Feel like waterskiing?

Feel like waterskiing?

Cause, if you do, then I recomend you use water skiis. Not your bike.


Was just riding home when it started raining.
And when I say raining, I don't mean a measly little drissle. I mean it started absolutely pissing down. The kind of rain where you can't see for ten metres in front of you.

Bah, I've been through worse than this, I think to myself as I crack my visor open to prevent it fogging. I hunker down, kissing the tank so that the windshield deflects the rain over my shoulders.

tap... tap TAP tap...
Hail? ok, maybe I haven't been through worse... Aproaching a set of lights, I drop a gear, easing the clutch out and matching rpm to minimise strain on the rear wheel.

tap TAP tatap TAP TAP

I drop another gear, preparing to take the easy left hander in third at about 6k rpm. I flick my eyes to the lights and then the other cars, making sure the way's clear.

TAP TATAP TAP CRACK TAP [/b]CRACK CRACK[/b]

fck. Looking at the ground I notice the hail isn't melting... and it's still pissing down.

Too late to slow down... With my corner speed set, I prepare to go wide. The intersection's on a main road, so I have two lanes to play with.

CRAkRACK CRACK CRACK

In horror, I notice the water spewing out of the drains about ten metres around the corner. The road is flooded. FCK I set the breaks and try to straighten up before the bike plows into the water.

Too late. The road suddenly goes smooth under me, and I notice that I'm not turning anymore. The bike, already leaned over, gives in to gravity and I find myself sliding across water and bitumen... Over and over the mantra flew through my mind: don't hit the helmet. don't hit the helmet. don't hit them helmet.

I come to a halt on my back, staring back up the road where I fell off. I get up and look at my bike.

FARCK
I walk over to her. I hear someone asking if I'm ok.
I pick her up and wheel her off the side of the road.

A couple of people stop.

I start her up... she goes. always a good sign.

Someone tells me its leaking oil. I look down at the hole in the case covering the transfer gears between the crankshaft and the gearbox.
Leaking? The hole's 3cm across. There was no oil. farckI switch her off.

One of the guys that pulls over has a trailer. It's still pissing down. We get the bike up onto the trailer and tie it down, and he drives me home.


So yeah... what a great saturday afternoon.

 

Yeah, i'm fine. was wearing all my gear. My lether jacket's a little bit scuffed, but apart from that there's no noticeable damage.

Could've been a lot worse for the bike too. The left hand fairing is scuffed up a bit, and worn completely through in a small section. Both left hand indicators are gone, but I wanted to replace them anyway. Then there's the cover for those transfer gears (both it and its gasket will need replacing).

I don't suppose anyone knows the name of that part? Or better yet, the part number?
It's the cover on the left hand side that sticks out through a hole in the fairing.

 

Thanks gov. Makes sense.
I had a few litres of 15w50 fully synth that I was going to put in, but I reckon I might buy some cheap stuff, throw that in first, and then after a day do an oil / filter change with the good stuff as you recomended.

 

the parts came up on their system as being the crank case cover and gasket for a '98 zeal. I figured they're very similar engines, so I asked them to go ahead and order them in. at $110 (for the cover and gasket), I hope it fits!

Anyway, should only be out of action for a week. apparently the parts are in Aust.

 

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