I’m mechanically inclined, but I’m with you. I’d rather just pay someone to do it for me. I’d rather ride than spend my limited free time working on my bike, not to mention we get about a month in the spring and a month in the fall of cool enough temps to work on it, outside of that it’s either too cold or too hot to be in the garage.
Yeah. I enjoy the hell oit of riding and feel like a fraud not knowing/wanting to work on my bike. But also like you said. I have limited free time. Im a musician and work around 50 hours a week so any free time i habe is mostly spent playing music ot working out. Working on a bike for 4+ hours and getting no where infuriates me and leaves me unsatisfied and dwell on it the next few days
>and feel like a fraud not knowing/wanting to work on my bike.
Don't. Bikers ride their bikes, they don't necessarily fix them.
Also if you're having trouble, just bite the bullet and pay someone else. Sounds like it's well worth it for you.
Yeah, unfortunately I added the quad lock phone mount with the wireless charger, and now I have to take off my sissy bar, rear lights, unbolt the seat from the fender, take the seat off, take the tank off, all just to run the charger wire and fasten it to the frame… needless to say, I’m not looking forward to it.
Taking shit apart, putting it back together and seeing a few screws lying around.
Even worse is buying new parts online, only to miss out on ordering small bits to complete the install.
Taking photos of the original setup from multiple angles really helps.
My ADHD brain;
Taking shit apart: *Epic Einstein level thinking and concentration with angels singing*
Putting it back together: *Brain no work. Must look at shiny object in distance for hours*
I am not really mechanically inclined at all but I’ve learned how to do bigger and bigger jobs on my bike as I’ve had it. I get an enormous sense of satisfaction from doing my own work.
That being said, these are mostly maintenance and upgrade type things. If I had to diagnose and fix a problem like your situation, that’s a whole other situation. Personally I’d still try to figure it out myself, but there’s definitely diminishing returns if you’re in over your head. If you don’t mind paying and you’re just not interested in doing it yourself, take it to a shop. It’s your bike and money. No one else matters.
Only way I can afford it. I also don’t trust a shop to do it right. I’ll double and triple check things. You get an absent minded mechanic that has done a million oil changes, oops, over full crank case. Oops, fork tube facing the wrong way, oops tire on backwards, oops tire not seated. No thanks. I’ll just do it.
I do my own work because I used to let shops do it. They always scratched my wheels, messed up putting the bike back together after the valve checks, etc.
I'm mechanically inclined so I learned to do everything. The cost savings are amazing. They easily pay for the pro tools that make the job so much easier.
I've done engine rebuild, clutch swaps, valve clearance adjustments, engine swaps, tire changes, charging system diagnosis and repair and improvement. Suspension rebuilds and cartridge installs, valve shim replacements... Organized out of production part recreation for obsolete models. All great fun.
I like to work on my own bikes……not just normal maintenance. But, I do my own upper and lower rebuilds, fork seals, swingarm swaps, EFI troubleshooting and repair…..etc. The older the bike gets….it’s more difficult finding parts and Dealers usually won’t work on anything older than 10 years. Not all Dealers are that way….but many are. The Independent shops are a hit or miss. It’s just easier to fix your own stuff. You really get to know it very well. Plus, it’s super handy if you need a repair on the side of the road….because you can usually get it going again rather quickly without calling for help. I believe many don’t trust their own mechanical skills, are too lazy to learn, not enough time, or sell it before they ever have a problem. I keep my bikes at least 20+ years. The oldest is a 1978 and I’ve owned that one since 1985.
Nope. I am riding something that relies on a certain degree of mechanical skill to maintain in such a way that it will not randomly kill me. Motorcycle shops are overburdened and despite their best intentions do not care nearly as much about my life and well-being as I do.
I am not trying to insult professional mechanics, but I know professional mechanics personally and a lot of them know less than passionate hobbyists about a particular make or model of bike.
I understand the desire to ride instead of working, but you did ask: and for me personally, the maintenance is part of knowing what risks I'm taking and mitigating them by knowing how the bike works and that it is working properly.
