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Tech: On-The-Trail Fix-It Drowned Bike Tips

You like it wet?

By Rick Sieman

You're out with your friends, having a great trail ride through some really cool woods. Or maybe competing in an enduro. Nice stuff … dappled sunlight through the trees … temperature just about right … plenty of traction … and then you have to cross that shallow stream on the trail.

Only that shallow stream turns out to have a deep spot in the middle, and the next thing you know, your bike is under water and your shorts are no longer dry.

Now what are you going to do? First thing to do is panic; in a panic situation, you'll find the strength of Superman-and you're going to need it to get that waterlogged tank out of the rapidly flowing water.

Don't think about what it's going to do to your back; just heave it out on the bank and get busy fixing the problem. If you don't get that bike out right away, it could literally start moving downstream and you could literally lose the bike. Honestly, I've seen this happen at the Blackwater 100 and some tough Eastern endures.

With a little bit of luck, you can be back rolling in 10 minutes or so, just as long as you don't waste any of those minutes feeling sorry for yourself. And if you are in an enduro, wasted minutes mean a bad score and worse results.

Don't even put the bike on the sidestand. Just lay the bike over and pull the spark plug out-right now! If you have a CDI ignition, ground the spark plug lead or you may fry the ignition.

Next, flip the whole bike up-side down, wheels to the sky, just like you used to do with a bicycle when you threw the chain. Before you flip the bike over, turn the gas off and pinch the vent hose so it doesn't pour all over the landscape.

Next, nudge the bike into second gear and start spinning the rear wheel in the normal direction. Water should be spraying out the spark plug hole. This is good; this is what you want it to do. Keep spinning until there's no trace of spray left, and start thinking about the air filter. You'll have to pull that out next and squeeze all the water out of it.

Flip the bike in whatever position you need to get the filter out- neatness doesn't count. Remember: the clock's still running.

With any luck at all, the air box drained out while the bike was on its back. But be careful while the filter's out and don't let water and muck run back down into the carb. Squeeze the filter out; don't wring it.

Now here's a trick you can use: slap the filter on your hand to knock out as much water as possible. You can watch the small drops fall out as you beat it against your palm.

Stick the filter back in and stand the bike up. Don't put the plug back in right away; give the engine a dozen kicks or so, and watch for any more vapor at the spark plug hole. Free the vent hose on the tank, then pull off the gas line and wash off the spark plug with gasoline. Shake off all the excess and screw it back into the cylinder head.

If you have a CDI ignition, start kicking. Try it a few times with the choke on, and if that doesn't work, shut the choke off and kick until your eyes cross.

The bike should start now, but it's going to take some kicking.

If you can't urge even a cough out of it, or if you have a points ignition, you'll have to get into the electricals. Don't give up and die, just, whip out the tools and get the mag cover off.

But first, disconnect the kill button. Unplug it, tear it out by the roots, hit it with a rock.., anything; just disconnect it and give the bike a few more kicks. It may start, but if it doesn't ...

Pull off the mag cover and let the water out. Run something clean and dry through the points, dry everything off as best as you can and then start kicking again. Leave the mag cover off until it starts-it won't hurt to have the magnets spinning in the breeze, and it'll help sling off the moisture.

If you're not running by now, go over everything again, and don't quit until the bugger runs. When it does fire, bolt everything important down, gather up your tools and take off! Don't stop to adjust your shorts.

You should have done that while you were spinning the back wheel. Just get out of there fast, because there's fifty more miles to go, and you haven't lost more than ten minutes. And the next stream that comes along, you might have to repeat the drill all over again.