How dumb can you get?

[Andrew]

In order to make me feel better this is the part where you share all your dumb experiences on the bike. I'll kick this one off with my dumb experiences.

1) On the way to drop my fairing off to be fixed. I only attatched the fairing to the bike with two bolts. The fairing ripped off the bike while on the motorway on ramp. Luckily I was able to take get off the next exit and get on the previous on ramp. I found my fairing had blown off into the emergency lane and was therefore ok to be repaired.

2) Running out of fuel on the harbour bridge twice in the same week! Lucky for me I was on the downward leg of the harbour bridge when the fuel ran out. I could coast all the way to the off ramp!

3) Riding around town with a clutch cable that only had 2 strands attached. Lucky for me that it held up for the week until I got it repaired!!

4) Riding around town with a ruptured fork seal. This is going to replaced on Monday, with any luck the other fork seal will hold up till then.

5) Doing the Coromandel loop with a chain that was so loose it was almost dragging along the ground. Lucky for me I had help from KBer's to get my chain back on when it came off toward the end of the ride!

6) Riding around town for a week with a leaky front brake calliper. As luck would have it Mt Eden sold me a new calliper and Dave was able to fit it for free.

7) When replacing the reg/rec on my bike, I propped the tank across the terminals of my battery. The next thing I knew the battery shorted out, and set the petrol alight. There were flames coming from the tank and also on the garage floor where fuel had leaked out. Lucky for me my dad stamped out the flames in time before there was any damage.

8) Took my bike for a ride up the road, but forget to connect the reserve fuel line. Fuel was running out fast. Rather than just turn the fuel tap off, I panicked and blocked the hole in the tank up with my finger. Lost balance and dropped the bike! Lucky for me, my dad bought a new fuel line and fitted it for me!

9) Today when doing an oil change. Took the bike out for a ride, but forgot to tighten the oil cap properly. Got back home found the oil cap had fallen off. Lucky for me i found the oil cap 5 mins up the road at the lights on the motorway on ramp.

10) Rode in some sticky tar and low sided the bike. The luck in this one was that the mad yank was able to fix my bike mechanically for next to nothing.

11) Letting my mate have a blat round the the block on my bike, even though I'd never seen him ride before as well as knowing full well he didin't have a license. The bike came back with scratches all up the side fairing and mirror. Lucky for me he footed the bill for repair.

So there you have it, and it was probably a dumb thing that I even started
this thread cos no ones going to even list their dumb experiences - are they?!
Notice how many times the words lucky or luck or luckily get used. Funny that!

My excuse for ending up in these dumb situations? I just couldn't find the answers to these problems in my physics text book! I think this physics boy is going to have to look for answers elsewhere.

So are you guys going to share your dumb experiences now, or is it going to be just plain ridicule?

[Deano]

Yes, you've left yourself open there physics boy.

How about this - how many kb's have forgotten to take the front wheel lock off the bike, then as you wheeled/rode it a few feet....CRUNCH, goes you front guard...doh ?

Pulling away from the curb etc with the footstand still down, then having the back wheel lift off when it bites into the first left hander ? (current bike won't engage first gear with footstand down, bloody marvelous)

Pulling the top end of your bike down for reconditioning, stuff two rags into carb throats to stop dust and crap getting in. Then replacing the engine with a jap import, but forgetting to take out the rags ??? Spent a few anxious moments thinking
I had bought a dud, as it started initially, then starved itself of fuel and wouldn't fire at all.

Missing a gear and getting a false neutral (big rev into no-where land) while screaming past the pit lane at Manfeild - not the best of looks.

This is the worst Ive ever seen - marshall at raceway running onto the track to a fallen biker's aid. As he was halfway across the track, a two smoker came flying round the bend and the marshall ended up as a hood (blade ?) ornament.

The first guy to fall only suffered a broken arm, and if the marshall had just ran along the side of the track in the direction of oncoming traffic, waving his flag, there probably would not have been any further casualties. But both the 250 rider and marshall were hospitalised. Now that was DUMB.

Hey, as long as we learn from our mistakes we will be better off and probably live longer too!!

And yeah, letting your mates take your baby round the block is often a bad move - they will only try to see what it can do, don't know the bikes (or their own) capabilities, and good old Murphy's Law often applies, even when they are experienced rider's.

[Andrew]

Yes, you've left yourself open there physics boy.

How about this - how many kb's have forgotten to take the front wheel lock off the bike, then as you wheeled/rode it a few feet....CRUNCH, goes you front guard...doh ?

Forgot to include this one aswell. Happened to me twice in the same day. So much for learning from our mistakes!!!

[PeteThePom]

Andrew, how come your still alive? The Darwinian theory should have weeded you ou long ago!

