Getting to know your motorcycle a little better.

[storm 64]

You don't realy know your motorcycle till you have to push it. Tonight after work I hurried to get home to go for a motorcycle ride. The weather has been not very good the past week. Today was sunny and upper 60's perfect night for a ride I thought. Well the motorcycle though different. I got four tenths of a mile down the street and the motorcycle just died! Okay, this happened once before, just change the fuse...Nope nothing! So, I start pushing, "The Walk of Shame" it seemed like every neighbor was out. All asking me what was the problem. "DID YOU RUN OUT OF GAS" the one neighbor yelled. (Yeah right I ran out of gas a half mile from my house...) NO I THINK IT'S A BLOWN FUSE I yell back. I get the motorcycle back home, it turns out there's a bad wire in the headlight bucket. When I wiggle the wires it powers up. Oh well it was a nice push anyway and I got to chat with my neighbors I usually just drive by... ☺

 

[Guest]

I had a similar situation on my way home from our ride to see Katana Ken's collection. I was midway down on I271 when my bike just died. A long way to push.
I thought fuel so I turned it to prime and nothing. Then I started to switch fuses and I found some scale on the main fuse and scraped it off and was running again.
In the mean time people actually stopped to help but I had it going by then. Two guys who rode Pacificas gave me a bottle of water and saw me off. Met a few good people that day.

 

[Redman]

You don't realy know your motorcycle till you have to push it. ................

har har
Interesting observation.

It seems this time of year and in the spring, it happens that I am going for ride, and neighbors are out ... working on their lawns. Maybe similar to your situation there.

 

[Sandy]

Good one Norm. At least you can say it didn't leave you stranded. Or should I say you didn't leave it stranded?

 

[GSXR7ED]

Funny story Norm!

We really do know our bikes!


Ed

 

[Charlie G]

Bonding with your bike at low speeds is over rated.....

 

[Dogma]

I hope you didn't have to push uphill.

For me, getting to really know my motorcycle came shortly after pushing it. I got to know each and every wire, connector and ground. Now I know the wiring is good.

 

[earlfor]

The only bike I have had to push was my 1150E. It was running perfectly. The problem was the new chain and sprockets I had installed just before taking the test ride. I got about 1 1/2 miles from my house and it snapped a link and threw the chain off. heh eh That was the last chain I put on any bike that had less than 10,000 lbs tensile strength.

 

[dorkburger]

...... just dont push your bike when it runs out of gas after eluding the police.... ditch it out of sight and wait.....

Also, I pushed my bike for about a mile while bleeding after hitting a deer. And uphill. That sucked.

 

[argonsagas]

I have been fortunate in never having to push a bike a long way. although I did have to pull one a long way after it got stuck up to the axles in mud. It stayed upright when I got off. That one needed to be laid on its side on a piece of plywood and then dragged across it and onto another waiting sheet.. This swapping continued for roughly 400 yards by which time both the bike and I were totally covered in mud.

Most embarrassing was with someone's mid-70s 750 Honda that I had been kick-starting to no avail. I pushed it down the street while trying to jump start it and it was baulky even then.
When it finally started and I rode back friends who had been watching....and laughing....asked me why I did not just use the electric starter.

 

[Guest]

They sure get heavy, especially when the road is a little bit uphill. I've got about 27,000 miles under power and 1 1/2 miles on foot. That was PLENTY.

 

[Wingsconsin]

Been there -- done that -- got the (sweaty) t-shirt
Mine died while in the subdivision - I have lived there for 26 years so I know most everybody
I pushed it for a few hundred feet - and then talked to a 'helping' neighbor --
Another few hundred feet - another helpful comment --
Then one would drive by and stop --- need help ? Well -- of course.. can you push for me?
NOPE -- gotta go --
The final 100 feet is UPHILL into my driveway...
Collapse in a chair and start trouble shooting --
YEP - crispy connectors and worn wires..

35 years old I suppose some things get tired...

 

[Steve]

35 years old I suppose some things get tired...

Come on, Carl, I KNOW that you are older than THAT. :-\\\

.

 

[Guest]

I had to push my bike home once; as I walked by a guy said "It's so nice to see someone out walking their motorcycle!" It was funny... the next day.