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When was the last time.........

851 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  E.T. 
#1 ·
that you considered yourself lucky to be alive?

Mine was last night at 7pm on the A1(M) North near Welwyn.

There I was motoring along sticking to the speed limit (maybe a little more) and I feel something that felt like a stone hit my foot. Instantly something twigs in my head that this could be my brakes. So I slow myself down using the engine and rear brake and pull over towards the hard shoulder and when I’m at about 20mph I try the front break. Nothing, I keep pumping the break and still Nothing. Up until this point I remain cool, calm and collected.

I get off the bike and look at the front wheel and think WTF, the feckin calliper bolts have come un done and there it is hanging by the ABS and Brake lines. It's at this point that i realise the calliper could have swung into my front wheel and flipped me off in the fast lane :eek:

So I try to spread the now compressed calliper to put the calliper in place with the one remaining bolt so can get off the motor by limping down the hard should but no joy. I decide to call the wife to get her to call the AA to give me a call so they can recover me.

The AA call me back promptly but they can't figure out where I am, god knows why because I gave them the road marker number and they think I’m near J65. More like 5 or 6 but i'm not sure which one. It's starting to get dark now and I can't figure why they don't know where I am based on the marker number that I've given them.

Suddenly I see an AA van and wave him down, tell him that I'm on the phone to the AA and we don't know where I am, I ask him to check his system and he says J7 to which I say I’m not at J7 cos that's where I get off, I just can't remember which junction I've gone past. The driver says that's where his SAT Nav says he is and says they'll figure out where you are and drives off :wanker:

I finally say to the operator can you give me a call back in 5 so I can check my Iphone for my location. He calls back and we know exactly where I am and says we are treating you as a priority Sir we’ll be there in an hour. AN HOUR, HOW'S AN HOUR A PRIORITY. Now it's really getting dark, there's no road lights I need to leave the bike lights and indicator on so that the idiot coming up the slip lane can see me. The downside is I have a HID so the running the lights off the battery aint gonna last long, so I switch the engine on and leave it running while with the plan of switching the engine off and leaving the lights on to let the engine cool down, I know there is only so many times I can do this so I decide to call the local cop shop and see if there are any Rent a Cops around to provide some light. They say they will try and get someone to me to provide assistance. The engine gets very hot so I switch her off and for around 10 minutes (enough to cool down) and leave the lights on. I pray that she’ll start again and she does (good old gal), then I cycle through 10 mins on 10 mins off I cycle through this a couple more times and just as I’m about to switch her off the Rent a Cops turn up (about an hour after I broke down), They’re a couple of bikers themselves and they're decent guys who had been at the crash up the road. They call the AA to tell them to hurry up. AA finally turn 1hr 25mins later. PRIORITY MY ARSE!!!!

I finally got home 2 hours later.

Now I’m not superstitious at least I thought I wasn’t. Until I realised that I always put my right glove on first. My mother-in-law who is one of the spiritual types gave me a little rock that is in my cubby hole that is supposed to protect me, I don’t believe in this shite but there is something in my head that won’t let me remove it for fear of what will happen.

Somehow I think I might be superstitious! Something is looking after me!

Nut Lock, Nut Lock and more Bleeding Nut Lock, that’s the message.
 
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#3 ·
Exactamundo....loctite is your friend and dont forget,dont 'nip them up' at a later date without re loctiting them.
 
#5 ·
Yes its a good job you didn't take any violent actions, and just cruised gently to the hard shoulder - the calliper bouncing about near a revolving front wheel isn't the most desirable of things IMHO.

Good thinking on your part. I think there are many that wouldn't consider things like how long the battery would last, so taking that into consideration shows a certain coolness and logic.



For the Future and for other's advice:
I have added a switch onto my 2009 Adventure, to switch the headlight off altogether, mostly for workshop running, and also on the odd occasion of passing horses that can get edgy with a headlight flitting at them. I've had a horse rider shout at me for not turning my headlight off (I did by turning the engine off in the end...but not what I would chose, or should have to do really). It is, true cretin-do-any-of-these-people-actually-drive/ride?-EU-dumbdown-stupidity making vehicles which the rider/driver can't control, especially on things like decisions as to whether you can turn lights off!


Also be aware that you can switch the hazard lights on when the ignition is on, then turn the ignition key right off and the hazards will stay on.
 
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