FJ screw up's other rides OK to play.

[tqmx1]

Ok I will start this off. Years ago when I had my 86 the petcock had the normal FJ dribble (not a big problem until the carb O rings started passing gas) one day the engine hydraulic locked so smart me removed the tank and the spark plugs and then cranked it over RAW GAS flying every where I have no idea why it did not light off (I guess sone days you would rather be lucky than good!) Any way changed the O rings shortly there after and it never happened again.

OK I started it so anyone else want to fess up to the meathead moves POST UP!!

[doright1]

I removed a fork cap thinking I had already jacked the bike off the floor.  I have a nice dent in my garage ceiling to remind me not to do that again.

[the fan]

Not an FJ story but embarassing nontheless...

1 1/2 years ago I signed up for a track day the weekend following the fall rally. Since I already had the wheels off I decided to service the forks as I was unhappy with how they were performing at the rally. In the mad scramble to get the bike ready I checked and rechecked every bolt I could see to avoid making any mistakes.

Once at the track I was once again disappointed with the front of the bike. It seemed like nothing I did helped with front end feel. I messed with preload, compression and rebound damping, and even tried different tire pressures in an attempt to make the bike handle like I knew it could.

When I returned home I decided to pull the front end apart and carefully go over the forks in order to find the issue. Front wheel and calipers off and everything looks great. Next I remove the clip ons to see if possibly one was loose bent or cracked. Nothing.

Finally I decided to pull the forks and see if I damaged something internally on the fork. I grabbed my trusty allen wrenches, loosened the top triple clamp and promptly dropped a fork tube on my toe.









I had forgotten to tighten the lower triple clamp bolts.

[Arnie]

My first bike was a Bultaco 250 Metralla.  It had a fork lock, but no ignition lock.
So, in the interest of security I installed a hidden switch in the + wire to the coil.
I then rode to work at the Utica MI  Ford Trim Plant.  I parked the bike, switched the switch. and went in to work my afternoon shift.
When I finished that night at 2AM, I clocked out, walked over to my bike, brushed the snow off the seat, and started kicking.  I must have kicked for 1/2 an hour before I remembered my hidden switch.  Flipped the switch to ON and it started next kick.  I was warm from kicking for at least half the way home.

Cheers,
Arnie

[FJmonkey]

This is not even motorcycle related but fits the subject. In my very young and inexperienced days of being my own mechanic (strictly budget related), I decide to pull into a service station after feeling something goofy in the front end of my 1966 Olds Dynamic 88 (my first car). I could not see any problems and decided to try driving around slowly to see if the symptoms went away. Changing directions created a noticeable noise and shimmy to the front end. After careful inspection I found that I left the lug nuts hand tight and the Right front had almost lost a few nuts. That would have been a wild ride had I not stopped to check. I am just a little more through now with my mechanic duties on the two wheel machines.

[markmartin]

Most recently... that would be screwing up an oil change by tightening instead of loosening the drain plug on my initial attempt. (let's see...I'm facing right side up, but my socket wrench is upside down, the handle is in my left hand...so I turn the wrench to the uuhh...oops.) Yep, thought I'd gotten away with it until I went to put the plug back in.  Stripped the case.  Just as a reminder, the case is made  of aluminum.

BTW, I've got a OEM oil plug, 50,000 mi, in very good condition--free to anyone that needs it.

Also, If you find yourself working in the dark due to your head being up your ass as I did that day, and if it's cheaper than buying them yourself, I've got the correct tap drill and tap for the heli-coil that will fix a stripped oil plug that I can mail to you.

[Ratchet_72]

Kick stand? I don't need to remember to put that down do I? Thank god it was my little XS650. Picked it right up. Right in front of a Taco Bell and strangely enough no one seemed to notice. Didn't hurt a thing.

[Pat Conlon]

Ok, confession is good for the soul:
1) Got a new torque wrench. It reads SAE and metric, cool, no more futzing around with conversions.
Like the Ronco oven, I can just "set it and forget it". Just keep cranking until it clicks. Gotta try this new baby out. Think I'll change my oil filter (another good reason to buy a spin on from Randy) Time to tighten.
Look at the metric torque #'s on the oil filter case, set the wrench and crank away with no worries, shit I can do this now with my eyes closed with this new bitchen wrench......crack.... WTF!!
Stupid Fcking POS, I throw it across the garage.......uuuuh dude, that's 1.5kg-m on the case, not 15

2) Don't start your FJ with your clutch slave off the motor.....(but...it's a rite of passage)

3) Don't remove your fork springs with your bike on the center stand. The first spring comes out ok, but all hell breaks loose when the second spring comes out....

