It took 4 different mechanics and 3 weeks to resolve, maybe you guys will learn a lesson.
Back in 2011 while motorcycling in my wife's country, we stopped at a Shell station at around 9 pm to eat. When we tried to start the bike to go home it cranked but no firing up. I must have ran out of gas, put $5 bucks and tried to start and nothing. Okay so it's flooded. Waited another 30 mins and tried and nothing. By this time I had drained the battery. A car boosted me up and nothing, cranking but no start. We left the bike there and next day took it to a mechanic, which in this country are a dime a dozen.
MECHANIC #1: Charged the battery, cranked, no start. He checked the starter motor, nothing wrong with it, changed the spark plug, nothing. He gives up. I took it to another mechanic shop.
MECHANIC #2: Checked the started motor and re-checked the spark plug, said there was spark but no start. Weird. told me to go to another mechanic who had more sophisticated equipment and dealt with electricity/electronics.
MECHANIC #3: More professional. Checked the spark plug again, did other things, checked fuses, checked electrical cables, nothing, cranking but no start. Told me it must be the "CID". Took out the CID and told me to buy another one. I asked him if he could fix it, he said the CID is built solid with a rubber filling so nobody can fix the circuits, I had to buy another one. It was expensive, like $300 bucks. Put it on, nothing. The bike cranks and has spark but no start. He told me to go to a man named "The Child", he was considered one of the best mechanic in the city.
MECHANIC #4 "THE CHILD": It was a 300 lbs man who stood 6'3 ft and had a longer and thicker beard than a lumberjack. He wore glasses as thick as bottle bottoms. He re-checked what all the other mechanics did, I told him that had been done already, he said; "I'm not leaving any stone unturned". He then told me to come back the next day. Next day nothing. He told me he had disassembled all electrical harnesses to check for a fault and couldn't find anything. He said now it might be mechanical. He took apart the engine and other things, put them back and nothing. He said he was not going to let a motorcycle stain his reputation and that he was going to work on it until it started even if it took him a year.
He said; "I wanted you to see something, what the problem was". He then produced this thing that looked like keys, like army dog tags on a ring. "What the hell is that?" I asked. He said to me; "These things check for clearance, if the clearance is not precise your bike won't start". He then proceded to inset one of the metal tags into a part in my motorcycle and he said; "This sheet metal has to fit perfectly, if it's too loose or doesn't go through, your bike won't start". It was some clearance that had to be just the right way.
Every mechanic should have this story printed and posted in their shop so their "technicians" can see it, it will saves lots of time and headaches.
Back in 2011 while motorcycling in my wife's country, we stopped at a Shell station at around 9 pm to eat. When we tried to start the bike to go home it cranked but no firing up. I must have ran out of gas, put $5 bucks and tried to start and nothing. Okay so it's flooded. Waited another 30 mins and tried and nothing. By this time I had drained the battery. A car boosted me up and nothing, cranking but no start. We left the bike there and next day took it to a mechanic, which in this country are a dime a dozen.
MECHANIC #1: Charged the battery, cranked, no start. He checked the starter motor, nothing wrong with it, changed the spark plug, nothing. He gives up. I took it to another mechanic shop.
MECHANIC #2: Checked the started motor and re-checked the spark plug, said there was spark but no start. Weird. told me to go to another mechanic who had more sophisticated equipment and dealt with electricity/electronics.
MECHANIC #3: More professional. Checked the spark plug again, did other things, checked fuses, checked electrical cables, nothing, cranking but no start. Told me it must be the "CID". Took out the CID and told me to buy another one. I asked him if he could fix it, he said the CID is built solid with a rubber filling so nobody can fix the circuits, I had to buy another one. It was expensive, like $300 bucks. Put it on, nothing. The bike cranks and has spark but no start. He told me to go to a man named "The Child", he was considered one of the best mechanic in the city.
MECHANIC #4 "THE CHILD": It was a 300 lbs man who stood 6'3 ft and had a longer and thicker beard than a lumberjack. He wore glasses as thick as bottle bottoms. He re-checked what all the other mechanics did, I told him that had been done already, he said; "I'm not leaving any stone unturned". He then told me to come back the next day. Next day nothing. He told me he had disassembled all electrical harnesses to check for a fault and couldn't find anything. He said now it might be mechanical. He took apart the engine and other things, put them back and nothing. He said he was not going to let a motorcycle stain his reputation and that he was going to work on it until it started even if it took him a year.
He said; "I wanted you to see something, what the problem was". He then produced this thing that looked like keys, like army dog tags on a ring. "What the hell is that?" I asked. He said to me; "These things check for clearance, if the clearance is not precise your bike won't start". He then proceded to inset one of the metal tags into a part in my motorcycle and he said; "This sheet metal has to fit perfectly, if it's too loose or doesn't go through, your bike won't start". It was some clearance that had to be just the right way.
Every mechanic should have this story printed and posted in their shop so their "technicians" can see it, it will saves lots of time and headaches.
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