There are times when a mechanical failure is actually a good thing.
When some of our self taught lessons can actually be put to use.
Where creativity and a bit a fearlessness can overcome a situation.
Last night on my way home from the First Thursday Motorcycle event my ever reliable CB400F decided to turn off it's headlight... In my mind not really much of a problem as it is never truly "dark" anywhere in the Minneapolis metro area and I figured I could carefully make my way home. ( By hiding from the police and sneaking through side streets).
Just moments after the light went out a very crazed woman and her SUV pull up along side of me. She is screaming at the top of her lungs that my headlight is out and I will be killed and do I know how dangerous it is yadda Yadda YADDA!
This from a woman who just moments before was splitting two lanes as she was yapping on her cell phone and piloting her SUV with her knee.
She was so excited about my headlight she was practically peeing herself. I flipped up my visor and acknowledged that I had a minor issue that I would be addressing and that she should shut the $#%@ up.
Cost of my headlight issue? Maybe a $100.00 for a new switch, cost of the look on her face? PRICELESS!
Really, the only reason I was sitting at the intersection in the first place was because there was too much traffic to pull over and when she squeezed her SUV up next to me to "enLIGHTen" me she blocked the only drive way on that street!
So I motored on down to the next exit and found a safe place where drunken busybodies would leave me alone and I could sort out the problem. I took off my gloves and helmet and immediately identified that the multifunction switch that Honda invented just for the introduction of the CB400F was kaput! This switch has been the bane of vintage Honda people for years and there has been some pretty creative solutions, none of them successful to try and solve its issues.
When the switch fails (and they ALL do) it breaks the circuit for the headlight and you are no longer allowed to see...
As I am diagnosing the problem a young man asks if I need any help. He has no tools, admits that he is not mechanical and seems a bit high. I politely decline as I am pretty sure he will just step on something I need and I will have to kill him which will just make the whole situation worse.
I remove the headlight from the bucket as I know I can hot wire the light to get my self home. Well I could hot wire the headlight if this was one of my rat bikes but hot wiring this one which is essentially a completely original show bike is not going to work. I cannot jumper any wires for the light with out wrecking something and in this case wrecking is not an option. Another reason I need to sell this dang bike it is just too nice.
So I do bit of checking and I can wrangle the front turn signals to be on constantly. They are about 15 watts each. The stock headlight on low beam is 35. So I am 5 watts down on lighting and it is orange rather than white but I can see. So I button everything up and start heading back.
I took side streets. Maybe the metro is never dark but side streets have their moments. The other worldly orange glow was entertaining. And the reduced pace caused by the lack of vision was rather peaceful. It was pretty much a story book summer night.The temperature was perfect.The air was sweet and the streets were surprisingly empty.
As motored along like an oversized moped watching out for imaginary chunks of things and shadows that appeared to be critters I realized how lucky I am.
This is the type of situation that makes us better humans. It challenges our brain. They make us create for ourselves. We burn out at work because we wrack our brains for some one else all day long. When we problem solve for "us" it is eminently more satisfying. Would it have been easier to ride home with a headlight? Of course. Would it have been as satisfying? Not by a long shot.
We experience so we can appreciate and we learn so we can apply.
This is what allows us to overcome and enjoy the situations that life brings us.
