What is your craziest mechanical failure...

bmart

bmart

Control Rider
...and how did you manage it?

After seeing the ugly piston and valves in another post, it got me thinking about what sort of mechanical (or mechanic!) failures our riders have experienced and perhaps (hopefully) overcome. Share!

I've had:
  • Dirty contacts on my R6 B-bike kill switch periodically shut off the power while on a hot track
  • An intermittent fuel pump on my R1 (for sale!) killing power (resistance changing as it got hotter)
  • Intermittent coil resistance on my R6 A-bike (see a trend...heat changes resistance! Everything in spec when cold)
  • Tank slapper at VIR Patriot (running CW) at the top of the hill after the pit entry. I never had one before and didn't know about the lack of brakes afterward. Drove off but saved it!
  • Missed shift at NCBike between turns 10 and 11 and wasn't able to get slowed enough to finish the turn. It wasn't pretty. I generally wait to shift now and try a wider more sweeping line.
  • An embarrassing time at CMP when coaching for TrackTactics and chosen to show "fast" laps to viewers. I planned to change the front pads, apparently 2 laps too late. I had no brakes on one side and showed slow laps instead. :eek:

Tell us about yours!
 
mdhokie

mdhokie

Member
All on my antique two-stroke:
  • Horn wire shorted on frame (insulation rubbed off by vibration), horn started blasting nonstop as I was going through a traffic circle in town. Only quit honking when I pulled on the clutch lever which shifted the wire a bit.
  • Failed to bend sprocket washer over nut, nut vibrated loose, had entire front sprocket and chain fly off the bike around a curve on a mountain road. Spent half an hour searching in the weeds for all my sprung parts.
  • Oil pump throttle cable slipped off cam, partial seize while riding
  • Points ignition gap jarred closed riding on a horribly washboarded gravel forest service road, would only run on one cylinder.
 
Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
Like mdhokie

•I forgot to bend my sprocket washer over the nut. Half way between Knoxville and Nashville on interstate 40 the nut spun loose punching no less then 7 holes in the engine case. Dumping all the oil onto my rear tire and then onto the interstate. Waited 4 hours for my ride to pick me up and only one person stopped to see if I was okay during that time. I still have the nut, it was laying in my belly pan. I think about the nut everytime I work on my bike. It reminds me to double check my work.
 
wmhjr

wmhjr

Grandpa
Control Rider
Some of this stuff is a lot funnier after time passes than it was at the time, right?

Here are some examples off the top of my head...

  • Back around 1974, riding dirty bikes with some friends over toward what is now Nemacolin PA, Just at the top of climbing Mt Sugarloaf on a Yammy MX125, the posts on the stator sheared off - and the engine was kaput. Had some clothesline wrapped around the bars (didn't have pads and new fangled safety stuff back then) and used it to get towed back about 18 miles by a Honda SL125 - completely smoking the clutch on it.
  • Had a buddy borrow a "family spare" SL100 - and he refueled it at the end of the day. Unknown to me, he grabbed the wrong fuel can and filled it with diesel. Realized it a week later when I started it for another buddy - and it initially started - then belched thick white smoke - and then died. Took about 6 hours to clean it up and get it running again.
  • And then there was the tire warmer incident....
 
Thunderace

Thunderace

BIG JIM
Control Rider
I think my best "read worst" moment is when I crashed right in front of Lenny as we were turning out of the pits going down to hot pit. I was probably only going 5mph and the back end stepped out. No damage, but it sure freaked out Lenny who almost ran over me.

Since we are talking about Lenny, I know what he's going to say. I won't give it away, but it involves a scooter in the pits at Shenandoah and I believe 3 broken ribs!
 
bmart

bmart

Control Rider
Love hearing these!

A few more that come to mind:
  • On one of my FJs, a wire casing got worn through and the wire stayed grounding out. It meant that the bike wouldn't turn off! I had to take off the seat and disconnect the battery...then diagnose!
  • And only partially in this vein. I rolled one of my previous CB-1s onto an open trailer and put the kickstand down. A strong wind came and blew the bike off the stand. It rolled with enough force that the very top of the tank bounced off of the plastic fender and it landed on it's wheels. Not a scratch...
  • And then there was the Ducati that a friend bought. It had an oil filter that leaked onto the back tire, but we didn't notice that problem right away due to the feeling of driving it with this sprocket (see pic) on it (it stays with the box of broken bike parts for good memories).
 

