Author Topic: What's wrong with this picture? (Read 5795 times)

jaannaktin · « **on:** August 09, 2005, 06:45:13 AM »

No prize offered since this is painfully obvious. After all my ranting and raving about letting the local dealer do the work since I don't trust myself, this is the thanks I get. I just kick myself for not looking more closely before I left the shop.

Einyodeler · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:13:01 AM »

Maybe they thought you like to drive in reverse :-\Did you take the whole bike in or just the wheel?The place where I took mine in at least had the sense to ask me what kind of bike it came off of and when I told the kid behind the service counter it was a 1972 I got this really blank stare,so I just said chain on left.
If anyone is ever in the metro St.Louis area and has a flat,do not, DO NOT take it to Midwest Motor Sports off of Rte. 3 north of Granite City, Illinois. I had a flat tire on the highway and I remembered the place from all of the billboard ads they have.I took my wheel off and got a ride there from a passing motorist AFTER I called and inquired if they had my size tube how much for a new tube installation.I get there and the service guy says"what kind of bike did it come off of?
I didn`t see that it really mattered as I just walked in with a wheel and needed a tube.He says to me" Nope , don`t work on Hondas".(They sell Yamahas,Suzukis and Polaris ) I went up to talk with the manager and he wasn`t in so there I stood with my wheel in hand thinking this can`t be happening.I called Ted`s Motorcycle World in Alton (18 miles away) and they sent someone to pick me up, fixed the tire and drove me back to the bike to assist with putting the wheel back on.
And they only charged me $25 , by the way they don`t sell Hondas either.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:16:05 AM »

Looks to be mounted wrong, rotationally speaking. Did they balance it at least?

Dennis · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:24:32 AM »

YOU TRUSTED the DEALER!!
Trust no one, check everything for yourself.

Harry · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2005, 11:19:23 AM »

Ah! Now I see it - they mounted the hub the wrong way round

Egil · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2005, 11:51:37 AM »

And the tyre are also tublees

, Do this work on thise kind of rim ?

Egil
Norway.

Surly · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2005, 11:52:06 AM »

My local Honda dealer lost the worlds greatest team. The parts person Beth and her husband Jerry the service manager. They moved out of state and the people they left behind are clueless. I go in and say "I need a B8ES spark plug" of course the reply is "What's it for?" ......It's for a motorcycle you troglodite.
I was told the same dealer carried Hagon shocks, I went in to order a set for my 550. I asked the genius behing the counter "Do you sell Hagon shocks?" He replies, "Nope, never heard of em" I said "Is Beth here?" about the same time Beth comes walking from around the corner. "Hi, Beth" "Hi,Matt" pleasant exchange.
"Hey Beth, you guys carry Hagon shocks right?" I ask. "Yep, I'll get the catalog" she replies. The other parts genius is standing there looking at us as though we are speaking latin.
Just a thought, but perhaps people who work at motorcycle dealerships should actually have some sort of interest in oh, I dont know.......MOTOROCYCLES!
Good help is hard to find.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2005, 12:30:22 PM »

Quote

And the tyre are also tublees , Do this work on thise kind of rim ?

Yes, with a tube and rim strip.

iandux · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2005, 01:18:56 PM »

At least you could see this one..........who knows what horrors these clowns have performed in places you can't see

Isn't there anywhere or anyone to whom you could report such obvious incompetance (especially when someone's neck could depend on it)?

Ride safe and buy a Clymer!

Ian #2676

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2005, 01:27:04 PM »

Hmm, new perspective. Last winter I mounted the same tires fore and aft on my 750, boy did I b_tch about how hard a time I had doing it (some may recall my anguished cries

). Now I feel a little better about it. I at least got them going in the right direction and got the light spots to the valves.

jsaab2748 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2005, 04:03:59 PM »

Hey Stephan, just for the record, Ted's Motorcycle World in Alton Illinois does in fact sell
Honda motorcycles along with Harleys. Good folks to deal with if you live in the St. Louis area. The owner used to own a Honda/ Yamaha dealer when our bikes were new. Bob Schultz bought him out in the 80's I think.

jaannaktin · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2005, 06:11:47 AM »

I did of course return the wheel and had the tire remounted, this time pointing in the right direction. The dealership is still credible in my eyes, but the excuse rendered was that the previous tire must have been mounted in the same direction (?!). Of course it was free. The guy at the service desk did volunteer the comment that "Harleys are a pain in the ass" because there is no consistency as to the side the drive train usually is on.

As an aside, is there any brand or industry specificity. Is is like "one hung low" with the drive drain usually on the left side? Is it usually on the left in America, and the right in England? Does gasoline swirl out the tank in the opposite direction in Australia? Many questions to ponder, so little time ...

Jaan

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2005, 06:33:20 AM »

OK, Terry, this one's for you..

Quote

Does gasoline swirl out the tank in the opposite direction in Australia?

kghost · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2005, 07:53:02 AM »

Coriolis effect.

dusterdude · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2005, 08:15:14 AM »

jaan,your dealer guy is not too bright,harleys are easy to know which side the drive is on.big twins go on the left and sportsters are on the right,assuming they are in factory configuration.

kghost · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2005, 08:16:19 AM »

Whats a stock Harley?

