Maintenance and the new owner

[zzrt1150]

Forum Sponsor

This is a copy and paste from another site and I think most of us knows this but a little reminder couldn't hurt:

[h=5]Maintenance and the new owner[/h]« on: February 03, 2015, 08:30:06 AM »

• Quote

...and the old owner, too.

We're seeing a number of guys who have just purchased their first c-10. They come here all happy, particularly if it's a low mileage unit. Then they start getting advise from the seasoned owners. "You need to do a/b/c, oh yeah, while you're there, d/e /f are now easier to do. And while you're at it, replace g/h/i. You'll probably want to upgrade k/l/m and then enjoy the bike for a while" I can see this as intimidating and off-putting. let me explain why this is the advise given, and maybe it will ease the process.

Basically you've bought an old bike. The newest is 9 years old. In some respects, low mileage is worse than a higher mileage unit. The issues will always be centered around areas where there is fluid or rubber. A low mileage unit wasn't used much, so the owner probably felt fluid changes weren't necessary. Additionally, the fuel wasn't changed often, which is the perfect storm for tank and carb related issues. A higher mileage bike that's been well maintained may be cheaper in the long run, but we all like those low - mileage finds. Just don't lull yourself into thinking low mileage equals low maintenance, because it doesn't.

Do yourself a favor - and I do live by this- when you get your new to you motorcycle, the first thing you do is service all areas with fluid and / or rubber. Great looking old tires will get you killed. Replace them. Engines that run poorly due to ignition, valve or carb issues are an annoyance. Brakes that don't stop are deadly. Hydrolock is the only real achilles heal of the bike. Learn what is important to do right now, and what can wait. A new windshield or seat is way behind good brakes and tires in the scheme of things.

You might think you bought a motorcycle for cheap transportation. You're fooling yourself. The maintenance on a motorcycle is much more important, and requires much more diligence than owning a car. Maybe you've never thought of it this way, but here it is in a nutshell... cars don't fall down, motorcycles do. Low tire pressures on a car is manageable, on your bike it may cause you to crash. There are no second chances, no "re-do's" in an accident. Proper maintenance may be the difference in crashing or not. I'm sure in my case my choice to put premium tires on my bike is the only thing that kept me from hitting a mountain when I blew a curve in North Carolina.

Think about it. Motorcycling is a blast, but we all know it's not a "safe" endeavor. Making it less safe because you failed to be diligent in your maintenance, and choosing to ride an under maintained motorcycle is, well, stupid. This is why the advise is so encompassing. Be glad you're getting it, too. Coggers know this bike inside and out. The knowledge accrued about the zg1000 over the last 26 years is why you're here. Take the advise shared here to heart, and if you're wise, act on it. Do the maintenance, and enjoy the peace of mind.

Like I said, motorcycles fall down. Keep that in mind, and proceed accordingly.

HTH, Steve

 

[CafeRay]

All valid, but it seems the level of mechanical skills of new riders has dwindled to near zero in the GTA. People take bikes in for oil changes and chain adjustments now. We used to call those people girls, except now girls are more likely to change their own oil.

 

[油井緋色]

All valid, but it seems the level of mechanical skills of new riders has dwindled to near zero in the GTA. People take bikes in for oil changes and chain adjustments now. We used to call those people girls, except now girls are more likely to change their own oil.

Every one of my riding buddies, one of which is female, know how to do all of the above and more. We, however, don't touch the engine or change tires.

Not sure how true your generalization is.

 

[TwistedKestrel]

All valid, but it seems the level of mechanical skills of new riders has dwindled to near zero in the GTA. People take bikes in for oil changes and chain adjustments now. We used to call those people girls, except now girls are more likely to change their own oil.

I support this trend, if it keeps enough shops in the black to sell me the odd OEM widget once every three years. If anything, blame manufacturers for pushing the centre stand to near extinction

 

[CafeRay]

Every one of my riding buddies, one of which is female, know how to do all of the above and more. We, however, don't touch the engine or change tires.

Not sure how true your generalization is.

Talk to a service manager, they do far more trivial stuff then they used to.

 

[unL33T]

All valid, but it seems the level of mechanical skills of new riders has dwindled to near zero in the GTA. People take bikes in for oil changes and chain adjustments now. We used to call those people girls, except now girls are more likely to change their own oil.

This is true for everything. Car culture is dying and with it any basic automotive maintenance skills.

