Can you fix it or are you helpless?

[Conquiztador]

See in the old days we all knew how to fix em. We had to, as they tended to break down in middle of nowhere. (And those days nowhere was nowhere, thats where the saying comes from, allright!) And often if you had no idea what was wrong, you could be stuck for days with only the rain and the worms for company (have you noticed how they come up when it rains?). So we learnt fast to rely on nobody apart from our self.

Today when there is a biker stuck on the side of the road, many will stop to help. But they tend to offer the "Have you called Muhammeds Bike repairs? Their camels are slow, but it's your only option. I can txt them on my i-whatsitberry-thingy". Then when you stop and ask "Hey dude, whats up?" You get the: "I b fine, someone called Muhammed on their laptoppywhatsit".

At that stage I normally say: "Cool, U be OK if I check whats wrong?" Normally I get the answer: "Yep, you can have a look, but I have no idea. It just died on me". 4 times outta 5 I have the bike going inside 5 minutes. (And the 5'th time it's outta petrol)

Is this where we are going? My opinion was always that if you could not fix your ride, then you had no right to call your self a biker. But I acnowledge that times change. Fuel injection, digital tuning and other crap has killed the "Fuck it, I fix it my self". Today many times when you look at a bike that has died, you have no idea what black box is the culprit.

But this is really about: Do you give it a go or do you reach for your mobile?

[hospitalfood]

we are heading towards widespread inability.
its not so bad with the older stuff and older people, but new bikes and new people equals fucked

[shafty]

Good point; Laziness - or are we breeding dependence on others? Poss a spin off of 100,000's of solo Mums. A mate was a Caretaker of a primary school, where many many kids had Dads who didn't live in the family home.

He had a trail of young kids following him around "can I use ya drill Mister" " Whats thats Mister" - kids who had no idea of DIY

[McJim]

I believe in riding a bike you can fix - hence I cannot be arsed with multiple valves, injection and other mod cons.

It would have to be a major engine failure to stop me getting home.

Being a simple engine it's pretty reliable though,

[Gubb]

I'll always give it a decent lookover, but my mechanical knowledge isn't too shit-hot.

The Hyosung was fairly easy being a carby, but I wouldn't dare touch the Trumpet for fear of scaring it's electrickery away. Way beyond me, although i'm sure I would know if I just ran outta juice.

[cowboyz]

i prefer to do everything myself mainly cause i am a tightarse and object to paying someone $70 / hr to drink coffee

[McDuck]

I want to, altho i feel that the 400 is a bit ifferent (it has never left me on the side of the road).

I do plan on getting a bike that i can learn to fix myself, we need to remeber that these days it is not covered in schools, and if the perent is not active with it the kid will grow up with the mechanical ability (ish) but with no knowlage. I find myself ok once i have been showen how to do somthing (servacing the cage and brake pads etc are pice of piss) and i can also do servacing on the bike (thanks MSTRS) but what the hell do i do with thoose carbis? Quite frankley i am almost scared of them, for now.


Am working on it tho :)

[klingon]

It's funny because I have the simplest bike in the world, but I don't feel competent to fix it. When I had the simplest car in the world (a corolla) I would have a go at everything myself and very rarely have to ask for professional help.

Maybe part of it just comes with being a new biker, but I think part of it is being nervous about the consequences of getting it wrong. I already feel so much more vulnerable on a bike than in a car - the last thing I want is bits falling off, oil falling out and me falling on the ground! :blink:

When Mack the Knife was around, he was a wonderfully patient teacher and showed me all kinds of things about fixing up my bike. Now he's gone I don't have a mentor any more and I feel a bit lost... :baby:

[Squiggles]

When Mack the Knife was around, he was a wonderfully patient teacher and showed me all kinds of things about fixing up my bike. Now he's gone I don't have a mentor any more and I feel a bit lost... :baby:

When the volty comes up for its next service gizz a yell, just another GN motor to me.


I lack the surplus cash to have others do work i can do for myself, so into the shed i go :Punk:

[ducatilover]

my spada loves dying on me. but im meant to be a mechanic and auto electrician so ill always try. it doesnt tell me when to stop :spanking:

[mikeey01]

I lack the surplus cash to have others do work i can do for myself, so into the shed i go :Punk:

That's the kiwi way really!

[PrincessBandit]

Tis what I have a husband and a brother for.....


