Re: [smbc] Daylight savings strangeness

[cdtyler1@xxxxxxx]

Marc,

Sorry to have missed you at breakfast.? Good to see you headed up the hill (with a well-charged battery).

Carl







-----Original Message-----
From: Marco S Hyman <marc@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Sunday Morning Breakfast Club <smbc@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 10:49 am
Subject: [smbc] Daylight savings strangeness



Strange things sometimes happen on the switch-over to daylight savings
time.  I'd assumed the strangeness was due to body rhythms being out
of sync or something.  Apparently not, as the strangeness extends
to motorcycles, too.

I was at the Ralston entrance to 92 a bit early as I'd awakened
sooner than needed, probably due to a fear that I'd oversleep.
Dan was early, too.   We had time to chat about his new helmet to
neck gaiter that reduces noise.   About 15 minutes after the hour
We started our bikes to get ready for the group.

My bike started.   Dan's didn't.  The group (two bikes?) rode by at
that instant.  So we'll be a little late, I thought.  I gave Dan a
slight push to get him going downhill then walked back to my running
bike.   The push and the downhill grade wasn't enough.  His Ducati
wasn't going to start.   OK, that's why I carry jumper cables.

I pulled my bike along side of his as he removed plastic to get to
the battery on his bike.   He attached the jumper cables.  I started
to attach the jumper cables -- big spark!  Repeat.  Another big spark.
I finally got the cables attached and... nothing.  Not enough juice
to start Dan's bike.

OK, I'll start my bike to give some extra boost.   Nope.  I'd discharged
my small (12 AH) battery to the point where it wouldn't start my
bike, either.   Grumble.   I put the seat back on my bike, put the
jumper cables away, and this time Dan gave me a push so I could bump
start the bike.

Wasn't happening.   Even in 6th, going down hill on 92 toward the
280 interchange didn't do the trick. I parked on the side of the
interchange and started walking back up the hill.  I got to Dan's
bike and told Dan I was going to walk home (about a mile, maybe a
bit more) and get my car.   He said he was going to button up his
bike and try to bump start it again.  If not successful he and his
bike would be at the same place I left mine.

I was about 1/4 mile from my house when Dan pulled up.  Seems that
I'd drained enough go juice from my battery into his so that he
could bump start his bike.   He tried to give me a ride the rest
of the way to my house but my hips and the pillion seat of his
bike do not fit.  I told him to go to breakfast and continued walking
toward my house.

The strangeness wasn't over.  As I'm walking up the hill toward my
house Rob comes riding down.  It was 8 AM.  Yep, for the second time
in breakfast club history he forgot about daylight savings and was an
hour late.  He joined me in my driveway and I explained why I was
walking home.  He offered to use his bike to jump mine but once
burned twice shy... I didn't want two bikes with dead batteries at
the side of the freeway.  He did join me as I took my car to the bike,
removed the battery, and came home to put the battery on the charger.

On the way to the bike we saw Markus at the Ralston entrance to 92.
Someone else forgot about the switch-over to daylight savings.  Strange
day, indeed.

The battery is on the charger as I type this.  I assume that the GS
is still on the side of the 92/280 interchange.   In about a half
hour or so it should be at full charge (it's at 2/3 now).  This will
be the 3rd time I've drained this battery and it is about 3 years
old.  I think I'll buy a new one and keep this as a back up.

I'm still looking forward to a Sunday ride.  I wonder what's going to
happen, next.

// marc