There's currently a thread here about Poker Runs, and all the problems with going on these runs, and the people you have to deal with. Let me tell you about my Poker Run experience today. The extremely condensed version is it made me love being a biker more than any experience I can recall in all my years of riding. If you care to know why, read on. It will probably be a bit long, but please read it, as it is worth it. If nothing else, scroll down to the last paragraph and read the summation.

We headed out this morning on a Poker Run to help raise funds to build a shelter for Cope Animal Rescue. We chose, from a few choices of runs we could do today, because of proximity & start time.

The weather forecast promised rain today, but, after looking at the RADAR and checking a few weather reports, we decided it probably wouldn't rain until later, and probably not all that much if it did. We decided to go, and even decided to leave the rain suits at home.

We were the first to show up at 9:00 (a rarity). Registration from 9-11, first bikes out at 10. By 10, there were only 5 or 6 bikes there. The gray skies, cool weather, and forecast of rain seemed to be keeping everyone away. We (my wife and I), decided to hang around until 11 for more bikes to show up.

We ended up leaving Shorewood, IL with about 25 other bikes. Mostly Harleys, but a few Hondas (one of them a very cool Bobber) and one very nice BMW R 1200 RT. There were some patched members from a local MC, some pretty hard core biker types, some retired guys, women riders... a very varied group, but all clearly pretty dedicated bikers (the kind who would show up for a 120 mile 7 hour run when the weather sucked and looked like it would rain).

We hit the first stop in Seneca, IL. Made it to the second stop in Utica, IL (Starved Rock area - the farthest point from my house, about 60 miles away), and headed from there to the third stop, E.J. Karz in Verona, IL. Some awesome country riding, most of it out in the middle of nowhere.

Just south of Ottawa, we hit a torrential downpour - for about a minute or two. We got pretty soaked... as did the bike. Heading, west, we were about 8 miles from E.J. Karz when my check engine light came on and my odometer went blank. The bike seemed to be running fine, no weird noises, nothing felt weird.

It had happened before - the odometer going blank, about 8 months ago. That time, the bike died when I hit a stop light. That time, it would crank, but wouldn't start. I turned off the ignition, turned it back on, everything came back right, the bike fired up, and I haven't had any problems since.

So, while we were still moving, I shut of the ignition & turned it back on, but nothing changed. We were in the middle of cornfields, and there really wasn't any shoulder to pull off on. I saw a building with a parking lot and decided to pull in there. I thought maybe something had gotten wet. I figured I'd stop, look over all my connections, maybe dry something out, have a smoke, fire it back up, and be on my way.

Wrong. After checking everything over, I turned on the ignition switch, the odometer came on, no check engine light... cool. Then I hit the starter. Nothing but a click. Damn.

Oh... did I mention we had taken off from the last stop on our own? Yeah... there was no one else there, and I had just a very few tools in my bag. Fortunately, I knew there would be other riders coming along behind us.

A bunch passed without noticing us (we were a little off the route), but one guy near the end did see us, flailing our arms. He turned around and came back to see what was up. A short time later, a couple more bikes from the small group he was with showed up to find out what was going on. Later, some people who were already at the bar, heard we were back down the road, broke dick, and they came over to try to help.

We all scratched our chins and looked at everything we could think of on the bike, and surmised there was clearly "something" wrong in the electrical system, and my battery was dead. We tried to push start it, but it was just cranking - there was clearly no fire.

The whole time, various people are on cell phones, calling for advice or possible help. I told everyone to just go ahead and finish the run, and I'd just call a tow truck and handle it that way. They all seemed to want to stay, but I convinced them there was nothing more that could be done, it was just a matter of waiting for the tow truck. All but 3 of them went ahead and left, but two guys and one couple refused. One guy was still working the phone when he got a call from the bar (E.J. Karz). It was Ed (Swede), the bar owner. He had heard I had a dead bike and bitched at us for not calling. He had a truck and trailer, and said he'd be right down to pick up me & my bike.

Everyone stayed to help load the bike on the trailer, then we all headed to the bar. When we got there, Ed pulled out a battery charger & hooked it up to my bike. It seemed clear the bike was running off the battery, so, his hope was, once we put some charge in the battery, the bike would fire up, and maybe I'd have enough juice to make it home.

So, my wife and I stayed. Pretty much everyone there from the Poker Run stayed with us - screwing themselves out of the food, the chance to win their prize for best or worst hand, and whatever else was included in the event they *paid* to attend.

We had a few drinks and then some dinner. After a couple of hours on the charger, the bike fired right up. I repeatedly attempted to give Ed some cash for everything he had done to help us... and he repeatedly refused to take it. I tried paying way to much for dinner, and saying "Keep the change"... he wouldn't have it.

So, we fired up the bike and hit the road. Here's where the really weird problem hits.

