This is a story about what goes through a rider’s mind when their throttle freezes. On a Sunday morning awhile back I planned to ride into town to meet BMW rider Dan Leri at Saint’s Cafe. The frost on the car and truck reminded me the temperature was still dropping below freezing and that I should pay close attention to the road. And I worried a bit about Dan on his 1150 RT but more on that in a bit.
Dan wears a lot of hats in addition to a helmet. He’s the director of Innovation Park at Penn State, a father and husband, and somewhere in his past a member of one of Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lion teams. All this was of interest as I parked the Vespa in the pre-dawn light of State College, Pennsylvania where I was going to learn from Dan what goes through your head when your throttle freezes — something he’s recently learned on a ride to work.
It’s not often I arrive at Saint’s before they’re open. Poor planning on my part to have to sit outside in the cold. At least the light was nice for the few minutes I had to wait to get a cup of tea and a bagel.
This is the bike in question — a 2005 (?) BMW 1150 RT. Dan describes it as the perfect machine. It’s the typical conversation with a BMW rider. They speak in a casual, even, measured tone, slowly drawing you into their delusion of performance, reliability, and rides around the world. Eventually their eyes roll back into their heads, English transforms into an ancient Teutonic tongue and sweat beads on their foreheads. At this point it’s best to nod your head politely and let them finish. I think a requirement of ownership of these kinds of motorcycles is to evangelize whenever possible. Dan keeps at me. I recently joined the BMW MOA.
That’s Dan in his Roadcrafter jacket. He is a hi-viz kind of guy.
I was in Denver when a text message arrived on the morning of March 25. It read:
My throttle cable froze solid while passing a truck this morning on I99 on the way to work. Since I was passing, I was going 80mph.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO GRACIE: If you’re reading this you should understand the concept of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Ask your dad to explain that. Don’t scare your mother with this information.
The message continues:
Fast ride to work! Good thing traffic was spaced out! I eventually shut it off, coasted to a stop, messed until I got a little play in it, then high RPM clutched to Wegmans (grocery store) to get hot water to get it thawed, and down to idle, then let it run to generate engine heat to thaw it. That got me another mile and a refreeze, (it was 18F that morning — yes, Dan’s a serious rider) and a repeat procedure!
You have a lot of funny “now what” thoughts while stuck going 80mph and wanted to get close to help and a solution before shutting down!
So I’m in Denver reading these text messages and the first thing that comes to mind is, “Geez, you tap out a lot of characters for a text message.” Then I think about what I would do — hit the kill switch. As Dan and I talked he said that if he did that he would be a long way from anywhere. Listening to him I realized he was more and more like MacGyver as he described his thought process and plan to ride on as far as he could. If he only had tin foil and some chewing gum he could have continued around the world. The long way.
Nice read. I too ride in the sub freezing weather and have never thought of the throttle freezing open. Guess I’m glad I ride a Vespa because I am already very experienced at riding through town at a high rate of speed.
Dear Scooter In The Sticks:
You wrote: “Trailering a BMW. Karmic justice that the throttle froze.”
Now that stung.
The new K1600’s are ride by wire. No cables. Problem solved. In one picture, it looks like a piece of silver tape covering something. Now that can’t be right.
On the same bike, my friend Doug Raymond damaged a throttle body on the Haul Road in Alaska, 150 miles from another person. In all honesty, he got it running again with a bungee cord and a discarded Pepsi can.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Scooter Dope: On the superior Vespa weather or wear have little effect on it’s outstanding performance. All we need fear is the harmful rays from overhead alien spacecraft or the unfriendly magical powers of Lambretta owners.
I like that shot of you and the yellow Vespa in the snow!
Mr. Riepe: Glad I could help you see the danger of owning/using a trailer. I always have your best interest at heart.
That was tape you saw–a MacGyver fix to cover the hole maybe?
Also. In my centerline post you asked what really happened that left me laying in the road. I answered there with the real story.
Steve,
it’s an 04 RT. With more reading of the BMW MOA mag you’ll get better at recognizing the year by body style 🙂 – especially before your purchase.
Be kind – 17 short thoughts is not much. After all, it was a 20 mile ride even though @ 80mph. A guy’s bound to have a few thoughts during his commute.
Though edgy at times, it was a safe trip. The “bob and weave” at the two cloverleafs were most interesting. However, had danger appeared, I would have “shut down”. Dressed like Big Bird, when it comes to safety, I always choose to ride another day.
Dear Scooter In The Sticks (Steve);
Congratulations on a sterling honourable finish in the ABCD event. I thought you should have scored higher for both originality and execution, and said so to Gary France. (However, I wll always pick the clever — and very pretty — woman as the winner of anything, given my nature.)
How did you avoid getting run over by a milk truck, or something?
Mr. Riepe: Thanks for the kind words of support. I thought the winning image was well deserved for a variety of reasons. As far as what and why on the road I posted a lengthy response to your earlier inquiry. On the ABCD post.
I was hoping to see an entry from you. I had all sorts of visions.
