that morning in the parking lot of the restaurant, he had found and picked up the perfect strap to hold that dead-gum bag on.
Personally, I think tying one bag onto your bike with a faded blue, seen-better-days ratchet strap with a frayed end adds to the whole ADV bike look. (OK, maybe more like the ‘cheap Strom look.)
Whatever, I am way more about function over looks any day.
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Okay, so this wasn't planned and just was an aimless ride to see where I'd end up. No harm, no foul.
). Mrs. DT has all she can handle and requested my timely return so that I can "administer an attitude adjustment".
Since she almost always allows me to do things such as this ride, I can sacrifice my remaining time and head back to help her out (read: give her a break). Besides, this woman knows where I sleep.
, it was certainly enjoyable to get out there and just enjoy the day. Odo says I covered about 180 miles.
Look about 3/4 from the bottom and just off center left on your landscape oriented shots.
