A nudder dumb stunt, too much on my alleged mind I guess. :)

[John Schmidt]

Working on the 1200, I'm getting ready to install a Speedo Healer to correct the speedometer reading. First thing I wanted to do was determine which wire on the Valk I/S pickup is the output and which is the excitation voltage wire. So, I unplug it from the digital aftermarket gauge I installed and got out my trusty volt meter.

Now, while nobody is looking.....here's the dumb stunt. After unplugging the connector coming from the pickup and turning on the key, I poked the meter leads into it to determine which wire was what. I got nothing...no voltage, no continuity to ground....nothing. Hmmm, I put the leads on the battery and that read fine, so back to the connector. Still nothing. Turned off the key and walked away, deciding to try again another day. Yes, I could have dug through some piles of junk and got out my shop manual, but just using the meter was faster.....or so I thought.

Later while shaving, brushing a couple teeth, etc., it dawned on my addled brain; I was testing the connector going to the pick up on the front wheel...which by disconnecting it was now totally out of the circuit. However, when I returned to check voltage and ground continuity on the GAUGE side of the connectors, it work fine. Amazing what slowing down will do for you, especially when it involves wiring. I couldn't believe I actually did something like that, but then I remembered the time I worked feverishly to complete an engine change on an old Duster. All was fine, double checked everything....looked good. Hit the starter.....cranked and cranked but wouldn't fire. My neighbor's wife came by to chat with my wife and looked in while I was staring at it, wondering what I was up to. Told her just checking everything before starting it. She said "ok....what's that wire there used for?" I looked then told her it was a spare.....when in fact is was the wire going to the coil. Engine ran fine!  

OK guys, time to fess up.   

[TJ]

Just old age Buttercup.....   

[solo1]

In the '70's I was working as a field rep for GE Xray Corp.  I had to move an xray table to repair it.  It was an old setup and I didn't have any info on it.  I carefully labeled the lines going into the table then cut them as there were no quick disconnects.  When time came to reconnect I found that I had labeled ONLY one side of the lines. (No the wires were not color coded)

8 hours and a flat forehead later, I finally came up with the right combo to get the table working properly again.   I made no friends with the doctor in charge that day!

[Gavin_Sons]

In the '70's I was working as a field rep for GE Xray Corp.  I had to move an xray table to repair it.  It was an old setup and I didn't have any info on it.  I carefully labeled the lines going into the table then cut them as there were no quick disconnects.  When time came to reconnect I found that I had labeled ONLY one side of the lines. (No the wires were not color coded)

8 hours and a flat forehead later, I finally came up with the right combo to get the table working properly again.   I made no friends with the doctor in charge that day!

I have done this exact same thing. I had about 300 wires that needed quick disconnects on an old robot cell. I carefully labeled each wire about with 2 labels about 4 inches apart. Plan was to cut them right in the middle. I bundeled them all together and proceeded to use my ratcheting cable cutters on the whole bundle. My boss was talking with me about another job and I cut all those suckers on the wrong side of the label. Leaving 2 labels on one side of them. Took me 3 days with my ohm meter to sort it out. I blamed it on my boss for distracting me 

[Robert]

Nope never done that     

I love it that moment of epiphany when it dawns on you that you screwed up. Its such a mixed blessing on one hand you solved the problem on the other hand you realized your the problem.   

[John Schmidt]

Just old age Buttercup.....   

Yeah, yeah, coming from someone not too many years removed from me. At least you called me Buttercup.   

[Hooter]

I never do things like that, but it's nice to read such stories.    I can be working in the garage, put a wrench down for 30 seconds to do something else then can't find the wrench.  Or go into another room to get something and when I get there I forgot what it was I was after. Nope, no problems for me!

[Ramie]

When I was first getting my 98 Standard running I couldn't figure out why it would only run with the petcock in reserve position.  I took the tank on and off a couple of times pulled the petcock apart and checked everything twice until if finally dawned on me I had less than a gallon of gas in the tank.  Problem solved Doooh!

[Fazer]

I was trying to hook my acc circuit to a relay and could not figure out why it would not work.  I must have touched the live end to some grounded part of the bike when messing with it and when I inserted a new fuse, viola, everything was fine. 

[MarkT]

In the '70's I was working as a field rep for GE Xray Corp.  I had to move an xray table to repair it.  It was an old setup and I didn't have any info on it.  I carefully labeled the lines going into the table then cut them as there were no quick disconnects.  When time came to reconnect I found that I had labeled ONLY one side of the lines. (No the wires were not color coded)

8 hours and a flat forehead later, I finally came up with the right combo to get the table working properly again.   I made no friends with the doctor in charge that day!

