Dem Bikers is a Good Breed

[TVoyagerXII]

Well it's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm spending a great holiday with my son, his wife, and my new baby grandson. That's not such a big deal except me and the wife liked not to have made it.

It's 500 miles from us to Benton, LA and we were loaded up and headed west and everything was going well until. . . . Yep the danged bike quit 300 miles out. The day before Thanksgiving. Oh crap, now what were we gonna do?

I stripped the bike down, checked the fuses, the wiring and any wire couplings I could find looking for the problem. I couldn't figure out what happened, except I figured I wasn't getting gas. I couldn't figure out how to get information on the cell to get a hold of a Kawasaki dealer. Screwed! I had to think. What to do, where were we gonna go for the night, what were we gonna do with the bike, and how in the he!! do you get information on a cell phone?

I was getting frustrated and po'd to say the least. My wife tried to calm me down. "Don't worry", she says, "I just prayed for some help". Great, that oughta do it, I thought, knowing my relationship with the man upstairs, I'd say I was really screwed!

My wife, dang it, I hate it when she's right! Five minutes later, while I'm putting the bike back together, here pulls up a rough looking character on a Yamaha Maxim. Jeff Covington was his name and part of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club rescue team (the power of prayer). We discuss what's gone on and what I discovered and he agrees with me that it's not getting fuel, clogged filter or fuel pump he figures. Great, now what?

After a couple of phone calls and a few minutes up pulls a truck with another member of the SCRC, Baron Kleinhans. The two of them talk a little bit and a few phone calls later they tell me they're off to get a trailer and we'll pull the bike to Jeff's place and try to fix it. I was sure happy to have some help, but worried none the less that there wasn't much we could do on a Holiday weekend.

Just minutes after they leave for the trailer Deputy Sheriff James Brown pulls up to make sure we don't get run over by the now heavy I20 Traffic. Seems the Sheriff is a biker and a member of the SCRC and he sent Deputy Brown to assist us. Things are looking up. The deputy even offered us half a sandwich he had from lunch.

Well, in an effort to try and make a long story short we get the bike trailered to Jeff's place in Vicksburg, MS. They offer me and the wife, total strangers to them, more hospitality than you can imagine. I'm always amazed by the generosity of bikers.

Well, we tear into the bike. Not the fuel filter. Fuel pump? Yep, dang! No where to get one now, it's to late and the Kawi dealer let the mechanics off for a long weekend. We check some voltages, ok, no problem there. We clean the terminals to the connections of the fuel pump. No luck. I guess I dropped the fuel pump on the concrete floor and just for a minute I thought I felt it start to work. Dang I can't win. Mad, I take the fuel pump and slap it on the floor a couple a more times. It works! Go figure. I'm sure my wife was in the house praying.

I call my son and ask him to meet us half way between us and the Covington's just in case. We made it, and are having a great weekend and made a couple of more biker friends a long the way.

Our holiday saved! I'm so proud to be part of the biking community and the members like Jeff and Baron that go that little extra to save weekends, I'm sure, for a good many other bikers. All I can say is "Dem bikers is a good breed".

*We still have the trip back home and who knows may be another adventure awaits? I'll keep you posted.

Side note: If you plan a trip through Missippi pm me and I'll give you my cell number and if you get in a trick I'll give you the numbers for Jeff and Baron.
It couldn't hurt.

[GeorgiaRider]

Now that's a great holiday story. Glad it worked out so well.

[VindianaJones]

Wow! Glad to hear you made it ok.

[A2rider]

Southern hospitality at its best! Now remember this, and the next time you see a bike on the side of the road in your neck of the woods, stop and help THEM out.

[TVoyagerXII]

Originally Posted by A2rider

Southern hospitality at its best! Now remember this, and the next time you see a bike on the side of the road in your neck of the woods, stop and help THEM out.

Oh, I'm not likely to ever forget the help we received from these two great guys and I always stop and check on bikers I see along the road that may be in trouble. So far I've just been flagged on as they were waiting to meet others or the like, but trust me, I'll be there if any need me.

