If you ride a motorcycle, you have a relationship with a machine.Your motorcycle will bring you years of joy and satisfaction if youhave a positive relationship. Just like the association with yourspouse, kids or buddies; the amount of energy you put into yourmechanical connection with your motorcycle directly correlates withyour level of enjoyment. If you aren’t a mechanic, you’ll need anassociation with a trustworthy motorcycle technician. Your life ison the line every time you throw your leg over your bike, so yourdependence on your chosen tech is vitally important.
“In the wind”. This Airplane/Motorcycling analogy is right on themoney. It describes the feeling you relish in flying down the asphalton your two wheeled freedom machine. It’s a cliche’ phrase that isused to describe the experience that you have when you’re out on theopen road with the wind in your hair. It describes the exhilarationand thrill when your scooter is functioning smoothly.
Everyone is aware of the eminent dangers associated with riding amotorcycle; just ask your mom. That’s part of the thrill involved.Nobody I know wants the “thrill” that a mechanical failure can bring.With motorcycles, unlike airplanes, you have the option to serviceyour machine on your own. Did you know that even if you are a masteraviation technician, the FAA (Federal Aeronautics Administration)does not allow you to service your private airplane yourself? Theirrestrictive reasoning prevents cutting corners to save a buck or twoon routine airplane maintenance. If you did, you’d risk your ownsafety, the safety of your passengers and others who could be injuredif a mechanical failure occurs during flight– Otherwise known as”mechanical Russian Roulette”.
Before each flight an airplane pilot will physically walk aroundhis craft and inspect his plane for basic safety issues. Amotorcycle rider should be no less vigilant. User-friendly checks oflighting, horn function, tire pressure, and oil levels should be aroutine. Usually at 2500-mile intervals the manufacturer requires a”maintenance service” to sustain your motorcycle’s warranty, safetyand reliability. This requirement dictates a periodic service, anditís much more than just an oil change.
Most people who ride dont have all the specialty equipmentrequired to properly maintain and service their modern motorcycle.Even certified automotive mechanics usually do not have the tools orexpertise to handle a typical 10,000-mile service on aHarley-Davidson motorcycle. So chances are, no matter how crafty youare in the home-shop or garage, you’ll end up requiring the servicesof a motorcycle repair facility sooner or later. This is where the”relationship” starts, and I’d like to provide a littleinformation on how to foster a positive relationship with a shop ortechnician that you’ll entrust with your safety.
Just like a certified aviation technician, a certified motorcycletechnician should consider your safety as priority one. The key toany relationship is trust. If you fell and shattered your wrist,would you trust a medical student to set your bones correctly so yourwrist would function as good as new? Or would you rather have aboard certified orthopedic surgeon with several years of experience.This isn’t such a far-fetched analogy when you consider how high thestakes are when you’re zipping through traffic at 80 mph. You areentrusting your life to an individual holding a wrench. If you arecomfortable with having your buddy’s friend who just enrolled inmotorcycle school work on your bike in his backyard, so you can savesome dough, that’s great. Then you should be aware that you wouldalso settle for that first year medical student to set your bones ifyour bike goes down because your budget-mechanic forgot to properlytorque your axle nut.
Everyone is human, and even the most highly experienced andconscientious mechanic will make a mistake occasionally. However, aquality facility will own up to its errors and make it right whenthey screw something up. Who knows if your buddy’s friend workingout of his home garage will do the right thing when he accidentallydrops a wrench on your fender and gouges your fresh custom paint job?A penny saved isn’t always that penny earned.