Jack R,
The small piece of tape on the box top is like the circular band aid you get after giving blood. Temporary repair awaiting a permanent fix. To displace the water at the box bottom, I injected a partial vial of 3-1 oil by needle through the seam in the two piece box – and waited for it to seep out along the exit cable. The band aid is until the next scheduled maintenance – a thorough cleaning followed by a drop of silicone on the box seam. I wasn’t chewing gum at the time, but the chunk of tape was holding my back molar in. I sipped my lunch that day.
Dan Leri: First comment from you. How’s it feel?
Got my copy of the BMW Anonymous Book. Now whenever my Vespa breaks down I have some numbers to call:
“Hello? I have one of those Italian scooters. They’re like a mini version of the BMW R1200 GS Adventure….”
You’ve got the distribution box fixed now right? And not by the weather I mean.
Mr. Riepe: Thanks for the kind words about my losing ABCD entry. It was a lot of fun. I commented in the last post about why I didn’t get run over by a milk truck. Since you live on the bleeding edge you probably stay up on the current posts. So I will paste my response to your inquiry about the circumstances surrounding the picture below:
I was traveling at a high rate of speed, around 90mph in pursuit of an exotic young woman with a mane of auburn hair flowing from beneath her helmet and flogging the wind above her 1995 BMW K75/3A, paint hot red like her hair. As my Vespa closed on her in a tight turn a Carolina Wren sitting in a lovely birch tree caught my eye, momentarily distracting me from the severe turn and causing the front wheel of the scooter to slide out and throw me into a low side slide along the road. She slowed, turned around, and rode back towards me and stopped next to me to make sure I was ok. “Are you Jack Riepe?” she asked. Now you can imagine what was going through my mind. I wished I had on my Twisted Road t-shirt. Looking up into her mirrored visor I had the presence of mind to attempt what I thought the battered baby seal look would be. A long pause and she reached up and raised her visor to reveal both a beautiful visage.
“Yes.” I muttered.
Another long pause and she spoke again.
“Well, at least you finally have a more appropriate ride.” And she kicked her BMW and was off, disappearing around a bend.
I got up, parked the Vespa and stumbled up the road looking for my camera which seemed to have fallen out of my pocket. I fell to the pavement when I saw it, thankful that it still worked, and made the picture.
No truer words have been written here.
Steve, your friend Dan is a true rider, I hope someday to meet him in and together we’ll continue the Teutonic brainwashing. Sooner or later, we will convert you.
Nice read. I also love his ride, she’s Maria’s twin.
Dom
Redleg’s Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
Charlie6 (Dom): Dan is laying low, lulling me into a false sense of security. One day when I don’t expect it he’ll notify me of some BMW available that I need to buy. Or send a link to a story about a man whose life was saved by a BMW. Or something.
You two don’t need to meet. I’m not sure I can resist the power of you both…
This was an entertaining read Steve. Of course it’s funny now but not then. Glad it turned out okay!
It’s also a good reminder to play “what if” on a regular basis.
Freezing throttles. Why would anyone put a cable in the freezer?
Is high visibility still visible if the rider is shrouded in plastic fairings and top boxes? I wear black as I feel it will be appropriate dress when they finally get me, and until then it doesn’t much show the dirt.
Steve, Don’t limit the use of the Anonymous Book to “Breakdowns”. On cold, snowy nights simply pick random numbers and call – guys are happy to chat 🙂 Leave the Vespa out of the conversation until after you model drop your way through the stable of BMW’s you’ve ridden at Kissell Motorsports. You can close with a few stories of one-legged parking lot donuts on the Vespa!
Distribution box fixed? Eh, it hasn’t frozen since! I hate down time. Ride, Baby, Ride!
Dom,
Would love to ride. Come to Happy Valley, we’ll invite the executive committee of the MAC PAC to ride from Philly to State College for an over nighter and ride the twisties of Central PA. In fact, I believe jack R. is on the list of potential Commencement speakers for the next graduating class at Penn State. He can write off the mileage!
Are you coming to the International in Bloomsburg in July? We’re close.
I may be in the Denver area shortly on business…..need to check a Fat Tire at New Belgium in Fort Collins.
Steve, you know, having a Vespa AND a Beemer in the stable isn’t a bad thing per say ;-).
The Teutonic voices whispering in your head will eventually take over. You might not know it, but you are already drawn into the inner circle.
I have been in Dan’s situation on an 80’s vintage Honda standard bike. A CB900 to be exact. Perhaps it is the curse of being named Dan.
If one’s mind has enough time to think of a hundred things then there is enough time to act. Especially if one is spared the required ritual of having to translate all thoughts into German.
My incident happened coming off the freeway onto an offramp. The bike did not want to slow down when I rolled off the throttle. The critical thing was that the offramp ended at a “T” intersection. Otherwise I would simply have continued on, waving at all those I zoomed by.
Because I am not addled by Teutonic trances I immediately sprang into action. In a seemingly contradictory move I applied WAY MORE throttle then violently rolled off. Three tries and I successfully knocked the ice off the throttle linkage. The Japanese Rice Burner Gods smiled upon me and blessed me with a green light at the bottom. I made a WIDE turn ( sort of like Jack’s normal cornering style ) and made the corner.
I do admit to my rear end getting very light just in case I needed to bail. For the record, jumping off a bike to avoid crashing with it is not the same as “I had to lay it down”.
As a side note, and meant to reassure you, Steve, I am living proof that you do not need to own a BMW to become a Legend.