Author Topic: Bike mechanic horror stories (Read 6108 times)

Killer Canary · « **on:** February 12, 2012, 10:24:03 AM »

One of Lucky's posts inspired this.
Many moons ago, I took my '81 750F to the local dealer to have the valves shimmed. It was running well, it was just time for adjustment. When I picked it up, it would barely run. The mechanic told me it probably needed valve work. Before his eyes, I disconnected the plug wires and put them on the CORRECT cylinders. I don't know if he really didn't know or he was just trying to suck more money out of me; either way it was a much appreciated learning experience. When I phoned the owner/manager to inform him of his mechanic's tricks ( yes, I thought he would really want to know), he hung up on me. First and last time for me. All of this nonsense cost me $230.

DH · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2012, 11:11:37 AM »

I tried to do a tune up on my 750 k4 that I had back in '75. I'd never tried such a thing before, (I was 17), so I screwed a few things up unintentionally. Long story short, a dealer told me there was a valve or ring problem on #1, as the plug for that cylinder kept fouling. This was after I'd spent 250.00 for a total tune up,
and a "supposed" carburetor rebulild. Rode the bike home, tore it down in about a weeks time, sent the head out to have the valves ground, and reassembled. Maiden voyage, and #1 fouls again.
Exact symptom again. Took off the carbs, and noticed something different going on inside the throat of #1. Something blocking it entirely. Flipped the choke lever and the other three became "blocked"

...To this day, I have no idea how that choke flap became disengaged inside from the rest of the choke linkage.
And to this day also I've never had anyone else service my bikes
but me. Aint ever had any more choke problems either

I learnt the hard way...

Killer Canary · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2012, 11:50:38 AM »

The important thing is to learn. On my next DOHC 750 years later I had a seemingly uncurable overflow leak from 2 of the four carbs, I mean it was flowing! Carbs in and out many times. I replaced needles ($30 each!), I redrilled seats, I even pulled the pressed in seats and machined new ones from brass rod, all to no effect. I gave up and bought a used set of carbs, another $120. One day while eyeballing the old set in the sunlight I noticed a hairline crack on 2 of the 4 overflow tubes, probably from freezing water. A couple of pieces of primer hose fixed the carbs. They'll never fool me that way again. I learned vacuum carbs through and through from the experience though.

BeSeeingYou · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2012, 11:55:13 AM »

In 33 years I have never taken a bike to a shop or mechanic...........if I had a horror story it would be about me

.......been lucky so far.......

Killer Canary · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2012, 12:16:42 PM »

The best person for a job is usually your own self.

754 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2012, 12:32:34 PM »

I can live with my self screwing up..
I can live with others screwing up...

i cant live with PAYING other to screw up....

72 yellow · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:07:37 PM »

Bike mechanic horror story nearly cost me my life. I purchased a new H-D Superglide (I know). The dealer offered me free storage for the winter. Told me to call 2 weeks in advance when I wanted to pick it up in the spring. I did. When I picked up the bike I pulled out on to a major highway. At a red light, I found out I had no brakes. The A-holes had not filled or bled the brakes. After that when I purchased a bike, new or used, I trailered it home and checked it out myself.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:23:28 PM »

That could've been pretty bad.

EDU · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:39:36 PM »

Had the tires changed at the race track by the local 'mechanic' and as I rode it back to the pits I noticed the bike felt 'weird' so I decided to give it a once over. The @$^#$$%^ forgot to tighten the front axle and didn't even put a the nut back on the rear!! And the only reason I rode it back to the pits was because it took too long and by the time he was 'finished' I only had 5min left in my session so I didn't bother going out... if had finished 5min earlier I'd have entered the track. First and last time I use those guys.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2012, 01:55:56 PM »

Did you pay big money for the privilege of narrowly avoiding a crash?

EDU · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:56:07 PM »

I'd paid $60 for the tire change too (changing your tires at the track is always a rip off!!). Of course I went back and demanded my money back. The mechanic tried some weak 'Oh... I'm sorry, I'll fix that for you' attitude and tried his best to avoid refunding me. But then I started yelling which got the attention of others and he paid me back pretty quickly.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2012, 04:16:58 PM »

We don't have to worry about getting screwed at the tracks here- no tracks!