:dodge:

Think it might also be a bit of a generational thing too? Obviously there are plenty of younger people on this site who are probably pretty good at getting their hands dirty and "having a go" at fixing the problem, but in this day and age of "let the 'experts' do everything" it tends to override the DIY nature of the old days.

Just my 2c.

[Headbanger]

Check for spark at the plug,fuel at the carb.

Other then that, Can't do much, Can't say I'm bothered if this means I fail some ones romantic ideal of a biker.

My cell phone goes with me on every ride.

[Conquiztador]

Check for spark at the plug,fuel at the carb.

Other then that, Can't do much, Can't say I'm bothered if this means I fail some ones romantic ideal of a biker.

My cell phone goes with me on every ride.

Yay. Thats why I stopped at the shovel.

[RantyDave]

I wouldn't dare touch the Trumpet for fear of scaring it's electrickery away.
Ditto. Fuck knows what goes on in there. If it ever shits itself I'll ring Motorad, scream at them, then thumb a lift home.

Don't get me wrong, I'd *love* to know more but just don't have the time or facilities. Besides, it's not going to shit itself.

Dave

[Ixion]

Noone carries tool kit any more. I usually have a small tool kit with me, but I cannot be expected to provide for the perverted bolt sizes of yank bikes.

And nowadays there are so many Eytalian bikes on the roads. And noone but a masochist could be expectd to sort out their electrical problems.

It was much simpler when everybody rode sensible bikes with proper nuts and bolts and electrics that were easy to understand (they may not have *worked* but they were easy to understand) . And most parts from anything fitted anything else.

Moreover, back in the day, helping a stranded fellow biker usually required no more than keeping ones eyes open while riding. Then when you pulled up behind the stranded fellow and he lamented "My rear wheel has fallen off somewhere", you could reply "Oh yes, I spotted it five miles back down the road and picked it up. Here it is". And someone else, of course, would return the favour when your frame fell off two miles further on. And since all maintenance and repairs on Briddish bikes could be done using nothing but the BLOODY BIG HAMMER, one could usually improvise by the roadside with the BLOODY BIG LUMP OF ROCK.

[Conquiztador]

Noone carries tool kit any more. I usually have a small tool kit with me, but I cannot be expected to provide for the perverted bolt sizes of yank bikes.

And nowadays there are so many Eytalian bikes on the roads. And noone but a masochist could be expectd to sort out their electrical problems.

It was much simpler when everybody rode sensible bikes with proper nuts and bolts and electrics that were easy to understand (they may not have *worked* but they were easy to understand) . And most parts from anything fitted anything else.

Moreover, back in the day, helping a stranded fellow biker usually required no more than keeping ones eyes open while riding. Then when you pulled up behind the stranded fellow and he lamented "My rear wheel has fallen off somewhere", you could reply "Oh yes, I spotted it five miles back down the road and picked it up. Here it is". And someone else, of course, would return the favour when your frame fell off two miles further on. And since all maintenance and repairs on Briddish bikes could be done using nothing but the BLOODY BIG HAMMER, one could usually improvise by the roadside with the BLOODY BIG LUMP OF ROCK.


So I take that you recon things have changed too...

[ducatilover]

when your frame fell off.
was it really like that?:baby:

[Ixion]

was it really like that?:baby:

Of course. Back then a group ride had no need of pointers at the corners. One simply follwed the oil trail and the trail of fallen off bits.

At the next stop, the collected parts were pooled and sorted. "I've got what looks like a B series BSA silencer? " " Oh, that'll be mine I thought the last few miles were a bit loud. Anyone seen the header pipe?" "Good oh. Anyone got a spare crankshaft, mine seems to have broken. " "Oh yes, I always carry a spare, it's not actually for your model, or make for that matter, but if we grind a bit off on this convenient rock, it'll be just like a new one. Should only take a few hors, lets get the engine out now".

A successful ride was defined as getting home with more than 50% of the bike that you started out with.

