Are we awarding a McGyver prize this year? (nomination content)

[rodekyll]

Every year or so we kick around the idea of awarding a McGyver prize to the rider who most cleverly got out of a bad situation using only the resources available by the side of the road.  I got to thinking aobut that again when I came across this article  about the Chozen Few (Korea 1950) in AMERICAN HANDGUNNER magazine (online version):  http://americanhandgunner.com/the-tootsie-roll-tale/  .  I've seen versions that went into more detail and drama, but this excerpt from the article (full text at the link) I think captures the spirit of the prizeworthy fix:

"Jeep batteries froze and split. C-rations ran dangerously low and the cans were frozen solid. Fuel could not be spared to thaw them. If truck engines stopped, their fuel lines froze. Automatic weapons wouldn’t cycle. Morphine syrettes had to be thawed in a medical corpsman’s mouth before they could be injected. Precious bottles of blood plasma were frozen and useless. Resupply could only come by air, and that was spotty and erratic because of the foul weather.

High Command virtually wrote them off, believing their situation was hopeless. Washington braced for imminent news of slaughter and defeat. Retreat was hardly an option; not through that wall of Chinese troops. If the Marines defended, they would be wiped out. So they formed a 12-mile long column — and attacked.

There were 78 miles of narrow, crumbling, steeply-angled road — and 100,000 Chinese soldiers — between the Marines and the sea at Hungnam. Both sides fought savagely for every inch of it. The march out became one monstrous, moving battle.

The Chinese used the ravines between ridges, protected from rifle fire, to marshal their forces between attacks. The Marines’ 60-millimeter mortars, capable of delivering high, arcing fire over the ridgelines, breaking up those human waves, became perhaps the most valuable weapon the Marines had. But their supply of mortar rounds was quickly depleted. Emergency requests for resupply were sent by radio, using code words for specific items. The code for 60mm mortar ammo was “Tootsie Rolls” — but the radio operator receiving that urgent request didn’t have the Marines’ code sheets. All he knew was that the request came from command authority, it was extremely urgent — and there were tons of Tootsie Rolls at supply bases in Japan.

Tootsie Rolls had been issued with other rations to US troops since World War I, earning preferred status because they held up so well to heat, cold and rough handling compared to other candies.

Tootsies From The Sky

Tearing through the clouds and fog, parachutes bearing pallet-loads of Tootsie Rolls descended on the Marines. After initial shocked reactions, the freezing, starving troops rejoiced. Frozen Tootsies were thawed in armpits, popped in mouths, and their sugar provided instant energy. For many, Tootsie Rolls were their only nourishment for days. The troops also learned they could use warmed Tootsie Rolls to plug bullet holes in fuel drums, gas tanks, cans and radiators, where they would freeze solid again, sealing the leaks."

So, given the situation and the ingenuity and results of the tootsie roll fix, who among us should be awarded the order of the __________?*  Nominate yourself or someone else.  Extra points for a well-told story.  I think the award is only for the current year.  There could be other opinions.  I think the all-time-greatest fix might be a separate category.  This needs to be personal ingenuity event.  If a commercial tow, trailer, or truck ride is involved or a shop does the fix it doesn't count.  The intervention of good Samaritans, proper planning, and other acts of dog, do.

* All I have for titles is the order of the tootsie roll, campfire, or red suspenders.  Other title ideas welcome.  All I can think of for awards are (uncreatively) a box of tootsie rolls, that crescent wrench with the hammer welded to it, or a pair of red suspenders.  Again, other ideas welcome.  I'm not real good at the detail end of this stuff.

[oldbike54]

I would nominate Delrod (Doug) for his repair of Fubarguzzi's BMW at the Okie camp out . May not quite fit the criteria , but still an ingenious bit of work  ;-T

  Dusty

Oh , the story .
Fubar had ridden all the way from Nebraska , a distance of about 500 miles on his battery , pouring down rain , high winds , boojums and goblins everywhere . Now , for those who don't know , this years Okie deal was a miserable soggy mess . 9 inches of rain in 36 hours , and Fubes was a bit discouraged . We parked his R 90 under the pavillion and began the brainstorming . Hmm , no obvious problems , things check out OK . We take a break to cook dinner , return the the bike , scratch our heads , give up , try to get some sleep . Next morning early , Inator  am walking to the coffee pot , and a smiling Doug greets me with "I fixed the bike last night" . Tom (Fubar) was telling us what was wrong with it , we were just not hearing it . The alternator connections had the insulators on the wrong side . Sounds simple enough , but it took Doug to catch it . We ran an extra lead , bingo , juice . The Fubes got to run his headlight going home  ;D 

  Dusty

[Bisbonian]

Riding down in Mexico earlier this year on my 1200 Sport, at speeds that were probably not legal there and definitely not legal here.

Grass on both sides of the road, probably 6 feet high and very thick. I can around a corner to find a deep pothole that ran the width of the road. Leaned over in the corner would be a disaster so I straightened up as much as I could and raised up off the seat to try to reduce the impact. The bike squirmed underneath me but didn't get out of control.

