Most Memorable Breakdowns

In honor of Bigincher (Tom Johnson) post your most memorable breakdown. Tom suggested the idea in the loaded up topic.

Ongoing topics on interesting subjects, what did you do on/with your bike (or other things)?
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drinner-okc
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Most Memorable Breakdowns

#1

Post by drinner-okc »

I just saw the loaded up topic & posted my rig when I was on my 1976 over 4000 mile, one hour short of 8 full weeks trip across the Eastern & Southern USA. From Oklahoma City as far north as Columbus Ohio, to Key West and back to OKC.
All with only one breakdown, but lots of Preventative Maintenance.
I was on a 65 Electra Glide, stock 74", 4-speed, drum brakes. With a batwing fairing, radio box, the large aftermarket tour pack, and pulling a trailer. Without me, the loaded rig was over 1100 lbs (on a truck scale in Arkansas). About the 2nd week out we were headed south from Lexington KY, towards Pigeon Forge, TN. I noticed the bike wanted to wander. That evening at the campground I was checking the rear chain & greasing the hubs and saw a groove in the rear tire, right at the edge of the tread. I raised the rear tire off the ground with a scissor jack & the hub bearings were shot! The tire had rubbed a fender bolt. I took the battery out and laid the bike over on it's side and pulled the wheel. The next morning a nice elderly couple (hell, I'm probably older than that now..) took me and my wheel to the closest H-D dealer they knew of.
That shop had the rollers, and the inner axle in inventory (10 years after the Star Hub was discontinued). The couple would only take money for gas, stayed until the bike was back on it's wheels. After that, greasing the hub was a daily task.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#2

Post by nmaineron »

I was coming into Janesville Wisc. when I ran over half of a door latch, big piece of steel, punctured my tire in good shape. I was trying to figure out my next move when a guy rode by on his bike and hollered that he would be right back with a track and trailor. Sure enough he came back and loaded the bike my wife and me and headed to the shop which wasn't very far away. They patched everything up and had me on my way but I didn't leave town before it when flat again. They came and picked us up and back to the shop went. When we got back to the shop the owner was there an he noted that I was from Maine and that he was a field rep for Beloit Paper machines and had spent quite a bit of time in my mill. I had to have rubbed elbows with the guy cause we were in the same place at the same time. He just didn't deal with us laborers as I was a millwrights helper at the time. Two thousand miles from home and I run into people who knows my people, cool. They worked overtime to get me back on the road before dark,changed the tube and sent me on my way. Later on in the week I'm in Vermont and the tire goes flat again. I just happened to stop across from a small auto repair business the this man was running out of his garage. I invited myself over and filled him in with the details. He told me to bring the bike into the drive and do my thing while he calls a guy about a tire and tube. I noticed a BMW shop similar to his business, just bikes. He has a tube that will work.The garage guy tells me to take his car and my wheel 20 miles to the shop. We get there he commences to tear my tire of and saw right away why I was having flats. Seems because of the size of the piece of steel that I ran over in Wisc. the tire had a slice about an inch long that was continually pinching the tube causing it to go flat. He put a patch on the inside of the tire with a new tube and I was good to go.

Many thanks to all involved, which proved to me that there are good people out there. I made it home without issue.
Mongrel505558
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#3

Post by Mongrel505558 »

I was heading back to Rhode Island from the Montreal Jazz Festival on my Shovelhead and was in countryside in Quebec still north of the US border when I suddenly lost all the air from my rear tire. I pulled over to the side of the road to check it out and saw that my valve cap was gone along with about half of the threads on the stem, and the valve core had shot out. I had a metal stem cap and it had apparently been hitting my leather saddlebag on each wheel revolution until it broke as described. It was early afternoon so I just sat in the grass hoping someone who spoke English would come by. This was before cell phones. I didn't have a spare tube or means of removing the wheel, so I don't know what I would do, but in a situation like this I take one thing at a time. Eventually a man in a car stopped, but he only spoke French, so I don't know if he intended to come back or what. A couple of hours later a big guy on a Soft Tail with an Oakland Raiders tee-shirt came along and stopped. He didn't speak English either, but could easily tell what my problem was. He gestured that he would be back and took off. Now this also happened to be Canada Day, which is the Canadian Independence day, so not much would be open, but after about three hours the guy on the Soft Tail was back. He had found a bicycle shop that was open and bought a valve core and an air pump. I was able to catch enough threads that the core stayed firmly enough in the valve and then I pumped up the tire. It held air, which was the best I could hope for. I didn't have much cash because I was on my return trip and basically had enough money for gas, but figured I could offer him a twenty in appreciation. He refused it and gestured that he just wanted to keep the pump, and (literally) rode off into the sunset. I made it home that night and the valve held together until a few days later when I replaced the inner tube.

