Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
The last post requires an update.
The Radiator. As said, all went well. When it was first "fixed" and I left the dealer, the high temp light came on and the temp gauge flashed, basically showing an error.
I have replaced my coolant in this bike many times. I have never had to add coolant. When I had the new issue with the light, the mechanic claimed that it is hard to get all the bubbles out. I guess for him. It has never been a problem for me. When the issue happened, he added about a pint of fluid. Today I added a pint of fluid. So, it was about a quart low. It takes 3 Liters. So it was almost a third low when he was supposedly finished with the job. Impressive. THIS is why I do all my own work. Then, when the mechanic screws up, I don't have far to go to kick him in the butt.
When I left you last, I was in hotel room, recovering (read: drinking beer) from my day's ordeal.
Today, I went to the place where my bike was still sitting safely. The bike mechanic was not there to remove the wheel from the bike. The two people that were there were most helpful in helping me get the bike up on it's center stand. A difficult task in the best of circumstances, absolutely impossible alone with a flat tire. I removed the wheel and gave it to the tire guy. He removed the tube and found this:
The inner tube ripped in half, possibly while still inside the tire. Possibly why the tire seemed to go so out of balance all of a sudden. There was no damage or puncture. The tube just gave up. I HATE TUBES It is likely that the mechanic who changed my tire, and felt it was not necessary to change the tube (I almost always change the tube), may have damaged the tube. This is NOT a fun situation. If the rim was not so air tight, the blowout could have been catastrophic. It might have just been the heat, as higher speeds and hot roads can damage a tube. So can low tire pressures. But with everything checked, the biggest variable is the mechanic. The same one who thought it would be a good idea to re-use the tube, and put two thirds the fluid into the radiator because it was "too hard' to get all the bubbles out.
Anyway, they did not have a tube for this tire. Fortunately, I brought a spare tube. The mechanic, who was very good ( I watched him) replaced the tube in no time, did a thorough inspection, and handed me back the wheel and tire so that I could put it back on.
Now is the best part. They would not charge me or take a tip. They did not feel the work they did was worth charging me for. Like I have said, things always work out. Not always well, but usually.
I was there shortly after they opened, and was out of there just over an hour later. I chose not to go to the Volkswagon Museum, as it would have put me too far behind my "schedule" such as it is. This was a good thing becuase there was a tremendous amount of traffic and a ton of lane reductions due to construction.
Still, I made it into Denmark in the evening. Was told to go the warf to find a bar. I was thinking cheap beer at a fisherman's bar. Not quite. It was Saturday night, and the places were fairly quiet, but they were tourist/nightclub type places. I found an Irish pub, which had decent enough beer for extravagent prices. Met a couple of local guys and we talked all things Denmark. One was a Software Engineer, the other was a Med Student. We talked money and taxes and costs. They agreed, it is one of the most expensive countries on the planet, but the cheapest in Scandinavia.
Then, well after my bedtime, the Unicorns arrived. This was a nightclub on a Saturday night. As I was heading off to bed, the party animals were heading out. The Unicorns were a Bachelorette party. Lots of others heading out on the town. I headed towards bed.