I read an article about how our tech fields are suffering because kids these days just aren't really into technology. They have no desire to know how things work or how to fix them. Most kids these days will never see a desktop computer, barely see laptops, and only have experience with tablets and phones that are basically disposable. Heck, our co-op student at work is in computer science and doesn't even know what a command line is. I had to teach him how to clone to a hard drive because he had no idea how to even boot off a CD.

Basically, next to no one cares any more.

I'd love to do even more of my own work on my vehicles but living in an apartment in Toronto with outdoor parking (if that) makes it difficult.

 

[nfq]

This is true for everything. Car culture is dying and with it any basic automotive maintenance skills.

I read an article about how our tech fields are suffering because kids these days just aren't really into technology. They have no desire to know how things work or how to fix them. Most kids these days will never see a desktop computer, barely see laptops, and only have experience with tablets and phones that are basically disposable. Heck, our co-op student at work is in computer science and doesn't even know what a command line is. I had to teach him how to clone to a hard drive because he had no idea how to even boot off a CD.

Basically, next to no one cares any more.

I'd love to do even more of my own work on my vehicles but living in an apartment in Toronto with outdoor parking (if that) makes it difficult.

Tech Saavy vs Tech Knowledgeable.
Just because they think they can use a tablet or whatever doesn't mean they understand the inner workings. I see it more and more in and around the office as well.

as to the original topic, people also forget there's more to bike maintenance than just Oil changes and lubing the chain. It's great that the oil is changed regularly, but running the same brake fluid for 8 years doesn't do anyone any favours either.

 

[CafeRay]

Tech Saavy vs Tech Knowledgeable.
Just because they think they can use a tablet or whatever doesn't mean they understand the inner workings. I see it more and more in and around the office as well.

as to the original topic, people also forget there's more to bike maintenance than just Oil changes and lubing the chain. It's great that the oil is changed regularly, but running the same brake fluid for 8 years doesn't do anyone any favours either.

or fork oil, air filters, rad fluid, etc. But none of that is hard to do.

As for the computer thing... don't get me started, this is why I hate Apple, they turned computers into toasters, which is great for a narrow number of things, but when things go slightly wrong, line up at the Apple store, and if you need a new purpose, forget it.
My 8 year old could only get a gaming computer if he built it with me from parts, and now he's modding games and already far ahead of any of his teachers on IT , plus he now sees a real application for spelling properly and math.

 

[油井緋色]

I'm reading a lot of arrogance and animosity towards ppl who aren't tech savvy/knowledgable in this thread similar to those who can't/refuse to work on their bikes or do simple maintenance.

Here's the kicker: if I applied this logic to my field of specialization (which is ironically IT), you'd be an imbecile compared to me (building a computer vs designing a system are two very different things, one you can't learn by Googling). Seems like a retarded overcompensating mindset imo. We all have our strengths.

As for the Apple hate...you realize Terminal is a capable UNIX shell right?

 

[SweetOnion]

As for the Apple hate...you realize Terminal is a capable UNIX shell right?

Hahaha... I was just about to comment. I bought a Mac Mini a little over a year ago, simply to learn the Operating System. The first thing I discovered: Holy crap, this is super complicated and reminds me of taking Network Engineering and learning how to setup a Unix server!

Most people don't realize the Mac is actually way more complicated and customizable than a Windows machine is, because it is so well hidden.

It's like the BMW Motorrad of Computers. Not that many people know how to reconfigure the fueling or write their own algorithms for ABS or Traction control on an S1000RR.

 

[CafeRay]

As for the Apple hate...you realize Terminal is a capable UNIX shell right?

The hardware is fine since they got away from Motorola, it's the dumbed down consumer OS I have problem with.
What do you mean by "designing a system" , an IT infrastructure? an operating system?

if I applied this logic to my field of specialization (which is ironically IT), you'd be an imbecile compared to me

My experience with IT issues is that >50% of problems are self-inflicted by IT consultants (usually hooks to insure more hours). We're not talking about engineering a bike from scratch or even those bike "builders" who cobble together parts and put their own names on the end product.

We're talking the equivalent of turning on a firewall, setting up and maintaining backup, formatting a drive, etc. Looong line ups at Apple stores for all that stuff. Canada has actually a good industry in IT (what's left of it) but what used to be common required knowledge of mechanical systems or computer systems has now evolved to people being constantly dependent on others, which is ok, but just be prepared to pay and pray they did it right.

 

[meme]

Best advice is the mechanics manual, a set of tools and a good attitude. Ask someone who knows to watch or provide governance. If you get shown once then you ought to be able to DIY.

Forum Sponsor