I'm sure that I'll never see that guy again or even recognize him if I did, but I'll never forget that he went out of his way and spent his whole afternoon to help a total stranger out and wanted nothing in return. This was also at a time when a certain French speaking MC and a certain English speaking MC were not getting along very well in Quebec, so I wouldn't blame the guy for being wary, or whatever, but it was all good. I'm sure most of you have similar experiences in that it's usually someone on a bike who stops to help you out, at least when you're having roadside bike troubles. Can't say the same for cagers, but I try to pay it forward if the opportunity presents itself.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#4

Post by nmaineron »

Flats were my nemesis. I was in New York state up near Unadilla and leaving a restaurant I noticed that my rear was pancake flat. There happened to be a NYS public works crew in a truck that had a compressor on back. He noticed my situation and put some air in my tire. He told me there was a guy that does Triumph work and probably had a tube. Trouble was, the shop was twenty miles away, no problem he says. He stayed with me till we got to the shop. I would go for a mile or two before it would go flat again and he would pump her back up. Got to the shop and he took off without me being able to thank him. I'm sure that wasn't in his job description, hopefully all was good for him. Good people.
Mongrel505558
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#5

Post by Mongrel505558 »

This wasn't my breakdown, but a friend's I was riding with and I think it's a tale worth telling. We were riding up to Laconia, NH for Bike Weekend (before it got stretched into a whole week) and we were on Route 106 which goes through Louden right by the race track, when my friend Rob's drive chain broke on his '66 FLH. Luckily we were right up the road from a gas station, so he pushed the bike there. A man in a pickup truck called out to us and said he lived a couple of miles back down the road and said to put the bike on the truck. We got back to his place, which was a converted gas station/store and inside was Harley nirvana. He had a knuck, a couple of panheads, a shovel, an evo, Indian Chief, and a Scout, and his name was Robert E. Lee. Turns out every year he was a two or three day party on Fathers' Day weekend. He had an old Spartan Mansion trailer camper in the back yard he said we could stay in if we didn't have anything lined up. We fixed the chain and hung out a couple of days with Bob Lee and his wife Jean and many interesting guests. For the next 10 years Rob or I or both of us would visit during bike week until Bob Lee passed away. One year I rode up there myself and arrived at around 3 in the afternoon and nobody was around, so I lay down on top of the picnic table and fell asleep. I woke up with a bottle of bourbon next to my face and a bunch of people sitting around me at the table. They said hello like it was perfectly natural to find someone sprawled on top of their table. Good times.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#6

Post by RooDog »

Um, What kind of bourbon?
Mongrel505558
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#7

Post by Mongrel505558 »

RooDog wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:36 pm Um, What kind of bourbon?
JD, if I remember correctly. Nothing fancy.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#8

Post by RooDog »

I was just thinking of a Simpsons episode where Homer was making a deal with the Devil, and was offered some sort of everlasting reward or beer, to which Home replied: " What kind of beer?"....Y'gotta love that guy...

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.JXDQ ... =219&h=165
RUBONE
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#9

Post by RUBONE »

One of my most memorable was a big deal at the time. I had a '39 Knuckle I bought as a basket to build my first "chopper". I wanted it to be a 74 so I built it up as one. I was 16 so didn't have too much background on BTs and had only had a 45 before. My tool selection was a bit limited as well so things were a bit slow and difficult. But I persisted and finished the bike like I wanted it and proceeded to ride it all over. It was a jockey shift with an old Lee clutch pedal. I rode it for about 6 months or so and one day as I was in traffic at a light I reached down, put it in gear and headed across the intersection. As I shifted to second there was a massive "boom", the bike locked up and I skidded to a stop. My first thought was the transmission blew up but soon realized that was not the case. Quickly shifting to neutral I jumped off and pushed it to the side of the road while looking it over trying to absorb what I was looking at! Both cylinder walls were gone, leaving only the base flanges bolted to the cases and the top rings bolted to the heads which were dangling from the top motor mount. I picked up pushrods and covers out of the street along with some chunks of cylinders. What I did not know at the time was the difference between 61 and 74 cylinders so I had used the ones I had (4 fin '39 type) and had bored them to 74 so I had about a 10-1 compression ratio and paper thin walls. Amazingly the heads and cases were undamaged, the pistons no longer had skirts, and the rods were slightly bent. Pretty spectacular blow-up! The frame had a dent where the rear head slammed into it but it only bent the tin cover on the rocker arm.
I went to the old retired dealer I frequented and he just sort of chuckled, dug around and found a pair of 74 cylinders, clamped up the lower end and straightened the rods, put it all back together and I was good to go. I learned a lot with that old bike but soon sold it and moved on to my next project. I was offered a job at the shop where I first purchased the basket and soon was immersed in the late '60s early '70s custom scene. I became the shop engine builder before too long under the tutelage of the owner, and old Florida boy, and went on to build lots more bikes, and no more blow-ups!! :mrgreen:
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Mongrel505558
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#10

Post by Mongrel505558 »

That would be an expensive breakdown these days!
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#11

Post by RooDog »

I once lost a master link while on the road to an out of town job, 120 miles from home. I recovered the chain, but with no ML i was SOL. To this day I never ride with out one on my key ring even in this day of rear belts I still have a master link. If you ever brake a rear belt today, you are really fucked, Period....
....RooDog....
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#12

Post by Mongrel505558 »

RooDog wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:26 am I once lost a master link while on the road to an out of town job, 120 miles from home. I recovered the chain, but with no ML i was SOL. To this day I never ride with out one on my key ring even in this day of rear belts I still have a master link. If you ever brake a rear belt today, you are really fucked, Period....
....RooDog....
I carry one. As for the belt, I think about that when I'm on my Road King. Best I can do is inspect the belt and keep the tension correct. I'll probably preemptively replace it, but that job sucks.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#13

Post by old man emu »

I reckon my bike is the source of the Song of the Indian Riders - "Harley-Davidsons made of tin. Ride them out, push them in."

