Story #2 - DID NOT make it home. (Warning: Long)

[SuperCell]

Yeah, at first I thought I could get away with simply charging the battery every night, and just taking local rides. Well, tonight I was disabused from that false perception...

I was about 6 miles from home when the engine started skipping. It would cut out, then cut back in, then out again. Same old story I thought, the battery is dead already...

Well, this time, it turned out that the battery was NOT yet discharged. After I rolled to a stop, I attempted to spin it over, and it spun over just fine. Yep, my battery was not dead quite yet. It was at about this time that I finally concluded that all along, my stator must have been at fault. Where it would at least provide spark before, now that too was dying on me....

Further validating my assumptions of weak spark, the engine would start right up and run for about 3 seconds on a shot of ether. As we all know, ether requires about a third the spark to fire than does gasoline...
After several shots of ether, it stayed running. I jumped on the bike a ran WOT down the highway. I just HAD to get home! No way in hell am I paying $60 for a tow-truck...

Then the bike died again. Same story, a few shots of either, a few more miles, then she dies again...

This time she would not restart at all. It was at about this time that I became ****ed. Not necessarily because I was stranded, but because several Harley riders rode straight past me, even though I was in obvious distress!!!! Now, I don't expect ANYONE these days to stop and offer the use of a phone, but c'mon, a fellow rider??? I'd stop in heartbeat for another motorcyclist, but apparently these Harley guys (*******s) are above that...

One thing was in my favor though. I was 2 miles from home and it was downhill all the way. At one point a reached a top speed of 25mph. Hey, this beats walking!!! I coasted past a women walking her dog and I got a strange look. Yep, this is the world's quietest motorcycle...:-D

Once at the bottom of the hill, I only had to push her about 1/4 mile home. Make no mistake, a 350lbs bike DOES NOT roll easy. I though I was going to have a heart attack by the time I made it home.

Anyway, that's my story. I'll be updating you guys once I get that stator changed out!!!

[speedzter2000]

Hey Supercell...
I had pretty much the same thing happen to me over the weekend...BUT...I weigh 130 lbs, and pushing 450 lbs of bike just about killed me!! Like yourself, I though I was going to have a heart attack!!
I said frig it, and got a new starter (that was the FIRST problem) new stator, and new coils. Already replaced the R/R, and battery...I'm not taking any more chances for whats left of the riding season!!
And, BTW...I am also considering getting a newer bike next year. Something lighter, and not prone to the electrical gremlins. With all the $$$ I've invested, I would have had that newer bike. But, who knows...Everything is new now, and I know how to work on it....
I totally understand your frustration...Hang in there...I guess that's the best thing you can do...
Good Luck :-D

[SuperCell]

speedzter2000, I only weigh 130 myself! I don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for that hill...

I know what you mean. When you don't want to go deeper into debt, you're sometimes between a rock and a hard place when it comes to these older bikes. Do you sink money into an old bike, hoping it'll pay off and provide you with a couple years of riding......or do you not ride at all, save your money, and then buy a better bike and hope it doesn't break?

For the poor people such as myself, I guess I'll sink money into this broken bike, as I want to ride NOW, not next year!

[Jethro]

What GS do you have that weighs 350lbs? Man, a GSXR600 weighs more than that. My 1100E is 540 bone dry.

[SuperCell]

I could be wrong. I have a 550, perhaps it's closer to 450lbs or more.