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wmhjr

wmhjr

Grandpa
Control Rider
I seem to somebody else - at Thunderbolt - having a sprocket that looked worse yet than that! Not giving away the names....
 
Motofun352

Motofun352

Control Rider
Got black flagged at the Beav going around the carousel...Who? What ME? Pulled over against the front straight armco smoking like I had a tire on fire. Turns out I must have put the cir-clip in the rear brake master cylinder upside down. When it came apart the brake fluid hit the exhaust can. After that I check those clips twice to make sure I put them in the right way. PS, those spring kits that woodcraft sells to keep the rear brake un-engaged are nice kit.
 
Thunderace

Thunderace

BIG JIM
Control Rider
I had a pair of forged magnesium Marchesini wheels on my 2000 R1. The rear sprocket carrier let go under deceleration at VIR South turn 1. The carrier slid outward and the force of the engine kept the carrier spinning. The sprocket nuts dug out a groove in the swingarm about 3/4 inch deep from top top bottom. I kept the bike upright thankfully. A new sprocket carrier and some TIG welding to the swingarm and I was good to go. Thankfully, the wheel was unscathed. That would have quadrupled my repair bill.
 
Greg ZX6R

Greg ZX6R

Member
Hmm, besides the multiple radiator issues, I think my worst mechanical failure was the brake lever bracket bolts loosening and causing the lever to just slide forward on the clip on, basically dangling. As I was coming under the bridge at Lightning. Nothing like reaching down for the lever and feeling no lever there. Also had right glove bunch up in palm while going down the front straight at Lightning, causing the throttle to stay open as I reached for the brake lever (which was there this time). Loosened my hand on throttle, then grabbed lever, causing and entertaining 135mph stoppie, with Steve right behind me.
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
Coming through the kink at the old Beave, when it was really bumpy...my FI light would start flashing and the bike would suddenly lose a lot of power. Turns out the bumps caused the kickstand to bounce enough to allow the plunger to partly deploy. Luckily it wasn't quite enough to cause the bike to completely shut off. (The kickstand bypass switch on the gixxer is a plunger that's pressed in when the kickstand is up.)

Quite some time later, Cookieman is complaining about his gixxer's FI light coming on, bike losing power, can't figure it out.... I say, is it happening over the bumps? He thought about it and said it was. Told him about the kickstand switch. Same issue. Then he says "want a case of STP?":rofl:
 
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Dave561

Dave561

Control Rider
Director
Threw a sprocket at Kappy. Previous pic
Threw a brake lever at mike and Rob - crash
Throttle spun and blocked brake lever - crash
 
Dave561

Dave561

Control Rider
Director
Greg ZX6R said:
Hmm, besides the multiple radiator issues, I think my worst mechanical failure was the brake lever bracket bolts loosening and causing the lever to just slide forward on the clip on, basically dangling. As I was coming under the bridge at Lightning. Nothing like reaching down for the lever and feeling no lever there. Also had right glove bunch up in palm while going down the front straight at Lightning, causing the throttle to stay open as I reached for the brake lever (which was there this time). Loosened my hand on throttle, then grabbed lever, causing and entertaining 135mph stoppie, with Steve right behind me.
Click to expand...

Cut me off during that move too. No respect. :D
 
Greg ZX6R

Greg ZX6R

Member
Sorry Dave, that was actually a different instance of when the glove bunched up; another 100mph rolling stoppie. It's more for your entertainment than anything else.
 
Lenny ZX9R

Lenny ZX9R

Control Rider
Thunderace said:
I think my best "read worst" moment is when I crashed right in front of Lenny as we were turning out of the pits going down to hot pit. I was probably only going 5mph and the back end stepped out. No damage, but it sure freaked out Lenny who almost ran over me.

Since we are talking about Lenny, I know what he's going to say. I won't give it away, but it involves a scooter in the pits at Shenandoah and I believe 3 broken ribs!
Click to expand...

LOL!I remember that well Big Jim! The bike made a complete circle and you popped up! I came real close to getting you! Shenny was a complete mess. wheel turned on the scooter and on a tar snake= no grip, twist throttle get slammed into the ground! 3 busted ribs! ouch!
 
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