[Author Index] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

[St] FW: Fw: Sticky throttle cable



For anyone wishing to cross the border near Calais, ME, see below.
Don't spread it around or everyone will do it!  

Jeremy Witt
Newbury Partners
www.newburypartners.com
(o) 603-893-3022
(c) 603-475-4228
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeremy Witt 
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:03 PM
To: 'Brian Pitman'
Subject: RE: [St] Fw: Sticky throttle cable

Yeah on the way back into Maine, we usually take a right at the Tim
Horton, go down about a half mile and take a left.   That drops you on
the main road past the main crossing.  Follow the main road to the right
for about a kilometer and it "ends" at a border-crossing bridge.  It's a
two lane bridge and we have rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes.  I
think the worst wait was 25 one busy day.  

On the Maine side, there is a small gas station on the left at the
corner of the turn that is my landmark.  I don't remember the brand
(Mobil? Irving?), and I've never actually seen the main border crossing
from the US side, so I couldn't tell you how far it is prior.    

We spend the first or second week on Grand Manan Island, but we may be
visiting PEI for a few days of the next vacation, thanks to a meeting on
the ferry with a British gentleman, who's mother-in-law owns a B&B on
the central cliffs.  :0)

Jeremy Witt
Newbury Partners
www.newburypartners.com
(o) 603-893-3022
(c) 603-475-4228

-----Original Message-----
From: st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Brian Pitman
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:40 PM
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [St] Fw: Sticky throttle cable

Hi Jeremy,

Yes, I knew someone owold be familiar with Calais, ME!

I went to the "main" crossing as it is the only one I know of.  Being
that it was early in the morning, I was not worried about a line-up.
If you could send me a reference to the "other" crossing, I will
cetainly keep it in mind for the next East Coast tour!

However, the flip side to my return story is the "going" story.  I rode
down with a buddy, Ed, from Kingston, ON.  We arrived in Calais about 3
PM on the previous Sat.  The town was celebrating its mid-summer
festival and had SHUT DOWN MAIN ST - creating a huge line-up!
Fortunately, after about 20 mins in the dead still line, an older
gentleman took pity on us and told us about a back street route to
access the crossing area.

Brian


----- Original Message ----
From: Jeremy Witt <>
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:28:42 PM
Subject: Re: [St] Fw: Sticky throttle cable


Still reading the story, but I'm curious to know if you waited in that
awful multi-lane crossing line, or kept on going through town to the
small 2-lane bridge crossing we always use?  The line is nearly always
shorter there. 


Jeremy Witt
Newbury Partners
www.newburypartners.com
(o) 603-893-3022
(c) 603-475-4228

-----Original Message-----
From: st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:st-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Brian Pitman
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:18 PM
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [St] Fw: Sticky throttle cable

Kevin, Yes, I most certainly am!

Although Lucas pretty much predates my riding experience (and certainly
my Triumph ownership time), I did have a rare Lucas-like flashback this
summer.  I do not recall if I mentioned this little detail in my
Maritime blast this summer however, I will recall it now for the
amusement of The List.

It was the last day of my tightly-scheduled one-week vacation wherein I
had saved the best for last - an 1100 km route through the backroads of
Maine, Vermont and New York with nary an Interstate or Canadian major
highway in sight.  I left just after sunrise out of Saint John, New
Brunswick and rode ~90 mins to the Canada-US border crossing in Maine.
As I turned the corner off main st into the customs line-up, I turned my
engine off as there appeared to be about a 5 min line-up in front of the
interrogation booth.  After a couple of minutes, the line had advanced
about 5-6 car lengths so I turned the ignition key, pulled in the clutch
(hate that lock-out feature BTW...) and hit the starter button.  Nothing
but a feeble click.

Yep, I had a "Lucas moment" there!  Well, my mind started racing around
considering whether I should I stay on the Canadian side and try and
find a bike shop in St Stephen's, NB or should I get across the border
and look in Calais, ME?  For no other reason that my bike was already
pointed west I pushed my fully loaded ST, while wearing a full coverage
Aerostitch, up to the customs officer.  Much to her amusement, I made
some depreciating comment about Brit bikes.  With a big smile on her
face, she asked me three short Qs and waved me through.  Fortunately,
there was a small gas station across from the border crossing so I
pushed Caspian Blue a few more feet to a pump and topped up the gas tank
... 'cause that's whatcha do when the bike won't start, right?  


I pulled the seat and looked at that lazy, "laid-down" battery.  Sure
'nuff, the vibration form the triple had loosened off one of the
terminal connections to prevent the battery from charging.  In short
order, I found another friendly tourist who had jumper cables to get the
ST fired up again.  

My last interesting moment was putting everything back together again
since, at this point, my tool bag, which lives in the RH side of the
fairing inside a keyed pocket cover, was still on the ground and my
ignition key was, well, in the ignition!  The last thing I wanted to do
was to turn off the engine and have to bum yet another jump start so I
quickly recalled that I had buried the spare key deep within my tank
bag.  I dug it out, put everything away and hit the road before the
motor overheated at idle.

Fortunately, that was the most "exciting" event of the day.  I pulled
into my driveway 15.5 hrs after starting my day, stopping for gas and
lunch only!

That's it!

Brian
06 ST
93 GTS


----- Original Message ----
From: Kevin Dicks <rawsonboy@xxxxxxxxx>
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:47:03 PM
Subject: Re: [St] Fw: Sticky throttle cable


Be thankful Lucas is not still around :)
_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com
_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com
_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com
_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com