Tales from the Battle Wagon - how a slightly broken BMW repaired a part of my heart.

I may call myself the Two-Wheeled Tourist, but I wouldn't be where I am now without a little help from my four-wheeled companion, a 1999 BMW 528i (E39) wagon in Oxford Green Metallic.

I acquired this vehicle in May 2011 as a replacement to my beloved 2003 Subaru Outback that found its demise in a collision in the middle of Columbus, Ohio after an impromptu makeout session with a 1993 Honda Civic hatchback at the hands of a roommate. Luckily, I wasn't the one driving the car when this happened; however, the things that did happen to me not much long after the acquisition of this BMW were a clear sign that my time inhabiting the Midwest was coming to an end.

Here's the wagon the day I bought it. I set it free, and it would return the favor several years later.

I was the third owner of this wagon, inheriting it at 102,000 miles on the odometer. It was far from perfect; several hundred dollars from the remainder of my insurance claim check were invested to replace broken pieces, the radiator, and other minor details (thank you eBay and Bavarian Autosport). At first, I didn't like this car very much, but the reasons were more emotional than logical. I missed my Subaru and was quite bitter about the way that car met its end - like in many aspects of my life in Ohio, out of my control and without a satisfying solution or conclusion. This "replacement" of a wagon took a little getting used to because of its larger frame and heavier handling than the nimbler Outback that took me through college and my first foray into a teaching career. The new (to me) car had a large set of tires to fill; replacing what was my escape vehicle before I became a full-fledged motorcyclist was going to be a tough undertaking.

Day 3: A Gas Shortage in Iowa, near Waterloo. Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

I don't know who you are, Murphy, but if I ever meet you in a parking lot, you're getting a swift kick to the nuts.

At least the first part of the day was just fine and dandy. Actually it wasn't.

AMA's Roadside Assistance saves the day again!

Eleanor's been in sick bay this week at my shop thanks to a problem with the right front brakes. Here's a summary to the end of a very strange Wednesday.

While I was riding home on Wednesday evening to prepare for that night's hockey game, I started to notice that I wasn't able to accelerate while changing a lane on the freeway. I gave the bike more gas and it still refused to go any faster despite the extra revs I was giving her. At first I thought that I had punctured the front tire and I began to allow the bike to decelerate gradually. As it slowed down the whole front end started to shake a bit and feel a little unstable, so I pulled over to the side of the road right at the interchange of I-270 North and US-33 to see what was going on.

Visually, my front tire was just fine. However, my right brake rotor was extremely hot to the touch and had even started to blue due to the heat. Additionally, small amounts of brake fluid were leaking out of the top of the master cylinder. Yeah, that's a bit of a problem...

Because of the fact that I, as a goalie, couldn't miss a playoff game (or really any game for that matter), I had no logical choice but to leave Eleanor on the side of the road, get picked up with my car, and taken straight to the rink. After the game (which we lost and as a result were knocked out of the playoffs), Matt and I drove down I-270 to return to the bike. While we were en route I called my roadside assistance provided by AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) to have the tow truck meet us at the bike. The truck met us in about 25 minutes and took her back to my shop where it stayed until I returned the next morning.

Here's Eleanor getting a ride back to my work. I'm used to seeing her getting there under her own power.

I have to give props to AMA's Roadside Assistance Program. This is the second time in three years that I've had to use this service (the last time I had done so was in July 2007 when I received a flat tire in American Falls, ID and was towed to Sport Motors in nearby Pocatello). And once again I received the help I needed in a timely manner.

If you're not a Californian that has the option of getting AAA Southern California RV/Motorcycle coverage or don't want to pay AAA National's $30+ per month for basic coverage, I strongly recommend becoming a member of the AMA to take advantage of this valuable asset to your motorcycle traveling toolkit. This coverage comes free with an AMA membership if you sign up online for auto renewal or purchase a three-year membership and covers your (and your spouse's) car and RV as well!

For more information about AMA's Roadside Assistance Program and all its benefits, visit http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Membership/AMARoadsideAssistance.aspx