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The $*&%ing wind blew my bike over

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by Pacocase, Dec 2, 2006.

  1. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    We had a really bad storm here yesterday with winds up and around 50 mph. I came home from work to find my bike lying on its side in a pool of gasoline. Needless to say I was furious, as my brand new headlight that I spent hours on is scratched, the mount for my master cylinder cracked and will need to be replaced, I'll need a new brake lever, my mirror is bent, and the cover caught the wind like a parachute and ripped off and bent my license plate :x

    Thankfully the engine guards worked like they were supposed to and my highway peg on that side got all scratched up but the engine didn't hit the ground. Gas was leaking everywhere though and I'm not sure why. I looked at it quickly and there was a hose at the very bottom of the frame that was leaking gas. I'll have to trace it. I suppose it's either coming to or from the petcock. Hopefully I can figure it out and see if I can get it started today.
     
  2. spinalator

    spinalator Member

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    That happened to my VFR but it had Givi bags on it so it limiited some of the damage, and also because it was smart enough to land on the lawn. There was still some Tupperware damage though, but your sounds worse, I feel your pain, my friend.
     
  3. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    Hey does anybody have a spare master cylinder that would fit my bike? I just called the dealer and it's $250! I'll check around on Ebay but if anyone has an extra, let me know.
     
  4. spinalator

    spinalator Member

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    I have the 750 master cylinder but it is the front fork mount so it is cleverly hidden beneath 1980's plastic.
     
  5. OU812didntU

    OU812didntU Member

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    that hose i think your talkin about comes from underneath the air box, i know what i would do i would be callin my insurance agent and tellin him theres a $1000.00 worth of damage to my bike , pay the deductable and when i was done that thing would be lookin better than it ever did and with a brand new paint job to boot!!!!!
     
  6. Robert

    Robert Active Member

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    Crazy how much body work costs, it'll eat up a budget (or a deductable) quick! Hope you don't have to go that route.
     
  7. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    Hey thanks. Fuel must have gotten into the air box. Now I'll have to take the element out and clean and re-oil it, but hopefully that's the only thing I'll have to do to get it running. I'm going to try and keep the insurance company out of it so my rates don't go up. I've got a $500 deductible anyway and I don't think there's that much damage.
     
  8. spinalator

    spinalator Member

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    Good luck getting her back to ship-shape.
     
  9. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    Thanks! I'll repost on this thread when I get everything fixed. :)
     
  10. OU812didntU

    OU812didntU Member

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    just make sure that fuel didnt go the other way down the hose and enter the crankcase and contaminated your oil, just unscrew the oil filler plug and put your nose down there and have a good sniff, if you smell any kind of gas fumes you`ll have to get the oil outta there and re-place the oil filter also. should do it anyway just to make sure because if theres fuel mixed with the gas........well thats a whole new thread.
     
  11. danno

    danno Member

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    Hey,Paco. you can buy a new single disc master cylinder for $70,or double disc model for $80 from mikesxs.com. . Best of luck!
     
  12. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    I thought I'd resurrect this thread because, unbelievably, it happened again today. The freakin' wind blew my bike over, and it was on its CENTERSTAND. I'm just amazed. The worst part is that it fell over onto my girlfriend's car and messed it all up too.

    The damage this time is -mirror, trashed. Windshield, trashed. Ignition switch and probably lock mechanism, trashed. Just for good measure, it fell on its left side this time, just to even things out. My poor headlight that was brand new and got dented all to hell on the right side the last time this happened now has a matching dent on the left side. Gas is everywhere, and as of right now she won't spark.

    I've already found a couple of ignition switches on Ebay and hopefully the rest of the repairs will be easy.

    The car has a huge dent in the fender and a smaller one in the door with a big long scrape from backing it out and away from the bike. No way to avoid that.

    I really need a garage. Anybody got a spare?
     
  13. WeAreZilla

    WeAreZilla Member

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    Right now thoughts are circulating like...

