Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Have you broken down?

On a solo ride, back country roads, riding solo have you been stranded?
What's your backup plan? Cell signal is 1-2 bars at best.

I'd love to hear thoughts from the more experienced riders.

I have AAA now, but I had to push a bike about a mile and a half once. Cell signal is good, then you're never completely stranded. My triple A is the RV plus, by the way, they won't come get a bike for the standard policy.

good to know that AAA won't pick up a bike. I have that bill to pay, so I might need to upgrade.

What was the issue that made you push the bike?

LOL, it was an old Honda CB650 and the motor locked up. I managed to limp to the shoulder or the highway before it completely froze.
If you already have AAA, the upgrade to RV was less than 30 bucks, pretty reasonable for tow insurance or a couple gallons of fuel if you need it.

AAA sucks I hear nothing but complaints about them all the time. Many people tell me they should have saved their money and just called me in the first place.

Never been totally stranded I carry a chain breaker and master links to fix a broken chain along with misc easily changed parts and tools to do so. Always managed to limp to where I could either call for help or limp home.

The AMA offers a roadside assistnace service called MoTow for MC riders.
Good insurance on a possible break-down.

I will say this much, the thought of breaking down rarely crosses my mind on the Triumph, I have only had one minor problem that turned out to be nothing anyway on it.

I have MoTow thru AMA and they will send someone specially equiped for bikes.

I wonder if AAA is lousy just in your area, Ian. My family has used it a number of times around here with no problem. I was going to get a "tow package" as a rider on my bike policy until the agent said it only reimbursed your fees that you had already experienced out of pocket.

The biggest complain is that they will tow someone home but then not to a shop after that. Long time to respond too. They usually say they wasted money over the years with the membership fees and it would have been cheaper to just pay a one time cost from a guy like me. I tow for several AAA like companies but not AAA. AAA sucks to work for from my point of view too. I tow for Ashurian or how ever they spell it and Allstate, Cross Country, Road America , and a couple others.

When I first got the bike I broke down in town. Turned out to be a loose battery connection cause the dealer didn't prep the bike properly. I called the dealer since I a just gotten the bike a day or 2 before. They came out and got me and fixed the bike the next day. If that happened today I would have figured that problem out on the side of the road and been on my way.

I have Liberty Mutual motorcycle insurance which comes with roadside assistance. I don't know if it's any good cause I've never had to use it but many insurance companies offer this little add on. It may be worth investigating.

As far as advice, I'd carry some basic tools with you at a min. We've made lists several times on the site. If you do a search you'll probably find plenty of threads discussing the recommended tool kit.

ive spent some roadside time since I bought my bike. I dont own a cellphone, so it always adds to the fun. I was having problems with a sticky needle to where every once in a while when I switched over to reserve the needle would get hung up and dump gas out of the filter. The first time it happened I didnt have any tools, and most of my gas drained at the light I was waiting at. So a passer by let me use his phone, and I got the wife to pick me up with the trailer.

The second time I was ready for it. I conked out just before an exit ramp that had a wawa. So I pushed it into the parking lot, bought some wd-40, took off the bowl and sprayed out the needles, got some gas...made it home.

Yeah so far ive been lucky and not totally stranded. Cellphones are for business jerks....I just keep my toolkits handy and brain turned on, when sht happens.

I was riding in mid November of '06 from a seminar at Purdue in West Lafayette, IN to a motel just west of the Cherohala Skyway, to setup for an early morning next day ride across the Skyway and the Dragon, and maybe through the park if time allowed. Heavy morning rain had delayed my departure at IN, and so I was passing through Knoxville at around 21:30 hours. I'm keeping pace on the slab with traffic at around 75 or 80, and up behind me rolls a police car with his lights a goin'. I pull to the shoulder, and on my handlebars is a radar detector having a conniption from his radar signal, and as I remove my helmet, it's apparent to the officer that I have audio earplugs plugged into a satellite radio. He says: "Did you you know your tail lights are out?" I replied: "No," and then asked, "Would you mind staying parked behind me while I check it out?" The fuses were all good, and so I told him that. He said: "Why don't you ride the shoulder to the next exit, and there's a parts store just around the corner."