[hmmmnz]

i think i was kind of lucky growing up, my old man was a bit of an odd ball and when we'd go and stay with him during the school holidays, he'd make me pull apart something and rebuild it if i could, i wasn't allowed to go and play with my mates until i had done 2 hours of tinkering, that said i stripped down a lawn mower down to individual bolts and rebuilt it when i was 9,
didnt like it at the time, i would have much rather have been smashing bottles with my mates, but now, fixing things is a real source of enjoyment, and it means i can head to the garage instead to speaking to the girlfriend :D
always a bonus:2thumbsup

[ducatilover]

Of course. Back then a group ride had no need of pointers at the corners. One simply follwed the oil trail and the trail of fallen off bits.

At the next stop, the collected parts were pooled and sorted. "I've got what looks like a B series BSA silencer? " " Oh, that'll be mine I thought the last few miles were a bit loud. Anyone seen the header pipe?" "Good oh. Anyone got a spare crankshaft, mine seems to have broken. " "Oh yes, I always carry a spare, it's not actually for your model, or make for that matter, but if we grind a bit off on this convenient rock, it'll be just like a new one. Should only take a few hors, lets get the engine out now".

A successful ride was defined as getting home with more than 50% of the bike that you started out with.
:lol::lol::lol::lol: that sounds like a good time to me! let me guess xs750s never got home? everything vbrated loose and the rider went numb and died?:2thumbsup

[Ixion]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: that sounds like a good time to me! let me guess xs750s never got home? everything vbrated loose and the rider went numb and died?:2thumbsup

The XS750 had not been invented. In fact Japan had not been invented. When the XS750 did come out, one of its principal selling points was its smoothness and reliability. I am not kidding. If you think an XS750 vibrates you have never ridden an early Norton twin. The rider did not so much go numb and die as be vibrated apart into a vaguely biker shaped mist.

Somewhat smoother machines did not actually shake the rider apart, they would shake him DOWN , like a vibrating compacter. Which is why all old bikers are short. Mr Motu, f'instance used to be 6 foot 2 inch until he made the mistake of going for a hard ride on a Norton.

[sondela]

I always give it a go at fixing stuff, not too bad at it either!! I know basically which bits go where.. :2thumbsup

[Conquiztador]

Of course. Back then a group ride had no need of pointers at the corners. One simply follwed the oil trail and the trail of fallen off bits.

At the next stop, the collected parts were pooled and sorted. "I've got what looks like a B series BSA silencer? " " Oh, that'll be mine I thought the last few miles were a bit loud. Anyone seen the header pipe?" "Good oh. Anyone got a spare crankshaft, mine seems to have broken. " "Oh yes, I always carry a spare, it's not actually for your model, or make for that matter, but if we grind a bit off on this convenient rock, it'll be just like a new one. Should only take a few hors, lets get the engine out now".

A successful ride was defined as getting home with more than 50% of the bike that you started out with.


Yes, I do remember those days. We always carried a box of spare engines. Just in case...

[SARGE]

It was much simpler when everybody rode sensible bikes with proper nuts and bolts ....


yea.. those Whitworth thingy's were the SHIT!!

i remember a time when you could fix any vehicle on the road with a pair of vise Grips, 2 screwdrivers and a ball peen hammer..


im the only one who touches the Stable

[ducatilover]

The XS750 had not been invented. In fact Japan had not been invented. When the XS750 did come out, one of its principal selling points was its smoothness and reliability. I am not kidding. If you think an XS750 vibrates you have never ridden an early Norton twin. The rider did not so much go numb and die as be vibrated apart into a vaguely biker shaped mist.

Somewhat smoother machines did not actually shake the rider apart, they would shake him DOWN , like a vibrating compacter. Which is why all old bikers are short. Mr Motu, f'instance used to be 6 foot 2 inch until he made the mistake of going for a hard ride on a Norton.

theres alot of logic behind that.
my old man says his xs750 was horrible:lol: im assuming he never rode a real brit bike

[Mystic13]

yep, I'm always the give it a go ripping it to pieces person. But it's not limited to bikes. I have a go at anything.... except adjusting garage doors. I had one of those springs on a roller door go once and I realised somethings shouldn't be touched.

My son is 9 and rides. We've just bought / found him another bike that is barely going. His mission is to strip it down and rebuild it. He's keen to give it a go.

Luckily he's like me and my dad. We just like pulling things apart to see how they work. Pulling apart is becoming a lost art.

I was just at a warehouse where returned trolley jacks under warranty are just thrown in the bin and collected for recycling. A full bin of trolley jacks. I just wanted to pay them the scrap price for them and take them home.

Needles to say I'm also a hoarder.

