How Many Of You Have Been Forced To Become Amateur Mechanics?

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I'm not aware of any bike shop, except maybe Rosey Toes, where you can ride in for an oil change, wait, and then ride out an hour later, even with an appointment. The industry just is not focused on customer service. Appointment lead time can be a week, and then you are expected to leave your bike for a few days, and often, the promised finished date/time is not met and you have to wait a few more days.

Service delays aside, many shops do poor work, the techs are poorly trained and not knowledgeable on the bike they are working on. Lots of peole are dissatisfied with the work done and there is often little recourse.

Faced with all of this, many owners decide very early on to buy tools, shop manuals and learn to do things themselves, often as well and always for a fraction of the cost a dealer would charge. It sometimes takes us a bit longer, we often refer to bike specific forums where there can be a wealth of infomation and members willing to walk you through fairly complex repairs or maintenenace issues.

 

[MaksTO]

Faced with all of this, many owners decide very early on to buy tools, shop manuals and learn to do things themselves, often as well and always for a fraction of the cost a dealer would charge.

It's pretty crazy when you math it out. Short of some super fancy specialist tooling, it seems like you can get pretty much any entry/mid range tool for a specific job for less than the cost of getting a shop to do it.

Just need a place to store them all.

 

[GreyGhost]

It's pretty crazy when you math it out. Short of some super fancy specialist tooling, it seems like you can get pretty much any entry/mid range tool for a specific job for less than the cost of getting a shop to do it.

Just need a place to store them all.

And that is how you end up with an entire garage rammed with tools that only get used every few years (or less, who needs a scanner for vespa/piaggio/gilera?)

On the upside, did front brakes on my wifes cage before breakfast this morning for <$250.

 

[Trials]

If you are going to ever ride competition motorcycles you better be able to work on bikes or learn fast.
Sometimes you even have to fix things fast. & the top riders all know how to fix their bikes pretty good even if it's not a pretty fix.

 

[Hack]

Service delays aside, many shops do poor work, the techs are poorly trained and not knowledgeable on the bike they are working on. Lots of peole are dissatisfied with the work done and there is often little recourse.

^^^
'My primary motivation towards becoming more self sufficient in regard to maintenance and repair.
I'm sure there are some mighty fine mechanics/techs out there, but... Anything I can do myself I will.

 

[Pegassus]

I would never go to a shop for a frickin oil change.

You will be surprised how clueless many people are, and how they underestimate themselves.

I worked at a gas station in my teens and this professional guy on a BMW wanted his oil checked. I asked him where was the oil stick because I couldn't find it. He didn't know either, he had never done it himself. He should had known where it was, its his car.

Or how about my sister in law's husband who went to Canadian Tire to fix a burnt taillight and 4 hrs later came out with a $650 dollar bill. Canadian Tire techs told him his brakes and rotors were "no good" and that they couldn't let him leave like that, that it was a liability.

 

[Wingboy]

Why pay someone $200 to install $135 rubber bands.Takes about an hour if i take my time.

 

[GreyGhost]

Whyt pay someone $200 to install $135 rubber bands.Takes about an hour if i take my time.

That bike makes me happy.

 

[MaksTO]

You will be surprised how clueless many people are, and how they underestimate themselves.

I worked at a gas station in my teens and this professional guy on a BMW wanted his oil checked. I asked him where was the oil stick because I couldn't find it. He didn't know either, he had never done it himself. He should had known where it was, its his car.

Or how about my sister in law's husband who went to Canadian Tire to fix a burnt taillight and 4 hrs later came out with a $650 dollar bill. Canadian Tire techs told him his brakes and rotors were "no good" and that they couldn't let him leave like that, that it was a liability.

I think this is part of a general trend, where one can just pay their problems away, and sometimes get ripped off for it like your sister in laws husband. Seems like there's generally a strong demonization of "manual" labor in some circles in the "first world", so, many people are raised without basic mechanical or technical knowledge. Or the desire to seek it.

One can say the same about basic home maintenance as well.

Go to countries where people have less money, and all of a sudden most people can fix their broken car or their leaky sink. At least the basic issues.

