What to do if bike dies on the road.

[chef1366]

I blew an engine around 1K miles from home.

[oldgsfan]

I carry a few spare tools, a spare clutch cable and a spare clutch handle, 'cause in 20 years of riding, those are the only broken parts that have ever left me stranded..

But honestly, I've been stranded way more often by a car breaking down than a bike.

[sscott]

I would say yes to a jeep and trailer pulling a bike.

I would also say people like BWringer, LarryD and others living around the central Indy area is only a phone call away from helping. I'm not that knowledgable but I do have a truck and willing to help.

Get to know the peeps here, it helps!

[twr1776]

#3 Yesterday, 10:43 PM 80GS1000 Invest the time and effort into get all the systems of the bike running right and you won't have to worry about it breaking down. These bikes are quite reliable when provided basic maintenance.

Failing that, AAA is a good option. So is having a friend with a trailer.

The maintenance is the key. If you do it properly, and without cutting any corners you should not have any issues with breaking down. If you go to GS rallies there are usually enough GSers carrying parts and expertise to rebuild one on the side of the road if needed. One thing you should carry when far away from home is a tire plugging kit. Two years ago Al got a flat on the way to the SE rally in the middle of rural NC and if Brian had not had a kit we would have really been screwed. Fortunately we limped into a gas station and Brian plugged the tire in the parking lot, weekend saved.

It is also a good idea to have a backup plan. Fortunately for me I have a pickup in the garage ready to go and on rally weekends I set up with my brother or friends to "rescue" me if needed. Even if you do not know anyone with a pickup a car with a hitch and a rented U-Haul trailer can also work. What part of Indiana are you in? I would say between Brian in Indy, myself and Wazz in the NW corner you should be pretty well covered "in state".

[Sandy]

As mentioned, proper maintenance and prep is the key. Spend some time and money replace or fix the things that can leave you stranded or have a work around with you. An example is replacing o-rings in the carbs will make the bike run nice where as they won't usually leave you stranded but a failed gas line that's easy and cheap to replace will. A big one on these GS's that could leave you stranded is the charging system, check it out throughly!!!. BassCliff's website is a great place for info. The engine and transmission are basically bullet proof, if it starts and has oil and gas it will get you home. About the only thing I can think of right now the will actually leave you stranded other than actually crashing it would a broken chain, flat tire, electrical failure, bad wheel bearings or a broken throttle cable. So if you have checked and serviced the charging system that failure is unlikely and for a few dollars you can replace the wheel bearing and cables and the chain is real easy to check or/and replace. As for a flat tire, carry a repair kit if it's tubeless and patch kit and/or tubes and a set of tire levers. Oh, another thing that could strand you that's totally preventable is a rusted out fuel tank that springs a leak. If you've got lots rust in the tank you should get it sealed ASAP. It will spring a leak, maybe tomorrow, maybe next year, but it will happen so fix it now rather than later. The giveaway there is blistering in the paint on the bottom of tank, DO NOT poke them. That's the sort of thing running these old bikes is all about. Back in the day people toured all over the place on this things and with proper upkeep and maintenance there's no reason you still can't do that. Get to know your bike, there are lots of folks here to answer questions so ask the questions. If you're a little shy about getting too far into your bike ask questions. I've seen lots of people start out not knowing which end of screwdriver to hold and are now rebuilding bikes from the ground up.

[makr]

AMA set on renew gives you tow service for nothing.

I haven't had a need for it so I have no idea how it works, but it is the AMA.

You are all members..right? Silly not to be.

[Steve314159]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I've got a tire plugging kit - I can throw that under the seat. You know what's funny is when my brakes locked up I thought "if only I had some tools" completely forgetting the tool kit under the seat. And I think I'll go ahead and change the throttle cable. My clutch cable broke once a long time ago and I learned that you can get home without a clutch if you have to.

But I just looked up U-Haul prices and guess what, it's only $14.95 to rent a motorcycle trailer for a day. What a deal. I can handle that.

Thanks again.

[1948man]

My Geico insurance policy has towing as an ad-on for like $10 a year. As posted earlier, the guy who shows up to tow might be an idiot but maybe you can make sure he doesn't do any damage and it sets your mind at ease as a last resort.