Chris Schneiter · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2005, 10:36:19 AM »

For some reason, I think tire installation causes excess testosterone production. I had a flat earlier this summer. New tires, just picked up a nail...my business partner goes "No! don't pay somebody to fix it! Just get a tube and some tire irons..I grew up on a farm..I've changed tires all my life!"
So I did as I was told..I brought the wheel in, and got a big bucket of soapy water...so for the next three hours, he jerked, and grunted, got soapy water all over the place..couldn't get the bead to pop to the point where I was afraid he would break it..then just as I was about to go into salvage mode..."Pop" it went..I thought we were finished until I brought it to the gas station to fill up...The air came out as fast as it went in! He had poped the new tube! Between the tube and the irons, I had 18.00 into it so far..
So I took back control and called my mechanic ( who is close to God in my eyes) who has pulled me out of several self inflicted mechanical scrapes in the past..."Sure he said, bring it on out"...Ok, I had to go buy another tube, and it turned out that I had gotten the wrong size in the first place....he had it back on and inflated in 20 minutes...charged me 10 bucks...so to not pay somebody to fix it, I ended up with close to 50 Bucks into it!
Oh, and a tip that I picked up from my mechanic: He used Silicone spray instead of soapy water..the bead popped right on!
Oh and P.S. Harleys SUCK!

dusterdude · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2005, 12:27:58 PM »

damn ces,you seem to have anger management issues.

Killer Canary · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2005, 01:34:27 PM »

Buddy brought his DOHC 750 in to the dealer to have the valves shimmed, wasn't running poorly, just his schedule said it was time . He rode it to the dealer and dropped it off; when he picked it up two days(and $200) later it was barely rideable. Took it back to the mechanic who said " I used to have one of those old things, bagged it all the time. Probably has a burnt valve". Talking about this guy's pride and joy like that! I spent 20 seconds studying, then put no. 3&4 plug wires on their rightful cylinders. Was this factory trained mechanic trying to get extra work, or could he truly have been that incompetent?

dusterdude · « **Reply #19 on:** August 10, 2005, 01:38:36 PM »

i deal with "mechanics" everyday,most of them are incompetent.

Chris Schneiter · « **Reply #20 on:** August 10, 2005, 01:42:30 PM »

Yeah...I'm a real crank...but you've got to admit that Honda's (any of them) don't shake and vibrate any where near most Harleys...and mine has never leaked oil...I know, I'm being sacreligious and un American....you're not going to put together an outlaw gang and rumble into town a whompin' and a spittin' and kick my ass are you? Sorry..Harleys are just another species to me..I don't really fit in with a lot of "Bikers"..that's why I like classics and Antiques..I fit more into the "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" Group..no anger problems though, just opinions..

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #21 on:** August 10, 2005, 02:06:38 PM »

Quote

..that's why I like classics and Antiques..

Obviously I'm a Honda Four fan or I wouldn't be here, but there are classic/vintage Harleys also and sacrilegious as it may sound, I would take one of them in a heartbeat.. if I could afford one.. and they don't come cheap.

kghost · « **Reply #22 on:** August 10, 2005, 03:10:20 PM »

I can afford to ride what I want. Why follow the herd?

Yes it is a herd, just witness all the leather.

Gregorymoto · « **Reply #23 on:** August 10, 2005, 10:28:15 PM »

Most shops suck that is for sure, thank god fo rthe net.

dusterdude · « **Reply #24 on:** August 11, 2005, 05:11:46 AM »

i have owned a panhead for 20 years and love it to death,but i also like just about any old bike out there.i bought my 750 cause ive always had a hard on to own one.

Chris Schneiter · « **Reply #25 on:** August 11, 2005, 08:40:22 AM »

Ok, Ok, I gues if I found as good a deal on say an old Knucklehead, I'd go for it...and I must admit, I think the V-rod is the best bike Harley ever came up with. I just think Hondas have always been incredibly refined and smooth running..I think it's interesting that when Honda came out with the big V twins, they had to detune them to make them sound more like a Harley..I just think that until the V-Rod, Honda has been one of the more technologically advanced bikes in the world.

Einyodeler · « **Reply #26 on:** August 11, 2005, 09:07:44 AM »

The V-Rod has a Porsche designed & engineered engine

Egil · « **Reply #27 on:** August 11, 2005, 09:32:56 AM »

Hello!
You over in US, have`t Harley back in 1936 produst a Harley-Davidson XA750 whit2cyl boxer engien

Einyodeler · « **Reply #28 on:** August 11, 2005, 09:59:33 AM »

Yes , but it was during WW2 and the U.S.Army wanted a versatile go anywhere vehicle after noting how the German army used their BMW side-valve R71 and R75 motorcycles in the Blitzkrieg offensive.The old flathead V-Twin HD`s couldn`t cut it in the tests because of the overheating of the rear cylinder due to no airflow and driving in the sand with a chain just didn`t work like BMW`s shaft drive.
They ended up copying the R71 and called it the XA for Experimental Army.They produced around 1,000 of them and did have some interesting features such as left hand throttle so you could still hold a weapon in your right hand.And the XA had HD`s first telescopic front fork.
Indian also got into the game and designed a 45 degree V-Twin that looked like a Moto Guzzi.
Well about that time another contractor came out with a go anywhere vehicle dubbed the Jeep and the Army went that route and the rest is history.
The Army did eventually order several thousand V-Twin WLA`s but they were mostly used behind the lines for dispatch.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #29 on:** August 11, 2005, 10:02:30 AM »

Einyodeler,

These historical tidbits are priceless, I love'm. Keep'm coming.

Chris Schneiter · « **Reply #30 on:** August 11, 2005, 11:12:49 AM »

Yeah..I'm liking it too..how about some Honda History too This is fun. Should we start a string on the open forum?

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Author Topic: What's wrong with this picture? (Read 5795 times)

jaannaktin

iandux

jsaab2748

jaannaktin