Topic: World's Dumbest Motorcylist - I'm not worthy of my bike!!! ( Free Bike possibly)

[bluezboy]

   I am now accepting 2nding nominations for the title of World's Dumbest Motorcyclist  because I really am dull knife in the drawer, my elevator does not reach the top floor and any other way of describing just what a complete idiot I've tuned out to be when it comes to owning such a nice bike. Here's why.
    Last Thursday my bike quit on me and I had it towed home and there it sat all weekend because I was sure that there was something wrong with it, I was thinking the plugs were fouled, so I was going to have the plugs pulled and check by my cuz. I tried cranking it over the weekend and got it to sputter but it wouldn't stay running.
    I did have gas in the tank when it quit on me on Thursday, but apparently I didn't have as much as my dumb ass thought I did after all because about 10 minutes ago I decided to go out to the garage and unscrew the petcock filter to check for dirt, it was spotless. Next, I filled the the tank up with fresh gas, closed the throttle and of course she fired right up and idled on her after a few minutes.
      At that moment I felt like total bone head! Why in the hell didn't I check the gas when it was at home with a flash light? Most likely, because since the bike is still so new to me and I'm paranoid as hell about one more thing screwing up on me I had just accepted that it needed repairs.
    What I've learned just hopefully is to first assume that it's always a fuel issue and to check the damn tank instead of panicking like some pussy and calling in a tow truck. Maybe the next time I screw up like this, I should just let one of you have her for $1! If you think you can top my Stupid Moment, please let me know. Sheeesh, I missed a great weekend to ride!

[MCRider]

Hey, at least you didn't check the gas with a lighter!

[bluezboy]

  I probably would have gotten around to doing that eventuallly!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Did you know the petcock has a thing called "reserve"?

[Gordon]

Did you know the petcock has a thing called "reserve"?

Don't confuse him!

[bluezboy]

Did you know the petcock has a thing called "reserve"?

 Yes I knew that and I did put it on reserve after pulled over to get it restarted, but  it would not keep running. Go figure, these bike are fickle at times I guess. She has a full tank now, so I'll see what happen in about an hour when I ride her back to work.

[Duke McDukiedook]

I bet you'll never make that mistake again though! 

[bluezboy]

I bet you'll never make that mistake again though! 

  You are so right! I will now refill my bike at the 100 mile mark without fail.

[Johnie]

That is what I do...set the trip meter and fill about every 100 miles. Hey, my hat is off to you for sharing your story. It shows you have character and a good sense of humor. You need that on this board for sure. And keep in mind most of us have done some weird things too. Glad you got it sorted.

[Gordon]

Did you know the petcock has a thing called "reserve"?

 Yes I knew that and I did put it on reserve after pulled over to get it restarted, but  it would not keep running. Go figure, these bike are fickle at times I guess. She has a full tank now, so I'll see what happen in about an hour when I ride her back to work.

You might want to check the flow from your petcock when in the reserve position.  It may be clogged and not allowing gas to flow in that position. 

[bluezboy]

 You're right. How do I check that Gordon?

[Gordon]

With plenty of fuel in the tank , pull the fuel lines off the petcock and compare the flow rates when in the "On" position and the "reserve" position. 

[scottly]

Sorry, but you don't qualify as the dumbest. Other people have also been sidetracked by an empty gas tank.

[bluezboy]

thanks Scotty, I feel a little better now!

[zanorak]

Ha! I think everybody's done this! I spent all kinds of time trying to figure out why my bike would lean out and quit - then I rejetted it. On the check ride... sure enough she quit! I was irate. Limped home, rolling the last 100 yards past some good looking women...

Realized then that I had shut the petcock off when I went inside to get my helmet and jacket before I left. DUH!!!! Won't do that again for sure!

Right now I'm making a mental note to make sure my reserve still works...