Kids today don't get the opportunity to pull things apart. But when i was a kid we didn't have much in the way of entertainment.

Video games and computers (and TV's) really steal a lot of time in our lives.

[Ixion]

yea.. those Whitworth thingy's were the SHIT!!

i remember a time when you could fix any vehicle on the road with a pair of vise Grips, 2 screwdrivers and a ball peen hammer..


im the only one who touches the Stable


Whitworth ? Sheer luxury. Whitworth nuts and bolts could be had at any roadside garage. Real bikers had to grapple with CEI.

Speaking of which, you were going to see if Sulco did CEI taps and dies? I have found almost almy Whitworth spanners, but I need CEI taps and dies.
Why did you need a second screwdriver?

[mnkyboy]

It's called "progress"

We have progressed from being a society of general tinkers to being specialised snooty wankers. If it ain't............................(insert inane career) I have NFI.

I'm not that old but remember with delight being able to fix my cub 90 and austin allegro (even if it wasn't broke) with some common sense. No need for specialised tools - just a socket/spanner set, flat tip screwdriver and hammer (and of course vise grips)

I'm not saying that advancement is bad. I certainly wouldn't want a Manx as my commuter. But usually if it isn't our field of expertise most become shortland st actors and melodrama ensues.

[Conquiztador]

The XS750 had not been invented. In fact Japan had not been invented. When the XS750 did come out, one of its principal selling points was its smoothness and reliability. I am not kidding. If you think an XS750 vibrates you have never ridden an early Norton twin. The rider did not so much go numb and die as be vibrated apart into a vaguely biker shaped mist.

Somewhat smoother machines did not actually shake the rider apart, they would shake him DOWN , like a vibrating compacter. Which is why all old bikers are short. Mr Motu, f'instance used to be 6 foot 2 inch until he made the mistake of going for a hard ride on a Norton.

I start by saying I respect you highly.

But this opinion of yours is crap.

I have had RE's (the real ones from the 60's), Triumphs, Nortons and BSA's. To state that "The rider did not so much go numb and die as be vibrated apart into a vaguely biker shaped mist" is a crime.

Yes, todays bikes are different, all are scooterlike and make no noise or pollute. Yeah fuckin ha.

I rode around Europe on a Trumphy. I rode for 3 years on my RE and I rode motocross on a BSA. Not once did I loose the feeling in my hands and my cock still gets hard w/o Viagra.

I do realise that you are trying to be funny (and often I do laugh at you comments, as you do have talent) but to grab points from the younger brigade by slagging the bikes of the past is like pissing on your granbdfathers grave.

I was there. Todays bikes are better. But those old girls were not that bad.

[sondela]

[QUOTE=Mystic13;1933552] My son is 9 and rides. We've just bought / found him another bike that is barely going. His mission is to strip it down and rebuild it. He's keen to give it a go.

Luckily he's like me and my dad. We just like pulling things apart to see how they work. Pulling apart is becoming a lost art.

Kids today don't get the opportunity to pull things apart. But when i was a kid we didn't have much in the way of entertainment.
[QUOTE]

Kids today just need a Dad who gives em bikes in bits to put back together! Then they'll be fine..
They pick up the interest in pulling stuff apart when they see things put back together..:yes:

[Gremlin]

I've learnt my lessons... and I will happily admit to being one that doesn't give it a go. I've broken enough things to realise motors and I don't mix other than me telling it to go.

My last test was changing the lock set on a givi top box. Relatively simple wouldn't you say? Compared to the wiring loom, carbs etc, whatever. Well, a couple of hours later, lots of swear words, I had it back together (only a couple of failed attempts before that). I ended up with a spring and a washer left over, and I have no idea where they fell out of. Even better... it works perfectly fine! (perhaps I'm better than givi at building these things with fewer parts?)

It would be suicidal to try working on my bike. Most spectacular was finding out the hard way that the fuel pump circuit has enough power for the fuel pump only. Don't try stealing some of the juice (especially when you have no idea how to test whether its a good idea in the first place)

Now... give me a computer, thats eeeeaaaasy.

[mdnzz]

When I was younger I never had been shown how to do anything, either had to ask or try and figure it out for myself.
If it was still over my head I figured thats what they pay other people for and let them do it.

