The last two years a group of high school friends have started going on rides together. Class of 77! There are five of us for now, and this year we went on the Pig Trail in Arkansas. it's a winding road that extends down highway 23 south of Eureka Springs, MO. I don't remember he highway names, but we did a loop back to Eureka Springs. In the group, we had three Honda Shadows, a Kawasaki KLR, and my 1978 Kawasaki police bike in full dress. I purchased the police bike after riding my dads 1980 LTD 1000 on last years ride. I intended to completely fix it up before the ride this year and didn't get it done. At the last minute, they talked me into going on the Pig Trail ride and I got police bike cleaned up, new battery, some new lights, inspected, insured and tagged in two days. Friday morning, I headed out of Kansas City heading south. Pulling into the gas station on my very first gas stop, before meeting with the group, the motor shut off just like I had turned off the key. I never got my ignition key working again. I phoned the group and told them to go on, that I would catch up somehow, and I tore into the bike. Clymers in hand, wearing chaps, I had bike parts strung all over the ground at the gas station. I figured out the wiring enough that I put a jumper wire from the battery to a hot wire under the right side cover, and got power to my ignition. I fired it up and took off. I caught my group just south of Monett, MO. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, but the scenery and roads were fantastic. Cruising through all those corners on the old police bike with footboards was a good time. We ate at little diners along the way, and got to know some of the local folks. Visited a fish hatchery and camped in Eureka springs friday and saturday night. During the ride on Saturday, I started noticing that as I slowed for stop signs, I was receiving a slight shocking sensation in my left hand as I would clutch. I pulled over at a corner, and advised the rest of the group that I had a problem to track down before continuing. My son was along on this ride, and he helped me track it down. The coils on the bike are after market Accell units and are not mounted properly. The gas tank had vibrated a groove in the coil boots and they were shorting through the tank to the bike. A scary thought! Once found, I applied plenty of electrical tape and duct tape so it wouldn't happen again, and we were off. Over all, after sitting for who knows how long before I bought it, and about a year after I bought it, the old Police Bike ran wonderful for 840 miles! I think a lot of people enjoyed seeing the old bike, and I know I enjoyed riding it. It was a trip I would recommend to anyone in the midwest.
