GS MacGyver fix

[LodiHal]

So, your on a single track trail miles and miles from anyone. Cell phone doesn't work. You have a catastrophic failure. What to do?

Can you guess who applied this MacGyver fix and rode back to safety? :D

http://www.halsinger.com/hddc/failure1.jpg

http://www.halsinger.com/hddc/failure2.jpg

http://www.halsinger.com/hddc/failure3.jpg

[RaffyK]

Ouch. What happened?

[dougholck]

This occured riding around the mountians north of the Bonnieville Speedway while attending the BMW Explore Speedweek (good time, different story)
Was not going all that fast (35/40 mph) on a reasonably nice semi-graded desert road ( better than most fireroads I've riden) that was going to be a BMW sponsered ride the next day. Had encountered numerous washout areas comming off adjacent mountains, some gravely, some sandy and some with ruts. This set of three ruts (ditches 18"W X 12"D) appeared just over a slight rise and were worse than the previously mentioned. No time to brake (I did have the ABS switched off) so tried to time jumping over but spacing was not uniform and did not get the bike light enough over the third rut and caught the edge pretty hard. Felt like a flat tire as rear started to wag side to side as I stopped without going down. Figured I blew the tubless tire or bent the rim but it was worse, broke the left transmission case where the swingarm/footrest mounts. Used the tireiron out of the tool kit to create a new pivot as bearing was gone and pulled everthing together with tiedown straps allowing me to travel at 20 mph even tho it tracked alittle crooked and was a real handfull in the sandy spots. Made it out 10 miles over several more "washes/ruts" to a paved road and 5 miles back to Wendover.
Rick Mayer (plug for great seats) hauled the GS back to A & S BMW in Roseville, Ca (plug for great dealer) and they report swingarm is OK, just need new tranny case.
Do I deserve any consideration from BMW (warranty/goodwill) or is this the cost $$$ of a good time on a great bike and alittle bad luck?
I will get it fixed and ride on.
__________________

[JPSpen]

Sorry, Don't think their warranty will cover you wrecking your bike.:)


Now if you have full coverage insurance, that's another matter.

Glad you weren't hurt.


Good Luck

John

[dougholck]

Ouch!
New Trany case, Swing-arm and driveshaft.
$3800.00

I'm still proud I was able to save myself and limp out of a no cell phone zone at the Bonnieville Saltflats Desert with this type of catastrophic failure.

Have tried to think what I could have done to avoid this (besides idling along at 10 miles/hr) but the dirt road was graded, straight with just enough undulations to hide this hazzard.

A bike which caught up with me afterwards said he hit it at 75 mph and almost endoed and his chase pick-up (F-250) hit it at 70 mph, so sounds like I should have been going faster????

Parts ordered, be back on the road soon.
__________________

[Dan-A]

Ouch!
New Trany case, Swing-arm and driveshaft.
$3800.00



Wow, bummer. Insurance cover it?

[Steve_R]

Man that could have been a whole lot worse than it was. Glad you're okay Doug. Thanks for the kind words off the list.

[dino2000]

you are the f-ing man !!!!!!!!! :dance: