DIY Maintenance

I mostly agree with you guys...the younger generations aren't taught any 'mechanical arts' in school unless they go into vocational programs. When I was a kid (early 60's) everyone took shop class (well, the girls took home ec but that's another issue). We learned the rudiments of wood & metal working, drawing, electricity, which end of the screwdriver is the handle, etc. No time for that stuff these days. And you rarely see anyone on TV getting dirty & greasy working on cars or motorcycles.

Yeah, it's just like when we were young...the younger generation is going to hell in a hand basket.

not exactly the same, at 70 there will be arguments about oil.

Visian said:

not exactly the same, at 70 there will be arguments about oil.

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If they start riding MC's before 70, there has to be arguments about oil

RoboRider said:

I take it one step further. I don't see younger kids today WILLING and INTERESTED in doing maintenance. We live in a throw it away world.

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I don't see anyone 50 or older interested in doing maintenance. "I'm too old for that." "My time is worth more than that." "I don't feel like spending all my time tinkering." The list of excuses is endless, but the situation is based on someone having more money than patience. Raising children in that environment is what has created and perpetuates the "entitlement generation."

Does that sweeping generalization boil your blood enough?

Younger guys (I'm 50) don't want to do crap with their hands. They just want to watch TV.

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I'm 27, perform virtually all the maintenance on everything I own from my computer to my motorcycles. I don't own a TV, but have to sit through mind-numbing conversations at work where my 50-year old coworkers tell me how great Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars are. If they're not at work, they're on their couch.

Drummerdude, you're an exception. A tremendous exception and I enjoy your posts on your work. But I stand behind my statement that most younger guys have no interest in working on things they own. Most, not all.

The worst used car, and the worst used bike I have purchased had the most "professional" receipts. I remember a Yamaha mechanic showing me a maintenance trick, and right there a vicious argument broke out between another mechanic and a parts guy. You see, the mechanic had just installed a connecting rod which was too long, and fired up the bike with the expected results. These two were arguing whose fault it was.

crazydrummerdude said:

I don't see anyone 50 or older interested in doing maintenance. "I'm too old for that." "My time is worth more than that." "I don't feel like spending all my time tinkering." The list of excuses is endless, but the situation is based on someone having more money than patience. Raising children in that environment is what has created and perpetuates the "entitlement generation."

Does that sweeping generalization boil your blood enough?



I'm 27, perform virtually all the maintenance on everything I own from my computer to my motorcycles. I don't own a TV, but have to sit through mind-numbing conversations at work where my 50-year old coworkers tell me how great Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars are. If they're not at work, they're on their couch.

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Welcome to the club dude, 27 here also. Maybe we need to start a "youngin'" group for those of us not retired

I'm an old fart, but enjoy working on the bike almost, well not really, than riding. I hate working on the car, even oil changes, maybe that's why my initial comment on age started the age discussion, confusing car and bike maintenance. There was a discussion on accident and fatality stats that mentioned that those stats fell off because for the last four years of the stats it was harder to get loans or have money to buy bikes regardless of age. IMO, it is much harder for the young guys to even get a bike these days. In the 60's almost no one bought insurance for a bike, now it can cost as much or more than bike payments for the younger guys. Lazy? I don't think so. If you are buying a bike on a shoe string you better learn to maintain it yourself because you can't afford to take it to a dealer.

milo said:

...It bothers me that $85+ per hour trained technicians working on my motorcycle can be careless and aren't nearly as attentive to detail as I am. Some of the negligence I've experienced; oil dripping on the driveway after driving home because the oil drain plug was not tightened, actually barely hanging on. Bike running erratically, found vacuum hose not put back on TB. Finding right side gas tank bolt almost backed out. Three trips to remedy brake pad wear fault found to be caused by broken wire. I have friends with worse experiences.

The above was done by BMW technicians who no doubt have more mechanical skill, experience, and training than I do. They are payed a flat rate which encourages them to "beat the rate" in order to make more money. They also get distracted. Many shops actually prevent the customer from communicating with the mechanic working on their bike, only allowing you to speak through a third party, the service manager. There are all kinds of reasons but bad work does occur and it's not that uncommon.

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Amen. Read my blog post on that. Make it Progresso or Make It Yourself. You read my mind as it were.

Not to steal the thread with horror stories, but, over twenty years back had thee best BMW tech swap out the crank, cam and new oil pump. Two years back when replacing rear seal I found the oil pump spinners installed with the reference dots backwards? So I thought since an expert did the work maybe the pump works better that way? or there may be service tricks that amateurs know nothing about? go figure.

Ponch1 said:

Amen. Read my blog post on that. Make it Progresso or Make It Yourself. You read my mind as it were.

