We then loaded up, cold drinks and headed to the local Kawasaki shop to get a new tinted face shield. Once we made the purchase it was decided we would ride down to Avery Island to visit the Tobasco plant. Patty and I had not been down there since just after Katrina and then it was on the ZRX1100.
We stopped off and had a wonderful lunch in New Iberia at Duffy's Diner, a place I recommend to anyone coming through this area of the country. It is an old 50's style diner with all the trimmings and All the food they serve there is excellent. I settled on a boiled shrimp chef salad while Leo and Angie had shrimp and oyster po-boys.
We saddled up and headed to Avery Island. No problems starting or running. The Voyager ran like she always does, flawless. Once we arrived at the Island we paid the entrance toll and headed to the Tobasco plant for the guided tour.
Then everything went wrong. First we left pavement onto gravel roads. I hate gravel roads for good reason. My wife and I together on an 800 lb. motorcycle negotiate regular roads well enough but gravel, uh-uh. I of course made the wrong turn and had to turn around. I couldn't manage the turn around without going off into the grass and into a shallow grass covered ditch next to the road. I had Patty get off the bike to better drive it out and I did manage to do that but once out locked the front brake up when I hit the gravel road and down I went, momentarily pinning my left foot under the bike. The Voyager rolled over into a 45 degree angle but did not die. Leo ran over and told me to shut the bike down as we went to pick her up. That was all it took. Once shut off it wouldn't start, wouldn't even turn over. There I was 30 miles from home with a wrenched ankle and a motorcycle that refused to go any further. We located a set of jumper cables and tried to jump her off with his Concours but no go. Believe me boys and girls when I tell you that you CANNOT BUMP START A 1200 Voyager.
She would not even jump off from the battery of a passing Explorer driver. After a while we managed to contact our daughter who graciously picked up my car in Lafayette, hitched up my sister in law's small trailer and headed out to get us. Once there we found out all the tie down straps were jammed so that took an additional 2 hours to get the bike loaded and latched down. But finally we made it home before dark, tired, dusty but happy it wasn't worse. Tonight I am nursing a swollen right ankle but I know it isn't broken. Thank the Lord.
Tomorrow, with the right tools I intend to dig in there under the faux tank and find out if I have an issue with the starter solenoid, the battery, or my alternator. But one thing I will definitely do is pay attention to the signs have a fully functional motorcycle before I do this again. It could have gone worse but what a great day!
. As for jumping the Voyager, I've only done it once and it had a brand new battery in it so she fired right up. Maybe it will just be a bad connection somewhere or a little corrosion but you're right it's never a good sign when you take it off the trickle charger and she won't start. Sounds like a pretty good plan for a beautiful day and sorry it didn't pan out.....but look on the bright side; at least you weren't at work!
I agree that a VXII and gravel are not something you want working together. 
We are talking low speed here. 