Take the time to visit several shops and investigate each. Meetthe people who work there and who own the operation. Find otherriders and ask them who they intimately trust to work on their bikes.Find out how much experience and education the mechanics have Don’tbe intimidated by the whole razzle-dazzle speed-secrets that somemechanics will throw at you. If you don’t understand what they aretalking about, just ask. If you cant get a straight-forward answeror solution to any mechanical problem, run away. These really arejust machines. Machines need maintenance and will break. There’s nomagic wand to repair your bike. It takes knowledge, skill, and thepersonal awareness of the technician to deliver a quality of serviceon which you stake your life. That’s the key. Find a technician orshop that you feel has your best interests in mind. Sometimes therepairs required are not cheap, but neither is that ride to thehospital in the helicopter from the middle of nowhere.
If you don’t respect the facility thatís working on your bike,find another. Remember that commercial from a few years back, theone that asked the guy if he was in business for ëfun or profití?Believe it or not, serious motorcycle businesses are run for aprofit. Thereís many a shop that has been opened because the ownerthought it would be fun, but then discovered that fun does not keepthe doors open for very long. Thereís an old adage that ìlong afterthe sweetness of cheap has vanished, the sour taste of poor qualityand inferior craftsmanship lingers on.î Look for a shop that is runprofessionally. You should get a complete estimate that fullyexplains the cost of all your repairs before you leave your bike forany work. If there are additional repairs needed, they should callyou and inform you of what is going on and what it will cost. Thisinsures that you will get what you paid for and nothing less.
Become involved in understanding what is going on with your bike.Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Buy a manual and read it. You’llbe amazed how much knowledge will help your understanding andcommunication with mechanics. Expect the same courtesy from yourmotorcycle shop and technicians that you would expect at a goodrestaurant. It is a “service” business, so expect to be served.
Mail order motorcycle parts are proliferating everywhere.”Discount” catalogs, mail order, and on-line motorcycle parts areeasy to peruse. Sometimes you’ll save a few dollars, most of thetime you’ll end up paying less for the same part at your local shop,and they have it sitting in stock right there on the shelf. Once youfigure in your time, the costs of shipping and any defects orwarranty issues that may arise with your mail-order part; you mayfind that what you thought was cheap, really wasn’t the best deal.Once again, take the time to find a business run by people with whomyou are comfortable dealing with. Check their prices with pricesthat you’ve found in the catalogs or on-line.
Relationships are also built on timeliness. A quality facilitywill respect and value your time. You’ve got other things to do inyour life besides schlepping your motorcycle to the shop, getting aride home, and then missing a weekend ride with your buddies becausea part was “back-ordered”. It is reasonable to expect the parts thatyou need for your project to be available when you are scheduled tohave the service or customization performed. Ride your bike untilall the parts are in stock and the service-calendar at your shop isready for your operation. If you feel like the shop can’t organizethe components that you need, before you drop the bike off, there’s agood chance that they won’t know what you’ll need to get the job doneright. After you’re committed and your bike is in pieces, thenyou’re in way too deep.
Finally, whats right for the goose isnt always right for thegander. Just because you saw some new whiz-bang omni-gobulator onsome show-winning machine in a magazine doesn’t mean that it willperform on your bike. Ask your trusted mechanic or shop-owner whatthey think of a component in regards to your machine. They work withthis stuff everyday. Chances are they will steer you towardscomponents that are proven to work. Experience dictates that if apart fails more than once, a reputable shop will stop offering thatcomponent. A motorcycle shop can’t exist for very long suggestingfailed parts. Look for an existing track record of long-term qualityrelationships with vendors and customers when choosing a shop foryour machine. Components from different manufacturers don’t alwaysfit together, and it takes years of experience to know what fits what.
Relationships are a two way street. Your relationship with yourlocal motorcycle shop should be no different. Respect is earned,and a shop should earn your respect and confidence before receivingyour hard earned money. In turn, you deserve to have the piece ofmind to know that your bike is performing up to its highestpotential. Be prepared to pay a reasonable price to keep it that way.Most of all, respect anyone, who is working hard to make a living,keeping you rolling down the road safely. Then you’ve got asuccessful relationship with the man and the machine. In tech wetrust.
Remember, keep the rubber side down.
–John at Steeds
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