Patriot
Isabella is Lazarus
Ok, this is a test, a whodunnit (moi), what happened ?, how to fix it...
Got my newish cruise control installed and working just fine...only had it a few weeks and this is my third long ride with it...
Patriot Guard funeral mission for fellow PGR member and military veteran today...had to be in Quitman, MS for 8:30am 200 miles away.
Fellow RC says we're going to meet up in Picayune, MS (one hour, 60 miles from my home) for breakfast and gas up.
Up at 2:30am, check email, etc. on computer, check weather (raining in New Orleans, but clear 25 miles up the road), gear up in armored waterproof pants, armor jacket, frogg toggs top with hood under helmet, waterproof sealskin sox, and waterproof warm gloves. Temps a mild 60 on departure at 3:30am.
Tooling along on the Interstate, very light traffic at that hour, but lotsa trucks making their runs. Wet road. New Orleans highways notoriously patched with big bumps in some sections.
Set the cruise to 65mph. Have experienced a phenomenom of disengaging the cruise accidently by gripping the throttle too hard and inadvertently twisting it closed a bit. Have grip puppies that are high friction, sticky to leather gloves.
Riding between New Orleans and Slidell, it's pitch black on the interstate, no lighting, shiny damp road, rolling along at 70.
Hit a bump and the engine shuts down, dead as a door nail and I glide with nothing to the side of the road with the clutch in.
Truck after truck roars by at 70 blowing me a step or so every time.
Cycle the key a few times, voltmeter reads 12.3 volts, dash lights up and cycles, 4 way flashers are working, press the starter button and nothing. Damn - can't be the main fuse, I have electricity, but no spinning of the starter.
What happened ???
see below:
I grope in the trunk for a flashlight and after some minutes, find it. Course I need the key and the bike is dark while the key is out of the ignition. I then put the key back in the ignition and turn to on and flashers start flashing to help keep the trucks from plowing into me. I figure it can't be a fuse and shine the light on the ignition switch wondering if a wire came out. You know, one of the big ones. All looks fine. I wonder if I should get my ignition wire fix it kit out with the xacto knife and cut open the sheathing on the ignition wires if one has actually pulled out. Then I think of Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame - Houston we have a problem; Gene Kranz chants "Work the problem people, fix it, don't make it worse, work the simplest stuff first and then go to more complicated." I'm standing there wondering what it could be, shining my flashlight all over the bike distraught at all the plastic covering up the innards of the bike. Then a red button catches my eye on the handlebar. I shine the light on the kill switch - whatta know, it's in the kill position. As a rule, I never touch a kill button. It's engaged. Geez. Thinking back, I realize to solve the inadvertant disengaging the cruise thingy, I've let go of the throttle grip and grabbed the front brake clamp right next to the kill switch. This time, a big bump threw my hand to the left to keep from hitting the throttle and bumped the kill switch. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR, no engine, no throttle, no go. Then my spirits are raised as I click the kill switch off and to engine on and hit the starter button. Nothing. Damn, nothing. Then I remove the flashlight from the dash area and notice all lights on, except the green one. It ain't in neutral. Click down the shifter till green on the dash and hit the starter button, VVVAAAAAAAAAAAARRROOOOOOOOOOOOMMM. Engine lights to life and purrs the most lovely sound of power, safety, and rescue I've ever heard in a long time.
So, that red button to kill the engine in an emergency really works. Even for a dunderhead...
Mike in Nawlins' <head down in shame and embarassment, sigh>
Got my newish cruise control installed and working just fine...only had it a few weeks and this is my third long ride with it...
Patriot Guard funeral mission for fellow PGR member and military veteran today...had to be in Quitman, MS for 8:30am 200 miles away.
Fellow RC says we're going to meet up in Picayune, MS (one hour, 60 miles from my home) for breakfast and gas up.
Up at 2:30am, check email, etc. on computer, check weather (raining in New Orleans, but clear 25 miles up the road), gear up in armored waterproof pants, armor jacket, frogg toggs top with hood under helmet, waterproof sealskin sox, and waterproof warm gloves. Temps a mild 60 on departure at 3:30am.
Tooling along on the Interstate, very light traffic at that hour, but lotsa trucks making their runs. Wet road. New Orleans highways notoriously patched with big bumps in some sections.
Set the cruise to 65mph. Have experienced a phenomenom of disengaging the cruise accidently by gripping the throttle too hard and inadvertently twisting it closed a bit. Have grip puppies that are high friction, sticky to leather gloves.
Riding between New Orleans and Slidell, it's pitch black on the interstate, no lighting, shiny damp road, rolling along at 70.
Hit a bump and the engine shuts down, dead as a door nail and I glide with nothing to the side of the road with the clutch in.
Truck after truck roars by at 70 blowing me a step or so every time.
Cycle the key a few times, voltmeter reads 12.3 volts, dash lights up and cycles, 4 way flashers are working, press the starter button and nothing. Damn - can't be the main fuse, I have electricity, but no spinning of the starter.
What happened ???
see below:
I grope in the trunk for a flashlight and after some minutes, find it. Course I need the key and the bike is dark while the key is out of the ignition. I then put the key back in the ignition and turn to on and flashers start flashing to help keep the trucks from plowing into me. I figure it can't be a fuse and shine the light on the ignition switch wondering if a wire came out. You know, one of the big ones. All looks fine. I wonder if I should get my ignition wire fix it kit out with the xacto knife and cut open the sheathing on the ignition wires if one has actually pulled out. Then I think of Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame - Houston we have a problem; Gene Kranz chants "Work the problem people, fix it, don't make it worse, work the simplest stuff first and then go to more complicated." I'm standing there wondering what it could be, shining my flashlight all over the bike distraught at all the plastic covering up the innards of the bike. Then a red button catches my eye on the handlebar. I shine the light on the kill switch - whatta know, it's in the kill position. As a rule, I never touch a kill button. It's engaged. Geez. Thinking back, I realize to solve the inadvertant disengaging the cruise thingy, I've let go of the throttle grip and grabbed the front brake clamp right next to the kill switch. This time, a big bump threw my hand to the left to keep from hitting the throttle and bumped the kill switch. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR, no engine, no throttle, no go. Then my spirits are raised as I click the kill switch off and to engine on and hit the starter button. Nothing. Damn, nothing. Then I remove the flashlight from the dash area and notice all lights on, except the green one. It ain't in neutral. Click down the shifter till green on the dash and hit the starter button, VVVAAAAAAAAAAAARRROOOOOOOOOOOOMMM. Engine lights to life and purrs the most lovely sound of power, safety, and rescue I've ever heard in a long time.
So, that red button to kill the engine in an emergency really works. Even for a dunderhead...
Mike in Nawlins' <head down in shame and embarassment, sigh>
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