Anyone got an amusing story about a motorcycle breakdown? Neither have I, but I’m going to tell this one anyway.
It was in the days when mobile phones weren’t too common. I was attending a short distance rally - 60 miles away. My wife couldn’t be bothered with a journey of that minute length, and decided to stay in our home town and visit her mother.
My Friday afternoon trip to the rally site on my Kawasaki GT 550 was uneventful (rain, rain, rain), but when I awoke on Saturday morning I discovered I had a flat back tyre.
I decided not to bother the RAC as I had a can of tyre sealant, which I used successfully. However, the instructions declared that I should ride the bike 20 miles immediately after use. Since I was a mere 60 miles away from home, I formulated a cunning plan worthy of Baldrick.
I was also the proud owner of an asthmatic but willing Honda CB 250N Superdream. What if I rode the Kawasaki to my local dealer/garage in my home town and left it there to get the tyre repaired, in order for me to pick it up the next week? I could then return to the rally on the Superdream.
As it happened, the plan worked perfectly. The girl behind the dealer’s counter was about to go to lunch as I arrived, and offered me a lift to within 100 yards of my house in the company van, so I was even saved the inconvenience of carrying my helmet on the bus across town.
There was a little confusion as I re-arrived at the gate of the rally site - after all, I’d left on a Kawasaki and came back on a Honda - but this was nothing at all compared to the bewilderment my actions caused my wife to experience.
She wasn’t at home when I arrived to collect the Honda, so I dialled her mother’s place; there was no reply. (It later turned out they’d both gone to visit her grandmother.) When they returned to her mother’s house, she dialled 1471 to see if there’d been any calls while they were out. There had been - the one I’d tried to make from the phone in our house, where no-one was supposed to be in. At first, my wife assumed that we’d been burgled, but then it struck her that a burglar was unlikely to ring her mother’s number while he was robbing the place.
Upon returning to our home, the first thing she noticed was that the Honda was missing, and she reverted to her original theory of burglary. If I hadn’t left her a covering note I could have been arrested for the theft of my own motorcycle.
Incidentally, I wonder if anyone else has attended a rally on two different bikes on the same weekend?
I dont believe it, you wrote this post and then tonight I have had a rear blow out on the motorway. No problems but have had breakdown recovery out to get me. Never had a puncture ever. I have done the chicken run, then tonight a ride to the craven arms then the tyre blows 3 miles from home. Wierd.
Now, here’s an odd coincidence. I’ve been lucky fairly with punctures, but 75 per cent of those I have had (including the one I described here) occurred on the A49, although I don’t use it often - at its nearest point, it’s 21 miles away from where I live and there are routes that are more convenient.
So, cjninja, you noticed your puncture on the Motorway, but you’d been to Craven Arms beforehand - which just happens to be on the A49. I wonder if that’s where the damage was originally sustained? It’s a thought…
Lol, probably. What was nice though was a few people off biker match are also now on my face-book. I was stuck on the motorway but couldn't send a text or make a phone call because of no signal. Strange I had internet though, thought you couldn't have one with out the other. Any way after using the emergency box about a mile away who had also contacted my breakdown recovery for me, I returned to my bike. So as you do ,I updated my status on fb and a brief description. Not long after two different ladies both offered help to phone my recovery or phone anyone for me, and to let them know I was ok. I just thought that was so nice and considerate I would like to thank Allison and Kaz. Thank you both and I know your a distance away from me but next time we cross paths the coffee and cakes are on me.
I'll keep you to that! I was genuinely concerned for you, motorways are horrible places when your driving/riding but to have a blow out and be stranded isn't a nice thought, Thanks for letting us know you got home safely.
I was out on my Sporty and it developed an ignition problem as I was heading up to the Ponderosa. I pulled in to a lay-by and rang my breakdown service. As I was on the phone to them one of their vans pulled in behind me. After I had finished on the phone they told me someone will be with me in an hour, as I hung up and looked at the breakdown vehicle behind me the driver stuck his thumb up and came to see what the problem was! Ended up having to be recovered back home and fitting a new ignition module.
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