Bad Luck Comes in Threes

[panhead_jim]

What's your worst breakdown story? My happened about this time last year when I was riding north to attend the Pewter Run. Three major failures in just 200 miles of riding. Makes for a good story though...

Check it out: Bad Luck Comes In Threes: Brakes, Belts and Drums

[sirhrmechanic]

On a vintage bike, losing the front tire on my JD... which caused the tire to come off the rim and wrap around the forks. Laid the bike down. Fortunately, I caught the vibration and stood on the brake... hauled myself down to about 10 MPH before it let go. Minutes before, I had been going very fast....

Bike still has the scars. So does my jacket and a pair of gloves. I didn't get a scratch.

Bikes are bikes... they wouldn't be fun if they weren't a bit risky.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[tfburke3]

Worst breakdown on any chief was when riding my 47 chief to Oley when motor crapped out.Luckily I had some Indian kiwi matches from the day before.Sanded points and away I went.
Tom

[T. Cotten]

Too many to remember Folks,...

But what could have been the ultimate worst was when my tired warhorse '65 with a hack started blowing oil and losing power after the Indiana Bean Blossom Abate party some time in the '80s. Filled up with gas and oil at the state line, and struggled to hide from truckers as I drafted on their rear bumpers, all the way home.

....Cotten

[exeric]

Your picture brought back a bad memory panhead_jim. I like belt drives but when they go there is no warning. I was pulling a hack with my '51FL when I was on my way to work one morning. If you know Orlando, I was getting on I-4 via the west bound ramp of Robinson St. in downtown Orlando. I would really turn up the wick so I could safely merge with rush hour traffic and of course, that is when the belt lost all it's cogs. I run chain now.

[fillibuster]

them there three bolts that hold the scraper in the 47 chief crankcase, if you don't tighten them you lose all your oil on the interstate, and burn your pistons (and what else). So it's either three bad luck bolts, or it's three really senior moments; has to add up to three at some point.

[Magic]

We've all most have had many days where we pushed our ride to a safe area to figure out our next move. On the belt drives in a closed primary do they build up more heat then open air? I can understand why not having an open cover. I still run chains on 3 of my Pan Glides and just keep changing the cardboard drip pans regularly.

[vph-d]

Proper alignment is critical good belt life. As to the heat question, I drill a few holes thru the inner primary, and leave out a couple of derby screws. This seems to work...
VPH-D

[upsrod]

Or space the inspection and derby covers out!

[DanM]

I was riding my 45" down to White rose and was on the Garden State Parkway i think when all of a sudden the engine revved but the bike was slowing. I ended up in the median, not the right side for some reason. The primary chain had jumped. But when I was taking off the primary cover I see a screw tip sticking through the sheet metal! Turns out, I had not used the inner primary lock tabs. One of those inner primary countersunk screws had backed out, gotten in the chain and sprocket, threw it off, and then from the force of the event flung the screw hard enough to penetrate the cover. To add interest, a couple friends driving down had spotted me previously and we pulled over and gave them my tent and clothes and stuff, but kept my tools, lucky for me. Well to get the chain back on I had to move the rear wheel forward to move the tranny forward enough to get the chain over the sprockets and then get everything back together. All the while the cars and trucks were speeding by blowing me around. But I made it from Mass all the way.

Later I rode that same 45 to Davenport and had 2 rear flats along the way. First one a guy stopped within minutes and had a trailer with his own bike. Loaded it, took me off the hiway and we found a mess of a shop with stuff all over the yard, but I got the wheel off and he put in a new tube. Later on the Ohio turnpike the same rear went flat. This time it took hours before any one stopped- I wasn't sure if I should take the wheel off or what. It was getting dark. All that guy did was tell some one at the tollbooth ahead. A long while later a state truck pulled over, and he called a tow company. The tow rig finally showed and he was the nicest guy. He carefully put blankets on the bike and used straps to lift it and secure it. While driving he asked "where to?". I told him I had no idea, just to an exit would be ok. He informed me it was Auburn Cad Duesenberg weekend, AND kids going back to college and a room would be hard to find. He radios his wife, who found me a room. He drove me to the hotel and asked what I was going to do. I told him I'd figure it out. He says give me the wheel. He hangs around while I get the rear wheel off, and he takes it. The next morning he's back with a new tube it it ready to go- tells me the other was pinched. He hangs around till I get it on and sure its all set. I still made it to Davenport to see the races Friday night my first time. Took 3 days of 12 hours to go the 1300 miles. At Devenport I bought a tube and tire irons. I never had a flat again.

[sirhrmechanic]

Dan:

Glad you had a safe time on the GSParkway. I avoid that thing like the plague. In a modern truck. So riding a vintage bike on it... you have more cojones than I do, my friend!

Dan indirectly mentions the Auburn Cord Duesenberg museum... it's possibly the best old car museum in America. And I've been to them all. The ACD folks are wonderful. Visit it if you can in Indiana. It's co-located with the American Truck Museum, which is also superb!!!! It's a great 'old bike' destination. And a great stop if you are in the midwest. A totally worthy museum.

Cheers,

Sirhr

[koanes]

That's good stuff Dan. I've ridden my 47WL on a few long weekend rides, but always away from the weaving, swirling, speeding mess that you find on the highways near major cities. You are a brave man.

[jim d]

I think it is not if a primary belt will break but when it will break. My friend used to keep a spare belt in his saddlebag, after a few replacements he put the chain back on. There is a reason why Harley got rid of the primary belt. My friends broke at 2 AM one night another friend blew one coming through the mountains of western Pa. on the turnpike late at night.
Jim D.

[Nickel Norton]

I was riding my 1969 Honda to get it inspected, when the bike just died. I coasted it to a driveway and got off. On immediate inspection, I saw oil leaking from the head. I called a buddy with his truck and we got it back home. After removing the engine, we found that the bolt holding the overhead camshaft sprocket had backed out and run into the head itself. This sheared off the head of the bolt (which fell into the case) and punctured the head, which was where all the oil came from. All in all not a terrible mishap, as I found another head relatively easily and was up and running shortly.