Part One (with Part Two to follow in the near future): On a motorcycle trip down the Pacific Coast Highway with my brother-in-law a couple of weeks ago, my 2014 California Tourer (I am the third owner) suddenly died and had a nasty red light and a SERVICE warning I had never seen before. Pulled over, turned off the key, and had a quick look see. Not running hot, oil level good, nothing smoking, what the heck? Would not turn over. Jumped it with one of those small Costco battery jumpers, fired up, still showed the warning, but decided to luck it and run it a tad more to a safer pullover spot. Died again within a quarter mile in front of a big wide spot in the road. Called the tow service. Asked them if there was a Guzzi shop nearby. Closest one would not even look at it: "Your bike is so big it won't fit in my shop with the other bikes. No time to work on it." But then I remembered, I was just north of Malibu and Todd offers the option of picking up bikes for service there! Emailed him in desperation. Todd replied IMMEDIATELY and gave me the drop off location. Tow truck took me there while my bro followed on his bike. Todd met us there on a Friday afternoon (!) and we loaded the bike into his van. Point number one: Thank you, Todd! Point number two: How lucky was I that arguably the most knowledgeable Guzzi mechanic on the West Coast (at the very, very least) was only a few miles from my bike breakdown? Point number three: Was it an act of fate that I had just the week before squeezed the trigger on buying a GTM polished tour exhaust system and the Power Commander setup and a new air filter and had asked Todd to hold them at his shop until I could make arrangements to get there? (Yes, Pete, the Universe wants you to have a killer bike.) Listen, guys, while I think we can agree that Todd appears cool, composed and helpful online, let me chime in that he is WAY cooler and composed and helpful in person, and from what I have read on the Forum, those who have had the pleasure of meeting him agree, so bear with me for singing this man's praises. He totally helped me out in a jam, for which I am deeply grateful, and now, very soon, my bike will run way better. So, I will post more information on that in the near future.
P.S., turns out the bike died because of a loose battery cable that I had tightened only 400 miles before so, yeah, don't be a dummy like I was, forgetting what I have always checked every time a car died on me or a friend, check the basics, eh? And Todd confirmed that the alternator fix had been done, so that is one less worry. And...I will get my bike back transformed and it was totally worth it. Thanks for letting me share!
P.S., turns out the bike died because of a loose battery cable that I had tightened only 400 miles before so, yeah, don't be a dummy like I was, forgetting what I have always checked every time a car died on me or a friend, check the basics, eh? And Todd confirmed that the alternator fix had been done, so that is one less worry. And...I will get my bike back transformed and it was totally worth it. Thanks for letting me share!
