Back in the early 80's I was riding some back country FM roads on a shovel head I had. When I heard some huffing and puffing. I pulled over and discovered that the timing hole plug had come out. So, I found a stick and whittled it down and screwed it to the timing plug hole. Made it back to the house with a piece of wood sticking out the side of the engine.
The Mrs. and I were out on a ride and she wanted to stop at a farmers market. Just as we were finding a place to park, my slip on muffler decided to break right where it slides over the header pipe. I found a place in the farmers market that was selling strawberries and they had them in baskets that had wire handles. I asked if I could have a few of the handles and managed to tie the exhaust on with wire. It was just good enough to get us the rest of the hour ride home.
Had a hotrodded BSA I had rigged a kill switch on for the tail & brake lights, it got used a few times...
You gotta do what you gotta do to get away, right...
Mate of mine in oz told be a neat trick. Use your indicators when you're running from cops.
Use them for about 5 turns then on the sixth you turn the opposite way to the indicators - the cops are then used to you signalling like a noob and tend to think you're going right when you f-off left.
Doesn't always work but it got him out of gaol a few times.
Buddy and me bought new 79 FXs. 79s were famous for sticking valves and bending push rods. On a toad trip his stuck, bent the push rod but the valve didn’t stick. Pulled his push rod out and straightened it with a rock on the road. Ran great for the whole trip but I wasn’t as fortunate. Mine stuck and bent the valve. Had to leave the bike 250 miles from home and rode bitch the rest of the way. Went back in my truck and picked up the next day.
A couple come to mind. I saw a Honda at a Honda dealership in the service area that had a couple of jury rigs on it. The most memorable was a door bell button on the rubber pad on the side of the fuel tank to operate the brake light.
The best, Mickey Mouse, roadside repair I was ever involved with concerned a 650 Triumph in the 60's. He was riding alongside ew when the bike started making a strange sound. We stopped to find the left sparkplug handing by the wire. The threads in the head were totally stripped out. We found a pop top tab on the side of the road. Took the ring off and wrapped the rest of it around the treads of the plug. Got a socket out of the tool kit that fit over the ceramic insulator and bottomed on the base. Drove the plug into the head with a hammer. We were at the races in Laconia, rode the rest of the weekend and back home in Conn. He later welded and re-tapped the hole. I guess because he had that Triumph he carried a pretty complete tool kit.
kk
Just did this last week and it's still holding ! One of those cheap Chinese 'chrome' clutch cables, adjusting threads stripped and the cable would slacken within 5 mins. of riding, causing the lever to flop about uselessly. Found a cable clip in my garage and formed the shape and fitted it between the adjusting nuts, tied it with a cable tie and it works great ! Will do till I pull the bike off the road this winter...b.
When I would go on over-nighters before I had rigid mount bags I would zip tie a pair of leather throw overs to the fender struts. I went from eastern alabama to memphis and back several times and never had an issue.
I was out riding the other day and when I returned home, I pulled my bike into the garage. When I was closing the door, I noticed my left turn signal had lost it's red lens. I already knew I didn't have any translucent red tape or any red plastic I could put over it for a temporary fix, so I went into the house to search for something I could use. I didn't find a thing until I went into the kitchen. When I looked at my hummingbird feeders, it hit me. Why not use the top from a small one where the hanger goes. So I twisted one off and put it in place on my bike. It was almost a perfect fit over the top. I used some duct tape to secure it instead of something like silicone caulk since I wasn't sure of the mess I'd make and how easy it would be to clean back off. I ordered a full set, front and rear, lenses with a shroud to match my headlight and I think they will be here by this coming Friday.
I have tons of other stories of jerry rigged things on my bike over the years, like a vice grip on a broken brake line, or with a car a pair of pantyhose for a fan belt, but it's probably best I keep those to myself since I have no pictures to back it up.
10-19-2018, 01:20 PM
