Bonehead Moves

[ksboy]

I'm hoping we can learn from each others experiences and maybe save us grief down the road. What are some mistakes you've made while riding?
My biggest mistake occurred last year while riding lead. There was a chuck of tire in the road from a blow out. Feeling a little spunky that day I rode close enough to give it a kick. I'm guessing the piece weighed less than 10 pounds, but it felt like 50. I could have broke my foot or lost control. In addition (and much worse), instead of warning my riding brothers, I could have kicked it in front of one of them. No one said anything about it, but looking back on it, it was VERY stupid.

 

[fin_676]

Mine was letting the wife learn to ride then letting her choose a bike off the INTERNET based on the colour
this approach may have been OK if bike she wanted hadn't previously been worked on by a butcher cos almost everything on it has been butchered have at least one more winters work to finish off getting it all sorted out

Brian

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Fin_676, you did not tell us what color she chose, but RED probably was the color...hopefully it was an HD so it was not too painful to work on...uhh...if your taking orders, I'll have mine very rare...but in Turquoise and White...like C.Dolan's.

As far as bonehead moves...tried cutting a plexiglass windscreen, measurements were perfect, marked and taped it, removed all the fasteners and was carrying it over to the workbench, tripped on one of the errant screws just removed and cracked it...it was for an old Quicksilver fairing by Vetter back in the 80's.

 

[jimweaver]

On last year's annual week long ride, I was taking an expressway off ramp ( a curve but not real sharp) and was too busy looking ahead to read the road signs on the road ahead, got off to far to the right and ended up on the gravel shoulder, not hard gravel, but new stuff about 4" deep. Tried to ride it out, but ran out of road. It was either hit the brakes or ride out into a busy intersection. Tapped the rear once, and down we went. Wife on the back.
Did't skid too far, but ended up with road rash from wrist to shoulder on one arm, her too. Took out the windshield, a mirror, a floorboard, and bent the highway bar at a weird angle but close to the shift pedal. Didn't cancel the trip, put in another 1000 miles, wife was a trouper, she stuck with it. Bonehead move, violation of rule number one, NEVER take your eyes off the road on curve, never know where you're gonna end up!!

 

[fin_676]

Fin_676, you did not tell us what color she chose, but RED probably was the color...hopefully it was an HD so it was not too painful to work on...uhh...if your taking orders, I'll have mine very rare...but in Turquoise and White...like C.Dolan's.

As far as bonehead moves...tried cutting a plexiglass windscreen, measurements were perfect, marked and taped it, removed all the fasteners and was carrying it over to the workbench, tripped on one of the errant screws just removed and cracked it...it was for an old Quicksilver fairing by Vetter back in the 80's.

same as her football team

Brian

 

[whatyardwork]

Brought the bike to a local wrench for a new rear tire years back.Made it about twenty miles or so and she went flat.Not thinking clearly I called my closest buddy with a truck to come get me.You see this particular person was the only one we ride with who owned a Japanese made bike.
Before the truck even showed up I had everyone I know calling me to inform me how Honda boy was on his way to rescue Harley boy.To this day I get grief over that.
The point is, if you ride a Harley and happen to need assistance call a fellow Harley rider.I dont care if he's 100 miles away.

 

[USMCCWO5]

I have a nice scratch on my windshield. I had it on the garage floor, on the carpet, leaning carefully against a set of shelves. I tripped over my sons bicycle and it started to fall towards the windshield. In my haste to grab the bicycle, I completely tackled it into the windshield. Lucky for me the scratch is in the lower right portion, so I can't see it when I am riding.

or hastly pulling the trans drain plug, when changing engine oil, "that's weird, the engine oil is red!" Quickly re-inserting the plug still cost me a part of a quart of Spectro 6-speed transmission fluid. And, no I didn't check to see if the o-ring was still good. HA HA

 

[ksboy]

whatyardwork,

Even though I have owned more rice burners than I care to admit, I poke fun at those (I know well) who ride one. Although no physical harm would be done if I called one to tote my scoot, the harassment that would ensue might be worse. Thanks for the good advice... and laugh.

 

[Redfish-Joe]

In the early 80's I was living in Birmingham, Al. A friend of mine, my now ex wife and I (no this didn't have anything to do with the split) made a ride to New Orleans. The trip down was good and stopped to visit my mom in Poplarville and got some of her home cooking. We decided to run the coast to Mobile and hit I 65 north to Birmingham.

Well we hit rain just north of Mobile and we stopped. The ex started fussing.
And fussing and fussing...know what I mean? I got a belly full and told her to get on we were going home. I put it in the wind. I had a 850 Yamaha with a Vetter Rooster fairing on it. I got down behind the fairing and there we went. Didn;t check up till Birminghan and it rained till we got home....but she was quite during the rest of the trip. How we made it I don't know. Being angry, I could have killed both of us.

 

[dangerdan]

Whats that expression

Righty tighty , left loosey.

When I replaced the primary chain , I misread the instructions about loosening the compensator nut. A 4ft bar and my weight snapped the nut and cost me an extra $300 and a lot of time to grind the broken part away.

It could been worse , but I have learned to take my time and read the whole article, not just parts of it.