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Did not reach Luxor on Sunday because the escort did not take the desert road. No instead, again this horrible Nile Corniche with hundreds of speedhumps in many sizes and, of course, the usual crowds of people, donkeys, busses etc. Again a treat but by 14.00 hrs I was kaputt and after only 250 km. So I told the police to find a hotel in Suhag. We searched for an hour but no hotel anymore in Suhag. Finally they found a river nile boat that serves as a hotel. Quite run down but I only need a bed and food that does not give me the TommyPalaver. The room was correct for me and the food was again a chicken, When well fried the best meat option. I could not read the menucard in Arabic so didn't bother about something else.
That Sunday I will remember forever since the unexpected but most feared thing happened and that's a problem on the bike. On leaving El Minya we took fuel and also the spare tanks ( 5 and 3 ltr ) and all was ok until we took off. Suddenly my right foot went down with the footrest. On an HD the footrest is not just a thick pin but a proper floorplank of 30 cm long. The rear end went down and I could not see what was broken. To continue I had to hold my rightfoot with the heel on the exhaust because you cannot ride and let your leg hang in the air. I waited till the first stop and than checked. The foortrest is attached on the rear end to a plate that is welded on the lower frame tube and the front is bolted to the engine guard.
Now, that rear endplate welding was broken of the frame. This plate also has the rearbrake assembly attached to it so I could not really use the rearbrake. To note is that I only use the rearbrake in emergencies when front is not enough and in bents to get the bike better through the bent. It curves better with some rearbrake action.
Now I had to be damned carefull cause a crossing child should not be hit so reduce the pace. I drove the whole day like that and was not happy. A real mentally off day.
Some people tell me to get it welded which I will , certainly not, do before the Harley Shop in Johannesburg since welding on a bike frame is too delicate. If too much heat is applied or the wrong rod used the frame can burn and be weakend resulting in a total collapes of the bike. Finished palaver. Also the electrics break down if not properly handled and protected from the high currents during welding.
I looked what I could do that might hold it. I found a small original hole in that rear plate and was able to push two tiewraps through and around the frametube. Hence the whole thing hangs again in its place held at the front by the original bolt and the rear by the 2 tiewraps, They are strong since even the maffia uses them to tiedown people for god knows what. I can put my foot on the footrest but do not dare to push to hard not knowing the real strength of the tiewraps. Time will tell.
I slept well on the boat and left the next day, Monday 15th. Thanks for that since it's Heineken pension payment day.
Again the escort was on the door to take me. I insisted to take the desert road and they took me there. Fantastic riding through the desert on an almost perfect huge highway with very little traffic. Hoped it would last. It did for 200 km till Qena and than they took again that shitroad along the Nile. Since they guide me I often do not know where we are or what could be an alternative. I knew that from Qena it is just a short stretch to Luxor straight over the bridge. No they took me again 70 km around for almost 2 hours with hundreds of speedhumps again. One time the hump was too high and I got stuck and fell with my entire rig on the right hand side. Fortunately that heavy bike has a good engine guard that can hold your leg underneath so it does not get crushed, I have had this only 2 times before in my Harley career and that goes back a good 35 years. The police got me up since I cannot lift the bike on my own. In fact I took it , finally, out on them and told them what I felt.
Although they could not understand it they got note of my state of mind. After that they had troubles to find the hotel. Took an hour and 3 phone calls to the hotel owner and than a taxi driver got us to the place. In that running around through Luxor I saw the whole town and the historic sites.
Enough for me to live on. I will not visit these rundown monuments and get harrassed by traders and money seekers. I will take a day off on Tuesday 16th and work on the blog , bike and myself.
The hotel is the New Memnon Hotel and the owner, mr Sayed , is a very friendly man who goes out of his way to please his customers.
The hotel is a local hotel and not an, always similar, group hotel. Its correct, clean, cool, good local food, perfect B/fast, he had cool beer delivered for 2 days, super nice roof terras, no pool that I do not use anyway, safe parking for the bike and at no cost. He charges 25 euros for a day with B/fast. He also waived the cost for the day that I was late which I can only appreciate. Srongly recoomended and can be booked through Booking.com or Tripadvisor. He also got me a stock of new spare tiewraps when I gave him the story of the B/down.
The rest of the day I rest, eat, siësta, drink a beer, look at the surroundings ( Vally of the Queens ) from the 360 degrees roof terras.
Tomorrow I will try to avoid the police but that might be difficult. They are everywhere. Mr Sayed told me to take it hard on them and than they will do what I want and that's only to ride the Luxor - Aswan desert road straight to Aswan for 225 km. Only 3 hours, I hope.
I have booked a Nubian Holiday Lodge on the Nile next to the Nubian tombs. The bike might wake them up and haunt me in the night. Look forward to it.
You will read about it, 'In Sha Allah' .
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