I slowed and took stock. I noticed a vibration. I adjusted my speed and wondered if the tire had come apart on me. Finally I pulled over to the side of the road to check things out. Initially I was very pleased as I couldn't find a bad spot on the tire. However as I spun the wheel while on the center stand I could feel a place where the wheel stopped. I looked harder and noticed that the wheel was bent.

The wheel was bent in two directions, not only was the rim contacting the side of the swing arm, but it as also hitting the heads of the bolts that hold the CARC on.

I have a friend who lives about 60 miles from where I was. Praising my own forethought I pilled out my Mexican cell phone and started dialing, only to realize that I was in the boondocks and had no signal.

I took stock of the situation and thought about trying to hitch a ride with a passerby driving a truck. However I had purposely taken the route less traveled to avoid any traffic. I was sure that any car that came by would have some rudimentary tools to keep their own car running, a hammer would get me going if only the game of charades that my poor Spanish would require could be worked out.

As I sat there, I realized that I was surrounded by hammers, in the form of nice cobble-sized stones. I chose a rock that fit my hand well, removed the right side pannier and went to work. I remember the days when I would wrap masking tape around the rim to keep from scratching it, that went out the window as my caveman efforts indelibly scarred the surface. After a good bit of time, I was finally able to spinn the wheel without it hitting anything.

I put everything back together and continued on my way. I told myself that I would keep the speed down the rest of the way but it got the better of me.

I got to my destination and took the wheel off, it was pretty beat up. I decided to take it to the llantera the next day to get a better job of straightening done. I explained what I needed to have done (pointed and mimicked a hammer) and the guy went to town with his large hammer. The wheel kept looking better and better, I finally decided it was good enough and said so but the tire guy thought he could do better. He took one more swing and I watched as a crack opened up in the wheel.

In the end I decided to catch a different ride home and then came up with a used wheel which I brought down a week later.

The next trip down I hit a rock and bent the front wheel. Not that lucky this year.

[Green1000S]

After crashing the bike on my way to Ohio rally, I bent the front rim, aluminum panniers, exhaust, wiped out blinkers with a 1/2 dozen other items. With help of 2 locals and a 2x4 we (read: they) beat the crap of the front rim and straightened the front tubes...sort or...
Without blinkers and wastly wobbling front rim that interrestingly remained together at 45MPH, I rode the remaining 300 miles home with a busted shoulder and few other injuries.
First night hotel had excellent health care in form of a bar across the street with some decent vodka in larger quantities...

Does that count?

[rodekyll]

Yes, it counts.   ;-T

How's the shoulder?

[Cam3512]

After crashing the bike on my way to Ohio rally, I bent the front rim, aluminum panniers, exhaust, wiped out blinkers with a 1/2 dozen other items. With help of 2 locals and a 2x4 we (read: they) beat the crap of the front rim and straightened the front tubes...sort or...
Without blinkers and wastly wobbling front rim that interrestingly remained together at 45MPH, I rode the remaining 300 miles home with a busted shoulder and few other injuries.
First night hotel had excellent health care in form of a bar across the street with some decent vodka in larger quantities...

Does that count?

Ladies and germs, we have a weener!!

[Green1000S]

Yes, it counts.   ;-T

How's the shoulder?

After 4 months close to normal. Some problems still there, but that wount stop me. ;-)

[Zoom Zoom]

I think Fubar disabled the bike before arrival just to get preferred parking. :o ;D ;)

It was wet, but I had a great time!

I will have to give my vote to Lauri on this one.

John Henry

[Chuck in Indiana]

You have to remember that the Mayor of BBQ is redoing his V65 in his living room with no tools. I respectfully submit that molding the threads in some pvc pipe to make a breather box is worthy of submission..

[dilligaf]

I used my cell phone to call AAA.   :BEER:
Matt

[Cam3512]

I used my cell phone to call AAA.   :BEER:
Matt

Did you make the cell phone out of a coconut?

[dilligaf]

No, it was an old flip phone, I still have it, and that is why I placed my name under consideration.   ::)  :BEER:
Matt

[oldbike54]

No, it was an old flip phone, I still have it, and that is why I placed my name under consideration.   ::)  :BEER:
Matt

Does your cell phone require a hand crank like mine ?  :D

  Dusty

[charlie b]

LOL.  I also vote for Lauri.

Mine was wierd but simple.  On trip through Utah bottomed out front fork on a pothole.  It stuck there.  Rode 60mi with no front springs (and worried about bending fork tubes).

At campground pulled the front fork tubes.  Brother and I had to lift the bike up onto a platform of 2x6's.  Yes, I had tools.

Left fork spring seat was jammed up.  Was trying to figure out how to fix it with disassembling the cartridge under full spring tension!  Got a piece of 2x4 and hit it a few times (keeping my fingers out of the way!).  Voila!  Everything back to normal.



