Of blowouts and the motorcycle brethren.

Uniac

Uniac

Been Around the Block
Well 12 hours have passed since I nearly shat myself.

I had a bit of a slow leak in the rear tire yesterday, only noticed it after I'd spent the day at the shop working on the racecar. The shops about 25km from my place in the country, so i decided to risk it (won't be doing that again). Filled the tire to 30psi and off I went. After 5min of riding I get into this group of Harley's and there kin. We're all headed towards Belfountian on Mississauga road. Every light I'm getting the usual, "nice bike", "that a norton?", guys trying to get me to race. I finally have enough of the noise from the Harley's and take the lead.

'Sauga rd is 4 lanes either side at this point, i'm not that far ahead of the Harley's, doing between 80-100kph and my rear blows out. F'me, I've never done full lock on a bike before. I've got no idea how i kept it up, but i got it stopped, middle of the road, 2 lanes over from where I had been. Thankfully the car following me had the sense to jam his breaks, and then he blocked the road just incase i did go down (THANK YOU!). The Harley's, all fucked right off.

Now this brings me to the point of this, What the hell!? NOBODY stopped to ask if I was ok. Helmet on ground, gear off. flashers on, apparently "international sign of motorcyclist in distress". Side of one of the busiest roads in this part of the city, and nobody stops. All the bikers slow down take a look(I assume at the bike) and then roar off.

When I was in Aus recently, i punched a whole in my oilpan on a deserted road 100km from anywhere and EVERYONE stopped. Somebody arranged on a bike came by, drove to get cell reception, ordered a tow truck and then road back just to tell us.

What the hell is wrong with "everyone" in this country, why are we all so up are own asses to take 2 seconds to stop and see if somebody needs a hand?





On a side note, with the gas tank off the 350 will fit in the back of a volvo wagon....oh volvo is there nothing you can't haul?
 
That sucks brother. Both the blow out and the fact that nobody stopped to help you (including the HD guys). Good to know you made it over okay and didn't eat face.

Missisauga... is that near Toronto? I wouldn't be surprised if no one stopped if this was the US, but not your friendly Canucks!
 
About a year ago, I was having troubles with the fuel gauge (idiot light) in my Monster. Since it was fuel injected with no reserve, the idiot light was the only other than the odometer to tell when the fuel was getting low, and I had burned up a lot of gas balancing the throttles and setting the % CO. Anyway, long story short, I ended up coasting to the side of the highway out of gas (the picture in my profile).

At least four bikes went by, and the only one who did anything other than stare was an old guy on a Goldwing who slowed down to stare while he rode past, so you're not alone, sadly.

I'm glad to hear that you're ok - I assume you have one of the awesome vintage Volvo wagons? Those things are unstoppable!
 
Yup - this is just 'outside' Toronto. Honestly, in a lot of cases, I'd imagine they slowed, saw you were standing there apparently not dead or dying, realized that they aren't in much of a position to help you out and kept going.

In this day and age, I think most people just assume everyone is carrying cellphones, has CAA/AAA and/or a friend with a truck. Not saying I wouldn't have pulled over to see what I could do, but if I had pulled over, the only help I could have offered would have been a phone call.

But yeah it's sad nobody even bothered to do that, and especially a group of bikers riding right along with you.

I might suggest you consider a CAA+ membership (have to get the extra level of service for bikes). For $80 a year I get 4 x 200KM tows etc. Last summer I used it when my brother's van broke down 160KM outside Winnipeg with a blown transmission. Had it towed all the way into Winnipeg for free :) Used it to move my BMW R75 from Toronto to Georgetown (to my friend's house) when it wasn't plated and had a flat tire. Covers me in the US and Canada. Good for when we're taking week long drives in friends' broken down Ford Aerostars and Chevy Astros (vans of choice for the vintage racer crowd - can fit 2 bikes in the backs of those and close the doors).
 
Been on the side of the road a few times and watched car after car drive right by. Thats why I always try to stop and see if I can lend a hand.
 
