| Author | Message | ||
     Scooterroid |
So, I'm riding home from FTD's place in Orlando after Bike Week. Ride is about 3.5 hours back to Ft. Myers, which is in SW Florida. I decide to take the scenic route, which is slightly off the beaten path but worth the extra time. (Orange blossoms are in bloom and I have a new-to-me S3T). Just as I pull into Lake Wales, about an hour out of Orlando I hear a whack, whack, whack coming from the bike. Immediately pull over. 1st I thought I blew the motor but I quickly rule that out. I look the bike over and spot a 3" nail. Sticking out of the back tire. Pull it out. Psssssssssssssssssssss. Dang. Go into the convenience store next door and to my surprise they have fix-a-flat. But it's the kind with no hose. Can't get it into the tire. Walk outside and ponder what to do next. Just then a guy and chick on a 100th Anniversary Road King rides by. I flag him down. I can tell by the look on his face he doesn't want to stop. (I'm on the S3T but I have on an orange and black Harley Davidson jacket). I ask if he's from around this area and if there is an auto parts store nearby. He says yes to both; gives me directions and says it's about 1 mile up the road and around the corner. (Turns out it was actually more like 2 miles). He looks at my tire and says, "you'll be able to make it". I walk over to my bike kick the tire and it's completely flat now. Walk back over to the guy and chick and say, "I don't think I can make it, could you ride up to the auto parts store and get a can of fix-a-flat for me?" So, what do you think? The guy says, "No". Says he's on his way to Orlando to meet with some friends and he's sorry to leave me stranded but…Nice guy. I eventually make it back to Ft. Myers and pull into the Harley dealership, which lucky for me is open on Sunday. Buy a new tire. Installation used to be free when you purchased a tire there but that is no longer the case. Oh, well. Suck it up. Finally made it home albeit nearly 3 hours behind schedule. But of course I have no schedule; it's Sunday. I'll never forget that guy on the 100th Anniversary Road King. 15 minutes to do someone a favor and he didn't have the time. Steve-O (Message edited by scooterroid on March 15, 2005) | ||
| Vegasbueller |
One single word comes to mind here: KARMA He'll be the one sitting on the side of the road some day, and he'll get the guy on the Honda who waves and smiles as he passes by. Nick | ||
| Bomber |
true enough -- it's good to pay forward -- the great news is that he's done it to himself -- the bad news is he likely doesn't realize it | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I've never had to use it but I always carry a licorice-stick type tire plug kit and a cheap compact ten dollar bike pump. It'll be the closest thing to a permanent repair until you can get a new tire. As far as the prick on the Road King goes, f - him. | ||
| Thansesxb9rs |
I bet that if Scooterroid saw the same guy on the 100th anniversary road king broken down in the near future he would stop and he would do what he could to help the guy out. That is the difference between us Bueller's and the other guys. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Mental note. Long trips, carry Fix o Flat. | ||
| Country |
I stop if they look like they need help OR if they are waving me down. Wait specially if they wave me down. Once I've stopped I am dedicated to helpin out. If that means makin a run, that means makin a run. I'd have helped ya steve. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Mental note... Nails suck! | ||
| 12bolt |
Mental note... never pull the nail out! just ride slow to the dealer or auto store for fixin! | ||
| Koz5150 |
12bolt, Great point! I have had a screw in the back tire of my Jeep for the last 8,000 miles. Tire still holds air just fine. Maybe it even gives me better traction in the snow. Like a studded tire  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Here is some "audacious morality"... are you any less of a jerk if you don't carry the stuff with you that you know you might need to help someone in that situation? I carried all sorts of tools and extras on my M2, and ironically never had to use them for the M2. They did however get used on suzuki's, honda's, yamahas, sportsters, custom choppers, etc. When I got the 9sx, it quickly became clear that the tail bag half full of tools was no longer necessary for me. I went out and got a new tail bag anyway (thanks wal-mart) and moved most of the tools over. Spare wire, digital multi meter, open end wrenches, torx driver, screwdrivers, pliars, fix-a-flat, cable ties, electrical tape, siphon hose, tire plugs, hand pump, chemical hand warmers, trash bags, etc. Still gotta get some JB Quick and find a way to store it so it does not get punctured and leak. Any other suggestions for pack along stuff? | ||
