A survey.....

[Gooch]

just out of curiosity......

as necessity ios the muther of imvention and bikers are known for their problem solving ability and short term fixes .. etc.

I'd be intersted in knowing what we have all tied, bungeed, baling wired to our bikes in those times when there just is no other way to get this down the road.

maybe this should be 2 threads.. one for side of the road mechanical repairs, and another for the strangest thing you've ever transported on a sikkle.

[Gooch]

ok..... strangest things... pitchfork strapped to handlebars ..I may think of others later..

[Alexia]

I know my friend had to bungee his wife to the back a few times!

[best]

Originally Posted by Alexia

I know my friend had to bungee his wife to the back a few times!

*LOL*

That is about the only way I would get mine on a bike. Hand cuffs and bungee cords. A gage may be in order as well *LOL*

[best]

Wife asked that I go food shopping as she had to work. I said OK as it would give me more ride time of sorts. Only had the bike for 2 months at this point.
Emptied the saddle bags then added a milk crate on the second seat with bungee cord. Didn't short the list at all. Had 4 bags as well as 2 gallons of milk and a large laundry soap.
Needed to pick up the muffler and exhaust pipe for the jeep... thought about it. Gathered the bungees then chickened out and took the cage.
3 foot by 2 foot any shape I would use the bike. 4 foot by 2 with a round or square shape would be the limit for me I think.
The dog won't sit still so no pup on the bike yet.
The tank for the gas grill....naaaa I better not try that...I took the cage.
Have thought about it many times with some items and then took the cage.
Last time I took the jeep for food... the back door didn't fully close. Pulled out of the parking lot and yup the door opened. On the bike that wouldn't have happened *LOL*

[BillJ]

I've carried groceries, laundry, small items of furniture (end table, chair, etcetera), and crates of motorcycle parts. So long as you can balance it, and bungee it down firmly, you can carry just about anything, if you gotta.

I once rode all the way across town with two rifles laying across the gas tank of my shovelhead. First traffic light I came to, there was a cop, but he didn't stop me. I wonder why?

[Kim]

Originally Posted by BillJ

I've carried groceries, laundry, small items of furniture (end table, chair, etcetera), and crates of motorcycle parts. So long as you can balance it, and bungee it down firmly, you can carry just about anything, if you gotta.

I once rode all the way across town with two rifles laying across the gas tank of my shovelhead. First traffic light I came to, there was a cop, but he didn't stop me. I wonder why?

Probably cuz you're in Texas. Aren't the gun laws pretty liberal? You'd never get away with that in Michigan lol!

[tramp]

lessee, improvising.
i once welded my shifter pedal to the shaft. it fell off going down a desert road ( sand) so i was stuck in 3rd gear. the splines were gone and there was no way to fix them, i tried some magic liquid goop, to no avail, also to no avail was drilling the hardened shaft in hopes of inserting a bolt or pin through it. it was a 76 sporty, and i know, you CAN"t weld aluminum to steel. but i was pretty wasted and it held. 3 years later it was still holding when i sold it.

not on the bike, but on my head, when we unloaded our bikes in Gulfport, Ms, we found there was a helmet law and we had none. after a lengthy discussion with local peace keepers, we came to the conclusion that "protective head gear" did not refer specifically to helmets. after some rummaging in the galley we came up with a large pot and a steel collander, and so we went bar hopping , drawing much attention, pointing and derision.
also not on the bike, i had a 1969 grand prix with a holman moody built 500 cui motor. we had gone to va beach to party, VIA the bay bridge tunnel ( if memory serves me right it's 27 miles long).
at our last stop the fuel pump went out on the rat motor. it was nearly 2 am. what to do, what to do.
we kept a small trawler at willoughby spit, so we went down and stole the 5 gallon tank and squeeze primer from the skif.
cut the fuel line after the pump, hooked the primer hose between the tank and carbs, and off we went. my little brother hanging out the window squeezing like crazy.
got some strange looks around town, but the guys at the toll booth were cracking up.
hey, it got us home but it ruined my brothers sex life for a week or so.
i guess i have probably wired about every part there is that can fall off a hrley on at one time or another, that's just how poor white trash does stuff.

