99.9% of the time I ride alone. I have only broken down 1 time. This was years ago before cell phones. My cahin broke and came off the bike. I was on my way to work in Irvine California. I coasted off the highway (I-10) and left my bike on the side of the road. The chain was in the middle of the freeway and I wasn't about to risk my life to go get it, so I left it there. Walked to the nearest pay phone and called by boss to come get me. He came with a truck and we got it to where I worked. These days my insurance covers towing of my bike to the nearest motorscycle shop and I always carry my cell. There is another forum that I visit that has a list of members that are willing to do roadside rescue, it tells what area they are in and the service that they can provide (hauling, chase parts, repairs, etc.).

 

Off topic: Irvine, I was just there pasted weekend...love that place off Jamboree...called 85 degree that sells bakery stuff...really good eats!! Long wait line...

 

if youre gonna break down, irvine is the place to do it! too bad she was on the 10 fwy somewhere.

 

lol, sorry it was I 5. I 10 is how I got the hell out of California. Actually, I loved CA, even kinda miss it.

 

if youre missing it, then i wouldn't recommend looking through estate's photos or even mine when i get them up. you will get home sick in a second.

 

Thankfully I've only died at work and I left it there overnight and came back with my truck and trailer. Still haven't figured out what the problem was, but it hasn't come back, so just in case I carry enough tools in my backpack to tear it apart and check connections (including multimeter. I need to find my small one, the big one is a space hog)

I really should add a flashlight and tire plug kit to my bag.

Otherwise, I always have my cell phone on me and my truck keys are always at home. Probably buying a ramp at the end of this week so I'll always have a backup plan.

 

Lol...I was on the 405 south going to Costa Mesa...wow..what a beautiful city and the road is so nice. You can tell the city is taking good care of public road. Try riding on the 10 Fwy going thru San Gabriel Valleys/ Monterey Park/Alhambra...those road are ugly and you don't want to break down over there. You can literally flatten your tire going over those pot holes.

 

Anytime I'm out sporting, I always carry my cell-phone. Stuff happens, it'd be
silly not to. I also, generally tell my wife what direction I'm heading, see previous
statement. I call if I'm running late from a run, so she doesn't have the cops
checking the ditches. She knows I like to sport, she trusts that I'm not an idiot.
So, this arrangement gives us BOTH, piece of mind. See statement above. ;-)

As far as dealing with life's little surprises....
My basic kit always has a flashlight, pliers, 1/4 drive socket wrench and appropriate sockets.
Gerber Gator folding knife, spare fuses, Klein multi-tip screwdriver, allen wrenches.
Roll of quarters, Electrical tape, 2' aluminum tape, bundle of zip-ties.

Padding it all down is a pair of painter's over-alls made out of house-wrap.
They're water-proof, wind-proof and crush down to a doubled up fist-sized package.
For a sudden rain-storm, temperature drop for you OR a passenger. They can be
the difference between mildly uncomfortable or hypothermia.

That's all crammed into the 2 storage spots available, battery box and rear-fender box.
In the tail-trunk, I carry a first aid kit w/key-chain flashlight on the zipper. A couple
of maxi-pads compliment the aid-kit. Buddy at the Red Cross tipped me to that one.
They are, by design the perfect compress for massive-trama injurys. Other additions
to the commercial kit, a couple of rolls of mole-skin. Doesn't stick to anything but itself.
How cool is that?

I also have a teeny weather-radio, 8MP-camera and water-bottles, that tend to wander
in and out of the trunk, depending on the trip.

Ern