[rhos1355]

Definitely not the dumbest thing I've done or heard people do. Perhaps you were right to err on the side of caution, as I would have.
But you know, I think this is symptomatic of the society we now live in; we are instructed and warned and informed in almost every activity we carry out daily (WARNING: Do not hold this knife by the metallic end! Is just one example.) So when we encounter a problem and do not have the instruction manual to hand we immediately expect the worst, and deny ourselves the incentive of trying to figure it out. So we call in the experts.......they know how to do it.
Happened to me recently; My workshop/shed has been having a problem with the lights all summer; slam the door and they would go off, slam it again and hey presto back they come! I didn't dare go anywhere near the junction box or switch. In the end they just stayed off, so I called an electrician Friend of mine to check it out. He had to travel 20 miles to my place on a week end so he missed out on a couple of hours quality time with his young family. He whipped out his screw driver opened the switch cover and abracadabra!!...........loose wire! Tightened the screw and whaddya know? It's worked perfectly ever since.
10 years ago I would have opened the switch myself and done it myself there and then. But now?? No way.......leave it to the guys that know.

Sad isn't it.

[Old75_ratafe]

I got ya for runner up if you check my build thread there's a vid of me starting it up....  I crank on it for a min nothing happens then the camera moves a second and the bike fires right up first try..... My dumb ass forgot to turn the ignition to RUN.....

[kck3]

I am a 100 mile filler uper myself.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Same here, I have yet to get my reserve to work properly.

[Stogie1020]

Did you know the petcock has a thing called "reserve"?

    I thought that said "reverse"!  No wonder my bike wouldn't move backwards on it's own...   

[Damfino]

With plenty of fuel in the tank , pull the fuel lines off the petcock and compare the flow rates when in the "On" position and the "reserve" position. 

Make sure you have a container to catch the fuel flowing from your petcock...


Just sayin' 

[Spikeybike]

running out of gas on the side of the road-- be it petcock position, or actual gas content in the tank ... is a motorcycle right of passage .. i think we've all done at some point ... hell i still forget to turn the gas back when leaving somewhere, time to time  ... thats how you know what your bike sounds like when it's running outta gas  

[borzwazie]

I ran out of gas in 75mph rush hour traffic. I'm sitting on the side of the road with a 4-foot berm, against a concrete barrier for 15 minutes with semis and SUVs whooshing past me, waiting to push my bike through a gap in traffic (yeah, right).

This is dumb because i'd run out of gas the previous 2 tanks in the same way: I have a reserve setting, and it works...when I remember to use it...as I remembered about 15 minutes later.

[nancy]

+1 on the 100 mile refill. I too have never gotten reserve to work properly. Most likely goodads in the tank bottom. It'll run fine if I switch to reserve before it runs out on main...go on till it's rock dry. But if I let it splutter out of fuel on main - I just can't get the F+++ker to fire up on more than 2 cylinders. Happened to me 2 days ago and I did it intentionally. Thought I had it licked. Cleaned my tank weeks ago, cleaned my carbs last week and my petcock - yes I had sediment in all the above. So went for a rap of about 50 miles till it ran out on main, spluttered and I quickly switched to reserve. It started pouring with rain at that moment and a huge gust of wind lifted me a foot closer to the tulips. Stopped under a shelter and changed my shorts. Pulled all the plugs = all good. Cranked, cranked - no way. Shook the tank and leaned it over so that main pipe got more flow - and it fired on maybe 3 cylinders. rode it home - it went to 2 cyclinders and plonked out twice. So managed the 8km home in pouring rain on the verge with my indicator going and cars roaring past me at 60mph not giving a hoot about my life expectancy. Got it home and gave it a good talking to. Put 2 litres of fuel in and it roured on all 4 again!
I think I'll re-route the fuel line to 1-2 - it seems to be about 20mm too long and runs maybe slightly uphill.

[bluezboy]

With plenty of fuel in the tank , pull the fuel lines off the petcock and compare the flow rates when in the "On" position and the "reserve" position. 

Thanks Gordon, I'll check that out soon.