[Tod]

What an awesome story of Riders helping Riders.

I'm touched by the generosity and kind spirited nature of people that helped you guys.

Kinda makes up for all the ***holes we see on the road most of the rest of the time doesn't it?

Have a great weekend with your family.

[cmptrmn.1]

Originally Posted by Tod

What an awesome story of Riders helping Riders.

I'm touched by the generosity and kind spirited nature of people that helped you guys.

Kinda makes up for all the ***holes we see on the road most of the rest of the time doesn't it?

Have a great weekend with your family.

Amen.

[TVoyagerXII]

Originally Posted by Tod

What an awesome story of Riders helping Riders.

I'm touched by the generosity and kind spirited nature of people that helped you guys.

Kinda makes up for all the ***holes we see on the road most of the rest of the time doesn't it?

Have a great weekend with your family.

It sure does, even when sometimes those ***holes are us. It's been my experience here more and more that the biking community is over-all caring and helpful folks that will hold there hand out and give all they got and most of the time you don't even have to ask.

[TVoyagerXII]

Well, we made it back thanks to the help from Jeff and Baron. Can you believe that fuel pump is working like new. It was colder than a well diggers butt too. 7 of the 11 hours back were in the rain and in the low 40's. It was worth it though.

[captaintoad1]

am glad that you made it back safely. and such a beautiful family!!

[c_law23]

what a great adventure.

In this day and age, everyone needs to take a long look at what's really important and remember to pay it forward.

[David Madden]

Thank you for sharing that uplifting experience. I agree, there is a brother hood that connects bikers every where. I myself will stop to help a biker that looks like he's in trouble.

D

[Kawa 1982]

It is good to know there is a safety net out there with fellow bikers like Jeff Covington, Baron Kleinhans and Deputy Sheriff James Brown of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club. It is nice to know that there are still people that are interested in helping someone out in a time of need.

[TVoyagerXII]

Originally Posted by Kawa 1982

It is good to know there is a safety net out there with fellow bikers like Jeff Covington, Baron Kleinhans and Deputy Sheriff James Brown of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club. It is nice to know that there are still people that are interested in helping someone out in a time of need.

INDEED! I think there are more than not. Sometimes only the bad deeds and news filter down, but there are good people out there. I'm certainly reminded of that every time I visit this forum.

[Sinecure]

"James Brown" you say? "HA! I FEEL GOOD".

On a more serious note. Glad to hear everything worked out. Good ol' southern hospitality.

[ROMAD]

Great story! There was a movie about a real young boy that was terminally ill, that had that kind of heart. It even started an organization that I think is still going. Whether it is or not, it is good to remember. His motto was a great one. If someone helps you, "Pass It Forward"!!!!!
I try and it is unbelievable how it sometimes comes full circle!
(Darn, just ruined my hard(ly) won reputation as a harda$$!)

[antiq]

Great story!Did you invite them to join us here? Now that we have the procedure to repair inop. fuel pumps. We need a picture of which side to bash on the floor.

[vulcancowboy]

Great story! I agree, bikers are a good breed, and let's not discount the power of prayer either!

[NCDave]

Boy, the only thing you can say to that is....amen! Glad you made it back safe and sound!

[TVoyagerXII]

Originally Posted by antiq

Great story!Did you invite them to join us here? Now that we have the procedure to repair inop. fuel pumps. We need a picture of which side to bash on the floor.

Sorry, I don't have a photo, but it seems a couple of good thumps on the flat end opposite the in and out lines does the trick.
It's totally weird, only thing I can figure is something got stuck in the windings and slapping it around knocked what ever loose. A new one is anywhere from $150 to 190, so I'm carrying a large wrench so if it happens again I'll just take the right side cover off and give it a good smack.
Oh, and yes I did invite them. Hope they come on. In fact I'll email them today and remind them to get up with us.