once, way back when, we put a set of shovel jugs on a 45 bottom end.
everyone said it couldn't be done, so we had to do it.
we built the thing in the kitchen and that was where we fired it up. it was bolted to a stout oak table, with short drags on it. we hung a p-nut tank to the kitchen light, drank about a fifth and a half of southern comfort and fired it up. ye hah!
man, we had the cams/ and or timing all screwed up. a mixture of raw fuel and flame shot out of the short drag pipes, striking the wall and curtains next to the stove and igniting them. by the time it dawned on us that this project was a total failure, the table had started on fire and we could not reach the battery to remove the spark.
so we stumbled next door to call the fire dept and drink some more southern comfort. the whole house didn't burn, pretty much just the kitchen. the engine was badly melted, but the jugs were still good.
so don't ever let any one tell you that you can't put shovel jugs on a 45 bottom end.

[best]

Kick start on my first bike, the spline was gone. If I had a welder that would have fixed it. If I had a power drill ...drill it and pin it would have been tried. Driveway was a hill so a jump start worked. The magnito was going bad so for night rides, we would ride 2 up (one helmet) and no lights once the bike started to sputter. 66 dodge slant six D 100. Windshield wiper motor broke. Pulled apart 2 wires from and extension cord. Tied it to the wipers and through the vent windows. 120 miles later the snow and rain stopped so my brother could stop pulling the wires to run the wipers.

As to adding jugs that don't belong... there is this girl at work.... ummm never mind. Will save that story *LOL*

[namommy]

I think this is right for this thread.

I was towing a bike home with my car. We tied a rope to the bike, then to the car, I drove the car and my husband was on the bike to steer it. I turned a corner too sharp and dumped the bike, my husband managed to stay on the side of the bike while I drug them both down the street. When I finally stopped and realized what had happened he was PISSED. I locked my self in the car so he couldn't get me!!!

[BillJ]

The trick there is not to tie the bike to the towing vehicle, but to simply loop the rope around the handlebars, where the rider can hold it with one hand, and release it quickly if need be.

Of course, it's still dangerous, and even more so if one or both parties are loaded! Far better to load it in a truck, if you can.

[best]

namommy
OUCH!

Last year on the way home from the remember9-11 run, I had seen a bike towing a bike in that manner. Tow line from sissybar to tripple tree. A 3rd bike riding shotgun as it was 10 PM and no lights on the bike being towed.

$300 tow or risk life and limb tow? Hope I never need answer that one *LOL*

[Gooch]

Bills got the right plan for that.. The rider of the towed bike needs to be able to let go the strap.

[best]

hmmm windshield plus light bar now where would I wrap (not tie) a rope?
When ever I go on a trip I always like to start out with access to at least $500. Maybe that will keep me from ever trying such a tow.

[tramp]

yep, you have to be able to let go.
i won't go into the story of wether i dropped my beer or let go of the tow strap right now.

[Gooch]

lol.... that must have been one of those kodak moments.

Hey Best... Beantown put on a nice display last night. I was watching the Boston Pops fireworks display on the tube.. Wow!

[best]

One year back when I was driving motor coach, we were the trasportatopn for the band *LOL* ok ok will give them their just due... The Boston Pops
Back in my drinking days, way back when less people went to the fireworks in town... You were able to drive within 1/8 of a mile to center stage. Parking garages didn't charge for use back then either. You could park on the top floor and see the fireworks. When they started closing streets I stopped going. Went once with my sons about 8 years ago. That was the last time. I only went because of letting teens run free was not going to be done. The foot crowds are as bad as the sea of bikes when I went to Laconia for the day *LOL*

Sorry Gooch, no bike story, but similar...

Late night freeway trip, the car crapped out, found the alternator bolt had come out, and the alt fell over, leaving it inoperative.

Got the alt. back in place and held it there with a coat hangar from the trunk.

Got me home safe and sound with the lights working.

[mackat]

lets see...packed wife and kid onto a ahem 'borrowed' suzuki- think it was a 650.
had headlight fall off the chopped trumpet- had to hold it my teeth - had 4 more miles of washboard dirt, rigid frame and cow [as well as cow pie] covered open range.
Took a set of golf clubs to the course on that same chopper.
round here, its not unusual to see guys riding into the mountains packing their skis!