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I was about 10 miles from Port Jefferson, having taken the GS out of storage because my other motorcycle was stolen, and I don't own a car. With the points adjusted and with new spark plugs it was running very well. Suddenly, without any indication, the motor would not rev above 4000 rpm. It was as if two cylinders has dropped off the bike.
I weathered it a while until I finally decided to pull over and solve the problem right then and there (my family has no mechanical background so it takes a lot of mental effort for me to face any motorcycle problem). It was as if a spark plug or two weren't firing.
Not within 2 minutes of my having pulled over someone else on a big Suzuki Boulevard model also pulled over and offered his help. He was a young guy (older than me though, thirties or late twenties) in a half-helmet. I wiggled the plug wires a bit and said "thanks" as we pondered the problem for a short while. I dismissed his help when I figured I couldn't do much myself. He offered the use of his cell phone but I ended up declining, having one of my own. We parted ways and cracking the throttle I started the bike, lumbering off.
Two minutes later I pulled over again determined to solve the problem on this lovely spring afternoon. Again, within two minutes another guy pulled over, an old guy in gear and a half-helmet on a modern cruiser. We deliberated the problem some more as I undid some spark plugs and checked for spark. Cylinder 3 didn't seem to be sparking, possibly cylinder 2 also (I am afraid to remove the spark plug too often because its threads are a little uneven). Are the coils 1-4 and 3-2 or 1-3 and 2-4? If it's 3-2 I might have to replace that coil soon...
After jiggling the spark plug wires some more, another guy pulled over! On a custom Harley job, half helmet and goggles, young.
All three of these guys were very nice and eager to help. The old guy even offered to stow the bike at his place, just around the corner, in case things wouldn't improve. It ended up being an option I didn't have to take; In the end either the coil cooled down or the faulty connection was resolved, and the bike gained its strength back (in spades might I add... it was like I had gotten 10 hp). I thanked them and wheeled off.
I don't know if it was because it was the first really warm weekend of the year, and everyone was out riding and in a good mood to finally be on their motorcycles, or what... But my thanks go out to those guys
Maybe it's just the diversity of the huge population of NYC; more people riding motorcycles, more people eager to help, an equal number of people nonchalantly passing by on the road...
I hope my GS doesn't get stolen... I'll have to buy a huge chain and chain it to a tree every time I park.
I weathered it a while until I finally decided to pull over and solve the problem right then and there (my family has no mechanical background so it takes a lot of mental effort for me to face any motorcycle problem). It was as if a spark plug or two weren't firing.
Not within 2 minutes of my having pulled over someone else on a big Suzuki Boulevard model also pulled over and offered his help. He was a young guy (older than me though, thirties or late twenties) in a half-helmet. I wiggled the plug wires a bit and said "thanks" as we pondered the problem for a short while. I dismissed his help when I figured I couldn't do much myself. He offered the use of his cell phone but I ended up declining, having one of my own. We parted ways and cracking the throttle I started the bike, lumbering off.
Two minutes later I pulled over again determined to solve the problem on this lovely spring afternoon. Again, within two minutes another guy pulled over, an old guy in gear and a half-helmet on a modern cruiser. We deliberated the problem some more as I undid some spark plugs and checked for spark. Cylinder 3 didn't seem to be sparking, possibly cylinder 2 also (I am afraid to remove the spark plug too often because its threads are a little uneven). Are the coils 1-4 and 3-2 or 1-3 and 2-4? If it's 3-2 I might have to replace that coil soon...
After jiggling the spark plug wires some more, another guy pulled over! On a custom Harley job, half helmet and goggles, young.
All three of these guys were very nice and eager to help. The old guy even offered to stow the bike at his place, just around the corner, in case things wouldn't improve. It ended up being an option I didn't have to take; In the end either the coil cooled down or the faulty connection was resolved, and the bike gained its strength back (in spades might I add... it was like I had gotten 10 hp). I thanked them and wheeled off.
I don't know if it was because it was the first really warm weekend of the year, and everyone was out riding and in a good mood to finally be on their motorcycles, or what... But my thanks go out to those guys
Maybe it's just the diversity of the huge population of NYC; more people riding motorcycles, more people eager to help, an equal number of people nonchalantly passing by on the road...I hope my GS doesn't get stolen... I'll have to buy a huge chain and chain it to a tree every time I park.