    -- Move out of the hurricane zone.
    -- You have very strong enemies.
    -- You owe someone a LOT of money.
    -- Get a spring for your centerstand. (How can you ride with the thing dragging like that?!)
    -- Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
    -- ;-)

    Z
     
  14. m0pp3ry

    m0pp3ry Member

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    sorry man
     
  15. KiwiXJ750D

    KiwiXJ750D Member

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    Don't use the centrestand!

    It is more stable using the sidestand.

    This works like a tripod. The greater distance between the contact points on the ground with the sidestand makes alot of difference.

    Make sure the stand is not going to sink into the surface!

    The centrestand is ment to be used only on a level surface and then usually for working on the machine.

    BTW my bike went through a tornado on it's sidestand and did not fall over. The wind was strong enough that I could see my (large) car bouncing!
     
  16. Ease

    Ease Member

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    Hey, about the gas leaking out... That just happens when you lay a bike down. there's a drain there for that reason.

    Anyone who grew up on old dirtbikes knows that when you lay a bike down, your gas runs out.

    However, if it was laid down for a while (which is most likely the case, right?) then yeah, I'd take a look in the airbox and make sure everything is copesettic. On the dirt bikes, the worst that ever happened from the gas running out (for me) was the bike being hard to start (flooded).
     
  17. Robert

    Robert Active Member

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    Pacocas, your having a bad spell. Be glad the bloomin' thing didn't get picked up and thrown through the roof! You still have something to resurect and ride. I'd be glad of that. Be careful in bad weather, ya never know how bad it's going to get!
    If the lock mechanism proves broken, I'm looking for lock parts. I'd gladly cover postage for your pieces. Locks in particular are useful, but I've run into cracked lower switch plates too so I'm scrounging anything I can find. Thanks.
     
  18. samsr

    samsr Member

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    Sounds like it is about time to install tie down rings in the drive way. Just strap her down when ever you are home. Sorry to hear about the trouble you are having. Hope you get her back on the road.
     
  19. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    Yeah it makes sense I guess that it would be more like a tripod, but the last time it blew over it was on its side stand and just blew over on the right side. I keep a little piece of diamond plate underneath the sidestand when it's down so it doesn't sink into the blacktop. For protection last night I backed it into a little cove between the side of my house and the deck. It just fits in there. Maybe I'll start parking it there. It's a little bit of trouble since it's gravel right there, but if it's easy to pull back out maybe that will be its new home.

    Thanks for all the posts guys. I'll let you know when she's going again.
     
  20. Old-Grunt

    Old-Grunt Member

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    if you turn front wheel away from sidestand it is more stable also,(turn right)
     
  21. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    Hey guys thanks for all the help thus far. I still have no spark and I'm not sure why. Plugs sure are ugly, but not ugly enough to keep them from firing. I'm going to pick new ones up in the morning, but they won't do me any good until I find the real reason why it's not sparking. I checked compression just for the fun of it while I had the plugs out. 135 pretty consistently on all 4 cyls. Is that about average?
     
  22. MAX-X

    MAX-X Member

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    [Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
    ]
    thats funny :lol:
     
  23. WeAreZilla

    WeAreZilla Member

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    Oh sure, as long as you're not on the receiving end. That's why we call our beautiful, intelligent, hot, all-knowing, perfect, and witty significant others "SWMBO". (She Who Must Be Obeyed) :wink: :roll:

    Of course it was all meant in humor, and only written because Pacocase seemed to be taking it like a trooper. But I'm sincerely hoping he's able to get everything back in order.

    Z
     
  24. Pacocase

    Pacocase Member

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    She was actually pretty reasonable about it. When I would complain about the damage to the bike too much she would be pretty quick to remind me that she didn't get out of the incident scot free either. Just for the fun of it I'll take a pic of the side of her car and post later. I think I can pop out most of the dents and make it look ok with a good buff and polish.
     

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