There was no way I could get from E.J. Karz to my house without passing through some pretty desolate stretches. If the bike was going to die, I hoped it would happen as we passed through Morris, IL, or, with until we got as close to home as possible.

As anyone who's ever had a similar experience would guess, when we got to about the most desolate stretch of the trip, the check engine light came on & the odometer blanked. With no other choices, I decided to just ride until it died, hopefully making it, at least, to an abandoned bar which at least offered a parking lot in which to pull over and wait for the tow truck.

No such luck. Within a minute of the check engine light coming on, the headlight had dimmed to nearly nothing, and, finally, the engine started to buck, sputter and cough. With no other choice, I pulled in the clutch and steered for what little shoulder there was. I don't know why... maybe it's just a Harley thing, but, when I pulled in the clutch, I revved the engine. I have no idea why, but on the second rev, the headlight grew bright again, the check engine light went off, and the odometer came back on. I let out the clutch and made the rest of the trip home without incident.

Now I need to figure out what's wrong with the bike... a loose connection somewhere, a short, voltage regulator going bad, stator going bad...?

*** The Summation ***
SO... first of all, there are a lot of bikers who are cool as hell, no matter what kind of bike they ride, where they work, or who they are. They will do anything and everything to help out a fellow biker. Some guys named gary & Ray... a couple whose names I don't recall (and wish I had written down), and at least 10 other bikers who all made *my* problem, their most important consideration.

Ed at E.J. Karz is Extremely, extremely, awesome. As if it weren't already enough that he came with the trailer to get my bike and hooked me up with the battery charger, his plan, if that failed, was to let me take his truck & trailer home, with the promise I'd bring them back in the morning - because he needed the pick-up to haul some trash. I never met this guy before today. He had NO idea who I was, and he was going to give me his truck and custom built trailer, so I could get home & get my bike home.

Please, if you ever feel like taking a ride and need somewhere to go, head south of Morris, IL on Route 47 to Grand Ridge Rd. Take a right, go 4 miles west, and stop at E.J. Karz (on your left)near Verona, IL. Bring as many friends as you can get together and help me to support a man who epitomizes what being a biker is all about - community, brotherhood, whatever you want to call it. Right now, that's the best way I can think of to repay him for the extreme kindness and help he gave me.

 

 

That was one interesting poker run! Looks like you ran into a great bunch of people on that ride. Next Thursday we are off to the Las Vegas BikeFest, and I have a pretty good set of tools that we will be taking along, including a fuel siphon and something I added just today, all the wrenches needed for a clutch adjustment (I adjusted our clutches today, using an 11/16th spark plug socket that I just bought off of eBay). So I guess we might be able to help in case we run in to anyone broke down along the way. And I think I will check to see just when I replaced my battery, if ever.

 

Update on my electrical problem;

I just spent the past few hours poking and prodding the bike with a multimeter. I feel pretty good that the stator is OK - putting out the right voltage and not shorted. I'm leaning towards the voltage regulator being bad. I get a 0.9v reading on both pins (should be zero). Even if I were to presume my multimeter is not quite accurate, it would seem any reading there would indicate a bad voltage regulator.

I did notice there was a good deal of oil in the voltage regulator connector. Doing a search, I found this is actually common. Some people seemed to feel it would not cause a problem. Someone else indicated a dealer told them there was a service bulletin on this. I moved some things around to get rid of this issue.

 

Man, at first glance at the thread title, I thought I did something cool...lol Oh well, it was an interesting read, and I'm glad you had some cool people around to help you out. Wish I was more knowledgeable about the electrical stuff, hope you get it figured out w/out too much time/$$

I'm pretty far from that place, but will try to remember to look it up if in the area...

 

Just when you've lost the faith, you read this. Cool story.

 

I live close enough to Morris IL to do just that. Sounds like a great place. Hope you get your bike figured out.
MikeM

 

I went on a run this July that went to EJ Kars. They are very cool people that own the place. Someone had trouble with their bike and they had him in the back of the bar inside and getting him fixed up. I for sure would have stuck around and hung out as well, it's just my way of trying to help even if I really couldn't do anything. Anyway hope everything works out for you without a hugh bill to get it fixed.

 

There are still some GOOD people out there, ya just got find them. ------- Or let them find you!

 

i had a softail that did the same symptoms you are describing. the issue was a poor ground. the one copper braided ground had anodized to the point that it caused a very slight (a few ohms) resistance. This caused the system to look for ground and i did burn thru the stator 2X. so....2 stators later and the wife coming 150 mi. to fetch me, a feller in the local pub, (whilst I be waiting fer da wife) told me of a similar prob he had in a boat and he replaced the ground. I did that and THEN a new lite came on....'buy new bike'. gluck on your prob. and hope it's a easy fix.