How many times have you broke down on the road?

[double trouble]

After my latest incident of breaking a motor mount stud I started thinking.
This is now my third bike. All were bought cheap and had problems which is why i got them so cheap. I have never had to walk home , but I have had to pedal home at least 10 times. Most times it was on test rides in my Cul-de-sac , but 5 were 2-3 miles from home. No big deal , but I have gotten leary and now carry a few tools.
I was wondering about every Else's experiences of breaking down and how you solved the problems on the fly.

 

[Al.Fisherman]

Once, on my first build, installed the engine out of the box and blew a head gasket 3 miles from home. Limped home, had to walk bike up the last hill to my sub division. After that I do some inexpensive mods and not broken down since 2009.

 

[Fabian]

Can't think of how many times i've been stranded (sometimes a long way from home), for it's taken two years of endless breakdowns, followed by re-engineering multiple components to finally achieve perfect reliability.

 

[MikeJ]

I have same comments as Fabian: chains broke or otherwise fell off (pedaled back; once was 12 miles), flat tires (called for help; cost me steak dinners), broke motor mount bolts (pedal back), bolts backed out from vibration (tightened with tools on the spot), Halfmoon key came out from crankshaft (50 miles from home, partially disassembled engine with tools on the spot). Muffler fell apart while riding; reassembled back at home. Now have a will-not-start Unhappy Time engine that used to start without too much trouble. Probably fuel flow problem.

Fix: Got myself another frame, installed a Honda 4-stroke and made my own transmission arrangement. Got a better multi-gear cassette for back wheel. Made wheels with dual tires; they are almost flat-proof. Installed disc brakes front and back.

After tweaking: The engine starts easily, vibrates much less, and nothing has fallen off yet. This bike is better because I used higher-grade components from the start and utilized "lessons learned" from previous build. Had to spend a lot more money to make must-have and nice-to-have capability happen.

MikeJ

 

[darwin]

In the beginning I had 2 long walks home both because of flats, of coarse both were in july and aug when it was scorching out. After that second time I declared war on flat tires with tire liners and thick tubes and havn't had a flat since. Both walks were 5plus miles uphill to get back......now I also buy kevlar reinforced tires to add to my aresenal.

 

[Anton]

Not once yet but I've had bolts rattle lose and lost a fuel cap which didn't fit right. All problems I could have fixed but I was too anxious to get out and ride. Remember to lock tight everything and put in washers and double up on bolts if you can.

 

[srdavo]

How do I love thee.....

Let me count the..... times I broke down.

Weather Xtremes!!

100 degrees F: At laundromat..... trailer full of clothes.
flat tire....have patch kit & pump. tire sidewall & tube both ripped out.
No one to call..... 2.5 miles....pushed bike & trailer w/clothes home.

3 degrees F : 11:30 pm......snow packed roads, on my way to work on my trike.
chain broke
luckily...bummed a ride for me & the trike to work....on time!!!
Boss gave me a ride home at the end of the shift.
fixed the chain on my porch in the same 3 degree temp.

RAINING....cats & dogs. pigs,sheep, dingos, moose, hamsters...you name it
(wearing rainsuit)
broke another chain on the trike

pedaled a block....pulled under an awning by the college and repaired the chain. ( I now carry a spare chain & all the toolios to replace.)

Same trike.... a few months ago.... frame broke....1 house away from work.

hahaa... I had this one hauled home & cut it up in little bitty pieces. heh

I fried a magneto 4 miles away....pedaled home.

Out of gas.... an embarrassing amount of times.

I could go on. (& on & on....)

But in summary.... I've been playing with these bikes since 2005 & even with all the aggravation...... It must be LOVE...you know.... the kind we don't talk about.

 

[professor]

Once in a while I have had to pedal home. Flat tire or some drive component let go, never engine related (4 stroke HFs). Love the fact that pedals still operate. Neither of my bikes are kit based, but are my own concoction. Seem good now, eliminated one bug at a time.

 

[motorpsycho]

once...
On my very first build when i kind of had no idea of how finicky assembling one of these bikes can be.
threw the chain off about 200 feet from my house.
the chain broke at the master link and thankfully it didn't jam in the rear wheel or under the sprocket cover.
BUT, the chain acted like a whip, and came up and whipped me on my left shoulder /back.
left a chain marked welt on me for days.

 

[Happy Valley]

My comment could be titled 'Why I love MABs'. For me cars break down, motorcycles and scooters can break down, but a decent, well maintained and tuned bicycle almost never. Not bragging here but honestly I've never broke down, in the sense I had to walk or get a ride, on one of my MABs on the road. In earlier days I've had flats but I was prepared to fix them (tube or patch) on the spot in a jiffy and nowadays eliminated even most of that after getting dialed in with a working combination of tires/tubes/liners. Full disclosure is I don't own HT engines, no longer have any bikes that use chain or belt in the power drive train and am pretty much a preventive maintenance fanatic so many of the things that could go wrong with the bicycle or engine/drive have been eliminated.