My first breakdown was when one of the screws securing the back plate of the primary chain case to the crankcase come loose and clattered around in there until it jammed between the chain and the engine sprocket. Trying to find the cause of the breakdown lead to a complete rebuild and repaint of the bike.

After that I had a succession of minor stoppages cause by bolt shaking out. Once the bolt connecting the gear lever to the rod fell out. Thankfully, Aussie trees are hardwoods, so a suitably sized twig kept things together while I rode home.

Then I must have had the fuel/air mixture too lean as the top edge and a bit of the side of the rear piston crumbled. I figured the piston and cylinder would have to be replaced, so I rode home on one cylinder. Now I've got two re-sleeved cylinders, zero-oversize pistons, a three oil hole crankpin and hardened exhaust valve seats.

After not being able to ride for a while due to COVID, I was riding into town when the master link of the drive chain gave up the ghost. Luckily nothing locked up as I was doing 50 mph at the time.

I had the bike laid up since then as the weather was bad and I was busy with other tasks, but I had to move it to prepare for a roadworthiness inspection. After I drained the water from the carburettor (it had been sitting in the rain), I started the engine and was moving off when there was an almighty bang. I found that I could not engage any gears, so I thought that I had broken some part in the gearbox. Pushed it to where I could work on it and found that the primary chain was loose. I took the cover off and found that the engine sprocket nut had come loose and the sprocket had slipped off. That's fixed now, as is the leak from the carburettor drain plug. Next task is to find out why I don't have a brake or tail light.

Lots of work this weekend as the registration runs out at midnight in three days, and I need to ride into town to get the roadworthiness inspection carried out. If all goes well, I'll take a 25 mile run out to the next town where I have to do some stuff for an aviation museum. I'll make sure that I tell someone where the loading ramps are kept at home, and charge up my mobile phone. Just in case.
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#14

Post by droptopford »

Cool stories guys. Nothing too spectacular here but it is my 'Most Memorable Breakdown'.

Early 1970s and I'd just barely turned 15. Out running around town on my '66 Honda 160 Scrambler sometime around 2 o'clock in the morning, no drivers license and fake plates. First I noticed the headlight going dim and not too much later the bike died in front of some houses on a dark quiet road near the edge of town. As I recall, something had gone wrong with the voltage regulator and that caused the battery to boil over. I figured if I could get some water for the battery I might make it home.

I knocked on the front door of the closest house just like it was a normal thing to do at 2am. The guy who finally answered the door showed up with what looked like Dirty Harry's 44 Magnum that would "blow your head clean off" pointed at me through the screen. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. It was then that I realized I was still wearing my (mandatory In Ohio back then) helmet... a black German style affair complete with Iron Cross decal and a three inch spike on top (Yeah, I was a 15 yr old Eric Von Zipper badass on my Honda160!).

Anyway, the guy turned out to be pretty decent about it considering the circumstances. Probably a hell of a lot nicer than I'd be if I were in his shoes today. He pointed out (with the 44) a hose spigot and a garden can of some kind that I used to bring the water level up on that little 6v battery. Don't know if it was the water or if the battery had enough time to bounce back, but when I kicked it, it started. I made it home... my head still intact, no cops and even better, didn't wake up my parents!
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Re: Most Memorable Breakdowns

#15

Post by Panacea »

One of the annual motorcycle trips I did with friends from work took us out to Montana and Wyoming, One day we were coasting down Beartooth into Redlodge when I noticed something came off my buddy's bagger, who was just ahead of me with his young daughter on the back. I pulled over and picked up his drive belt, or what was left of it. I raced ahead to catch up to him since he was still coasting down the mountain about 50mph, and had no idea his belt was gone. I waved his belt and asked "missing something?" It turned out his drive pulley had been loose and wound up destroying the belt as well as the mainshaft in the tranny, (common 89 bagger issue). As luck would have it, another member of the group was carrying one of those emergency belt replacements Harley sold back then. The kit included the belt section that would be pulled into position around the pulleys and spliced together with about ten pins that would push into the belt cogs that were cut at an angle across the belt to form a temporary repair designed to get you to a repair shop, or 50 miles. We traveled to Cody where we found an independent shop that tore it down, found the bum pulley and mainshaft, ordered the parts, and had it repaired the next day. But that was just ONE of the breakdowns that particular bike put us thru on a series of trips with that group thru the years. We finally required that bike be accompanied by a trailer towing backup plan on all future trips.....
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