Frigg'n left work at 4:30 and got home at 11:00

I was on the by-pass when traffic starting backing up about a mile and half from the end. This seemed kind of normal, initially...but this time, the traffic wasn't moving at all. I shut my bike off and just sat and sat and sat...when traffic moved, I just coasted down the hill the 4 or 5 feet that we would move. Get to the bottom of the hill and I start back up. Start going up the hill on the other side....but again only like 4 or 5 feet at a time with about 5 minutes in between each move. The bike is starting to heat up... A LOT. So I kill it every so often. About a half a mile from the end, I hit the kill switch and the oil light doesn't come on. But I sit there for like 10 minutes then try to start it...dead. I walk it off the side of the road. I have no tools with me and I'm still about 35 miles from home. I pull out my P-38 can opener that I keep in my wallet and open the fuse panel. Pull all the fuses and it all checks out. I take off my equipment and wait a little to see if things reset if I allow it to cool off, but no joy. To top this joyous ride home, I find out my cell phone is dead. Damn it.

I look and think I can push it to the end and get into a parking lot then hunt down a phone. It's funny how you think a road way is somewhat flat...until you have to push a 300 lbs bike up it (and to think, I was worried about oversleeping and not starting my exercise regime this morning). I certainly don't have the endurance of HC being a chubby nerdy computer geek. So, after a couple of stops I spot a car broken down. She walks down and gives me a bottle of water. She was a Godsend. Her car overheated and some guy was bringing water back for her. I sat there for a spell and gave her some advice on the car. She gets back into traffic and I continue pushing. I pass her. FINALLY the parking lot is coming up. I yank the rear side panels off and take a look...I see a spare 30 amp fuse. I figure that's for the main power...which is probably under the seat...which is bolted down. Gahh!

I get to a store, but the guy says they are closed, but he lets me use the phone. I call my mom who is about 9 miles away. I tell her that I need a truck, but I don't have my friends phone number memorized (I really too much on technology). So I give her my neighbors number (which I couldn't remember the last number off the top of my head, so I gave her 2 numbers. Neighbor breaks into my house and gets the number for the truck friend. My mom comes out with water and crackers and waits with me. My friend takes the 35 miles drive and we load the truck up and off on our way...4 hours after this ordeal started.

Before you ask...I don't have the OEM toolkit. I also stop carrying my tools due to the lack of space in my backpack. I probably could have been back on the road in less than 20 minutes. Oh and the cause of the backup was a water main break.

 

so did you find out what the problem was??

 

What a ****ty ordeal man. I bet you will get a tool kit now huh... reminds me, I need to get one too. I might have done some lane splitting in that situation. I'd be sucking down some cold beers and calling in sick tommorow for sure.

 

Next time split lanes

 

Exactly. There is no reason for a biker to have to set in traffic like that. Even if a cop pulls you over you tell him exactly what will happen (which happened to you). Your bike will over heat, you can start/turn off the engine constantly or the battery will die, you'll get a heat stroke (if hot), freeze to death (if cold), you'll dehydrate.

 

At least you got some exercise!

I remember hearing from a guy that works at this dealership that it's not good for the battery to keep starting up and killing the bike like that. It'll kill the battery...

 

did you try to bump start it?
my battery died on a summer drive stuck in traffic
luckily i had parked in a ramp
so bump starting wasnt hard
just pointed down hill

 

thats what happened to me when my ECU decided to commit suicide off my bike. sat in the 110 degree heat for an hour waiting for someone to showup with a pick up. i had tools, but i didnt really memorize how to re-wire my bike..just hadnt gotten around to it? anyways..i feel your pain..hopefully you have a good rest of the week tho.

 

my bike died on me too today. i was in the parking lot of a local motorcycle dealer buying parts. i come out my battery was dead. went to the service dept asked them to test my battery and tell me if it was bad if yes ill just buy a new one... they 1st ask where the battery was located (00 hayabusa...under the seat just like EVERYOTHER sport bike i have ever owned) then they tell me they have to charge me $50 to test the electrical system (alli wanted was them to test the battery) then i say ok can you atleast give me a jump with a battery pack.. they look at eachother and say noi dont think we could cause if something happened blah blah blah

so i walk to another dealer about 200 yards away and see if they carry my battery..nope tomorrow... go back to the dealer where my bike is .. nope tomorrow. i just spent $150 on a new stator for the R1 and now my busa is dead [:@]my hondas NEVER failed me ...NEVER.

so finally i get a friend to bring me a spare battery and a jump pack and ramp (from home) just incase. finally get it home only about 4 hrs later.

so i can really feel your pain.... next time just lane split its the cali thing to do
(didnt mean to thread jack with my day either haha)

 

I see Mr Murphy is still at work here 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong & at the most inconvenient time'. Shutting off a bike to cool down is a great idea if you have a hour to kill (on a hot day) When you shut your bike off in traffic, you maybe saving a few bucks on petrol, but your letting the all the heat rise slowly to the top, heating the coolant & oil & as their are no cooling fins, it stays hot. Sart it up again & it its just getting hotter
Not saying it would have made any difference, but thats why your bike has a cooling fan in front of the radiator. On hot days probably would not have done to much though, you poor bastard.