Motorcycle Breakdown On North Shore Proves Minnesota Nice Still Exists

Fortunately, it's been quite a while since the last time I had a breakdown on the side of the road. Yesterday, my luck ran out, and the chain on my motorcycle came off while I was pulling out of Gooseberry Falls.

Apparently, the chain on my bike had stretched out to the point that it hopped off the sprockets, leaving me stranded for a bit on the side of a very busy Highway 61. Tons of tourists were driving up to see the fall colors at their peak.

I pulled my bike over as far as I could on the side of the road, as I was worried about being hit by a car. I had just left a packed Gooseberry Falls, and I was well aware of how much traffic was coming through, and also aware that many people may not have their eyes on the road as they were taking in the views.

Ken Hayes

I pulled out my toolkit and began loosening the rear wheel to slide it forward to get the chain back on. It's not a fun process, especially with limited tools.

Read More: This Is What Gooseberry Falls Looks Like After A Dry Summer

What surprised me was how many people stopped to offer me a hand. I didn't really need help, as there wasn't much anyone else could do. All in all, it took me about 40 minutes to get the chain back on and back on the road. In that amount of time, I had at least 6 people stop to check on me. A fellow motorcyclist asked if I needed any help, and I asked him if he could just keep an eye on traffic and let me know if there were any cars coming close.

I even had some senior citizens stop to make sure I was ok.

With all the divisiveness and negativity on social media and in the news, it was nice to see that people will still stop to help a stranger. I've got a new chain and sprocket on my to-do list for this next spring!