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Stories like these are not uncommon. If we meet sometime, like at a rally where we have lots of time, I'll have to share my Jeep technician nightmare I used to expect that work done would be done correctly. But anymore I'm just relieved when it doesn't come back worse.
Back to the topic DIY maintenance. What I really appreciate is the wealth of information and "how to" tips that is readily available on the internet. I've learned a lot on this forum.

crazydrummerdude said:

I don't see anyone 50 or older interested in doing maintenance.

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You are not looking. I did spring tech days in Kansas for 15 years. We would sometimes get 15 bikes being worked on and 50 or 60 folks for beans and conversation. Ages reflected the age spread of club members, from 20's to 70's.

No one has yet to mention the TYPE of maintenance being done. I can easily swap out brake pads. I obtain a sense of satisfaction from doing so. I also know my limitations. I know I cannot swap out a clutch plate - nor do I have the tools or the room in my garage to split an oilhead in half - so my mechanic does the hard jobs and I do the easy jobs. I save some money on the easy jobs, and a qualified technician does the complicated work.

I've also yet to see any mention in the thread of non-dealer BMW mechanics. All discussion has been dealer vs. DIY. My mechanic used to work as a technician for a local BMW dealer until he opened his own independent shop years ago. He's just as trained/informed as the dealer mechanics, except he charges $30/hr less than the local dealer. He has all the fancy tools and diagnostic equipment, and he buys the parts from the dealer. Most importantly, since he owns his own business, sloppy work costs him - and not his employer - customers, and thus revenue. He's highly motivated to be just as anal with my bikes as I am with my bikes.

My 2012 GSA is just about to hit 6,000 miles. I have no idea what BMW calls for on a 2012 GSA at 6,000 miles. Based upon the suggestions I read in these forums, neither does anyone else. But I know my independent mechanic will know what needs to be done, adjusted, and checked. I also know he won't try to gouge me by suggesting unnecessary work. It's all about building up a trusting relationship with the highly skilled and trained and experienced technician who will be working on a complex device to which we entrust our lives and sometimes the lives of our loved ones.

OfficerImpersonator said:

...
My 2012 GSA is just about to hit 6,000 miles. I have no idea what BMW calls for on a 2012 GSA at 6,000 miles. Based upon the suggestions I read in these forums, neither does anyone else. ...

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Here you go. http://www.ascycles.com/bmw_motorcycle_service_and_maintenance_schedules.aspx#RDOHC

Downs said:

Welcome to the club dude, 27 here also. Maybe we need to start a "youngin'" group for those of us not retired

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If I lie about my age and retirement status will you let me join?

I don't get these older people complaining about the younger generations. It's like the baby boomer's and older are somehow better. I don't think so

I have a lot of faith in the "youngins"

Remember we raised them or the their parents and we left them this mess just like we inherited our parents mess

What is the topic again?

sloride said:

If I lie about my age and retirement status will you let me join?

I get don't get these older people complaining about the younger generations. It's like the baby boomer's and older are somehow special. I don't think so

I have a lot of faith in the "youngins"

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Guess we can accept young at heart and accepting of "youngins"

PGlaves said:

You are not looking. I did spring tech days in Kansas for 15 years. We would sometimes get 15 bikes being worked on and 50 or 60 folks for beans and conversation. Ages reflected the age spread of club members, from 20's to 70's.

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I was being facetious in regards to broad generalizations.

Broad generalizations are the only way to describe a large group, and they are not invalid if statistically supported. Specific statements usually cannot be made for large populations. For example, you can say that "no one born since the 1950s served in WWII," etc. But otherwise, generalizations are all that can be made.

I do think that far fewer people today, of any age, work on their own devices, whether it be computers, washing machines, cars, motorcycles, etc. Far fewer than decades past. And I don't buy that today's items are more difficult to repair. In fact, with the internet, many are easier to repair due to the huge amount of information available. Reading, studying, and collecting tools are the key, coupled with an interest in learning and doing.

And it is that interest I see less and less of with each generation.

But of course, there are exceptions.

RoboRider said:

Broad generalizations are the only way to describe a large group, and they are not invalid if statistically supported. Specific statements usually cannot be made for large populations. For example, you can say that "no one born since the 1950s served in WWII," etc. But otherwise, generalizations are all that can be made.

I do think that far fewer people today, of any age, work on their own devices, whether it be computers, washing machines, cars, motorcycles, etc. Far fewer than decades past. And I don't buy that today's items are more difficult to repair. In fact, with the internet, many are easier to repair due to the huge amount of information available. Reading, studying, and collecting tools are the key, coupled with an interest in learning and doing.

And it is that interest I see less and less of with each generation.

But of course, there are exceptions.

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Necessity is the mother of invention, meaning in my case, I couldn't afford to have someone fix my stuff. Back then, we weren't a throw away society yet. My kids on the other hand can't figure too much out. Part of it is they don't have to and part of it is they must have gotten their mother's genes when it comes to hands on stuff. My youngest, a 7 year old, really digs the RT though...