"the" realistic spares kit for Airheads...

[Chuey]

Yup, 83 and 84 and maybe some other years had a smog device that is commonly removed. In the head, a drain plug plugs the hole. That's what Matt lost, that drain plug.

I'm thinking of sending the drain plugs from all my bikes, including the ones that plug those smog holes to have them drilled for safety wiring. There's a guy in Indiana who specializes in drain plug safety wiring modifications. He claims to be "no mechanic" but I think I'll give it a try.

Jean, please help me make sure he sees this. It's just not so funny if he doesn't see it.

Chuey

[Major Softie]

I don't know, I saw it, and I think it's funny.

[Deleted User 62]

The only spares I carry on the /5 are: fuses, sparkplugs, carb spring, clutch spring and adjustment bolt with locknut, known good used condenser and a clutch cable. The only thing I wish I'd had in the past was a carb diaphram, it sucks when they bust and the nearest dealer is 100 miles away.

[Jean]

Your nearest dealer might not have a diaphragm for the /5, either.
My experience says, If you've got it, you probably won't need it. But someone else will.
Ever since the 56 Stude, I carry a known good capacitor.

[Chuey]

Folks, watch for a new book by Jean. "Everything I Know, I Learned From a '56 Studebaker" will be published in hard back.

Chuey

[Matt]

interesting, the wxtra tools thread had list after list....the spare parts thread? not so much....makes me wonder. i was also expecting a dozen or more "how i stranded myself when XYZ part failed I shoulda replaced years ago" stories...
so what are y'all doing with all them tools & no spares?
& i started this thread while lamenting about not having an Airhead since 12/08 to ride....long story, one that will get aired out in the coming months.
ALSO, a few other Airhead part failures Ive had on the road....
broke a rocker one night in AL.
Ive broken 3 clutch cables, had a spare only on cable #3. I rode prolly 60 miles on 2 lanes through towns etc with no clutch cable till i could bail out on the interstate to get home in Decatur, Ga yrs ago.
Ive lost my charging system a few times, wouldn't leave the house without a rotor any more. Ever pulled yer HL bulb 7 disconnected the front brake switch so you wouldn't discharge yer battery so fast in order to get home?
My battery gave out in southern IL once & I somehow made it home on my charging system, & Ive blown the fuse on my accessory outlet once with no fuse(and not enough sense to just hard wire the damn thing in FREEZING ass cold temps in the middle of the night.
my throttle gears gave up once which resulted in one long slow ride home from S. GA....
I stripped the nut holding my left drivers foot peg and a DAMN Brown sidestand, I rode 2 up from TN back to GA over 2 days with no side stand AND no centerstand, I had just removed the Reynolds ride-of stand in disgust & hadn't gotten a stock center stand to replace it.....yes, IDIOT!
I lost the whole tail light assembly once right after installing the kick butt upgrade LED tail light from motorrad elektrik....another IDIOT!(sound of smacking forehead)
I'm sure I blocking out some other ones...

[Major Softie]

so what are y'all doing with all them tools & no spares?

With a roll of wire, a roll of tape, and a buttload of tools, you ought to be able to fix anything on the bike.

[Chuey]

Matt, you must be really strong, or need to let your inner torque wrench guide you. That foot peg/Brown side stand nut is also the one that holds the engine to the bike. It's a big honkin' nut! Stripping that one takes some real strength.

Or, was the engine bolt too short for the added width of the Brown side stand, causing not enough thread engagement?

Chuey

[gspd]

broke a rocker one night in AL.

What? it just broke without warning?
Do you remember what part of it failed? or why?
Any consequential damage?

[Matt]

the engine bolt nut strip.
It was te nut, with the brown you know how there isn't quite enough threads on the engine stud to fit so you have to back off the nuts to accomodate? another reason I hate brown sidestands....
I forced the sripped nut onto the stud & tightened eveything back up but dint have no threads to mount the brown. IF only i had hauled an extra nut....
The broken rocker.
I was in AL hauling ass early one night. was near anniston, ut of the blue i lost the right cylinder, couldnt guess why. but i still had compression.
lucky i was near Anniston, a buddy came & got me. He has a majpr airhead stash & it only took a minute to figure out what happened. I pulled the valve cover & inside was the lobe that touches the valve stem broken off. I ain't never seen nor heard of one breaking like that before. He gave me a rocker & I was back on the road in no time...

I also forgot,
I snapped a crank on the way to the RA rally in Lancaster? OH yrs ago, broke the crank longitudinally between the rod pins.
the ladies at the gas station I was in caled the cops on me after i told them I had just broken down & one of the cops who came to they're rescue delivered me to the rally 100 miles away early the next morning that is the ONLY time i can ever recall being treated like biker trash & yet it still worked out in my favor....haha. Mark at Recycle took me in & helped me swap the bottom end out, & sent me home & let me pay later. Lucky for me. thank you Mark...
& then one morning on my way to work at bogarts motorsports in AL(who by the way is going out of business now) I broke a final drive, I pulled onto the interstate & suddenly my bike went into neutral(or so i thought). what happened was the ring gear came apart. The spline shaft seperated from the actual ring gear. Almost as soon as I felt it go I jumped the median & came to a stop on te side of the interstate going the way back to my house which was less than a mile away a guy on a R1150 GS streaked past me heading towards Birmingham & not a minute later he pulled up behind me, all he needed was any excuse to jump the median to check on my situation:-) I love beemer guys.