Now let me tell you what - had this occurred in uptight Connecticut, chances are in the 90% range that I would have been a party to:

A - a ticket for 80 in a 65
B - a ticket for no tail lights
C - a tow to get me off the highway because of no tail lights
D - a ticket for ear plugs

Bear in mind too that I'm flying a blue license plate from a jurisdiction 1,000 miles away. Instead of writing me, the officer was more interested in helping me out. As my mind was running fix-it scenarios, I didn't think to get his name. I would like to have written a letter to his Sergeant or Lieutenant telling a tale of his high level of professionalism as a highway officer, and maybe leave out the parts about not writing me.

So anyhow, a mile of three up the road, I find a parking lot with some hefty illumination, and set to fixing the problem. It seems Triumph had installed one of my rear fender wire loom brackets upside down, and so my wire harness had fallen down on the rear tire. The seat, sissy bar & lugagge rack, along with an auxiliary gas tank, lugagge, and rear fender all had to come off, allowing access to the problem*. As my journey was fairly long, I had brought with me an assortment of tools and such. Although I don't believe in them for proper wiring, a butt connector, along with a length of spare wire and some good old (accept no substitute) #33 3M electrical tape had me back up and lit up just fine for the rest of the trip.

Later on during the journey, I discovered in Charleston, SC that one of the heavily loaded saddle bags had significantly bent a mounting bolt. I didn't want to chance breaking the bolt along the ride home, and so finding the right bolt (in the pouring rain no less) took around 4 hours. I finally had to settle on a hex head bolt instead of a button head, but it worked to get me back to CT. It doesn't snow very often in Charleston, but it did the day I left there. I told my daughter: "Don't tell anyone I'm a Yankee, or they'll blame me for drafting the stuff in here."

I'd have to check to be sure, but I usually have on board enough wrenches to fit every fastener on the bike, and a few other assorted gee gaws, like spare squirrel condoms, tire plugs, fuses, electrical tape, a box cutter, a mini compressor, and so on and so forth.


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* I brought along a "few extra things" and some spare gasoline for the 3,200 mile trip.
Looks like my wife and 3 daughters taught me how to pack...
Photo credit to Killboy

I have a phone for my business, but I was a jerk long before that. So you're saying that my phone complements me? Or just completes me?

I drive a tow truck and have a cell for that, does that make me a business jerk? I use it for other stuff since I have it but the towing is why I got it in the first place. I don't feel like a business jerk just a plain one.

"Have I broken down?", you ask George?!

Well, NOT since they've put me on this "NEW MEDICATION" I haven't!!!

(okay sorry...to REALLY answer your question here, nope, knock on wood, my BA has never YET left me "high and dry" out there on the road...well, EXCEPT for a couple of "self-inflicted" maroonings because dummy here let his GASTANK go empty a couple o' times anyway)

I broke down once.It was after a big fire works celibration for Pittsburghs 250 birthday.The worst part about waiting for AAA was the 3-4 city of Pittsburghs motorcycle cops that were directing traffic.They all ride Harleys and I had to take an hour of abuse (good natured they all did try to help)

I don't think I would pack as many as the extras as Bucky did. A spare gas tank!?!?! wow! Sounds like a good once over on the bike before a long trip and these babies just go and go.

I like hearing the road experiences, just as much as those who enjoy telling them.

Sidenote:
I'm pretty sure the Buckster ran out of petrol even with the extra tank.

I ran out once myself, good thing Bucky and Big Poppy were there to rescue me.

Ride with your buddies,
Uncle Charlie

Well, either the oil pump failed, which wasn't evident when I took it apart (it's gear driven) or the carb floats got stuck open and fuel leaked down into the oil through the cylinders and ruined the viscosity. I spent two weeks taking that motor apart. Took a while to get the pistons to break free with a breaker bar and socket on the crank bolt. When I got it all back together, it fired up and sounded better than it ever had since I owned it. Ran great for all of ten minutes, then locked up again. I was so pist off, I took the whole bike apart and sold it piece by piece on ebay, and made twice the money out of parts than I bought the bike for. Used that money on my Triumph a few months later. Still don't know why it did it.