I stop everytime i see a biker on the side of the road. See if i can help em get things going or if they are ok. Having a cell phone doesn't help if you're passed out, or got stung by a bee and are haveing an allergy or a million other things. Gotta help a brotha out.
 
Yup. That's right in my 'hood. :p

People just don't wanna get involved theses days. Sad... very sad. :'(
 
Im supposed to drop my paperwork at the office friday before going home for the weekend (Im a trucker) But Im a procrastinator and usually just do it all sunday night and drop it off monday morning before I go out. Anyways I have next week off so I had to go in this evening. I hop on the bike with its lovely new (mostly) wiring harness, PMA, and rejetted VM34s.

I was having a great tear down the 417 when suddenly the bike died, completely. I figured I had blown the one fuse on the bike so as I coasted to a halt congratulated myself on bringing a few spare in my pocket ;). Only thing was it wasn't the fuse but the fuse holder its self. The wire had come out and killed the bike. I had the seat up and tank off so I could have unfettered access to it all. Watched a guy on a new cruiser go past, shrugged, laughed about having read about this very thing today and went back to work.

That's when another guy came up behind me and asked if I was ok. He was in his 4-wheeler, and stopped to see if I needed help. I said "no not really, just gotta bodge this together". He walked up and said oh wow an old Norton! Oh wait that's a Yamaha hahah. I ride an XJ1100 myself, used to have a XJ650 for a long time. We chatted a bit and he left me to fiddle about.

Long story short, the guys on the cheque book bikes couldn't care less about us, and the dudes who ride old bikes will take the time and stop.
 
I always stop, even when its a hardley abletorun rider. Most of those guys will tell you to bugger off with an affirmative, macho "I KNOW WHAT IM DOING" as they try to wedge a vice grip onto the end of a spark plug.

It's a damn shame that no one helps each other these days in these scenarios. A small kind gesture that puts you half an hour out of your way will make a persons life way way easier, yet no one can be bothered. I like to believe that karma pays you back in time, and so far I've found that to be true.
 
Killed mine last week on a short ride. The "kill" switch is super sensitive and I knocked it right in front of an old 50's chevy in the middle of an intersection. Didn't realize it while I was on the bike so I hopped off and pushed it to safety. Old chevy stops 20 yds down and the passenger got out and started walking for me. I inspected my handy work, realized what happened, flipped the switch, kicked the start, and she roared back to life. I gave him the thumbs up and he waved and headed back to his truck. I pulled up next to the driver and thanked him profusely.

Gear heads are willing to help other gear heads it seems.
 
Over the weekend, while I'm out mowing the lawn, I get a call from a gf that she's got a flat tire. Luckily, she's in a grocery store parking lot. So I headed over to help her change it. She told me that not one person stopped to help her, in the middle of the busiest parking lot in town. Not a single guy offering to help a pretty little damsel in distress? We're in a sad state of affairs.

As I'm changing her tire, the only guy who asked if we needed some help was another biker in his pickup truck. I could tell he was a rider was his 2012 Laconia Bike Week shirt. 8)

Even though I had it under control, I thanked him for just offering a hand. Like rock2d2, I think a true gear head just takes pleasure in swinging a wrench, even if its going out of their way.
 
I get excited when i see an old bike/car on the side of the road... because that means I get unexpected wrench time!
 
The Harley guys that ride up to Belfountain are posers, 100% posers. With their chaps, leather skull caps and 'Harley Davidson of Las Vegas' or whatever shirts on. They stand around at the coffee shop and bitch about how much Jacox just screwed them on the last trip to the shop to fix something that broke, fell off or fried. Something that most anyone here could, and would have fixed themselves. Don't be too upset they didn't stop.
 
cyclefreak said:
Been on the side of the road a few times and watched car after car drive right by. Thats why I always try to stop and see if I can lend a hand.
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Tim said:
Yup - this is just 'outside' Toronto. Honestly, in a lot of cases, I'd imagine they slowed, saw you were standing there apparently not dead or dying, realized that they aren't in much of a position to help you out and kept going.

