youngrider
Banned
Theres a difference between being a cheapscape and being reasonable, maybe its because I'm from richmond hill prices here must vary i have never seen someone asking for $100 for one hour of labour at a shop.
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- Thread starter youngrider
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Theres a difference between being a cheapscape and being reasonable, maybe its because I'm from richmond hill prices here must vary i have never seen someone asking for $100 for one hour of labour at a shop.
TrainingWheels
Well-known member
Use the money you save paying a mechanic and add to your tool arsenal. Overall may initially be at a $ loss but will save you money on other jobs in the future... not to mention you'll get the satisfaction of knowing your bike better when you talk about it with fellow riders.
To do the forks: rear stand + fork tree stand... or buy a strap/pulley and lift the front end with a ceiling hook/rafter
To change the rear: invert your pegs and put jack stands under them to unload your rear suspension
Unless you're pushing the performance limits of your bike don't worry too much about lowering it.. I'd just recommend it as a last resort. If you lower it no mechanic will want to safety it and that means you'll have to return it to stock before reselling....might as well keep the original parts and document/remember how everything comes together incase you want to sell in the future and need to reverse what you've done.
To do the forks: rear stand + fork tree stand... or buy a strap/pulley and lift the front end with a ceiling hook/rafter
To change the rear: invert your pegs and put jack stands under them to unload your rear suspension
Unless you're pushing the performance limits of your bike don't worry too much about lowering it.. I'd just recommend it as a last resort. If you lower it no mechanic will want to safety it and that means you'll have to return it to stock before reselling....might as well keep the original parts and document/remember how everything comes together incase you want to sell in the future and need to reverse what you've done.
As stated by many other posters here, just ride the thing and quit looking for ways to improve factors you don't know yet. Thinking something will make it/you safer does not mean it will. You'll have to gain some experience not only on the bike but also the world of motorcycles in general in order to start making good sound decisions. Lastly any mods you make on this bike may hurt any chances or resale so think very hard on how long you actually plan on keeping the bike and being involved with motorcycles, I have read many of your posts and i think at this stage it is very questionable if this will be a long term commitment.
+1 best you'll find
you haven't been around much. i guess richmond hill is too isolated way up north. when yuo come down to the big city, you'll see that your expectations of what things should be will be shattered.
Nope, not a rough time. But to succeed and excel at anything it takes hard work and dedication. EVERY occupation takes hard work. A lot of apprentices and want-to-be apprentices forget that and you see it every year. That cavalier attitude (not to imply yours, just in general) is so common now it is unbelievable. "I have a degree in <insert one of: fine arts, political science, advanced umbrella opening...> and therefor i deserve a job, someone will give one to me." That sense of entitlement is getting a lot of people in trouble. Again, not to say this is you.
Being in this industry, and knowing what it takes to run a business, I am certain we will continue to see door rates climb for the next while. The cost of living is steadily increasing, and as a very simplistic way of thinking: if a technician needs more money to live, and there's a shortage of really talented technicians... shops will have to pay those technicians more. Thus the door rates will increase to cover those costs.
youngrider
Banned
This is the kind of attitude that is idiotic in my opinion, both blue and white collar require hard work and those who do hard work deserve to be paid accordingly. None the less that doesn't mean because one choose to do hard labour (blue collar) they deserve better pay than everyone else.
You're making it seem like every single job in the world is just given to them while mechanics deserve all this glory. Every single job out there is earned one way or another not just automotive technicians.
I wanted to become an automotive technician myself, parent's didn't let me but 2 of my close friends are on the road to it and both are hired right now at 17 years old working at dealerships. They sure worked hard but I am too whether I'm working to become a mechanic or working to go to university.
In regards to your prediction of how door rates will climb, give it ten to twenty years. Technology is getting a lot more advanced and thus less mechanics will be needed due to better durable vehicles in the future. No one knows for sure but anything can happen.
Great thing I live in north GTA, it'd be quite the journey for me to go downtown to pay higher prices to get my bike fixed.