I've broken down on the road several times, but I've usually been able to fix the problem.
That was a long time ago though. Currently, my back up plan (which has worked fine so far) is to ride a Triumph.

I carry just enough tools when I am on the road to fix or allow me to limp to a place to fix. As mentioned, tire kits, and such will more than pay for themselves being at the mercy of the less scrupulous.

As mentioned, Most Insurance companies have a towing provision for a very reasonable rate.

Only break down I had was I hit some road debris and it sliced open my oil filer. Duct tape, allowed me to ride tot eh gas station where I learned the value of having a few tools with me all the time.

So when On a long trip, I make sure that I have an extra filter along. just in case, cheaper than a tow truck, fits nicely in saddle bags or fork bags better than a tow truck too. Oh, in case your wondering? When you pull a filter off? The oil does not all run out of the bike, I lost maybe 25-50 cc (ML)

A flashlight is worth it's weight in gold too.

Nope, never... 32,400 miles...Lost a cylinder once, but kept on pluggin.

i broke down a ways back. flatted out we did. after fueling in palm coast, lynn and i was a lookin across the lot at vera lynn resting next to the pumps. how purty see is. gazing at her ebony tank focus flitting off her carbs to her rear end, ah so purty. but wait, why is she sitting so low? dangit! i walk over to her and a pickemup truck of blue collars, one says , "looks like you have aflat" geex be polite moe...difficult very trying times for mr a type oh. "well, would you happen to know of a place rounds here?" "yes, tri-city cycles".

i called tri city and they could come and pick me up like 5 mintues ago. i was being cheap and questioned him about my insurance covering the pickup and such and was givin the option of him picking me up now, or waiting till after he got back from lunch. "now, please"

he picked us up, loading vera lynn onto his very low toyota pickemup truck and hiho hiho its on to flagler beach we go: south. happens that he had a fat venom in stock and a tube! now, what to do as we waited? well turns out we were 2 blocks from the beach and right there, was finnegan's beachside pub... lunch, some anti type a beverages, two hundred, eighty-one dollars and thirty cents later, and we were back on the highway. only rode to lake park ga that night but we were set to continue our ride to newnan the next day.

it was very dark and a bit chilly as we made our way in the light rain to lake park later that evening. the light bar had been acting up. i needed a 10amp fuse and tri city charged me several dollars for one. this is after i already paid for the tire. dangit. so the next morning i awoke to birds chirping, the sun shining warm, and the desire to roll. i rode down 376 towards us41 where i found a napa store. had to replace the wire connector. hum.., attended triumph open days in newnan, bought a jacket at that event. rode the r3. met up with chy and di, the englishyankee and had a ball. rode on up to dahlonega. rode back to savannah, then on home. now where was i?

october 2004

gas Prices in roberta, ga


r3?


rip bubba


blood mountain


pigeon forge, tn


pineville, ky


savannah, ga

Note about triple A & motorcycles:

AAA is divided up at various regions, and perhaps these divisions are a result of AAA evolving from the former state "motor clubs."
(If you know what a state motor club is... you're probably an old fart. ;-))
There are no nation wide AAA rules and services for motorcycles. Some triple As will cover motorcycles, and some will not. For instance, CT AAA will not, no how, no way, offer motorcycle coverage of any sort. Why do I relate this picayune tale of woe? So folks won't assume their auto AAA roadside coverage would automatically extend to their motorcycle(s).

As far as carrying tools goes...
Would you believe that if you break down along I 87 in your one stack Mack with a flatbed on the back, an old rubber glove and a ball peen hammer can make for a right dandy thermostat gasket making kit? Back up and at 'em in an hour & thankful to find clean water nearby. Guess by now it's evident that I despise waiting along the road for many hours for someone to bring me a screwdriver or 9/16 wrench. Been there, got the hiney stains on my thumb to prove it.