4) Don't get distracted. Tell SWMBO to wait a minute, that way you can finish peening your masterlink and thus not ride away with the side plate just press fitted.....That was exciting.

5) Yea, as Jason says above, don't forget to put your side stand down *before* you get off your bike.
I have gotten in the habit (a good habit mind you) to always shut my motor off by using the sidestand, not the key.  Although I've walked away and left my key on a few times....actually, more than a few...

Come on folks, let's hear 'em.... we should be able to write a book......Cheers!

[FJSpringy]

2) Don't start your FJ with your clutch slave off the motor.....(but...it's a rite of passage)

this one is a must on so many levels

1) its amazing just how long your brain takes to say turn the key to the off position
2) its impressive just how far the stream of oil goes across the garage
3) its even more impressive how much oil you have to clean up

[Kopfjaeger]

i dunno but i got all my parts worked like a demon putting a cable cart together tonight and right now im sooo pissed off as i cannot do anything except change the oil. cant change the  spark plugs for some unknown reason socket sets must use alien spark plugs... wtf is with that, thought i had all the tools to do the job aint got diddly. cant get the drive sprocket off , all my sprocket cover bolts are rounded off ( not by me first time i been there) CANT DO SHYTE!!!! and i cant blame any one but myself
  But there was a time, loan bike from bike shop kwaka 550 gt shaft drive.put a new clutch cable on it, was at the shop where i borrowed it from and the guy gives me the cable to put on. must be the right one then eh?. anyway at work, started on full choke no worries dropped the choke blipped the throttle, DIED. smell petrol thought id flooded it. no worries , BUMP START. ( remebering it has a top box so therefore had to sit side saddle couldnt swing my leg over) 2 nd gear no worries fired up. and up and up 5 grand and accelerating with me side saddle no helmet  but had jacket on. pulled the clutch grabbed the fronts gently . down i go. blood on hands bark off wrists and hands. hmmmmmmmm. pushed it back up the road to work.  sat there fumming and bleeding. started it straight off the button.BEAUTY!!!  blipped the throttle . dead. fuel again.( figured it out yet?) 2 more bump starts both lit up the road pushing 5 grand and NOT STOPPING. ANY WAY I DECICEDED TO LOOK AT THE CARBS THIS TIME. the clutch cable. ITS RUBBING ON THE THROTTLE LINKAG ( AS I HAD RUN IT DOWN BETWEEN THE CARBS AS IT WAS TOO SHORT TO GO UNDER THEM , BUT THE GUY AT THE BIKE SHOP GAVE IT TO ME REMEBER? WATCHED ME FIT IT TOO.....) definition of stupidity is doing it 3 times i reckon..... also leave the side stand down, thats fun, leave allen keys in the cam lock adjustment on the kwaka 750. BANG!!! TING.... TING... TING... watch it bounce away behind me .... it just gets better

[Mark Olson]

I was putting my 86 fj back together after my big wreck . faring was off but headlight was secured for the short run to check the forks after rebuilding them. I had stripped the choke screw head so I left the left side inner faring panel on the bike and went for a ride on my naked fj. well it ran so good I was soon going faster than planned and the inner panel decided to fly off the bike and hit a police car that had been following me (no mirrors on due to faring not installed) I slowed down and stopped to  find the panel and the cop pulled in behind me.

I did some fast talking and explained how the choke screw had come loose and caused the panel to fly off and that I did not throw it at him. I found the panel a little busted up and the cop followed me home and told me not to ride it until I put all the safety equipment (mirrors and turn signals) back on it.

I got away with that one, and never ride half assembled anymore. kept losing parts. 

[junkyardroad]

um...don't go to the bar after your vasectomy.

[jamesearthdrum]

um...don't go to the bar after your vasectomy.

Well, at least not until you've had your count checked.......TWICE!  

A bag of frozen peas are your best friend!!!! 

[FJmonkey]

um...don't go to the bar after your vasectomy.

Well, at least not until you've had your count checked.......TWICE!  

A bag of frozen peas are your best friend!!!! 

Several bags of frozen peas if you moved your apartment the day after...What was I thinking...

[andyb]

2) Don't start your FJ with your clutch slave off the motor.....(but...it's a rite of passage)

this one is a must on so many levels

1) its amazing just how long your brain takes to say turn the key to the off position
2) its impressive just how far the stream of oil goes across the garage
3) its even more impressive how much oil you have to clean up

Or you can shoot yourself in the leg with the pushrod, which is quite a surprise when it happens...