Necessity breeds knowledge. I'm sure a lot of people learned a few things during covid (baking bread seems to be the hype thing that everyone learned about these last few months).

 

[Trials]

Whyt pay someone $200 to install $135 rubber bands.Takes about an hour if i take my time.

... and then it is clean enough to take it apart.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

I see a new sig in my future.

 

[Alvito]

I changed the brake pads on my bike earlier this week. I also did a partial change of the brake fluid. I probably should do a more complete flush of the fluid.

I do it because I enjoy working with my hands. My day job doesn't allow for that.

 

[Pegassus]

And that is how you end up with an entire garage rammed with tools that only get used every few years (or less, who needs a scanner for vespa/piaggio/gilera?)

On the upside, did front brakes on my wifes cage before breakfast this morning for <$250.

This is where Kijiji comes in handy, to offset the purchases of those tools. Place an ad every weekend that you do bike oil changes in your driveway and make your $100 once in a while.

Its beautiful to have your own tools, I got 4 fisherman's tackle boxes full of tools, got an angle grinder, a drill gun, electrical plyers and comnectors. You don't need a full car garage to have tools. I think my tools have paid themselves off already just with the few fixes I have done on my bikes and my car. Back in March I changed the thermostat on my car because it had no heat. It was easy. I also fixed my own wiper blade mechanism because my wipers were stuck. Mechanic shops wanted 3 hrs @ $90/hr to fix. I disassembled the mechanism and drenched it with WD-40. Worked like a charm. I saved $270 bucks.

I have spent $1,000 on my 4 boxes of tools, yes they have paid themselves off already.

 

[Trials]

Amateur motorcycle mechanic ? can you think of any other task where you are allowed to drink beer while you're working

I see a new sig in my future.

" I have learnt how to take pictures with my left hand, while my right hand still on the throttle." - Pegassus
Sounds like an Alanis Morissette song.
Everything is gonna be, fine, fine ,fine. because I have, one hand on the throttle ....and the other ones, takin, selfies

 

[BB722]

Idk what it is but doing your own maintenance is just so satisfying for some reason, plus you save a bunch. Here in winter it gives you something to do as well.

 

[Roadghost]

Oil change? THIS is what my flaming hot weekend looks like:

Pix of what I found under the paint when my gas tank started to leak on a nice sunny trip along the top of Lake Erie. Previous owner fell over, claims a Mercedes dealer did the body and paint. I'll leave conclusions to your imaginations:


So, here's where I am right now. Last colour was Mercedes Onyx black sparkle, instead of stock black. Which of course means I have to repaint the whole thing and put new decals on it. PITA. It's getting a near-stock paint job. A bit more wet sanding to do. Pinstripes are a pain. 2K Clearcoat tomorrow.

 

[Trials]

How much is a brand new one?

 

[bigpoppa]

Why pay someone $200 to install $135 rubber bands.Takes about an hour if i take my time.

An hour?
what all do you have to remove to be able to change the timing belt?

 

[Roadghost]

How much is a brand new one?

HD wanted $2500 painted, LOL. I bought a second hand tank for $500, almost flawless.

 

[TK4]

Or how about my sister in law's husband who went to Canadian Tire to fix a burnt taillight and 4 hrs later came out with a $650 dollar bill. Canadian Tire techs told him his brakes and rotors were "no good" and that they couldn't let him leave like that, that it was a liability.

I went through the CTC upsell - "we can't let you leave like that".
I asked them to write down on the work order what was wrong (in their opinion), then do what I wanted done or drop it down off the hoist right now.
They did only what I asked and I left. The auto service writer's job is to drain as much out of you wallet as they can.
I consider my motorcycles more like I would an airplane. If I must take it to a skilled technician I expect an honest appraisal.
The issues arise because its tough to know everything about all the various models with their own features and idiosynchracies.
The seasonality of the business doesn't help.
How would you like a job where you were flat out half the year and collecting EI the other half ?
I've also seen too many owner inflicted atrocities - if you aren't sure, get that second opinion.

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