Hmmm, where to start? LOL

Riding back to Chicago from Dahlonega. Old brake shoe on the road took out me oil filter. No problem at all with this. Just be sure to always carry a Stewart on a Speedmaster with you to run up the road and pick you up a new filter and oil. I have discovered though that as much as it is always good having the Stewart/Speedmaaster combo with you it is sometimes much easier to just throw an oil filter in the bags. Basic tool set helps as well.

Just changed out all my cables from stock Trump to Barnett stainless cables. I was on my way from work to a PGR escort mission when the cable snapped. No biggie as I had just done the swap and felt it might be a good idea to throw the old one in the bags as I had recently been on a long trip. Many guys were amazed that I carried an extra clutch cable. I was more amazed that I was too. Did I mention that I had a basic tool kit with me.

Riding from Pittsburgh to Chicago. Nice, cold rainy day in May. I got 3 blocks from the downtown hotel I was staying in and guess what breaks. Yep, there goes that dang Barnett clutch cable again. No, I didn't have a spare with me this time. Anyhow, push the bike up onto the sidewalk, light a smoke to figure out my next course of action and two most excellent elevator repair guys stop to ask what the problem is. Made some phone calls(no, the local Triumph guy did not have one). Remembered that a Honda cable or something would fit so these two guys hopped in their truck and ran down to the Yamahahahaha and Honda dealers. As I waited for them to return the most help I got from a Pittsburgh cop was him asking if I always road on the sidewalk. Told him my dealio and away he went. I had some other words I would have liked to share with Mr. Arrogant public servant but somehow managed to keep my yap shut. Got me a cable that fit and on my way I go. Was easily replaced with the basic tool kit I carry on the bike in case I haven't mentioned that. Those two guys were awesome. Would not even let me buy them lunch. Gotta love other riders as they understand the spot you may be in.

I found out as well that my bike could go 198 miles from full all the way to empty empty empty. I was in the middle of nowhere on US 30 in the middle of god forsaken Illinois. I knew there just had to be a gas station in the next 20 or 30 miles. Ha! Joke was on me. There wasn't. Push the bike to a farm driveway entrance a 100yds or so up the road. Stop and light a smoke to figure out my next POA. Just finished lighting the smoke when a farmer checking his fields came by in a pick em up truck and gave me the 4 mile ride to the next nearest petrol station. Again, couldn't even buy this guy a coke, cup o' joe or anything. He was just happy to have helped. Wish my bike could have gone 205 miles that day.

So yeah, I need to pay a few forward and have made some of those payments. People are usually good and helpful. If I see a bike on the side of the road, I stop. Last time everyone was alright but as I walked back to my bike I heard one of the guys pointing out that I must have broken down before too cuz I knew to stop. Small tool kit, very basic consumables and you can pretty much not worry about this bike.

It's all part of the adventure. Oh yeah, and never trust Mark's stupid GPS thingy.

Dang Keith, you got me scared of my Barnett clutch cable now! It's been almost 2 years though with no problems, even with the stiffer new clutch springs.

Dave,

The first time was a manufacturing glitch - no biggie. The second one was after riding for about 2 weeks straight on the road in lots of rain, I neglected to lube the socket in the clutch handle and this caused the cable to fray and eventually snap. Both times this has happened I just sent the cables back to Barnett and they have repaired them free of charge. My advice, just make sure you keep the parts well lubed is all.

I have used their cables on my old bikes for years and never had a problem and I maintain my cables as well as I do my chain! The one on my chopper has been on there about 10 years now so I wouldn't worry about it Dave.

Other than parts coming loose before I knew the importance of locktight, the only problem I ever had was the bike not wanting to start after a long hot ride. Turned out it was dielectric grease that had oozed onto my battery terminal and corroded a little. A hex nut tool and a multi-tool were all I needed and I was up and running. Lack everyone has said already, a decent basic tool kit will take care of 90% of the problems.