[DebK]

Pillion seat is clipped in with a lock but previous owner had also attached string to it and the bike frame. Didn't think why at the time. Buzzing (2-stroke) to work and a couple of tin-tops were waving/pointing at me and I thought "What friendly peeps" and waved politely back. Pulled into park, stepped off and grabbed the pillion handles to pull him up onto the stand and... ugly gapping hole to the oil tank where me pillion seat is normally.

Waving & pointing was to alert me of the flapping rear seat that obviously eventually flew off & probably into the Wgtn harbour. Could have caused a pile up behind me if it flew into a car. Spent a good 2 hours searching for it after Motorad advised me of extreme cost ($400!) to import the part. Managed to get it in from Aus at a fraction of the cost ($130) and is now quadriple tied in with thick fishingline. Bloody flimsy Italian design.

Yep, also almost buzzed off with security cable wrapped around front wheel. Would have been nasty if I hadn't realised in time... shudder. Don't bother with it now.

[DebK]

This is the worst Ive ever seen - marshall at raceway running onto the track to a fallen biker's aid. As he was halfway across the track, a two smoker came flying round the bend and the marshall ended up as a hood (blade ?) ornament.

Will the 'ole Pledge trick work on getting Marshalls off your visor?

[georgedubyabush]

Did the running out of fuel thing, and couldnt find reserve switch quick enough on an unfamiliar bike. Was going North over the Newmarket overpass in Heavy fast morning traffic, just made it to that tiny space at the end of the bridge on the left by cutting across 2 lanes. Then after starting her, trying to get back into the traffic.

Oil cap - only had it off while kickstarting z650 once.

I am a ceritified expert at having the sidestand sink into the ground. 3 times.

Twice gone to get new tyres and had no clip on my chain link.

Anyone had their girlfriend pose on the bike for a pic and have it fall over? no? just me?

Tried for ages one time to start my bike with the key slightly past the on position, that was confusing.

Spent ages one time looking for my key that had migrated somehow up under the open visor on my helmet.

[Andrew]

lol, another one comes to mind.

At the gas station in Kawhia filling up the bike. Trying to squease in as much fuel as possible and held the trigger too hard. The fuel sprayed from my tank into my eye. It stung for a good five mins before I was able to ride again!!!

[MikeL]

Andrew, you're a real worry. I can't make up my mind whether your catalogue of misfortunes makes you the unluckiest or in fact the luckiest KBer. As PetethePom says, how come you're still alive?
Someone up there must be keeping an eye on you.
Divine protection notwithstanding, it might be prudent to institute a rather more systematic and rigorous system of maintenance checks...

[Yamahamaman]

This is for DebK

Watch out for the front Shock Absorber. The Dragster is a mean machine when that fails

[DebK]

Watch out for the front Shock Absorber. The Dragster is a mean machine when that fails

What are we talking here... does the complete front seperate from the rear?! 'Cause if that happens at 100kmh I'll be doing more than treading air, right?!

Tell me all you know Yamahamaman and I'll be a friend for life.

[Yamahamaman]

What are we talking here... does the complete front seperate from the rear?! 'Cause if that happens at 100kmh I'll be doing more than treading air, right?!

Tell me all you know Yamahamaman and I'll be a friend for life.

A friend of mine had to replace the front shock on his Dragster (totally cool Scoot by the way). Nope, front won't separate from the rear, in fact he said all is fine in a straight line. Just does not corner when the shock goes.

[DebK]

A friend of mine had to replace the front shock on his Dragster (totally cool Scoot by the way). Nope, front won't separate from the rear, in fact he said all is fine in a straight line. Just does not corner when the shock goes.

Whew. Sorted then. Tanks Y-maman. 'Tis really only a straightliner anyways... rear wobbles around (the scoot, not mine) if you're not absolutely on the right part of the apex or tyre pressures not correct (or is that wheels too small?!) or moon not in the correct quadrant, yadda yadda. Almost low-sided then immediately wanted to high-side under correction last week on a roundyroundy. Find riding the rear brake while throttling helps to keep him feeling stable in cornering.

I wonder what riding a real bike like a CBR600 is like? One day soon, one day soon.

[Yamahamaman]

I wonder what riding a real bike like a CBR600 is like? One day soon, one day soon.

Same friend called the CBR600 a real bike as well. Owns the Dragster instead now.
I have never had any doubts and have yet to own a CBR600 They are made by Honda aren't they?

[DebK]

Same friend called the CBR600 a real bike as well. Owns the Dragster instead now.
I have never had any doubts and have yet to own a CBR600 They are made by Honda aren't they?

Really? Feel like I have to down my wee scoot while in here. Actually extremely proud of it and am having so much fun on it. My husband is a very nervous man though as he is certain I'm going to drop it. Like your bike Y-maman, like the look of it alot.

Huge apologies for taking over your thread Andrew.

Back to it then. Anyone attempted to ride off without their helmet on? I'm guilty of this once in my exhuberance.