Broken down and rescused

[lucabond]

I took my bike out to gas her up this afternoon but never made it. Less than a mile from my house the old girl let me down for the first time in the 7k miles I have put on her. It's something electrical I'll check out tomorrow but she just died. Not having the best back in the world there was no way I was going to try and push an 1100 back home. So I standing there trying to figure out what to do next. Of course I was just going for gas so I left the house without my cell so no way to call for help.
So who drives by but Tom Veez_Strom who lives in the next town and I had meet via the GSR when I went over his house awhile back to give him a hand with his bike. He gave me a ride home and told me he had a trailer if I needed it. I drove my car back to where my bike sat and started checking things out. Found a couple of blown fuses and replaced them but still nothing, I could tell the relay that powers my ignition was not clicking so I know where to start but I wasn't driving her home.
Then a very lovely lady pulls up and asked if I needed any help. Turns out she lives not far from me and goes by my house all the time on her BMW. We have been waving for awhile but had never met she went home and got her trailer but there was no way the 2 of us would get my big bike on her small high trailer. So I called Tom and he came back came with his nice low trailer and we got my bike up no problem. Tom said his wife called it Karma since I had given him a hand he had to go help me.
It just goes to show what a nice bunch of folks us motorcycle types are. I want to thank Tom for getting my bike home and Kate for stopping and lending a hand.

 

[jakeolsen]

Thanks for sharing. I know where you are coming from when it comes to breaking down. It is a hopeless feeling when you don't have your cell phone on you, isn't it? I'm glad to hear it all worked out well.

 

[tas850g]

I spoke with Tom and he said he found you on the side of the road. Let me know if you need a new relay, i owe you one.

 

[Steve]

It just goes to show what a nice bunch of folks us motorcycle types are.

Just over 30 years ago, my wife and I were on the side of the road with no headlights on my KZ1300. Another couple was with us on their KZ650. We heard constant, steadily-growing thunder, in spite of cloudless skies, looked back and saw a sea of bobbing headlights approaching. They stopped to see if we needed any help. I had just found the relay that had vibrated out of its socket and was putting it back in, so I told them the problem was found and fixed, and we were putting it back together. The leader said that they did not like to see another biker having problems, gave the rest of his group about 25 bikes) the "high sign" and roared off.

This is what we saw as they left.

On another occasion, we had lunch in a restaurant with a dozen or so Outlaws from Illinois. :-\\\

.

 

[lucabond]

Turned out my RR decided to die, it was from a Honda Gold wing. When it went the voltage spiked up to about 50 volts. Took out my 2 relays for the ignition and coils and lights, 3 running lights, the dash lights and gear indicator lights. I had a replacement RR kicking around and a relay plus 2 of the running lights. I stole the other running light off my motor home. Got it all back together except for the gear lights I'll fix them later. Hey stuff happens it could have been worse it could have happened when I was at the Moosehead rally 300 miles from home. And I got to meet the pretty lady who has been riding past my house all summer...

 

[Jagir]

me too

me too

Was turning left and she just fades and dies. I pushed her over to the side and noticed that there were no hills for me to roll start. Check fuses, wires, but I suspect the stator because I haven't been able to keep a battery for more than a year and the turn signals only blink at 4000 rpm or higher. I get back on her, start looking for a phone and think about a plan.

A minute later, a truck stops and dude in dirty coveralls hops out. Turns out he worked at Suzuki for a few decades. The moto-samaritan helped me diagnose in 30 seconds or less, then he dropped me at the motoshop with my battery. He tells me he's got a machine shop a few blocks from my house. He also gives me a few options for my stator. Right on.

At the shop, I asked the warranty guy to charge my battery just enough for me to limp her home which he reluctantly did. As I waited I perused their bike museum. hundred year old velocipedes, Vincents, MV Augustas, lotsa Triumphs, Hondas, all of them amazing. Even a double hinged scooter.
I go back, pick up my battery and a sweet set of cans for the new project.

I walked back to my bike which fired right up and I thought Harley Davidson was alright today.

 

[Speedo]

Thanks - love to hear this kind of story

 

[seuadr]

On another occasion, we had lunch in a restaurant with a dozen or so Outlaws from Illinois. :-\\\

.

it's funny you should mention this. i am in a motorcycle class with an older lady that has ridden with the hells angels, outlaws, and highwaymen on her way out to sturgis the last few years. she said they were downright polite and rode with her quite a ways.

i've been reading around on multiple forums and it seems as long as you don't try to play 1% biker with a patch and rockers, 90% of the actual biker gangs will leave you alone. go figure, if you don't talk the talk, you won't be asked to walk the walk.

 

[Guest]

I have never, nor will I ever, fail to stop if I even see a biker on the side of the road with what looks like a problem. We are all in this life together. I hope other bike people would do the same.

Paul

 

[gustovh]

Was riding Suzie Q to meet up with BigT and a couple others for a ride to Corvallis Or. for a Classic motorcycle show. I had traveled about 30 miles when the old girl sputters backfires and dies so I coast to the side of the road. Had just taken my helmet, coat and gloves off, and was fixin to remove the seat to start looking for the problem when a couple of dudes on sport bikes stop to see if I needed help. They didn't know anything about bikes but did have a cell phone, so I called the wife to come rescue me.
While waiting I wiggle wires and get her started, so while running I wiggle the wires again and find out that the leads from the igniter is loose. I rode to a store and let the wife know that I was back on the road, she was half way there.
You meet the nicest people on motorcycles.
V

 

[Pete Logan]

i've been reading around on multiple forums and it seems as long as you don't try to play 1% biker with a patch and rockers, 90% of the actual biker gangs will leave you alone. go figure, if you don't talk the talk, you won't be asked to walk the walk.