RustyStuff · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2012, 06:05:23 PM »

Quote from: Killer Canary on February 14, 2012, 04:16:58 PM

We don't have to worry about getting screwed at the tracks here- no tracks!

What are these track's you speak off?

Nothing like that here. A paved oval doesnt sound interesting on a motorcycle.... now, if it was a dirt oval.

tortelvis · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2012, 08:55:37 AM »

A friend took his cylinder head to a machine shop to have two thousandths skimmed and they took off two milimeters!

Killer Canary · « **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2012, 09:09:57 AM »

Serious compression ratio!

trueblue · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2012, 03:21:56 AM »

Quote from: tortelvis on February 16, 2012, 08:55:37 AM

A friend took his cylinder head to a machine shop to have two thousandths skimmed and they took off two milimeters!

2 thou or 2mm not much difference there, only 78 thou. As far as mechanic horror stories go I have none, because I am a mechanic and do all my own work, but I do have a couple of horror PO stories, one included my cam chain, where some wanna-be mechanic left an extra link in the cam chain of my 650 and joined 2 inside links together because he was too lazy to back off the cam chain tensioner this caused the cam chain to buzz like mad, which took me a while to pick up because I had heard that these bikes had noisy cam chains and had never really listened to one running, and it wasn't until I lifted one of the tappet covers and found the cam was flopping back and forward, even when the cam chain tensioner was full out. The additional link also put the cam timing out one tooth which caused erratic idle, hard starting and it would barely crack 140kph. I was bloody lucky with it though I rode it for 1500km like this before I had crossed every other possible reason off the list of why it was running up to s#!t, and when I pulled it out you could see quite clearly where it was trying to part company with the gears. Once I had replaced the cam chain the difference was like night and day, on my first ride I cracked the throttle and it lifted the front wheel off the ground by a couple of inches and it easily cracked 165kph and was still able to go more.

Stretch · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2012, 05:00:36 AM »

I took a bike in for a carb cleaning years ago. I knew very little about bikes and this one was free to me and I had no history of the bike.

After a month of; had to order this, that leaked, this stripped, that broke.... I went over there one Saturday when the service staff was low and I could walk back in the back pretty much unnoticed to see that the bike was burried 3 deep next to a wall, covered in dust.

I called the service mgr that Monday and told him I was picking up the bike on Thursday even if they had to box up the pieces.
I got there and he had it running but not well. He pitched his garbage but I just wanted the bike out of there.

I rode the bike the last half of the season, about 1000 miles and then that winter took it to a different shop. He said he didn't think the carbs had ever been off the bike. $600 for carb work showed me I needed to learn how to do my own work.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #17 on:** February 17, 2012, 08:03:18 AM »

That would be hard to believe if I didn't know better.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2012, 08:08:47 AM »

DH, did you ever locate the screws for #1 choke?

DH · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2012, 07:29:12 PM »

Quote from: Killer Canary on February 17, 2012, 08:08:47 AM

DH, did you ever locate the screws for #1 choke?

The choke "flaps" on the early 750 carbs don't have screws like the later
carbs with the "butterfly" design chokes. (a very good thing). It took the better part of two weeks worth of weeknight wrenching to straighten that mess out. Dad came home and looked at all the parts all laying out in
order of dis assembly, shook his head and said "Mister, I'll shake your hand if that thing ever runs again". Ah, to be 17...those were the days...

Killer Canary · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2012, 07:33:34 PM »

One of my most persistent fears (I have many) is for one of those screws to come loose when the engine is running.

754 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2012, 08:36:00 PM »

I had one come out in a CB 350 2win, from the factory they are flared to prevent falling out..

Killer Canary · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2012, 10:30:46 AM »

Did it get into the engine?

754 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2012, 11:42:49 AM »

Yes , I was riding on snowcovered roads, probably with chains on, shifting to 2nd when the motor stopped..screw stuck into top of piston, had to pull the head off. I aways wonered if I was revving high, if it would have kept going??..if it did and got loose again, IT WOULDA DESTROYED A LOT OF PARTS..

Killer Canary · « **Reply #24 on:** February 19, 2012, 12:26:09 PM »

They're solid engines anyway. I have a cafed '72 and I love it.

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Author Topic: Bike mechanic horror stories (Read 6108 times)

DH

DH