Now I like to try and get my hands dirty and give everything a go, I still ask questions and still try to figure it out myself.
However I am realistic enough to know without some guidence there are certain tasks I would not attempt alone.

[DarkLord]

I figured out how to install my own clutch cable when it snapped on me - took a lot of swearing, help from a flatmate and I ended up being over 2 hours late for work, but I got there.

I couldn't get the bike started as the electrics wouldn't turn on, so I just popped off the seat cover, checked the battery terminal and sure enough one of the terminal screws was slightly loose, so all I did was tighten it and I was off.

When my brake pads were grinding metal I got them changed by cycletreads as I just needed new ones on urgently but over the weekend I took my callipers off, pulled them apart so that I will know how to re install them myself.

I'm definitely keen to give it a go too, I'm kind of a mechanical noob still but I really want to learn and feel like I've done well for my year of riding.

[Bass]

I do realise that you are trying to be funny (and often I do laugh at you comments, as you do have talent) but to grab points from the younger brigade by slagging the bikes of the past is like pissing on your granbdfathers grave.

I was there. Todays bikes are better. But those old girls were not that bad.

IMHO you take this a tad too seriously, but then I guess satire is not to everyone's taste.

As for your comments on the "old girls", you have a lot of supporters out there. My wife and I went to the classic meet at Puke last weekend. They ran out of programmes on the Saturday and the carpark overflowed when Sunday is normally the big day.
Watching Kevin Schwantz just flying on a Manx Norton is a memory that will stay with me forever.

The roadside fix thing depends a lot on the bike these days. My DR is pretty simple and so I will have a crack at pretty much anything (not that she has ever stranded me on the roadside, which is actually the biggest difference from yesteryear). The Trumpy however is a different beast altogether. The tank has to come off just to get at the plugs and it requires special tools. The fuel pump is buried inside and so there are 4 hoses and 2 electrical connections. The owner is actually discouraged from fiddling, but then it too has been ultra reliable so far.

[Pixie]

I wouldn't let a grease monkey near my bike.
Why pay money to have it buggered up?

[FROSTY]

I guess I'm lucky . for me the decision is -Is it something I can fix here/now or does it need to go home the workshop.?

[MsKABC]

Well I wouldn't have the faintest clue about fixing machinery, as my expertise in the stereotypical world of "blokes" is limited to changing tyres in under 5 minutes, riding motorcycles, driving heavy machinery, fishing and backing trailers.

My husband on the other hand, is one of those too-tight-to-pay-someone-else, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none types, so he'll have a go at pretty much anything.

Of course it depends on the bike - my "mature" honda and my previous gpz have had all manner of modifications & maintenance done on them. This includes a gutting and rebuilding of the exhaust on the Bros so that now it sounds like a REAL v-twin :banana: And then there's his yet-to-be-raced bucket racer.....

The temperamental Italian that graces us with its presence, with all its electronic witchcraft, fuel-injected whatsits and carbon fibre thingamebobbits....well, he's a bit too frightened (or maybe realistic?) to touch that!

[MsKABC]

And I would have to add that I had my gpz worked on at two different "professional" workshops, yet it never ran as well as it did once my husband got hold of it :sunny:

[McWild]

I come from a family very much uninterested in anything automotive. Great parents on other fronts, sure.
But DIY has pretty much never existed in our household, cars have existed solely as a mode of transport, and bikes? McWild, wtf are you interested in bikes for all of a sudden?

So I'm very much a call-for-the-cavalry type person. But hopefully oppurtunities will arise in the future for me to learn all the bits and bobs.

Could be a long road though. I found out the other day what a "circlip" was after one sprung off my kickstart. I only found out what a "carburettor" was a couple months ago, from wikipedia after curiosity finally drove me to it.

And when I told my parents that my new RG had a "powervalve", the response was, "Hmm. I don't like the sound of that."

Similar situation where I tried to convince them that it was SUPPOSED to burn oil.

:blink:

[MsKABC]

I found out the other day what a "circlip" was after one sprung off my kickstart. I only found out what a "carburettor" was a couple months ago, from wikipedia after curiosity finally drove me to it.


Oh dear, you are in a bad way, aren't you? :lol: Even I know what those 2 things are! I'm sure there must be courses offered in your area? Or maybe you could organise a KB-Chch spanner night? Great way to meet people too.