| Scooterroid |
I used to carry heat when I went on road trips with the Harley. I figgered I could get all the tools I needed with a Glock.  Gonna start carrying a patch kit after this last episode. *note Couldn't ride with the nail in the tire; it kept whacking on the fender, eh. Steve-O | ||
| Mikej |
"Couldn't ride with the nail in the tire; it kept whacking on the fender, eh." Pound it in deeper, heh.  | ||
| Nedwreck |
When I had my flat, a Harley rider from Oklahoma was nice enough to stop and let me use his cell phone. Not even the sorry MF city cops would stop and help. Bob | ||
| Buell2001b |
maybe he saw how cool "Buell Guys" you were and was afraid you might take his girl,lol i hope she was not one of those 300lbs wearing a thong,lol | ||
| Cowboy |
att. to all the next time some one has this happen take down his licenes NO. and post it on the web......Cowboy | ||
| Henrik |
Other tools to carry: I carry one of these sets, as well as vise grips, adjustable wrench, plug kit w/ CO2 cartridges, #242 loctite, header nuts, safety wire, spare timing cup (but I need to find socket size for removal), 3/8" stubby wrench w/ extension and various sockets (including deep 1/2' sockets for the exhaust mounts and clamps), spare headlight and tail light bulbs, various stubby combination wrenches, spark plug gap tool, Leatheman tool and LED flashlight, a variety of electrical connectors, and I need to pick up a few breakers for the S2. I know I carry a bit more than that, but can't remember right now. Henrik (it really doesn't take up much space in the MC trailer ) (Message edited by Henrik on March 16, 2005) | ||
| Newfie_buell |
When I rode to Wisconsin for the 20th Anniversary in 2003 I carried nothing. Looking back it was pretty silly but on the way back a couple Buellers saved my ••• when the right isolator gave out and we had it fixed and back on the road in about 4hrs. Remind me to tell you about that one some time??? I think I sound like someone else? | ||
| Bomber |
converstion during the 20th between me and grounder (as we waited for Hal's to show up to help a brother with an ailing S3) -- "how come no one stops to help anyone any more?" "dunno, but we always seem to" "strange" "yeah, but I have a feeling it'll be paid back, somewhere, sometime" the other side of that coin is that I've often had folks stop and offer assistance when I pulled over for a smoke (a year off cigarettes, woo hoo), tried to figure out where on the map I was, or jsut a stretch -- that kinda thing puts a smile on my face! Later that summer, I was pounding down 41 in SE Wisconsin, and saw a bagger off on the median -- the rider had assumed the position (standing next to the scoot, head down, you could see the cartoon thought baloon "what now?" -- I rolled outa the throttle, slowed and pulled up behind him, only to find he was a motor officer wrapping up some paperwork from his latest revenue generation activity. He asked if everything was OK, I replied that I saw a rider on the side of the road, and figured I'd see if I could help -- he said he could wrap up the ticket all by himslef, thanks, but he was smilin, anyways I think you should have a corner of your rider card cut off if you don't offer assistance, but that's just me | ||
| Leftcoastal |
I pulled over to see what was up with a 'busa rider last year up Angeles Crest a bit - had a flat rear tire, complete with nail. I used my plug tool and can of fix-a-flat and got him and his passenger down off the mountain. I was on my Road King. Unless I'm on the freeway doin 80+ in the left lane and I can't get to the shoulder before passing - I ALWAYS stop & see if I can help. Funny, it's kind of like a 'karma' thing - my bikes rarely, if ever, break down or leave me stranded! Well, unless my wife or son are riding them! ( got a trashed turbo and an almost new front Azaro w/drywall screw compliments of the boy.) AL | ||
| Blublak |
