Basic mechanic skills, if you don't have em' should you be riding?

I think it more applies to the harley guys since they gotta fix it on the fly as they break down on the road.:laugh:Ok the older harleys.I prefer to wrench on all my stuff, cars, bikes, equipment, whatever.
 
Just my opinion but I think riding skills are more important than mechanic skills when it comes to riding, and wrenching skills are more valuable if you work on bikes for a living.

and you other two need to just PM beat down :laugh:
 
Well, if I didn't lube the chain, and it fell off, then I would lube it more often.

If I didn't check the brake pads, and they fell out, I would check them more often.

If I didn't change the oil, and the engine shut down, I would check it more often.

If I didn't check the tire pressure, and the tire would go flat, I would check it more often.

That's the rub. Parts of a modern motorcycle are too damn good. We get comfortable with that. Most of the time it works out, but sometimes it doesn't. We gamble on winning most of the time.
 
Rothman said:
There are lot's of people who ride. Many shapes, sizes, races, and creeds. What I find amazing is how little a majority of riders actually know about their bikes.

When I first started riding, I made it a point to learn as much as possible about my bike. What should you be looking for before you go for a ride? If you answer was " F' it, let's go!" then I wish you luck. I just plain wouldn't feel safe if I didn't at least know basic maintenance practices.

I would say that roughly 90% of the folks around here haven't got clue 1 about their bikes. I've only seen one or two bikes around that actually have a properly adjusted and lubricated chain. Most look like they're going to burst off at any moment due to extreme tension, no lube, and corrosion. They have sharkfin sprockets and forks that spew oil with every bump. Lot's of these guys have really nice bikes too.

....I went for a ride with one fella a few months back that has a new Ducati street fighter. He was complaining about how the bike felt unstable through the turns and was a little bouncy. I asked if he set his suspension. He gave me the all too typical with this question deer in the headlights look. The guy has been riding for years and didn't even know how to adjust his suspension...not even a little. What's dampening?:banghead: Why does nobody know how to do this? It's one of the most important parts of making your bike ride well.

....A guy I work with rides a fat boy harely and and wanted me to take a look at it because it was acting sluggish at WOT like it had no power. I walked out to his bike and grabbed the throttle, gave it a half turn without any tension on the cable .....???. You could literally turn his throttle halway around before it engaged and he didn't realize it.

I think part of the licensing process should be how to do a pre-ride inspection. Not just black and white questions, an actual hands on inspection. If you can't succesfully tell if your bike is safe to ride (at least the basics) then you fail.

I'm my opinion, if you dont know how your bike works, you shouldn't be riding. You are a danger to yourself, a danger to me, and a danger to others.

Rant over.....

Please feel free to join my rant:laugh:
Click to expand...

I roam these forums everyday, on every discussion board and I haven't found one post yet telling me how to do any of these things.
I'm willing to learn, but no one seems willing to teach.

I literally don't know how to do anything on my bike.
 
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