In this day and age, I think most people just assume everyone is carrying cellphones, has CAA/AAA and/or a friend with a truck. Not saying I wouldn't have pulled over to see what I could do, but if I had pulled over, the only help I could have offered would have been a phone call.

But yeah it's sad nobody even bothered to do that, and especially a group of bikers riding right along with you.

I might suggest you consider a CAA+ membership (have to get the extra level of service for bikes). For $80 a year I get 4 x 200KM tows etc. Last summer I used it when my brother's van broke down 160KM outside Winnipeg with a blown transmission. Had it towed all the way into Winnipeg for free :) Used it to move my BMW R75 from Toronto to Georgetown (to my friend's house) when it wasn't plated and had a flat tire. Covers me in the US and Canada. Good for when we're taking week long drives in friends' broken down Ford Aerostars and Chevy Astros (vans of choice for the vintage racer crowd - can fit 2 bikes in the backs of those and close the doors).
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ya, come on... should they have wrapped up there ride and helped....? your o.k.
 
I have been there and at least here in the maritimes people still stop. Bike blew up, I pulled over and started walking not 2 mins later a crew of workers stopped and offered me a ride. Another time the old T100 had problems I had yet to figure out and it died in the rain and I had at least 6 people pull over to make sure we were ok etc. A nice couple from PEI gave me and my son a ride to the Gas station so we could call for a ride and a tow. I have paid that forward at least 20 times with helping out folks when I can.
But I understand that it is getting less and less likely that someone will stop these days to help and that is sad. Although gearheads stop whenever they see a broken car, I think it is genetic or something ;D
 
It says Friendly Manitoba on the license plates here, but it's not always the case (disclaimer: Most Manitobans are friendly most of the time).

Friend of mine had a traffic accident on his bicycle couple of years ago and he's still not sure what happened as he was knocked unconscious for a while. Long story short. He was lying in a puddle of his own blood at the side of the road and started coming around again enough to realize that a car after car after car just drove past him. He was unable to move after the sudden stop or something. Some slowed down...maybe to try to see if he was still breathing, but none stopped even if it was obvious that he needed help. He finally managed to start moving enough again so that he was able to use his cell phone to call his wife to pick him up, and while waiting for another 10 minutes, no one stopped to ask if he needed help. And it's not that he's one of "those" cyclists, he's a clean cut guy in his 40's doing cycling for fitness. Luckily he escaped with just some cuts, bruises and black eye.

I personally at least slow down or stop to ask if someone on the side of the road appears to be in trouble or lost. Two wheelers get my attention easier though. If nothing else, I know my roads around here and know where or how to find help.
 
im a little out of milwaukee, and even being harley country, iv always gotten help oh my honda.

when i ran out of gas, pulled over to the side of the road, before i could even get out my cellphone someone had pulled up behind me to see if there was any problem.
 
I came upon a harley on the side of the road a while back. I stop to see if I can help, the guy says "what the fuck do you want", maybe it's cuz I was riding the kz1000 (jap bike), I dunno. So I just said stopped to see if you needed anything. I think he quickly realized what he just said and changed his attitude. I sat with him offering suggestions and going to and from my house to get him tools (cuz you know the kawi doesn't carry anything that will work). Ultimately I gave him 2 suggestions that ifxed his problem. I asked if he had any hidden ignition switches. A lot of guys I have know put them on to help avoid someone else from riding off on their bikes. He did, and it was the problem, but then how to fix it. I first suggested gum to stop the wires from shorting out on the frame, at which time he orders his wife to "start chewin!". Then I suggested using a bandaid or sticker or something to keep the wires from shorting out. He peels a sticker off his helmet and it's fixed! We went to the nearest bar and he proceeded to buy me beers until the bar closed. I had a great time that night. Felt good to help a brother out. Sure other people may be that way, but that doesn't mean we have to. Set the example for others to follow.
 
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