Since I started riding, I always felt a certain kinship to all those that also are on two wheels. If I see a bike by the side of the road, with a rider standing by it, I'll always check on them, make sure there isn't some small thing I can do to assist. A while back, when 'BumbleBuell' decided it was going to shed it's air filter (Hi-Perf. factory version), we pulled over and after walking back down the road and finding it the cover and the clamp I got to work re-attaching it. Three guys on sport bikes rode by not even sparing a glance at us, let alone seeing if we were in real trouble. One guy on a beat up old H-D rat bike pulled over to ask if we needed any help. Before I could say anything, he was pulling a tool roll from his saddle bags and was getting ready to help. That's the kind of biker you want to be, right? That's the kind of rider you want to meet right? As others here have already said. Pay it forward. One day it's someone else.. the next it might be you. Only a real prick would ride by without even slowing to see if he got a thumbs up from the rider on the side of the road.. Those are people I can live without.. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Henirk, On the way to the 20th Anniversary back in Aug 03 I was heading west on the 401 in Ontario, just east of Kingston. I had travelled about 1550km and was pretty close to my destination, about 2am. The highway was pretty lonely that night, I was becoming extremely tired and of course was pitch black. On the side of the road I noticed a reflection and as I approached it was a fellow rider. Not even thinking about my own safety or where I was (Newfies have a tendency to be like that) I pulled over and asked this guy what the problem was. Now this fella looked like he was just out of a Hells Angels clubhouse, long beard, vest, leather over the vest (there were patches on it that I couldnt make out) and an old wrenched together sportster with the small fuel tank. He told me he ran out of gas and asked for a run to the nearest stop which was about 20km up the road. I told him no way, BUT, if he had a screwdriver we could drain some fuel out of my tank and he could take enough to get to the gas station. He just so happened to have a bunch of tools rolled up, we found a Tim Hortons XL Coffee cup on the side of the road, filled that twice, put it in his tank and we were on our way. Later I told my cousin the story when I got to Kingston, ON and she told me I was NUTS to even stop, there was a big clubhouse in town and chances he was from that. Well like you said, pay it forward and it will come back to you. Must have because on the way back I tore out an isolator and Ozz666 was kind enough to offer assistance in replacing them, even gave me the parts to do it. I don't get some people now waving or stopping to offer assistance - we are all in this together. | ||
| Henrik |
Good on you Newfie - you've earned Karma points for sure  Henrik | ||
| Chainsaw |
Last July I was in somewhere in the mountains in the middle of nowhere California and ran across an old beater Honda pulled off the side of the road. Slowed down, took a peak, no one around, figured someone was answering natures call. A couple of more turns down the road I see a dread-locked guy in a leather jacket, precariously carrying a helmet, small gas can, and a friggin' chainsaw! Of course I stopped. It was his honda, it was just out of gas. Employed by the Forrest Service, that explained the hardware. Said he wasn't looking forward to hiking into town in a leather jacket. No cages were stopping for him. I gave him the contents of my small MSR fuel bottle and we parted ways. I rode 3700 miles that week without incident (besides freezing my ••• off on Mt. Saint Helens and in Yellowstone!) 2 months later I'm in New Mexico for the Buell Taos Rally and I drop a valve in my Sporty. At lunch a fellow Bueller offers to put my bike on his trailer and take it back to Denver (he lives there too). He offered assistance before he even asked my name. He also let me ride his XB part way back to Denver! Believe in that Karma boys and girls | ||
| Lovematt |
Although it sounds nuts I actually carry screws with me of different diameters shaped like those drywall screws and the same glue used by tire shops for patches. I got a flat one time and actually pulled out the nail, slathered a screw about twice its size in the glue, and screwed it into the tire so its head was below the surface. Because the tire was warm the glue actually set up pretty good after about 1 hour and lasted about 75 miles back home. I had to add air one time about 5 miles from home as it was starting to leak again but it made it! |
