What are every bodies general opinion on mechanics, and using them? To date I've only found one mechanic that I'm completely satisfied with, and unfortunately they're a 2 hour ride away (Trevor Jordan's in Wollongong). Every other mechanic has either quoted me for work that I don't need, or charged me for work they haven't done. Talking to other people they've had the similar experiences. Unless you can physically and immediately see the result of their work - or you know something about engines - you're bound to get ripped off. Is it pointless to take your vehicle to a mechanic for things like a "tune-up", or a fluid change, unless it's running so badly you can immediately see / feel the difference? Are you better to just learn to do the stuff yourself, unless the bike's in immediate danger of dieing if it's not done properly? And hell, can you even guarantee that it'll be DONE properly if you DO go to a mechanic? What's to stop them giving your cheap little learners bike to the apprentice to work on? Maybe I'm just being cynical, and there really are a lot of good mechanics out there that won't rip you off, and will actually take the time and care to do your job properly?
Well with the time that it takes you to pick up your bike and the money spent on servicing... Do it yourself. That way you know what's done, what has been done and what needs to be done, yourself <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->. I'm starting up my tool collection. It's not that hard to do the minor things mechanics charge a fair bit to do. It works out roughly to $80 an hour for labour most times.
I turned to DIY servicing after a couple of really bad experiences getting burnt and ripped off by shoddy mechanics. I think it's scarred me for life! I've always been one to attempt to do something myself, both for the satisfaction of completing it myself and for the knowledge i gain in the process. There's something about learning new things that i'll never shy away from. Most simply fluid changes you can do yourself. Anything more complex than that, have a look through this forum (and others) to see if someone has done it themselves. If they have, and you understand the theory and procedure aswell as the inherent risks in attempting it yourself, go for it! If your not 100% confident in what your doing or going to attempt to do, might be worth while getting some advice to clear things up... or taking it to a mechanic to get them to do it. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice BEFORE you start. Also be aware that if you try to fix something and fail, it's likely to cost you more as a mechanic will have to undo your f'up before setting it right! In regards to a tune-up, especially on a bike like an FZR250... don't underestimate the power of a good mechanic to set things properly! Very simple things like balancing the carbs, or setting float heights will make a very very big difference to your riding experience. If you can't get it right yourself... spend the money and get someone who knows what they're doing to do it for you. That said, my list of achievements is constantly expanding... as is my knowledge. Alot of reading, alot of tinkering, alot of thinking, and alot of time with your hands dirty will really help out with the learning process. I'll happily now give a big thankyou to TBone who opened my eyes to all this stuff! A bad mis-quote from him goes something along the lines of... "I'm just like you... but i've done this a hundred times before!" Knowledge & experience is EVERYTHING - and that's what your paying a mechanic for.
I think you know where I stand as far as motorcycles mechanics in this town are concerned, especially when it comes to the fizzer. The reason I started learning how to work on bikes was out of necessity. That’s the way I like to keep it now, my bikes only go to a mechanic if it is absolutely necessary. In the rare occasion that I do book it in I like to keep them on their toes with a few techniques; - Drop in unexpectedly to ask questions and keep a close eye on proceedings. - Don’t deal with them over the phone, they are allot more willing to help you in person. An irate customer kinda spoils the atmos of the showroom floor. - Do as much homework as you can. That way you can spot when they try and pass off shoddy work. - If you aren’t happy after a test ride take the bike back right away and tell them to fix it. I don’t think that they are all bad. They are just to focused on easy money especially the bigger dealers.
in Bris there is only really one guy I would say I could trust- pats motorcycles in Wynnum. Whale's motorcycle world slacks creek seems ok, and very good reports from suzuki at slacks creek. Expensive though
It was actually your post on balancing the carbs that sparked me off, ciaran (showing how out of wack your carbs were, even though a carb balance had appeared on the bill). Reminded me of a few dodgy things that've happened (like telling my gf that a rattle was caused by the big end bearing going, and that she'd need to buy a new engine @ ~$3,000... When all she needed was for the oil to be topped up). Yeah, it really does seem like doing it yourself is one of the only ways to guarantee it'll get done. In the end I reckon you'd probably spend more doing it yourself - trying to fix fck-ups (as Koma said), and spending lots of $$ on tools. But in the end you actually know it's done. If you try it yourself and stuff it up, then when you take it to a mechanic, at least you'll know that they've done it
They weren't being entirely dishonest! No oil, no lubrication for bearings = need new engine. <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->
I was lucky in that regard. The old man being a mechanic in a past life gave me access to just about all I will ever need. It’s too bad the only bikes he ever worked on where old old BSA and triumphs. Oh and did I mention he has a disliking of not only sports bikes but also Japanese engineering. Can’t have it all I guess. I would have to disagree and say that in the long run if you are committed, it will save you a fortune. You never know when your extra skills will come in handy. I tend to find in reality the extra money gets poured back into the bikes anyway. <!-- s:???: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":???:" title="Confused" /><!-- s:???: -->
interesting topic. i would love to fix my own bike, but i dont have the knowledge. I plan to learn over time, but i still think there are some things i wont be able to fix myself. i do trust most mechanics, i have had a good history with them, and some of my good friends are mechanicsand i know that wouldnt rip me or anyone else off. so they arent all bad. i also had a "simple" problem with my bike so i took it too the mechanic to get ti fixed and it turned out to be a big problem see this thread. http://www.fzr250.com/viewtopic.php?t=1807 so in that regard they are good for people like me who dont know alot about the mechanics of bikes yet.
Most of us would say that your carby problem wasn't over complicated, but again that's based on the knowledge that we've pulled apart carbs before! If you'd ventured into the bowels of the beast you'd have learnt pretty quickly... and it's kinda obvious when something has been half-arsed.
