If I didn't laugh i'd cry

[AlexD333]

So what a day... Every invoice and customer issue went wrong today at work, got moaned at for doing a crap job, my bike in pieces due to electrical fault at work, I was told not to drive in as there was no space, I still drove in
And that was after driving to kent to get some second hand coils

So brought the coils in via car, stripped the bike on tea break, replaced coils on lunch, put back together and hit the start button... Nothing... Not a sausage

So at this point 3 of the techs came over to have look but were interupted by the electrical wiz. Who spotted the ignition fuse was blown, so we slapped a new one in and bang it went again... Riiiight what have you done Alex

After some wire tracing it turns out I have fitted a coil upside down

We got it running and all was sweet. Great, go out and parked up the bike to find I have a parking ticket on the car

Make a speedy exit for a family birthday today, that was good atleast!

Got a lift into Kensington at 10pm this evening, fire up my bike, riding home sweet as a nut, on the main road outside mine SNAP goes the clutch cable!!! C'mon really!!!

So tomorrow comes the test, riding in with no clutch cable on the a40 into Kensington

Wish me luck

[Lazy-Ferret]

I feel for you... some days you just wish you had stayed in bed..

Good luck tomorrow..

[Sweety]

Oh that'll be fun with no clutch have driven a few cars with snapped clutch cables but not sure how you'll manage it on a bike as with a car you just restart the engine in 1st to pull away from a stand still you can tell i'm not a biker

[briggie]

in the days of " proper bikes " I remember using a metal coat hanger to operate the clutch ...... eeeeee those were the days

[AlexD333]

Originally Posted by briggie

in the days of " proper bikes " I remember using a metal coat hanger to operate the clutch ...... eeeeee those were the days

Oh jeebus that sounds interesting

[firebobby]

Sorry Alex, I just roared when I read you had put the coil upside down

Sorry mate....snigger snigger

[rustic]

Originally Posted by firebobby

Sorry Alex, I just roared when I read you had put the coil upside down

Sorry mate....snigger snigger

So when did Alex change his signature to remove..." When you put a spanner in my hand..."

Maybe he should put it back, for a while... lol...

[briggie]

I have never put a coil in the wrong way round , but I have for got to put the pistons into a cylinder when reassembling a Yamaha twin ......in my defence I was only 17

[rustic]

Originally Posted by briggie

I have never put a coil in the wrong way round , but I have for got to put the pistons into a cylinder when reassembling a Yamaha twin ......in my defence I was only 17

Confession time, I once put a return spring the wrong way round in a mini rear drum brake, there was an offset so the centre wire part would miss the hub.

On the next service, I found a small groove around the hub, and the spring was half worn.
I was young at the time...

This is what it's all about, experience, having a go.
It's just that some of us started earlier than others.
My father used to do all the maintenance on his motorbikes and cars.
I learnt something important from him one day...
NEVER try to clean an air filter on a petrol vehicle with a vacuum cleaner whilst it is still attached to the vehicle...
The petrol fumes were drawn from the carburettor jet and into the vacuum cleaner, where the found their way to the sparking motor of the vacuum cleaner... B A N G ! ! !
Bakelite bits went everywhere....

Now with digital cameras, it is best to photograph what you are pulling apart, I did this for the springs on the rear drums of my Mav... more complicated than a mini.

Tip:-
From bitter experience, if you are stripping anything that has springs in, ball bearings, or any small parts, put the item in a large clear plastic bag, so when a spring escapes, you can catch it, instead of spending 2 hours with a magnet on the lawn looking for a spring that shot through an open door of the garage and shot across the patio onto the lawn.
I found it though

Rustic

[AlexD333]

Well update, luckily my bike is pretty friendly and rather low geared, especially in first

So I paddled off and clicked into first and off i set, trying to avoid stopping at all costs. Got onto the a40 in the heart of it all, all going well until I come up behind a scooter who cant squeeze though the tank sized gap

I'm forced to stop before I could find neutral and stalled. Then had to find neutral and fire back up, paddle on the a40 and whack into first

The worst bit was on holland park avenue when I had to stop uphill..

I still managed to paddle it, just

And then home again all safe and sound

Some good stories there too and yes I did change my sig a while back

[terrano bob]

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by rustic

Confession time, I once put a return spring the wrong way round in a mini rear drum brake, there was an offset so the centre wire part would miss the hub.

On the next service, I found a small groove around the hub, and the spring was half worn.
I was young at the time...

This is what it's all about, experience, having a go.
It's just that some of us started earlier than others.
My father used to do all the maintenance on his motorbikes and cars.
I learnt something important from him one day...
NEVER try to clean an air filter on a petrol vehicle with a vacuum cleaner whilst it is still attached to the vehicle...
The petrol fumes were drawn from the carburettor jet and into the vacuum cleaner, where the found their way to the sparking motor of the vacuum cleaner... B A N G ! ! !
Bakelite bits went everywhere....

Now with digital cameras, it is best to photograph what you are pulling apart, I did this for the springs on the rear drums of my Mav... more complicated than a mini.

Tip:-
From bitter experience, if you are stripping anything that has springs in, ball bearings, or any small parts, put the item in a large clear plastic bag, so when a spring escapes, you can catch it, instead of spending 2 hours with a magnet on the lawn looking for a spring that shot through an open door of the garage and shot across the patio onto the lawn.
I found it though

Rustic

Thank you Rustic
Reading that just seriously made my night

[rustic]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Thank you Rustic
Reading that just seriously made my night

When you get to a certain age, done that, got the "T" shirt, you no longer have to prove yourself, when you are younger, you need to look as though you are always right.

I guess we all have similar stories, close shaves that we could all share.

My father was working underneath his series IIa LR, he had a wrench in his hand, and he was really pushing the wrench... the bolt sheared, and his closed fist, with the heavy wrench in his hand, was now going at full pelt towards his jaw....
Talk about knuckle duster...
He achieved what I though was impossible, he knocked himself out with his own blow to the jaw...

Explain that to the paramedics...


A bit of self risk assessment does no harm.

[AlexD333]

Haha, now that's impressive!!

[MicraShed]

Originally Posted by rustic

Tip:-
From bitter experience, if you are stripping anything that has springs in, ball bearings, or any small parts, put the item in a large clear plastic bag, so when a spring escapes, you can catch it, instead of spending 2 hours with a magnet on the lawn looking for a spring that shot through an open door of the garage and shot across the patio onto the lawn.
I found it though

Rustic

I feel your pain, anyone who has any dealings with BX's will know they shear bleed nipples for fun. What should have been a simple job to swap over a calliper with an exchange unit turned into four hours of fun* when a spring clip made a bid for freedom and I was left with an immobile hulk on the driveway slowly dripping green lifeblood when I eventually gave up looking for it and biked it to the motor factors.