idyllic camping spot . We hid the bikes in the bushes and carried our things to a sandy bank surrounded by inviting pools . Splashing in the cool water and baking stick bread over a campfire , our motorcycle woes were soon forgotten .
The next day they were back with a vengeance . By the time we were all packed up and wielding the bikes up the steep gravel road , it was roasting hot and coolant exploded all over my fairing and leg . It ’ s this kind of moment when I ’ m glad I persisted wearing heavy leather motorcycle pants despite the heat . I had replaced the water pump cogs back at the farm , so I was sure it couldn ’ t be that . We would need more coolant to test if the thermostat was opening as it should so we rolled into a gas station . The thermostat was fine , but the fuse blew again when the engine got hot . Yet the cooling fan hadn ’ t come on . The bikes being the same model , we decided to fit Aidan ’ s cooling fan into my bike to test if that worked .
Our luggage was strewn all over the place as we were taking our bikes apart . A young man came over to offer help . Did we have two cables ? I dug some spares out and handed them to him . He linked the cooling fan terminals directly to the battery and nothing happened . He did the same on Aidan ’ s bike , and his fan sprang into life . And just like that our helper had identified the culprit ! My cooling fan motor must have been faulty and blown the fuse every time it tried to switch on . And when it didn ’ t blow the larger capacity fuse , the coolant boiled over . Mystery solved .
Now we just needed a new cooling fan . Our helper was sure there were no BMW parts anywhere in this town , but he had another idea . With our bikes in bits , he borrowed a scooter from another willing helper and he and Aidan rode off . At a junkyard they searched for a cooling fan with a
TRAVERSE 73