Time For New Shoes

Waking up to the hussle and bustle of busy business people pulling rolling luggage down the hall of my hotel I remember that there is just one other set appointment I must make — to get new tires and change the oil at the Seattle area BMW dealer, RideWest BMW.
With only 1,750 miles on my trusty Dakar, my bike was barely broken in, but with nearly 4,300 miles upon arriving at RideWest my plan was simple. Change the oil and throw on a new set of my preferred tire for this trip: Avon Gripsters. The stock Metzler Sahara tires may have lasted another thousand miles or so, with the journey through British Colubia, Yukon and the grand state of Alaska ahead of me including the 425 miles of rocks and dirt on the fabled Dalton Highway, this would be my best shot to give my baby new shoes and replace her vital fluids.
I also arranged to replace my BMW ComforTemp undershirt exchanged. Bill and Fred in the parts department worked with me to exchange my shirt with a damaged zipper for one of the same size and color they held for me. Normally the dealer would send this out for repair, but with turnaround times of one week they graciously replaced rather than repaired it so I could get on with my journey.
The mechanic working on my bike noticed the same thing I’d been concerned about since leaving on my journey. My new Works Performance suspension (rear shock) acted extremely funny without any load on the bike — as if there was no dampening with it rebounding to a screeching halt. I put this shock on only days before leaving and never had a chance to play with the adjustments – or even understand how all the adjustments affected the performance and behaviour of the shock. So riding away I made a note to call Works Performance and review it with their engineering staff.
I thought I’d spend a few hours at RideWest, but I spent the entire day with the service manager pulling the garage door shut just as I strapped the last remaining bag onto my bike. I had hoped to get out earlier so I could do a few local errands and have more time to spend with some of my friends who live in the area. However, I got to know every inch of that BMW dealer, read every magazine in the waiting area and perused the new bikes and accessories a dozen times.
With the bike packed up I head to Redmond to meet one of my former business partenrs, Roland Yamamoto.

HELP: But the latest mishap in my journey has happened somewhere in Seattle. I’m missing my map holder that clips to my handlebars. I thought I left it at RideWest BMW, but they insist it’s not there. I’ve called everywhere I’ve been since then and still can’t find it. If any of you in Seattle see a black canvas/cordura folded pack with a clear acetate cover with a map about 6 x 9 inches and less than an inch thick, please send me an email. I’m desperate not for the maps but for my motorcycle registratioin and other important documents that were contained in there. Thanks.