Worst Place to Break Down

[khspe2]

Anybody break down in a really bad place? I live in New Jersey and take my 91 GL1500 SE to New York City on nice days to work. On one very hot summer day, I was leaving the city and got in line to leave via the Holland tunnel.

About one third of the way through the tunnel, the Gold Wing died.

In case you have never been in this tunnel, there is no shoulder and at rush hour, it is a wall of traffic. I pulled over as far as I could, and started to take off my helmet and gloves. Before I could call for assistance, an off duty police officer stopped and told me that he would contact the Port Authority (the tunnel agency).

Within ten minutes, the port authority rescue vehicle arrived, and jump started the bike with a jump box. I quickly accelerated to 65 and within one mile, but it died again, just at the mouth of the tunnel. Well at least I now knew it was my alternator and not my battery. After another jump, I was able to get to a safe breakdown area.

While in the tunnel, for what seemed like an eternity waiting for assistance, I was nearly hit several times because instead of changing lanes, the people directly behind me “squeezed” between me and the cars in the other lane. I wonder if I just should have kept the bike in the middle of my lane so as to prevent this from happening.

Anyway, once out of the tunnel, I realized I must have dropped my phone inside the tunnel, while taking off my gear UGHH! The operator of the rescue vehicle let me call my daughter and my roadside assistance provider.

I really have to say that the Port Authority assistance unit was fantastic. They do not charge for the rescues inside the tunnels as they are more interested in restoring normal traffic flow, especially during a rush hour.

Not so much love for my roadside assistance provider. I did not get a return call for two hours, and when I finally got a return call, I was told that it would be three more hours before a flat bed could get there. Not willing to wait that much longer on the side of the road in hot weather, I paid the corner gas station operator $20 to let me park the bike on his property. I gave him the key, contacted the flatbed operator and went home with my daughter who came to rescue me.

This happened at 4PM and my bike finally got home at 1:00 AM.

Woke up the next day, and ordered a new alternator. Installed the alternator, charged the battery with my Battery Tender, and I am back on the road.

Anyone else break down in a bad location?

[dingdong]

I haven't but it will be hard to top that.

[AZgl1800]

I think your tunnel experience over-whelms being stuck out in the desert flat lands.
the heat was probably about the same though, the danger of the tunnel drivers for a stopped m/c just scares the B-willies out of me.

[dingdong]

I have only one experience with a breakdown. Not quite sure of the date but somewhere around 1982. Riding my 1981 CB750K just north of Arches Natl. Park, Utah at around 4 am in the morning. Dark couldn't describe it. No moon just lots of stars. Rock formations on both sides. All of the sudden the bike quits. No power no lights no nothing and here I am doing 60 mph on a two lane desert highway and can't see squat. Managed to get safely to the shoulder. Now what I ask myself. I had no tools except the oem tool kit. Long story short, after standing around for about 30 minutes waiting for daylight I turned the key on and she started right up. Problem never occurred again. That CB750k was my first. "touring" bike. Except for the buzzzzzz I loved it.