[McWild]

Hey I know what they are now.
Yeah we have maintenance evenings coming up once our Wednesday night rides finish for the season.

There is hope after all!

[elevenhundred]

If I have the tools to do the job or can bodge up some tools to do the job then I will give it a go. It's hard to stuff up if you follow a careful routine i.e. remember where everything went, don't lose anything and never force anything until you know it is supposed to be forced :)

[imdying]

EFI doesn't stop you working on a bike, only ignorance does that. Actually makes it easier in some regards; when was the last time a carby said to you 'Excuse me, but one of my jets is blocked'.

[Rosie]

I'll always have a go at diagnosis. I'm not always very good at it, and even if I find the problem I often won't be able to fix it myself. But I do try. And that's the important part, right? :confused:

[Bass]

EFI doesn't stop you working on a bike, only ignorance does that. Actually makes it easier in some regards; when was the last time a carby said to you 'Excuse me, but one of my jets is blocked'.

Very true, but you usually need a specific (and often rather expensive) gadget to converse with the bike. If you have one, it can save untold time and tell you a few other things about your bike, that you may not have suspected as well.
These gadgets are seldom available on the side of the road 5km west of Hicksville though.

[imdying]

Yep, generally on a Suzuki it's a very rare, very specific, and very expensive paper clip.

Best to look out on trademe, apparently they had a red one on there a few years back.

Then you too can look at your specific and expensive dash board to see the fault codes :msn-wink:

Admittedly you'll often need an allen key and a phillips head to get the body work off to access the connector.

[Bass]

Yep, generally on a Suzuki it's a very rare, very specific, and very expensive paper clip.

Best to look out on trademe, apparently they had a red one on there a few years back.

Then you too can look at your specific and expensive dash board to see the fault codes :msn-wink:

Admittedly you'll often need an allen key and a phillips head to get the body work off to access the connector.

The Holden used to be that simple - assuming you memorised the fault codes of course and given that the gearbox was on the same computer, there were shitloads of them. We ARE talking roadside repairs here remember (sarky bugger).
Wish the Triumph was as easy.
The connector is under the seat and accessable with the ignition key however.
Have to say that I didn't know you could short the connector to trigger the fault codes on the Zook tho. Do you know how many other makes allow for that?

[Gremlin]

My bike will produce fault codes through two different lights on the dash (means different things). Then it gets plugged into diagnostics to be assessed.

Every service, it gets plugged in for a quick check as well.

Once someone gives me the software, I should be able to service it myself, via the laptop! :woohoo:

[Mikkel]

If it's anything serious there's no way I'd start dicking around with it at the road side - not enough tools, no service manual, no beerfridge, etc.

Better to call AA and have them pick it up and then deal with it at a time when the odds are better.

My mechanical mishaps so far are limited to a blocked in-line fuelfilter (felt as if I was running outta gas, but still had plenty) which I quite easily dealt with and a snapped clutch cable which only caused me a slight amount of stress and to alienate a car-driver in order to get home to HQ.

That's not counting crashes - but that said I haven't had a crash and not been back on the, more-or-less intact, crashed bike again inside 5 minutes.

[The Pastor]

These days im guessing if i a bike broke down mid ride its either out of gas - or somthing really big went boom.

Dont have many unreliable bikes theses days.

[Conquiztador]

IMHO you take this a tad too seriously, but then I guess satire is not to everyone's taste.



Well, I am quite fond of the "old girls" actually. And as much as I can see through the comments and clearly realise that it is satire, humour, I don't think they deserve that. Call me whatever you want, but I think they deserve more respect then being used to get cheap laughs from the younger brigade.

[Ride it till the red]

A mechanically inclined father and a huge array of tools mean it would be almost criminal for me not to give it a go myself!

Anything from turning the box of bits i was handed in return for my $142 at age 16 into a fully functional (albiet not legal at that time ) bike to putting a working motor and manual gearbox into a blown up and automatic car i towed home from Hamilton (and i mean towed, none of this trailer shit we had a rope we were fine!)

Although I will readily admit that technology does make things seem a bit more difficult sometimes, and sometimes i decide that bugger it I'd rather pay the shop ten bucks to put a new tube in than muck around with bloody tire levers!

[Subike]

If I can't pull it apart
Put it back togeather,
Start it and ride it.
I dont want it.

