3000 Mile Service and Issaquah, Washington

I am approaching 3000 miles on the Triumph, and it was suggested by my dealer when I purchased the bike that I bring it in for an oil change at that interval, even though the manual technically doesn't call for any service until 6000 miles. I also wanted to have them check a bit of an intermittent squeak from the front brake area when I pushed the bike forward in the garage when parking it. So, last Saturday morning I brought my bike to I-90 Motorsports in Issaquah.

In this age of $19.95 oil changes for cars, it came as a surprise to me the cost of an oil service for my bike. All the Triumph dealers in the area charge about $130 for the service. I even called a local auto mechanic in North Bend who works on bikes in his spare time, and it looked like it would be near $100. A part of the cost is the synthetic oil and filter, but I still haven't really accepted the premium charge for this service. I think next time I will do this myself.

I was told the service would take about an hour, so I took the opportunity to walk around Issaquah with my camera. Right next to I-90 Motorsports is a drive-in restaurant that serves up burgers 1950's style, with a lot of music and motorsports paraphernalia. They also host a number of vintage car shows in their parking lot throughout the summer. I am not sure if this Buddy Holly Tour bus is a replica or the real thing, but it looks pretty cool, and is from the year of my birth:

Along Front Street stands a vintage Shell station - for many years this structure was very run down, but someone has renovated it quite nicely:

The Issaquah Creek meanders throughout town, and has been the source of some pretty significant flooding over the years, but today the creek looks quite tame:

I call this "getting your ducks in a row":

Other buildings have been renovated, and some public art has been added along Front Street:

I stop at a drive through espresso stand to have some coffee, right across from the Darigold milk processing plant, where a beautiful mural has been painted paying tribute to the early dairy industry:

By the time I get back, my Triumph is ready, with new oil but they couldn't replicate the squeak issue. However, they cleaned the brake pads for good measure. I always feel good after an oil change for any of our vehicles - it's probably just psychological, but it seems that the bike is running smoother. I guess it should for $130.

Duvall, Washington

Last weekend, with continuing sunny weather, I took the Triumph out for a ride to Duvall. Duvall is about 30 miles NW of North Bend, in the Snoqualmie Valley. For those of you who read my post on Carnation, Duvall is the next town north along SR203.

As far as history of this town, Duvall was formally established in 1913, but was historically the home of the Snoqualmie and other ancestral Tulalip tribes. The area was homesteaded in the 1870's by James and Francis Duvall. The area was also known by the names Cherry Valley and Cosgrove (this name from the 6th Governor of our state who was able to serve but one day due to health reasons). Logging and the railroad provided early prosperity to the town, and now beautiful scenery, small-town charm and antique/gift shops continue to provide a reason to stop.

Controversy remains, in my mind only, on the proper pronunciation of the town's name - is it "DuVALL" as in Robert, or DUvall??? I stand in the former camp, although the town's website insists it's the latter.

I stopped at the local espresso shop on the main road, enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the other riders pass through or stop. A couple of HD riders (one with a trike) went to the local BBQ place, and I had a conversation with a couple of sportbike riders. one of them a Ducati rider from Europe, who had some nice things to say about my bike. We all had nice things to say about the riding weather for the day.

I like a BBQ place with attitude:

In between the two Harley's: