Chix on 66 – Day 9 Amarillo, TX to Tucumcari, NM

Posted byKaran AndreaPosted inUncategorized

Saturday, June 18

Amarillo to Tucumcari

Athena Ransom and Vivian Gypsy Charros worked on my bike till 4 in the morning to get me back on the road. Athena sent me to bed around 1 a.m., and I woke up about 7. I called her as instructed and they came down to tell me the bike was basically ready for a test ride.

Tricia Szulewski tailed me and we did a nice little loop. Bike ran great! 💙💙💙💙 Those ladies crushed it and got me back up and running. SO grateful….

So my antique posse and I set off to see Cadillac Ranch. I saw a nice opening to roll our bikes into where we could get the Cadillacs in the background, so we lined up really nice and took some photos. Then we went down to the cars and took some more photos. Once we got back to the bikes, Jenny’s husband Eric noticed my rear tire was flat. Fuck.

Jason Sims and Jose Torres had just left, so I had to ask them to turn around and come back. 🤦🏼‍♀️

We hauled the bike to Tripp HD where they fixed my tire. By this time, it was after 1 and we were starving, so we ate lunch, got gas, and then headed toward Tucumcari.

We passed the mid point of Route 66 in Adrian, TX! It seems like I’ve been on the road for a month! Our departure from Milwaukee seems like a very long time ago.

We weren’t that far out of Adrian when Jenny and Sharon Panhead saw my bike smoking. They signaled to me and we pulled to the side of the road. I shut it off and oil was still dripping freely from my motor onto the ground. It finally stopped but not before I got that sinking feeling.

The sweep truck was 50 miles ahead of us since they needed to be at the shop in Tucumcari where we were doing oil changes, so Jenny called her husband Eric who came back for us.

Not sure HOW….but we shoved my bike into his van where his bike was already loaded, and he drove me and my very cranky bike to the shop in Tucumcari.

Again Athena and Gypsy descended on the bike and figured out a few things that weren’t right. It was a long evening, but by 9:45 my bike was ready to ride. I cannot say enough about everyone supporting us on this ride.

Published by Karan Andrea

I ride motorcycles, I live motorcycles, and I write about motorcycles. Both of my blogs are written for motorcyclists: atomicshovel.blog tells the never-ending story of my 1974 Harley-Davidson FLH, which I have named the Atomic Shovel. My other blog coachk.home.blog is written for riders of all skill levels, but is primarily aimed toward the rider who is transitioning from the riding range where they learned basic skills, to the open road. This blog address the most common questions I see in the online groups and forums: dealing with anxiety - yes, that is the number one question, navigating traffic, parking, holding your bike on an incline, just to mention a few. Much of what I write is simply drawn from my own experiences - successes, failures, do-overs. Nothing in either blog should be construed as the absolute one and only approach; rather, look at them as a starting point for your own discovery process.

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