[Danjal]

Your insurance should have towing in it too as an option. Im paying the ultra high rate of $.67 a month for towing added on to my policy. While its not as friendly as calling a friend, its still peace of mind. After that.. carry a light tool set and common parts. I just did a total revuild on most things for this bike last fall.. my little tool box compartment is jammed full of iny little parts and such.

[jwhelan65]

Bikes break down, bikers fall down. The old adage; once burnt twice shy, comes to mind.
Steve's original question was if something real bad happens what do I do next? Being prepared is a good idea, but other than haveing a complete second bike with you it's hard to know what you are going to break while out for a ride.
Riding with thought of what is going to break, or how much it is going to hurt to fall down here distracts a rider. But putting these thoughts out of ones mind isn't any too easy. At some point it is the rider who has to ask himself, do I ride anymore or not?
If the answer is I ride, then prepare, put the best with the best and hope for the best. Have a on bike tool kit, bulbs, fuses, duct tape, bunge cords, an extra bit of fuel line, some wire and wire connectors and other parts to replace any on the bike you feel may fail at anytime. Most important bit in this kit may be a charged cell phone w/ gps.
However if the answer is I'm too concerned about falling, failing or whatever, park the bike and put a for sale sign on. No one can do anything well if they are overly concerned with the 'what ifs'.
In the end it is a balancing act; confidence/fear. I've seen someone's signature line to says something like go fast until your fear of speed is replaced with your fear of death. There are no do overs, go all out for it or stay home and be safe.
Steve, remember why you got the bike... and ride! If it breaks call someone to get you home and fix it!
Bill

I could not agree more...

[rphillips]

$14.95 for a motorcycle trailer is pretty cheeeep, but you will be completely exausted by the time you pull it all the way home. if your brake down is more than 4 or 5 miles from home, or less than that if it's up hill, you will never make it back to the house.

[duaneage]

I leave boards in the back of my truck and the keys hanging in the house. With a phone call I can have one of several neighbors around me come rescue me off the road.


I also have roadside assistance for 15 bucks a year through my insurance. Worth it. They bring fuel, a battery, and will even front up to 100 dollars towards a new tire. And to top it off they include return trip insurance and a 25 mile tow.

That's for when I'm really out in the boonies.

[Carter Turk]

I'm not trying to be unkind, but a paranoid attitude is no way to ride a motorcycle. I couldn't enjoy going for a ride if my thoughts are telling me, before I leave, I'm going to get stranded.

I've thrown a chain, lost masterlinks, crashed, blown oil cooler lines, blew two pistons, had charging issues etc, but that never kept me from going for a ride or a road trip.

I carry tools and extra cables and try to freshen up the bike with fluids and do a once over the bike to make sure everything is in order. Stuff happens out on the road.

When I went to meet the unofficial PNW GS group at Mt St. Helens, I lost the air cap on my right fork. I was 400 miles from home. I just put a loose ziptie on the fork and wrapped a new paper towel at every gas stop. I thought it was a seal, but when I arrived home 1200 miles later, I discovered a hole in the fork where fluid was pumping out.

[Steve314159]

I'll take the advice of the towing insurance. I have 4 vehicles with a total of about 600k miles - 620k including the 550 so for that price it sounds like a good deal.

My newest vehicle has taken a little bit of my time and kept me away from the bike. I must say that while the Jeep is a lot of fun it does not surprise me that Chrysler went bankrupt. The technology for a 1998 mind you is way too close to my 1980 Suzuki. Actually the Suzuki engineers had the common sense to put the intake and exhaust on the opposite sides of the head.

I did ride my bike today and everything seemed OK. It's been 18 years and I was a little nervous but everything seemed to work.

I guess I'll have to go and pay for a license plate. What have I gotten myself into?

[bonanzadave]

I have a truck....with a topper. Wouldn't matter. Cant lift a 500lb bike into a truck. Ya gotta have really good friends if youre broke down 100 + miles from home. Im sure my wife wouldn't even come get me. Tire plugs or Fix-a-flat don't work on tires with tubes. What is a AAA, AMA, or insurance tow milage limit ?