A Rolls Royce Moment

Today I had a Rolls Royce moment. If you've not heard that expression before, it comes from the Rolls Royce factory where Rolls' do not break down, they just fail to proceed.

Today, I failed to proceed, while blatting along at 120 +, where there was a light miss in the engine note. Within 500 metres it was a heavy miss, like no run at all.

Stopped (I had no choice) and measured battery voltage - 9.0 Volts. Hmm something is not kosher here. Got a lift home picked up the quadricycle and trailer, went and got the old girl, and brought her back home.

Just stripped it all and found that one of the mounting bolts on the alternator, the one that tensions the alternator belt had sheared. I'll take it to work on Monday and get the broken one out and replace with something better than cheese. It's a clean break, so I don't know if I over tightened it when I replaced the belt 10,000 km ago, or it's just the famous Italian cheese bolts they use. I'm thinking a stainless item might be the go.

Comments?

Lets know how you go. Good luck.

Make sure it hasn't buggered the belt by slipping too. This is one location where a HT bolt wouldn't go astray but I thought the original was HT anyway?

If the bolt is under shear then a bright plate high tensile 10.9 bolt would be better than a stainless fixing.

Having a look at all the parts involved, the probably reason the bolt snapped was that there was an axial load upon it. Obviously, this was my fault, and I probably didn't tighten the bolt properly when I last changed the belt, 10,000 km ago.

Once the correct tension is on the belt, the screw should be tightened, and maybe even the tensioner could be relaxed a little instead of still applying lateral load on the bolt that broke.

I have all the bits, and I need to get off my fat arse and put it all back together again. As it's due for a service (130,000 km), I might do some of those things while I am in there. I do need to finalise the driving lights feed in the wiring harness, needs several oils changed, filters, plugs et al. Might be another week before I can ride again. Still I'm thinking about it...

One thing I noticed when the old girl "failed to proceed" last Friday, is the number of people who pulled over to assist an old bloke with a broken bike. The response was awesome! Nil, zero, zippo, zilch, nein. Even bikers kept going - must be my personality! Even the highway patrol kept going. Same when I was loading the bike on my trailer, which took nearly an hour by myself - none.

What is the world coming to? If I see a biker on the side of the road, I at least beep and ask if he/she is OK, and I've pulled over many times to get brothers out of trouble.

Sad if you ask me. Once upon a time bikers would wave to each other as they passed, not anymore apparently, perhaps it's now uncool to acknowledge the presence of another human being. Really sad. next thing you know I will be jaded with my judgement of the rest of the human race.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.


Arse!

Pack of arseholes, the lot of them.

Current audience exempted from this rant - WE help each other.

I stopped to help a rider with a flat the other day. He was going to Deakin uni which was only a few hundred metres out of my way, so no drama. He actually got on the bike from the right, which I wasn't expecting. I always stop and check if a rider needs help.

I, too, always stop or, if possible, get a thumbs up or some positive (or negative) signal.  Always.

I do not wish to defend the perps who did not, but I have noticed that when I see someone on a cell phone they invariably wave me on.  That probably has led to the (often erroneous) assumption that everyone has help inbound, etc.  'Course, when I have road "issues," that usually means I have little or no signal!  

I still stop, but wonder if others who don't are in that "AssYouMe" mode?

Condolences for your experience.  It's become the mode.

Bill

Sadly.

Well we lot can start by raising the bar with our fellow riders.