Thank you, Ged of motorcycles

So... on my way home on Friday. Torrential rain. About 30 miles from
home and pan starts popping and farting. Pull off of Motorway at next
junction to pay some attention to it. Once the revs go down it dies.

Tools were no fucking use and no flashlight. In the dark, on a slip
road in the rain. Fan-fucking-tastic. Press starter and it goes
click-click-click. Whoopee.

Chap in a van stops and asks if I'm going far, I said "all the
way"^W^W^W about 30 miles and he shakes his head. He offers a jump
start, bike starts.

Make the rational decision to carry on, on the motorway on side lights.

Rain, wind blah-blah-blah. 18 or so miles from home it starts to cut
out again. Lights off; too many cunts flashing lights at me. On to
hard shoulder.

Another 3 miles and it dies. Push bike uphill for about 5 minutes and
shelter under bridge. Call AA, get recovered within about 90 minutes.
Not so bad.

Charge battery over night, try again. Bugger, battery is fine; on the
Pan to get at the alternator you take the swing arm off... which is a
herculean task (I think). Still, off to bike show on Saturday so don't
look any further.

Sunday morning, inspect a little further. The 55A alternator fuse has
cracked due to stress and age. Bodge it for the moment and act relieved.
Hoo-bloody-rah for that.

*phew*

 

You're right. But my thought was ****** that's going to be two fucking
days in the garage; and that means... *gulp* tidying my other garage so
I can get some of the other bikes into it to get the space to deploy the
bike lift.

I *really* must tidy up.

 

Isn't it lovely when what was dreaed as a bastard job turns out to be
something incredibly simple?

I remember preparing to strip out a 400 Four alternator, to send it off
for rewinding, after I'd tested regulator and rectifier and determined
they were working, so it had to be a duff alternator (it wasn't
charging).

Removed alternator cover and went to unplug the unit.... and noticed one
of the three wires had come unplugged. Re-connected, and all was OK.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/browse_thread/thread
/8fcd2be92102ff58/f53ddde8762c0e57?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#f53ddde8762c0e57

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka
Suzuki GSX-R750L

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

Oh nooooooo...

<AOL>

TFFT!

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Fallen apart) Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single"
Norton 850 Commando Kawasaki GTR1400

 

Hey, you buy a second hand bike you take your chances. I didn't for a
moment think you'd Nige'd this one out.

BTW; I gave it a full service last weekend and the air filter was
absolutely, shockingly, filthy. However I think the stuck choke
probably had more to do with the shocking fuel consumption. The valve
clearances were all within spec and the cam lobes look in fantastic
condition. ABS still flashing but I'm hopeful that's something to do
with the charging...

 

For me it's the hassle factor really. But yes, it is fucking ace!

(Note, not fucking Ace...)

 

So must I. Just about managed to get the GFR#2 motor back in yesterday
while it was mild and dry enough to work outside.

Did a bit of reconnecting of gubbins on it inside with the Tart outside
to give space to get all round it.

This is a pain, when it is colder and wetter. At least the rest of the
job can be done just by moving on bike out, so I can now proceed.

When the spring comes I must try and get the old wooden greenhouse dealt
with. I keep meaning to have it demolished and put a nice shed on the
concrete base. One of those plastic coated corrugated steel jobs like I
have at the chateau would do fine for overspill storage of a couple of
bike plus all those bits that are going to come in useful one day. Where
to put the contents while work proceeds though?


--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

Thanks. Wouldn't stop me feeling a twinge if it did throw a major
wobbly, thobut.

Hope so too.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Fallen apart) Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single"
Norton 850 Commando Kawasaki GTR1400

 

Isn't it great when you breakdown in the pissing rain and have to push
the cunting thing up a hill. I'm always happy when that happens.

 

Oh, it was the losing my credit cards whilst hanging around for the
recovery vehicle that really put the icing on the cake... Fortunately
managed to find them once I had a decent torch.

Please note, have added a torch to the bike's toolkit (and a bodged
alternative for the 55A charger fuse- a 60 A blade fuse and some bits of
wire)

 

WTF? is that you Bruce?

 

Well, I can only guess that whilst sat in the dark and wet under the
motorway bridge waiting for the recovery truck, I didn't push them into
my pocket properly. I guess that the rain, wind and hassle blunted my
focus on things- needed to get my AA card out of my credit card wallet;
hence whey they were out of my pocket in the first place.

 

Surely a head torch would be more your style?

 

That would mean spending money.

 

Were you chilled (not as in cool daddy). Sounds a bit like it. BTDT

 

I was a bit cold. But pushing the bike uphill really helped stop that.
I think I was mostly irritated.