January 20th: Stranded (kind of) in Lima
Dirty Larry causing problems again. We were the first drive up service customers at the Harley-Davidson Lima dealership. Fitting that we’re from Milwaukee.
Well, we were supposed to be back on the road Sunday (1/17) morning. But, after two more days of Dirty Larry not cooperating we thought we were finally going to get on the road. Not so much.
Let me explain how the last few days unfolded.
We pulled up to the dealer last Friday (1/15), and Dirty Larry was running great! When the service techs went to take the bike down to service, it would not start. They determined it was a bad sensor and replaced it. But then, the bike was running really hard. They took apart the gas tank to check the fuel lines and gas pump, and finally determined bad gas was the issue. We could tell the techs were all working really hard and wanted to get the job done for us. The funny thing is, we stopped here for routine maintenance - oil changes and new tires. Not all of this!
On Tuesday we came back to the dealer, and Dirty Larry still was not running properly. The techs stayed late, and by 9 pm, they thought all was fixed. So, we want back to our hotel and planned to come back first thing Wednesday morning.
Today (1/20) we arrived back at the dealer ready to ride! We left and about a block away from the dealership I could tell something was not right. The bike kept sputtering and I didn't have the power that I normally have. We turned around and went back. More troubleshooting. At about 5 pm, they finally found the problem (they think), and now we wait to ensure they can remedy it.
Honestly, I am losing confidence that we will get Dirty Larry back on the road. Is this the end of the adventure for me? I really hope not, but I can't help but think this may be it.
Why would the universe want us to sit for extra days in Lima, when we are already behind schedule and are all anxious to get back to Central America and be closer to home? Waiting around is extremely frustrating for all of us.
Views along the Lima, Peru coast
I especially feel for Brian, as I know he misses his family and wants to ride as much as possible. His patience is amazing, and I am very thankful for that. I am also grateful for Jason and all his efforts to help the techs diagnose problems and relay tips from our amazing friend Todd in the US to the techs here in Lima. Without Jay, we would be further behind than we already are. He is working so hard to help as much as possible and I am so grateful and appreciative of my husband.
So, we sit and wait. And hope we can ride as soon as possible