Modern hi tec electrictery systems are not hard to learn,
just a pain in the ass to diagnose.

but I prefere the low tec engines for ease of working on

[roadracingoldfart]

[QUOTE=Ixion;1933553] Real bikers had to grapple with CEI.

Speaking of which, you were going to see if Sulco did CEI taps and dies? I have found almost almy Whitworth spanners, but I need CEI taps and dies.
QUOTE]


I have CEI and BA , bsw , unc, bsf , met , met fine, met extra fine.......plus a few others that are weird.
You can get CEI from any FEW agent in N.Z. (still from south africa)
R. Cameron and Co may have some but try Trade Tools for a shot.

Ive ammassed thousands of dollars of diff taps and dies and stuff and i treat them all like gold as you never know when you need them. I had to sort an old Norton spoke recently and i managed to identify it as a BA pitch lol.

Cheers Paul.

[Bonez]

I like having a tinker, but sometimes can't be bothered. Don't mind others doing some work if need be. I have spares. One bike in bits at the mo, three waiting for roundtooits and two mobile. 5 with so called "multi-valve" (never seen a 4 cycle engine with one valve yet) and so called electronic ignition (you know like points but different).

Non of this wiz bang computer stuff though. Wont say a will not get a bike with one in the future.

[Voltaire]

Sort of depends what the problem is.....
I once did a BMW gearbox swap on the side of the road outside Motobins in England, but on my modern bike just take the AA card and mobile phone.
I do like to have a few tools under the seat, just in case.

[Ixion]

[quote=Ixion;1933553] Real bikers had to grapple with CEI.

Speaking of which, you were going to see if Sulco did CEI taps and dies? I have found almost almy Whitworth spanners, but I need CEI taps and dies.
QUOTE]


.. I had to sort an old Norton spoke recently and i managed to identify it as a BA pitch lol.

Cheers Paul.

I thought spokes were a rolled tread form, not cut, and had their won sizing? maybe it was fluked to the BA sizing?

But bikes spokes were different to car spokes. Naturally.

[Ixion]

[quote=Ixion;1933553] Real bikers had to grapple with CEI.

Speaking of which, you were going to see if Sulco did CEI taps and dies? I have found almost almy Whitworth spanners, but I need CEI taps and dies.
QUOTE]


I have CEI and BA , bsw , unc, bsf , met , met fine, met extra fine.......plus a few others that are weird.
You can get CEI from any FEW agent in N.Z. (still from south africa)
R. Cameron and Co may have some but try Trade Tools for a shot.

Ive ammassed thousands of dollars of diff taps and dies and stuff and i treat them all like gold as you never know when you need them. I had to sort an old Norton spoke recently and i managed to identify it as a BA pitch lol.

Cheers Paul.


I have most bike sizes in BSF/BSW, plus BSP, UNF/UNC/SAE. Not much in BA, I find one seldom needs to cut those. And some CEI, but I have gaps. Gaps is bad. Murphy says the one you don't have is the one you'll need. Dies is not so critical, probably can put it up in the lathe . Taps is more important. I can get them from the UK if I have to.

I used to get CEI from Trade Tools, back when they were in Federal Street. Went back there and the bastards have gone! Tracked them down in Souf Auckland (WTF) , asked some young guy about CEI and he just gaped ta me. Never ehard of it I suppose, couldn't have been more than 40, so he wouldn't know much about anything :devil2: . It was just a general enquiry, so I didn't do the "Please fetch the old guy from out the back" thing. No idea at all where one would get generic CEI bolts or nuts nowadays. Worlds gone to the dogs.

[AD345]

Good grief, what a lot of nostalgic nonsense. As a child of the 60's and 70's I'm afraid I left my rose tinted glasses back with my cuban heels and can of Brylcreem.

The bikes of the day were just that - the bikes of the day. They were made with the technology available and can only be judged in the context of their time. That level of technology spawned a comensurate level of reliability (light years ahead of, for example, the side-valve technology of the 30's and 40's) and people rode with appropriate precautions - some of which meant having the ability to make on-the-fly repairs.

Another 30 to 40 years later and technology and lifestyles are again completely different. Not only do I notknow how to repair my bike at the side of the road - I don't expect to ever bloody have to! In the last 20 years I have not had a single vehicle break down to the point where it could not be driven/ridden home - including a fairly expansive period of time spent doing rather interesting things with Nissan Patrol way out in the back of beyond (you go to the middle of nowhere and THEN head out into the wilderness).