I have done this exact same thing. I had about 300 wires that needed quick disconnects on an old robot cell. I carefully labeled each wire about with 2 labels about 4 inches apart. Plan was to cut them right in the middle. I bundeled them all together and proceeded to use my ratcheting cable cutters on the whole bundle. My boss was talking with me about another job and I cut all those suckers on the wrong side of the label. Leaving 2 labels on one side of them. Took me 3 days with my ohm meter to sort it out. I blamed it on my boss for distracting me  

I have a rule - if a customer rides in here to have work done "while you wait" (I don't encourage that, not infrequently there's a contingency that messes up the expected time needed), they are free to enjoy any of my library of movies in the Man Cave.  NOT chat with me in the shop while I work.  That slows me up as they fire off endless questions and distracts me so I might make a mistake. In fact just about the only time I make mistakes is when I'm distracted. I've noted that this happens more than it used to.  Knowing myself, not a multi-tasker, my paradigm is, I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, then I move on.  Don't distract me.

As a sidebar, we all have hit seemingly unsolvable problems and walked away, to wait for an epiphany to happen, or to "sleep on it".  And have it dawn on you the next day, the obvious solution, and be glad you didn't continue working on it in a wrong direction.  I read somewhere, when you do that, your subconscious actually works on the problem while you sleep.  Hmm.  Well that seems like a viable explanation, I've used the phenomenen many many times and it usually works.

I don't know how many times I've made stupid moves, smacked my forehead - "dumbass" - and been glad no one was watching.  Esp the wifal unit.  She sees something like that and I'll be reminded of it a decade later. She won't be reading this post BTW.

Lastly, when I set up Jade last winter, I installed a relay panel in the beginning to support all the electrical mods I knew I wanted all at once, so it would be laid out in an organized fashion, easy to maintain.  The panel is S of the battery, with ea relay identified with surgical tape labels.  Fuses in a PC8 fusebox, labelled. Could only fit 11 of the 17 relays needed, and 8 of the 12 or so fuses needed in the panel. (Every time I pull the tank if there aren't already 4 spare wires I add them in a couple gauges between the left fwd gusset and the underseat area, so I can add unknown circuits later w/o pulling the tank.) None of the wires are color coded like in the Honda design; the wires are whatever color the gauge needed spools were. No tracking the circuit down by a doc describing the color - trace the wire to the approp relay or fuse to ID what circuit it is. Or go to the label first and follow the wire.  Now it turns out the lettering is failing - the ink fades on the white cloth tape, or the adhesive fails and the label falls off.  I need a smarter label soln - non-fade ink and adhesive insensitive to mild heat.

[John Schmidt]

Mark, re. the wife....I once heard of a guy that couldn't get his car started. His wife walked past about that time and told him rather innocently...."probably because the license plate bracket is really loose."  He argued with her that it didn't have anything to do with the engine not running, but decided to fix it anyway just to satisfy her. He then went back to start the car, hit it one time and it started. The guy said that was over 10 years ago and has yet to convince her the license plate bracket had nothing to do with it and she never fails to bring it up in mixed company. 

[Patrick]

Heck, if I only screw up 6 things a day, its been a good one. Especially now.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Heck, if I only screw up 6 things a day, its been a good one. Especially now.

When I first read that I left out the word up.  Had to go back and reread it. 

[Harryc]

[John Schmidt]

That's the mantra I also follow. I don't live with a cell phone and the only time the pants are down is when I'm catching up on my reading....or getting ready for bed. As for a cell phone, I got along without it for many years....still do. Only time I turn it on is when I leave the house, assuming I remember. Being about 13 months shy of 80, I often don't even carry it with me. Don't want to be bothered. 

As for being a cupcake....most won't feel I qualify. 

[Harryc]

Hey John. It's nothing shy of awesome (in my book) that you are still riding at almost 80. Much respect...I hope I am still able to then. It's another 19 years for me, and I pray they are good ones. The rest of it was just some fun ribbing....hope you took it that way.

[John Schmidt]

Hey John. It's nothing shy of awesome (in my book) that you are still riding at almost 80. Much respect...I hope I am still able to then. It's another 19 years for me, and I pray they are good ones. The rest of it was just some fun ribbing....hope you took it that way.

Oh most definitely, I get that all the time from my friend TJ. He used to live in Lake Placid, but since he's gotten older I've changed the name to Lake Flacid.    All in fun.