Road trip in the Balkans - part 1

My trip was due the following day and I was still thinking about the items to pack and take with me. It was Thursday July 13th and it was quite hot. But I was still in shorts then.

I went outside to swap space between my car and my motorcycle, so that the car would be parked adequately during my absence. The grass underneath where it was of the paved space was long dead. 

Something must have enticed me to do this, because when I tried to start the bike, there was only a slight nagging engine sound coming from it. I got it quickly: the battery was dead. Well, with all the thinking I did about going or not with my leg hurting (sciatic issue for two months now) and my sleep going from bad to worse, it started to get a little messy in my head. Am I really going to subject myself to more hardship, knowing that I will pay for it dearly with being more tired for weeks thereafter? 

But I also need this kind of adventure, to get out of my own beaten path and comfort zone. So I decided to get on with it. What's a few minor issues going to do? I should rather find a paying activity that sustains my health as well as my finances... but that's a subject for another time. 

In the end I started with two actions, the first being to try to jump start the battery. It could load again and work for the trip. But I wouldn't have felt safe, so I jinxed it by inadvertently swapping plus and minus. No kidding, it was a honest mistake. I thought plus from the jump starter is here, put it on the plus of the battery. Needless to say it again, but I will anyway: I put it on minus. Once I connected the other side, there was a flash and nothing more. 

The second action was to contact my new bike garage in Yverdon. They are Liberty Motos and I quite like them. They helped me out by calling me back to let me know to check the starter fuse and I called them back several times and let them know of my total ignorance with bike electronics (yes, in case you wonder, it applies to mechanics too). In the end I managed to find the faulty fuse and swap it with an already ready spare. Thank you Suzuki! 

With that I jump started the bike without battery in the evening and went to get my replacement battery. I felt much more confident with a new battery anyway. 

That's how I changed from thinking they were signs to tell me not to go to testing my spirit and take on the adventure. 

Let's drive!