For six months during part of the rebuild process I had been unable to get the reverse lights working. New fixtures, new transmission reverse switch, trouble shot the wiring. All looked good but the reverse lights still would not illuminate. Last night I started in earnist looking for the problem. Switch was working on the tranny, I have power to it, I have good ground at the light connector, and power when in reverse. Hmmmm let me take the cover off and check inside for power. That is when I noticed neither housing had a light bulb in it! Somtimes it is the simplest things, go figure. LOL
If we can't laugh at our selves then who?
Man I crack myself up.
Dan

that is pretty funny !!!!

That is a good one! Sometimes we (and I definitely include myself in this) miss the obvious answer in pursuit of the a complicated one.

You're not alone! Don't feel bad. Two weeks ago, I pulled the bike out of the garage and spent a half hour trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. Checked plugs, wires, compression - then I noticed the kill switch. Problem solved.

Hah - kill switch... I did that once a long time ago!

(I used to ride before I had kids)

My buddy called me over once to get his bike started, tried for an hour. Next buddy came over and turned on the fuel switch. Duh.
Then I had an old Kawasaki z900. Started making some disturbing noises. Buddy convinced me it needed a valve job. Pulled the head brought it in, had the valves done, put the cam in wrong, smashed the valves, missed the yearly bike trip, had the head redone, cam correct this time. No better. Then I tightened the chain.....duh.
live and learn, "stupid tax" can be pretty high sometimes though.

I did the same thing with the on/off switch on my rototiller last weekend. Turned it to ON and it started right up. To OFF and it shut down.

Does remind me of the two days I spent one late fall trying to get my snowblower to start up before the winter set in. Tried everything I could think of, dismantled the carb, etc.

Then I turned on the gas tap. Fired right up...

Ok thanks guys I am feeling a whole lot better!
LOL

And then there was the time I spent the weekend tuning and going over the whole car. Finally had it all buttoned up and ready to go for an evening drive with the wife...the car was PURRING! went about 5 miles and it started to cough, sputter and buck. I immediately pulled over, pulled out my tools, fiddled with the carbs, the distributor etc. negating all the carefull work I had put into it for the prior two days. While under the bonnet I ask the wife to switch on the ignition so I could re-set the timing I had been fiddling with...it was then that she said "the gas gauge is showing empty!"

Ok now thats funny

Ok, I'll go you all one better than all of those! When I was a young college student - I weren't edumacated then, I is now! - we needed to buy a lawn mower for the house I was living in. Went to the local Sears, picked out a new lawn mower, took it home. Took it out of the box, put all the parts where they needed to go, all ready to use. Put gas in it, pulled the cord.....vrrrmmmmm! 5 minutes later.....no vrrrmmmmm. Pull the cord......more vrrrmmmmm. 5 minutes later.......no vrrrmmmmmm....again. Scratch my head, look over the lawn mower, notice the little winged screw cap on the side....open it....no oil! OOPS. Did I mention before I weren't edumacated then??!! LOL

I laugh about it now. And do you know that lawn mower ran and ran and is still probably mowing a lawn somewhere!

Speaking of edumacation or the lack there of...Many years ago, I rebuilt a Triumph (MC) 650 engine (well i did some of the work). It was all ready to go - kicked it over and RUMMBLLEEE.... It was awesome...the bike hadn't run in over a year.

It sounded great..so I walk away to grab my wife and drag her out to the garage to witness my moment of glory, and by the time i get back, the garage smells like an engine that is overheating. Oh crap. I shut her down and check the oil. Tank is full. But then after some investigation, I learn that the oil pump wasn't working - not a drop of oil fed to that brand new engine for the several minutes that it was running. I didn't bother to check for damage. I was so sick that I sold it as is, where is.

I was never quite the same after that mishap.