I don't fix my vehicles - if they break (which is seldom as stated above) there's other people with the time and means to do so.

You (for the most part) don't make your own bread.

I do that for you.

[MarkH]

I haven't yet had a breakdown while riding - if that ever happens I will worry about it at the time. I have some tools and a cellphone so if the tools can't fix it I can ring for help.

I do what maintenance I can - like so far:
Oil & Filter change
Spark plug replacement
replacing exhaust gasket
changing the final drive oil

I have a workshop manual and can find how-to guides on the internet, I should be able to handle most things except tire changing.

[Ocean1]

Ive ammassed thousands of dollars of diff taps and dies and stuff and i treat them all like gold as you never know when you need them. I had to sort an old Norton spoke recently and i managed to identify it as a BA pitch lol.

Cheers Paul.

Me also. I’ll lend out the common stuff, and you might catch me without an M6x1 or some other common tap, but I can buy that stuff from 6 places within a 5 min drive for threepence ha’penny a dozen. I've got stuff not mentioned in any standard ever published, there's a 3/4"x1.75mm plug tap out there somewhere. Honest. A full set of L & R hand BSF, (actually I think I gave those to an early Bentley fetishist), L & R hand M10x2... acme profile. You'd be lucky if I've used 10% of the really weird shit, but when you do find a use for one it REALLY pays off. I don’t lend it.

[roadracingoldfart]

Me also. I’ll lend out the common stuff, and you might catch me without an M6x1 or some other common tap, but I can buy that stuff from 6 places within a 5 min drive for threepence ha’penny a dozen. I've got stuff not mentioned in any standard ever published, there's a 3/4"x1.75mm plug tap out there somewhere. Honest. A full set of L & R hand BSF, (actually I think I gave those to an early Bentley fetishist), L & R hand M10x2... acme profile. You'd be lucky if I've used 10% of the really weird shit, but when you do find a use for one it REALLY pays off. I don’t lend it.


Damm straight , im with you on all that .
And you try telling the missus its not all just tool crap , she just wont understand. Fix something using them though and thats ok but all the others are just tool crap lol.

Cheers Paul.

[Mikkel]

DIY story of today:

Bought one of these quick-self-assembly cupboard thingy-mabobs (made in PRC of course). On piece was slightly too big - nothing the breadknife couldn't handle though, so I didn't have to call the shop. ;)

[awayatc]

Anything that does not work anymore to me is like a puzzle.....
I like to understand why it doesn't work, how it is meant to work, and how to go about sorting it all out....
Not a matter of dollars.....
Some things I quite happily pay somebody for.....but admittedly not all that many.
My cars and bikes I definitely want to repair/maintain myself.
However Both the Aprilia and Harley are very straight forward bits of commonsense technology....

[Bonez]

Damm straight , im with you on all that .
And you try telling the missus its not all just tool crap , she just wont understand. Fix something using them though and thats ok but all the others are just tool crap lol.

Cheers Paul.Luckily my missus has spent more on her "hobby crap" (was stain glass work now its carving)so shes very understanding with regards to tools having raided my collection on the odd occasion. Found it tis good idea to set aside a space for her-in-doors to do such hobbies. That way if your tools go missing it's the first place to search to retrieve them.:wari:

[Voltaire]

[quote=roadracingoldfart;1935700]


I have most bike sizes in BSF/BSW, plus BSP, UNF/UNC/SAE. Not much in BA, I find one seldom needs to cut those. And some CEI, but I have gaps. Gaps is bad. Murphy says the one you don't have is the one you'll need. Dies is not so critical, probably can put it up in the lathe . Taps is more important. I can get them from the UK if I have to.

I used to get CEI from Trade Tools, back when they were in Federal Street. Went back there and the bastards have gone! Tracked them down in Souf Auckland (WTF) , asked some young guy about CEI and he just gaped ta me. Never ehard of it I suppose, couldn't have been more than 40, so he wouldn't know much about anything :devil2: . It was just a general enquiry, so I didn't do the "Please fetch the old guy from out the back" thing. No idea at all where one would get generic CEI bolts or nuts nowadays. Worlds gone to the dogs.

Ken McIntosh does nuts and bolts, over in Panmure.