Stupidest thing you've ever done to your bike?

I have a candidate.

First rule of stainless steel fasteners, especially big ones, is YOU HAVE TO USE ANTISEIZE or it will seize. I know this, yet I frequently forget. :roll:

I was messing around yesterday morning and grabbed a bolt, SS buttonhead and tried it on the kickstarter pinch. It fit, I didn't think the threads would work but it did. So excited I decided to crank down on the bolt. If you read the above I think you know what happened next... :cry:

So if it have been a regular bolt head or even a socket I might have had a chance to grab the head. But noooooo, I had to get in the worse possible situation ever. FInally a combination of banging a Torx bit in, heat and some sort of lubricant in there... oh, did I mention an impact driver... and it backed out. I was sweating for a bit there. The head could have twisted off or worse. I'm such a dumb ass. But a lucky one... this time.



Went and got a proper high tensile bolt and nipped it right up proper. :mrgreen:

Pulling Monster wheelies from a standing start. :roll:

Let it sit for a few months without riding it.

Button heads are not for doing up tight, st.steel (chewing gum) ones are even worse.
Hex. head is the way to go. At least you got it out.

going 60 in a 35mph zone. $150 fine.

Painting fireflake blue black.

Dave
69S

Not making sure the push rods were seated after replacing the head gasket and starting the engine! Twice in one life time.

Flo said:

Button heads are not for doing up tight, st.steel (chewing gum) ones are even worse.
Hex. head is the way to go. At least you got it out.

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Well, now you tell me! :mrgreen:

I used Catrol Super Clean on the bike after popping an oil hose off the head. It was an oily mess but the Castrol got it really clean! And then I had to polish all of my aluminum because it looked like it had white chalk all over it. The fine print on the Super Clean says not to use it on any external parts, paint, aluminum or MOTORCYCLES. Luckily I didn't use it on the tank, it might have stripped it. The oil hose coming loose is another stupid story.

Russ

rvich said:

I used Catrol Super Clean on the bike after popping an oil hose off the head. It was an oily mess but the Castrol got it really clean! And then I had to polish all of my aluminum because it looked like it had white chalk all over it. The fine print on the Super Clean says not to use it on any external parts, paint, aluminum or MOTORCYCLES. Luckily I didn't use it on the tank, it might have stripped it. The oil hose coming loose is another stupid story.

Russ

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Oh no! I thought I was the only one to pull that dumb trick! I had to pull most every bit of aluminum off the bike and use the buffer with both red and white compound! And my frame still has some dull spots. I get angry every time I pass that stuff in the parts store.

Crash in shed playing rocking horse making motor sounds on my silent Combat.
Landed on soft boxes against wall.

Putting another lever on RH of SV650, moved to LH, squated down wondering almost out loud how long that would last and lifted bike off side stand as I was rising and lost balance to lose unused lever I'd cut down just in case.

Going about 130 on Peel Combat over steep crest to almost run up on police, only missing me because he was going up steep far side so his mirrors could not see me till slowed.

Oh OH Oh, riding 30 miles in stop and go traffic to get a truck to carry Ms Peel home d/t broke axle 800 miles away, decided to just ride her into truck on its built in ramp up over 4 ft, all fine until power let off and surge of bike on tire
hitting truck lip, shifted axle to apply rear brake and drop poor Peel upside down. The stupid part was not realizing the real cause thinking I'm too tired or scared to ride her fast enough i charged again a good bit faster but slick wood floor made me back off as front hit lip - dead stop, balanced therel for an instant with no place to put down feet, so full upside down > trashed Bates hard bags.

Getting on a motorcycle thinking I'm in control of my fate, not no more.

letting it drink and then take me home !!! :shock:
(a long time ago i might add ! and kiddies dont try this at home!)

Far too many to mention but the most expensive was on a Triumph Sprint RS 955i taking out the plug at the rear of the cylinders to fix an oil weep and overtighting it on the way back in, its a tapered plug, it cracked the crankcases, result, replacement engine! Doh! :roll:

Getting off the bike and not putting the side stand down and walking away, more than one time.

Not the most stupid but definitely the most recent stupid thing I've done............reversing my one way breather valve after a cleanup and pulling off the Motorway after 65 miles finding one side covered in grey oil (engine + belt drive dust) and the other side misted in clean oil (wherever it could push its way out). Still after a 1 hour cleanup and a raid on Burger king serviettes I was impressed so little had forced its way out of the main joints. I was just lucky there were no LH corners as the rear rim was awash and the sidewall covered. Problem is I also did this 8 years ago but got a warning with oil spewing from the barrel joint and white smoke behind. This time all felt fine, only stopped for a leak.

Sold it.

Mk3 intersate sold when just married to buy washing machine.

years before I could replace it .
Sam

Getting off the bike and not putting the side stand down and walking away, more than one time.

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How about getting ON the bike and forgetting to put the kickstand UP. Works find till the first left turn.
Bill G

Bill, I have done that once, at a gas station, very embarrassing.

Dropping it after trying to kickstart it while it was still in gear.

Buying a commando.