So, I could claim to have fixed my bike with a 2x4  :)

[oldbike54]

Yeah , Lauri is probably gonna be tough to beat , would still like to hear the other stories though . A 2x4  ;D ;D

  Dusty

[rodekyll]

Yes, let's wait a week for folks to get their nominations in.  If we start voting now it will discourage others from writing up their story.  I'm thinking perhaps do the submissions here and then vote in a separate topic/poll.




No, I'm not eligible this year -- didn't ride.

[mtiberio]

Bob had new timing gears at the track, and they made a horrible rattly noise. Pulled the timing cover at the track, and the crank nut was loose, and the crank key had wallered out the key slot in the gear. I suggested we glue safety wire in the slot to built it up. It held, and the gear was tight and he finished the weekend.

[dilligaf]

Marion and I were on our way to the North Carolina rally and, having spent the last three weeks in Canada, we found the ride very hot.  We stopped at a Starbucks in Columbia, SC, called AAA, loaded the motorcycle up and road home in an air conditioned truck.  :BEER:
Matt

PS:  This was one time we shouldn't have taken the SP.  ;D

[azguzzirep]

Greg Field had such an award called the 'wing-nut' award.

I won it at the NorCal national, about 100 years ago. :D

I had to repair my starter because a contact came apart inside the solenoid. I think used an aluminum can for spacer/contact material and something else for glue, but can't remember it, and it held up and got me to the rally, and back! Yes, it was an on the road repair. or to be specific, a camp grounds repair.

When I got back to Phoenix, I had it repaired at the Bosch shop in Glendale.

Since I already got a trophy for it, I will not enter this contest.

Tom

[rodekyll]

bump

Let's get some more nominees and stories!

[Rough Edge racing]

 Ok,but mine is a Harley story.....I'm riding a kick start only 77 Shovelhead  bobber I had recently purchased.This around 2001 and I had no cell phone...Riding down a rural road when the engine begins to misfire and I smell smoke and it's  obvious the wiring harness is melting.The engine stalls so I pull in the clutch and coast to the roadside. The charred wiring is still hot as I pull on it to see what's left. I'm also swatting at mosquitoes buzzing around my face...A man approaches me from a nearby house with his young daughter..He stops 10 feet away and pushes his kid behind him to protect her from the greasy biker with a dirty face...
  He asks if he can help....I ask if he has any wire....He motions to a discarded table lamp in the garbage. I rip the cord from the lamp...I didn't have a knife so I crush off the insulation by placing the wire on a rock and hit it with another rock...The captive audience is now his other two kids standing behind their dad for protection from the mad man dressed in animal hides.
 I tear off most of the charred wiring .. Wrap the wiring around the charred stumps on the battery and coil...I give them a thumbs up and jump on the kickstarter.The Harley roars into life with a cloud of smoke and settles into a rough idle. The young boy now only see a road warrior as I put on the helmet and gloves. He gets a bit closer and high fives with big smile...I  clunk into gear and take off into the sunset.

[rodekyll]

bump again -- stories and nominations close Wed night.  I'll start a new topic linking this one for voting.

[azguzzirep]

Greg Field had such an award called the 'wing-nut' award.

I won it at the NorCal national, about 100 years ago. :D

I had to repair my starter because a contact came apart inside the solenoid. I think used an aluminum can for spacer/contact material and something else for glue, but can't remember it, and it held up and got me to the rally, and back! Yes, it was an on the road repair. or to be specific, a camp grounds repair.

When I got back to Phoenix, I had it repaired at the Bosch shop in Glendale.

Since I already got a trophy for it, I will not enter this contest.

Tom

Here's the story on the starter. Hard to remember all the details from so long ago, but, the starter quit working. A Bosch type found on many older Guzzis, this one was on my G5.

After making sure the battery was good, I took the starter off. I grounded the starter to the frame and jumpered the starter motor with a hot wire from the battery. It spun. then I jumpered the bendix(?) and it worked! I put the starter back on the bike, attached all the wires, and, it didn't work. Hmm. So, I retested and same results. Motor spun and bendix engaged, but it wouldn't work when on the bike.

I don't remember how I checked the switch and wire from the starter button, but I knew they were okay. Maybe the bendix was working. Hmm. So as I held the starter in my hands and was turning it over and over, looking for something that says 'AHA'!, I heard something loose in the back part of the starter, the bendix area. So I took the starter apart and a contact fell out onto the table. Aha! I says. This piece transfers the juice to the motor from the bendix. That's why both things worked seperately but not together.

I figured a way to get it back together so it would work for me till I could get it 'really' fixed. It held together the rest of the trip. The new part from GenStar in Glendale was $12, I think, and they serviced the starter, cleaning it and checking the brushes and windings and stuff, and the repair job cost was $25.

Tom

[rodekyll]

I'm locking the nominations now.  Hoping there would have been more.    :-\

I'll have the poll ready later today, I hope.