On my shovelhead once, I checked the oil in Parumph, NV, gassed up, headed across Death Valley. Got to Glendale, PRC and the next morning checked the oil. I had a half quart left. Had to replace the inner primary at my dad's house. I asked him if he had any tools. He handed me a stamped sheet metal open end wrench set from dollar days at K-Mart. Literally. I was lucky that Glendale HD actually had a 1979 big twin inner primary in stock. They were different than all the other years. And they had the improved version that had some support at the inner bearing.

Same bike, hit a bump in the Oklahoma Panhandle and bottomed out. Fork oil all over the left gas tank. Limped into bumfuq Colorado, saw a FLHT of the same color scheme (cream and tan Classis) parked in front of the house, talked, pulled the bike out back, tore the front end apart, got beer, fork oil, extra large combination wrench, pinch bolt, put it back together and we were on our way the next day. Ahh, many beers may have been involved that evening. And there was no hot water, and rug rats running around with boom sticks in my saddlebag. I still get bitching about that one.

Same bike. We just finished visiting the _Soldier of Fortune_ headquarters in Boulder (RIP Col. Alex...) and the Celestial Seasonings Tea headquarters next door, and were heading out of town. Took off in heavy traffic. The throttle locked 1/3 open. Pulled in the clutch and the bike revved to "ZOMG." Let the clutch out and it chug-chug-chugged towards the traffic. All with Dr.L (pre-Docs for both of us) riding on the back. I pulled in the clutch, hit the kill switch and coasted up over the railroad tracks to some little "old" part of town with touristy shops. I pulled the carb off. It was a Lectron slide carb which actually worked really well. The throttle cable had frayed at the top 90 bend that pulls the slide up and a piece dropped down in the slide, locking it open. When I split the carb body apart, I could clean it all up fine. Of course, the throttle cable was shot and not usable. Fortunately, I had a spare in my saddlebag, which I had the indy shop make up for me when I bought the carb. Putting it on, low and behold, the ball would not fit through whatever passage it had to go through to go back together. Dr.L had a pink handle fingernail file (which I still carry in my tourpack today, 31 years later) and I filed the lead ball down with that and the sidewalk. Put it back together and we were on our way.

Same bike, I had to pull the oil pump at the Bear Bute state park campground at Sturgis. Our neighbor wouldn't ride me into town, as that would be a tantamount admission of homosexuality, be he did go in and get me a gasket. Then there was the smoking battery cable at the campground. Smoke came out when we got there. The smoke stopped. I didn't worry about it until the next morning when the bike wouldn't start. Zip, nothing. Found the half missing cable. I put an alligator clip lead across it, kick started the bike and rode to town and got a new cable.

Maybe ya'll can see why after that Sturgis trip in '86, the next day I put ten large in my pocket and a PPK in the small of my back and drove to Houston and bought this:



which I'M STILL RIDING.

 

Okay okay...enough out of you....Lol...j/k.

 

That's gonna be hard to DO

Most all that have been riding any length time has a story or two.
For me I have been blessed my my travels and was near enough to home I walked and got what was needed.

And yes once was a gas can

WP

 

I really don't have a personal roadside repair story. Every time I broke down, I was either in a bar parking lot, or close enough to a bar parking lot to limp in there and call for a tow....

Like Dr. Hess posted, only takes a few minor tools to repair just about anything on an EVO. Toss in some duct tape, a few hose clamps, cell phone, and credit card: Everything is good...

I've actually found, that most motorcycle shops are pretty darn good at taking care of stranded bikers. At least that's been my experience.

I do like the story about 'up-ending' the Honda 500 and shaking it. I've got a similar story involving repairing a toilet in a mobile home... But I'll save that for after a few beers...

 

hey Doc,

What model was that? 1979 FL.POS?
Lol

 

Yeah, it was a 1979 FLH POS Classic.

One more on that bike: We pulled into Spearfish and stopped at the grocery store, a "clunk" having suddenly appeared. Parked in the shade near the door, I'm digging into it and this guy, about 7+ ft tall with a biker for Christ vest comes up, sticks his hand out and says "Hi. I'm Lurch." Asked me if I needed anything, but I was good and he went on his way. That one was the chain guard. The tab on the swingarm broke off. I took the chain guard off, bungied it on somewhere and we went on our way.

 

Wasn't evo related but did a head gasket on my shovel in a Mc Donalds parking lot outside Dallas.

Brothers bike snapped the pinion shaft while in Colorado springs on a late Sunday afternoon, knew people there so had access to a backyard and heavy tools, had it buttoned up and at the bar by Tuesday. We got lucky on that one all the connections with parts, tools and a balancing stand just fell into place.

Like Dr Hess has pointed out , tripping on shovelheads could be an adventure.

 

had a throwout bearing go out on me once about 50 miles from home. i pulled the trans side cover thinking it was the clutch arm fork that pushed on the throwout bearing my have been busted. it broke once before and i always cary a spare. i couldn't get all the slack out of the clutch cable and this is what i came up with.

 

Not sure how it happened but a friend of mine had his throttle cable come loose on I35 in Waco and I had to reattach it so we could get home.

Not much of a repair but aside from a couple loose bolts and a TC firing on one cylinder that's all I got.

 

My 65 BSA Lightning in Western PA circa 1975. Snapped the throttle cable. Finding a replacement on a Sunday being a non-starter, we rigged the choke cable to function as a throttle and propped the spring loaded choke slides open with a chunk of wood.

Got home. Which was pretty much always the goal with that bike.