The basic rule is don't try to approach. If a club member wants to talk to you, he will. All they want from you is that you respect their space.

There is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the clubs. It is very rare that a club member would start anything with a non-patcher, and where it has happened it usually turns out to be a prospect trying to prove something. The club will disapprove of this, though they will not allow you to do the disciplining - that's a private matter.

The reality is you will more likely get into trouble walking into a bar frequented by Airborne and start telling them what a bunch of pussies they are

 

[Speedo]

Pussies. Airborne. Now THAT woke me up so ...hey, hey, hey, now...I spent 3 yrs of my (early 20's) life in the US Army 82nd Airborne and several more years later in life but also on jump status in SOCOM (if u don't know what that means, well then whatever for you ...).

 

[Pete Logan]

Pussies. Airborne. Now THAT woke me up so ...hey, hey, hey, now...I spent 3 yrs of my (early 20's) life in the US Army 82nd Airborne and several more years later in life but also on jump status in SOCOM (if u don't know what that means, well then whatever for you ...).

I'm a military brat. I know what SOCOM is. Please note I didn't say Airborne are pussies, I said walking into an Airborne bar and calling them pussies would likely result in........... Oh

Though why anyone would voluntarily jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft

 

[Speedo]

"Hey Lieutenant, grab your dictionary and look up 'I I G H T' for me"
"Sorry Sir, I can't find that word"
"That's iight, don't worry 'bout it LT"

No worries Pete.

Why? (jump fr perf good aircraft? and irony here is BOTH my sons in law are in USAF what the F did i do wrong with my 2 girls??:hand:) : money and thrills. They PAY you to do something thrilling and fun. How cool is that?
That's why

 

[lucabond]

I was in the signal corp and would never jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
I understand the only way to stop an Army ranger is to wait till he is having his morning drink of water, then slam the toilet seat down crushing his neck lol.

 

[posplayr]

I was in the signal corp and would never jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
I understand the only way to stop an Army ranger is to wait till he is having his morning drink of water, then slam the toilet seat down crushing his neck lol.

good thing this is the internet

Otherwise might need some body bags

 

[posplayr]

Was riding Suzie Q to meet up with BigT and a couple others for a ride to Corvallis Or. for a Classic motorcycle show. I had traveled about 30 miles when the old girl sputters backfires and dies so I coast to the side of the road. Had just taken my helmet, coat and gloves off, and was fixin to remove the seat to start looking for the problem when a couple of dudes on sport bikes stop to see if I needed help. They didn't know anything about bikes but did have a cell phone, so I called the wife to come rescue me.
While waiting I wiggle wires and get her started, so while running I wiggle the wires again and find out that the leads from the igniter is loose. I rode to a store and let the wife know that I was back on the road, she was half way there.
You meet the nicest people on motorcycles.
V

Some great guys helped me out one time when I was stranded .

Thanks Vince ,Eric and Tom

 

[Pete Logan]

No worries Pete.

Why? (jump fr perf good aircraft? and irony here is BOTH my sons in law are in USAF what the F did i do wrong with my 2 girls??

money and thrills. They PAY you to do something thrilling and fun. How cool is that?

That's why

I know

My old man and most of the men I grew up around were Air Force. Jokes like this were their way of expressing their admiration for the courage of Airborne.

You should hear what they had to say about navigators

I live 15 km from Bastogne. My house was a field hospital in the Battle of the Bulge. I live with the ghosts of the men who gave their lives for freedom here every day and stand constantly in awe of your courage and self sacrifice.

 

[Ponderosa]

SEALs

SEALs

A good friend and I walked into a bar down in Key west one day, asked what drinks they had on special. The bartender replies "Pina coladas".. My friend says "What kind of man would drink something like that?".. The bartender motions to four large guys over by the pool table and says "Those four Seals over there seem to like em."....I say "Give us a couple, and buy those gentlemen one more!"

I cannot count the times I have been stranded in the middle of nowhere. This is before the time of cell phones (don't like the darn things anyway, won't own one). Always carry a few basic tools, always know where you are at, always have a good pair of walking shoes on... Don't panic, push the bike off the road and weight your options, you would be supprized how much ground you can cover in a short amount of time on foot...

 

[DanTheMan]

"Back in the day", I was driving my 3 year old (1970) Fiat 850 Spider from Denver, CO to Clairemont, CA for my cousin's graduation. My little Fiat was a pretty capable car on and off road (mildly rutted, not too many large rocks), anyway, on with the tale......On my way through Seveir Canyon in Utah (I-70 hadn't gone around that obstacle yet), in between Seveir and Cove Fort I saw an interesting little road going north out of the canyon. I had time to kill so I headed up it and the car quit making forward progress. I couldn't fix it there, so I hitched a ride with a nice old couple in a Chevy pickup with a huge camper on back to Cove Fort. There was absolutely no help there, the public telephone still had a crank handle on it. I called the operator to try and make a collect call to Dad who always rescued me, but nobody was home, so I walked back to I-70 (the freeway made it that far), hitched a ride with a bunch of roughnecks (some even criminal as it were) in an old Dodge 4 door that was barely making it up the 7% grade. Their carb was flooding so I tore it apart for them, lowered the float level so it could handle the altitude without flooding, and made it into Seveir where I walked into a redneck bar (remember the song with the hippy tucking his hair up under his hat?), my hair wasn't that long, but the son of one of the guys in the bar went with me, towed me down the canyon, and I camped out for two nights, put a new load spring in my left axle stub (rear engine, transaxle) and I was on my way. One party night riding around in the kid's muscle car, good times, good memories.