I "lost a peg" last Saturday.
Hears the story.
The bike hasn't been running right. It's been making some noise coming out of 1st gear. I checked the clutch lever free play. It's OK. I check the chain tention. It's OK. so I deside to take it to the shop on Saturday and let them have a look see. They all take it for a spin and deside everything is OK. I'm not convinced, but my hearing isn't that good anymore so I deside to give the problem some more time and head on off for home.
I'm on the 405 freeway (the 2nd most used freway in the world next to the 10 which is 2 miles ahead). Traffic was very heavy but I'm making it ok. My exit is coming up, the traffic alway backs up right there, so I start to split lanes.
I get over into the exit lane and traffic opens up. I get on the gas and up to about 65. This is the same exit I always take. Day in day out. I know it by heart. A nice left sweeper into a 1/4 mile straight into a little righ. I'm being good. I'm only doing 70. I slow down slightly because I know at the very end of the exit there is a compression zone followed directly by a pronounced bump. I'm all set up for it. I got by butt off the seat slightly to help the suspention. I hit the compression zone with my full weight on the pegs. I hit the compression zone and my left foot pegs SNAPS. My foot hits the ground and kicks back up. I'm slightly off balance just in time for the bump. Next thing I know the front end is all over the place. I ain't talking no Janet Reno parsensons head shake, It was the full seizure.
I can hear the cars behind me get on the brakes. I keep my speed up and very slowly ease up on the throttle. I ride it out and have put some distance between the cars behind me. I had just enough time to check my mirrors and take the turn at the side street at about 45. I come to a stop and shake it off.Now I have to go back to the the exit and dodge traffic after I find the peg. I find the peg. right in the middle of the freeway exit. I wait and pick my time and grab it. I'm only 4 blocks from a bike shop so I just get into 2nd and rest my left foot on the back peg. No big deal, just looks kind of strange. I explain what happened and borrowed the tools to swap out the back peg for the non existent front. I call up the boys at
S. B. T. and tell them what happened. sure enough they got the part that I need laying around.
So, back on the freeway for a 15 mile lane spitting skills test. get to the shop and swap out pegs agian. Back on the freeway for another round of lane splitting and off at the same exit where I snapped the peg.
The good news is I remained upright ( it wasn't really that close but it was close enough). I got the part I needed and there was lots of cold beer waiting for me when I got home. My after market shocks and front spings should be ready any day now. Thank GOD.
(maybe I should consider a fork brace and steering dampner in the near future. I'm not really keen on them but after that I can see their appeal.
)
The bad news is I'm still not convinced that the bike is rite. My hearing is pretty bad, but I swear That clutch ain't rite. And I'm probably not going to Cambria.
Scary
lever
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