Southern Exposure

We’re 0 for 2 on easy starts to the day’s riding. We got early to hit the road only, the bikes were loaded, helmets were on, only to find that the key would not turn in the ignition on either bike. Frustrating to say the least. I sprayed lubricant judiciously in the keyhole, furiously jiggled the key to no avail. On the red bike, the key wouldn’t even fully insert.

Out of options, I called a locksmith. Fortunately we were able to get back into our room while we waited. The locksmith arrived and had no real answers as to the cause. He used a pick and other tools to inspect the lock and it didn’t seem damaged. He ended up using a hammer and pliers for 20 minutes to force the keys into the lock and turn the keys. It was a bit annoying to pay $70 for something I could have done myself, but if the key had broken off in the lock I couldn’t have fixed it. Having all the tools at hand allows one to take more risks.

Needless to say, this was not a confidence inspiring experience in Kawasaki lock quality. The locksmith and I both theorized that the bikes had been maliciously tampered with, because it’s amazing that both locks had the same problem at the same time. It was a miserable, cold rain overnight though, and I can’t imagine someone bothering. I’ll have to get the locks looked at in LA.

We finally got on the road at noon. The upside of the delay was that we missed most of the rain while we were waiting for the locksmith. The clouds were low and broken in interesting patterns over the hills and mountains. Sadly, I broke the cardinal rule of the trip and didn’t take any pictures today. The view was nice, but stopping on I-5 was not an option.

We stopped for lunch in Roseburg, OR. The section of I-5 between Roseburg and Grants Pass was really beautiful, twisting through the mountain passes draped in low clouds. It was a great break from the monotony of the previous 150 miles of straight line slabbing.

In Grants Pass, the sun set as we exited onto Hwy 199. It was a great 2 lane road through redwood forests. Too bad it was already dark out and we couldn’t see anything. This was the coldest day of the trip so far, hovering in the upper 40s and low 50s. We ended the day in Crescent City, CA, for a day’s ride of 307 miles.