So much for my quick turn...

I got my 11530 mi xj700 airhead after a grueling 8 hour round trip to NJ on Saturday...bike is nice, probably one of the nicest xj's I've ever had the pleasure of putting my grubby hands on. I got the oil changed, drive fluid changed, battery replaced as well as the plugs done and carbs apart and cleaned. I have to get two float bowl gaskets as they broke. So, the exhuast needs cleaning..I pull one mint can, then try to the the other off...no dice, the middle bolt that holds the collector up is missing...drop exhuast...can still won't come off...I put it on two work horses, still won't come off...so I straddle the collector on the horses...I went arss over tea kettle about 10 mins later as the one horse collapsed. I've got one 'suspect' broken rib and a number of bruises after I landed on the exhaust header nut on the ground. Knocked the wind out of me bad and I nearly passed out once I got into the house.

What did I do in between the fall and the house??? Checked to make sure that can was still ok...it is, I can go on living now...I think we are all a bit sick in the head. Percocet is in the system and I'll be out soon....I think this qualifies for a Darwin award

 

Man... you got my kind of luck. Use that sawhorse for kinling. That'll teach them both who they're messing with.

 

Kroil my friend, on the pipes not the ribs

 

Ribs will grow back but a scratch in a pristine muffler....that's forever!

Heal quickly. There's bike wrenchin to do

 

all correct re's...they are going to be kindling, and a scratch on those mufflers and I'd be sick!

 

Glad to hear you're not THAT badly injured. I've bruised ribs before but never broken... so I can only imagine the suckage of that.

As for the pipe, I'd try strap wrenches. IMHO its easier to torque something with leverage than it is to pry two things apart.

 

...ribs too.