I woke up at decent hour, I mean when the sun didn’t let you sleep anymore. My tent on the roof was getting hot very quickly. From 8 am packing, for last few days everything in my panniers was upside down. It took me 2 hrs. As always obligatory photos with owners, staff and whoever was there. From there to Raju for a cup of tea and bear hug. Next to Rick in motorcycle club, photo, and then to filling station as my tank was dry.
It took me until noon. Chitwal National park is not far, 140 km I could do in 3 hrs if I hurry. Well, maybe 4 if I stop for photos. I had time. I left from Raju exactly at 12.20.
I passed by familiar stands with fruit, lovely woman who was selling me water, bazaar. Next over the bridge, passing busses parked across the street. Something was wrong with my front suspension, and a noticed that a while ago. I even told Raju, we checked and everything seemed to be OK. 15km outside the city, something started to bang loudly, and I started to panic. Handlebar was shaking, I used front break… , noise became louder. F*** I thought…dancing on the road….I’m going to kill myself. I braked with the rear…I was slowing down not being sure if I land in the ditch or not. After all I have newly painted shiny tank! What an irony would it be?! Obviously you don’t think much about your own life in moments like these.
I stopped, my heart was pounding like crazy, when I was getting off the bike I stumbled on the bag fixed to my back seat. I fell on my face, couldn’t stay on my feet…
I looked at the wheel..OK….tyre..OK…air…OK….I checked clamp… missing screw!!! F***, just recently I’ve changed front tyre, I didn’t tighten the screw! It fell off causing vibration and fright. I followed my tracks back in hope I could find it, no success. Luckily it was Nepal, workshop after workshop. One guy turned upside down 3 buckets of screws looking for a similar one. Fruitless. I decided to go back to Raju. 10km took me almost 50 min.
….“Raju…do you remember when I said something was wrong?” “I do”…
He didn’t have appropriate screw, but he jumped on his Enfield and came back after one hr, with screw in his pocket. A bit longer than the original one but fit perfectly.
It was after 2pm. I am not going to hurry, it was a sign. And during my trip I’ve learned to read them. In Turkey I wanted to avoid Erzorum and what happened? I crushed into rear of the Tofas…I had to stop in Erzorum. So I decided to stay. Tony, a nice English man who spends half year in London half year here, lend me his Enfield. F***, what a bike.. hard work! Gears don’t work well, kick start after previous decompression… no brakes… top speed? Forget! HOW TO RECOGNISE ENFIELD RIDER? BY SMASHED MOSQUITOES ON THE BACK OF HIS HEAD!!!
Anyway I made a 100km trip to mountains. It was amazing if I don’t mention engine stalls, unsuccessful tries to start it and frustration…
100km cost me 5 lit of fuel same as my GS! But Royal Enfield is 350cc whereas my bike is 1150! And it has brakes and speed. But there is something about them (RE), the sound they make is so sweet! I’ve just finished rum with Raju. Hotel is not the best but hey it is close to the workshop. Tomorrow after omelette (I didn’t like before, now I do) and tea I head to KTM.
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