We gathered around to try and establish what options we should progress to solve Dave's shock absorber problem.
Options:
1) repair the existing unit (not seen as a credible option given where we were and the specialist skills needed to undertake a repair).
2) Phone Geoff Laycock and remove both shock absorbers from the spare bikes back home and then get them shipped to us in Russia. (Given our experience trying to get Dave's documents shipped by DHL in Latvia over a weekend, and also the fact that the air filters that were air freighted from the UK on 29th July had still not arrived at Irkutsk by 8th August this seemed likely to be a long process)
3) Try and source a shock absorber in Russia and if it doesn't quite fit modify it to make it fit.
It was still the middle of the night in the UK so we thought we would try contacting people later in the day.
Geoff ordered breakfast which was then delivered to the hotel at 10:00am. It came in plastic containers that had to be heated in a microwave and consisted of meat stew, mashed potatoes, and a salad of tiny tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and parsley. Although not looking great in fact it was a delicious and nourishing meal.
So we set off and another long dusty day, but at the reduced pace that Dave could ride.
We were now officially riding the BAM road and as the day went on the road progressively got better and better. We crossed loads of rivers with bridges that thankfully are still intact, but gave us a feel for what's to come.
There was a central section that climbed up into the mountains, and the tracks were nice to ride with one river crossing requiring us to ride through 2ft of water.
At lunchtime Geoff contacted Denis Panferov in Moscow and explained our problem to him and asked if he could help. He said to text him the details of the bike with the problem and he would investigate whether he could help.
At one point as we were riding along we saw a Lada car that had come off the road and was buried deep amongst the trees.
It occurred to us later that perhaps there might have been a shock absorber still on the vehicle that perhaps we could have modified to fit Dave's bike! That would have been fitting, a Lada part on Dave's bike!!
As we came down from the mountain we arrived at a beauty spot where a wedding party was gathered. They came over and asked whether they could take photographs of the bikes with the wedding guests. They were extremely friendly a pleasant
Paul has hotels and cabin type accommodation details on his sat-nav, and he directed us straight to a tourist style complex where we have booked into cabins to stay until we have solved the shock absorber problem.
Denis Panferov texted back saying he can get hold of a shock absorber from an XR 400 bike and thinks although it is 15 mm longer will probably do the job. We have taken off the damaged unit photographed it and checked bolt sizes etc. and agree that the new unit will probably do the job. He will now ship thus to Severobaikalsk for us and says it will be here no later than Thursday next week. The cost seems pretty reasonable also at about £160.
So now we are here for 3-5 days waiting for the part and we will wash, clean our clothes and rest.
More later
RRs
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