Things that make you slap your forehead and say "Doh!"

[BkerChuck]

Can I just plead "my first marriage"?

 

[BkerChuck]

Okay, now for my real moment. Many years ago when I still owned my '85 FJ-1100, I used to ride to work almost year round. I worked third shift, 11-7, and it was cold. I want to say this was in December or January. I went out to my bike after work in the morning, turn the key on, hit the starter button, and nothing happens. I'm looking around, turn switch on and off, can't find anything wrong. A coworker walks out who also rides and he comes over to offer help. We decide maybe it will push start and he offers to push me across the parking lot. Several tries but no start. Finally on about the 4th or 5th trip across the lot, I look down and realize the kill switch is off! I flip it on as he's pushing and Voila! Sucess! I think I waited about a month before I told him what had really happened.

 

[supertankerm60a3]

My stupidest moment ever.

I was at my buddy Barry's house in Victorville CA, I was stationed at Ft Irwin, which I had just re-enlisted for (OK, this is my stupidest MOTORCYCLE moment ever). I asked him if I could take his 2-3 year old (don't remember). he said cool, go ahead so we did.

My bike, at the time was the famous Kawasaki GPz 750 turbo. He was small enough to sit on the tank and put his hands on the handlebars, cool.

As we went around a couple of blocks, I told him to put his hand on the throttle and watch the speedo needle, (you can see where this is going...) twist it back when the needle gets here and let go when it gets here. the RPM's were very low and turbolag softened our acceleration. We stayed between 10 and 15 MPH, around the block we went, things were cool and life was good.

Then we turned into his driveway. It is about 50' long and dirt. I took my hand off the throttle and pointed to Josh, showing he was doing it. Then... he whacked it wide open. AAAHHH! I rocked back then forward, eyes as big as saucers, bike screaming, boost building rapidly, tire spinning like mad and grabbed all the brake I could, forgetting the kill switch. My buddy and another friend were leaning against the back wall, dove in opposite directions.

As we went down on the left side at least I had the presents of mind to grab Josh with my left arm.

We stopped well before the wall, on our side, josh crying, Barb, his mom, mad as hell!! (ok, that is understandable) While Barry and Barb were comforting him and he is sobbing, Barry asks him if he ever wants to ride a motorcycle again, he stops in mid sob, thinks about it for a second then says yeah and goes back to crying.

So I guess the short version is "The time I let a 2 year old work the throttle of the (arguably, at the time) fastest production motorcycle in history.

Anyone able to top that??

 

[Fred W]

Nope. You win.

We can close this thread now...

 

[kenporider]

Okay, now for my real moment. Many years ago when I still owned my '85 FJ-1100, I used to ride to work almost year round. I worked third shift, 11-7, and it was cold. I want to say this was in December or January. I went out to my bike after work in the morning, turn the key on, hit the starter button, and nothing happens. I'm looking around, turn switch on and off, can't find anything wrong. A coworker walks out who also rides and he comes over to offer help. We decide maybe it will push start and he offers to push me across the parking lot. Several tries but no start. Finally on about the 4th or 5th trip across the lot, I look down and realize the kill switch is off! I flip it on as he's pushing and Voila! Sucess! I think I waited about a month before I told him what had really happened.

Ha! I did the same thing. I spent about 30 minutes trying everything I could think of and checking everything. I was about to try pop starting it, when I grabbed the right grip I noticed the kill switch was still on.

 

[Old Guy]

Nope. You win.

We can close this thread now...

Yeah. I feel a LOT better now

I was at the Yamaha shop several years ago and saw a young man pushing a Honda up the road toward us. It was hot summer, and he looked like he was about to drop, so I went out to help. As I walked up to it I looked at the kill switch. Yep. Off. I didn't say a word. I just walked up to it and clicked it on. He didn't say a word. He just looked like that was the most disgusting moment of his life, started the bike, and rode off.

Too bad, because I really wanted to ask him how far he'd pushed it.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I've been caught by the kill switch often enough that I remember to check it now, especially after letting a friend ride my bike.

 

[Old Guy]

I've been caught by the kill switch often enough that I remember to check it now, especially after letting a friend ride my bike.

Yeah. Most, maybe all, motorcycles now the starter won't work with the switch off, so if the starter won't work, the kill switch is the first thing to check. On the 2013 FJR, the kill switch is the starter switch, so even a dingbat like myself couldn't forget it.

Many years ago, some of them would just crank away, switch on or off.

And some bike, like the RD400, didn't even have electric start. You could kick and kick and kick ..............