The road through Kansas was long & straight, but it proved to be as challenging as any other road.

 

DAY 6: 

Now that the bike is fixed, today will be an easy, straight ride through Kansas. Farewell to the elevation and farewell to motorcycle altitude sickness.

when the elevation increases motorcycle engines run richer,
meaning they need less fuel or more air.

Cough...Cough...57 miles into the ride, the Thruxton is coming down with something again!!!  I pulled off the freeway, spending the next hour pretending to be a doctor, attempting to diagnose the symptoms.  With my husband, on speaker phone, we worked to troubleshoot the mysterious motorcycle problem that plagued the bike for days.  Found it!  My coil was loose.  I proceeded to operate on the bike by bandaging it up with tape.  After a couple quick drives up a dusty dirt road, I decided the Thruxton was healed and ready to be released into the wild.

Two hours later, it was time to do my routine state sign photo op in Kanorado, KS where I marked my territory with a Shoppe 815 sticker.

Send me a photo if you ever see one of my stickers on a state sign

I quickly got back on the road making up for lost time.  Another 50 miles in, and I'm now diagnosing myself with exhaustion.  Wind gusts up to 40 mph knocked me around and wore me out.  These weren't safe conditions to continue riding in so I retreated to a hotel in Colby, KS.  Tornado watches kept me up to the early hours tracking storms.  2” hailstone warnings caused alarm and the decision to finagle the bike into my hotel room for shelter.  We got tucked in and spent the evening safely enjoying Saturday Night Live. 

 

Day 7:

With little sleep, an early am wake-up call was necessary to get ahead of the storm.  This is when the allergies attacked me to the point of suffocation in my helmet.  I struggled to breathe and my eyes swelled up.  After some Claritin and the relentless gusts dying down, I was able to appreciate the windmills getting pushed instead of my bike.

Although the ride from Colorado through Kansas should have been simple, it taught me that sometimes our expectations don't align with reality.  A series of unfortunate events is the best way to describe Kansas.  At the end of the day, each new challenge left me feeling like a stronger person and rider.  

Waiting with open arms, hours of laughter, and a plethora of top notch self-care products to ease my puffy eyes, were my friends Alison and Tyler.  I showed up looking haggard but probably no different than when I first met Alison in 2005. We both lived on buses and traveled the country with The Vans Warped Tour.  The last time we saw each other was in 2006 at a concert in Seattle.  10 years later and we had some reel catching up to do.

Fun fact: Alison supported Shoppe 815 since day one.  She was my first customer!  

Before I hit the road, Tyler helped me tape up the coil in hopes it would allow me to make it to Pennsylvania, where I would have a few days off and my Dad's assistance to repair the bike. 

Special thanks to Alison and Tyler for welcoming me into your lovely home
and for your continued friendship!  Next time let's take a minute to get a photo together!

Don't let the good times blow away,
Katy

 

Day 6

Date: 5/21/16
Start Mileage: 37,008
End Mileage: 37,240
Total Miles: 232 mi
Start Location: Denver, CO
Breakdown: Deer Trail, CO
End Location: Colby, KS
Note: 40 mph winds in KS and tornado warnings 

Day 7

Date: 5/22/16
Start Mileage: 37,240
End Mileage: 37,633
Total Miles: 393 mi
Start Location: Colby, KS
End Location: Independence, MO