Yeah i'll take that advice, I've been riding it more these past few days and I'm getting used to that little extra height. Probably will only due small simple modifications to the bike that are easily reversed.
Probably wouldn't invest that much money into fixing my bike anything that requires special tools or a special machine I'd rather let the shop do.
I am okay so far with doing smaller stuff with the bike anything that just requires a bike stand, normal toolbox kit, etc.
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Pretty sure that's what I was saying. Maybe it reads differently...
Nope, read it again. I am actually saying the opposite of how you are reading it.
Still have time to make your own decisions. I went to university first too.
I doubt that the advances in technology will result in less work. It will be different work that's for sure.
youngrider
Banned
Maybe you think you're saying one thing but thats what was portrayed, you basically disregarded all other jobs and exaggerated how mechanics have a hard life. There's no need to exaggerate an occupation being tough when all of them are tough in order to be successful at.
Re-read your first reply and then second, the first being gloating about the hard work a mechanic does and then the second complaining about people working hard for their degrees and in turn aren't aloud to expect a job.
That's very true and which ever road I take it will require hard work however I would much rather stay put in whatever I am going to do for the next couple years.
Well thats what happened to other similar work like computers, tv's, washing machines, fridges. Many appliances and machines are getting a lot better at doing what they do without the need of maintenance. Who knows cars weren't even invented a hundred'ish years back so the future is not very predictable.
bobjohnson
Well-known member
$100 dollars an hour is only 200k a year at a 9-5 job. Many, many people make much more than that.
youngrider
Banned
I completely agree with that, none the less mechanics aren't one of those jobs. There are different rankings of jobs in this world, some make less, some make more. All require hard work.
I've heard tesla's and electronic car maintenance is slim to none because there's no explosions taking place (engine, oil, etc), its literally the battery straight power to the wheels.
I am assuming this will be the future.
*raises hand. I'll take that job, thank you!
TrainingWheels
Well-known member
Offtopic:
My dark pash-e-on....even less maintenance if it's air cooled.
1$ electricity / 25 miles is kinda nice.....$5 one way from London to Toronto hummm.
Electric motors still need maintenance though, like an air hose cleaning every 20,000 km
and then most likely a partial dissassembly and heavy whipe-down at ~150,000 kmIt'll vary with the electric motor style though
youngrider
Banned
Offtopic:
My dark pash-e-on....even less maintenance if it's air cooled.
1$ electricity / 25 miles is kinda nice.....$5 one way from London to Toronto hummm.
Electric motors still need maintenance though, like an air hose cleaning every 20,000 km
It'll vary with the electric motor style though
what kind of maintenance costs are we talking for every lets say 50,000km?
TrainingWheels
Well-known member
Don't want to derail the thread too much, open a new topic and PM me about it if you're really curious because I can go on forever.
If it's a DC motor (most do it yourself gas-to-electric car conversions (generally much cheaper) or drag racing electric cars) or an AC Synchronous (eg. Nissan Leaf) then you treat it like any other motor. Unscrew the case, blow compressed air through it to remove any dust from the carbon brushes, check your commutator for proper wear (smooth streak marks), and seal it back up for another 20,000 km. At 150,000 km you'll probably have to replace the brushes (as difficult as changing spark plugs but 1-2h labour) and rub down your commutator with a wire brush or sand paper to remove any built up carbon.
If it's an induction motor (e.g. Tesla Model S).... just blow air through it, there are no moving wearable parts other than the bearings..... although less common because require a better understanding (+ more expensive components from proper R&D).
Totally sealed motor designs (which means no air flow and thus liquid cooled) will get road dust in them (which is fine since the electrical conduction portion is typically sealed very well) which you can clean more often if you like the aesthetics.....trypically as dirty as the surface of your gas engine gets.
Although to be honest, waiting for 50,000 km in a purpose built electric motor isn't really pushing it. People that design things just like to take them apart more often
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