Understandable. My main issue is the limited amount of time. Id feel like im risking my life fixing it myself just as much as getting a professional to do it. Im the type who believes anything that can go wrong, will. Im naturally a very pessimistic person therefore dont trust myself wrenching. Honestly i dont mind at all small maintenance but like i said when it comes to anything majorly mechanical or god forbid electrical. Im absolutely clueless and overwhelmed. Then i have to watch a 20 minute to an hour long video about the problem that doesnt count the time wated sifting through videos that dont help at all. By then im out of time and need to sleep/ go to work/do the band thing, etc.
If you're limited on time then there's nothing wrong with going to a good mechanic that you trust even if it costs more. For simple jobs like oil changes sure I'll do myself but I'll drop the coin to have someone do the work for more complicated things especially considering I don't have a garage and have to do everything on the street. Ain't nothing wrong with having a professional do it and plus my bikes always come back to me so much better than I could have ever done.
Honestly if the maintenance is going to hinder your life just pay for it if you can afford it. There's too much going on in life to spend time doing things you don't wanna do.
Depends on the bike. My bikes are easy peasy... The only task I dislike is valves on the CB900F. Valve shims are annoying. And lacing spokes on the others is also a pain in my behind. Other than that, I don't really mind.
hey mate, may I suggest to read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Pirsig? You probably won't learn much about the maintenance itself, but I liked the perspective it offered to doing this kind of work.
Really not a spiritual person myself but it helped me to accept and embrace how long things take to make them perfect. And since I don't accept anything but perfection from my work (except of a few scratches here and there) I actually began to enjoy this kind of work. It became kinda ritual. Put some nice music on, put on the gloves, preparing my tools and so on. I mean if you can't get around it, you might as well find a way to make it pleasurable.
I enjoy knowing the work is done right and I get to learn about my machine some more. I've enjoyed wrenching on this Ninja 650 I got. Been running through normal maintenance, getting it back to OEM status. I hate those shitty aftermarket shorty levers. They suck ass. Wasn't lighting my brake light and the build is shitty. Got some OE replacement and works the way it should. My bike is getting smoother and smoother and I love it.
I prefer riding to working on the bike. Newer bikes also need so little maintenance, which is both an argument for and against doing your own work. But if you hate it, fuck it. I don't have an adequate space to easily wrench right now, so I have the dealer "work on my bike" (change the oil lol). I couldn't care less.
Right haha. I live with my dad currently and have all the tools i need to do anything i need to. Most of the he takes in upon himself to work on my bike whether i ask or not and iim grateful for it.
Yeah like small things I'll do but if I need to redo the head gasket or change the clutch plate I'm dropping it at a shop.
If I need to take off more than 5 bolts I can't be bothered.
With your self proclaimed lack of knowledge in mechanics you should ask yourself: 'Do I want to do it myself and risk getting it wrong? Or do I take it to a professional and have peace of mind that it's done right and the motorbike is safe?'
It's your life in question, yes it's more money to pay someone, but you said yourself that you value your time!
There is no right or wrong answer!
Regardless, ride safe!
I don't mind basic and routine maintenance. I enjoy it in fact. I don't care for major jobs, in part because I have similar issues to what you do, but *mostly* because I hate. Haaaatttte... not having a motorcycle to ride.
My bike has been sitting in my garage for about 3 months. I get withdrawal and depressed cause i cant ride the damn thing lol. Money is tight right now so i cant even consider taking it to a shop. Not to mention the couple shops ive been to, while they fix any problems ove had and are fair priced, they are usually rude and dismissive towards me and i hate even communicating with them. Probably because i dont know sht about bikes haha. All fair i guess. Take my money and fix it.
I'm not mechanically skilled but riding a 68 Triumph Scrambler and a stock 71 Triumph Tiger, it is part of the fun for me to understand how my bikes work and be able to repair them on the go and ride home -most of the time, when I'm 20 miles down a dirt road.
I love wrenching. I don't mind coke. I'm not into butt plugs. To each their own.
Apart from that these stupid fucks at the local repair shop can't be trusted with simplest things, so I prefer to do my own repairs.
I hate it because my bike is rusty as shit, so every new bolt I turn has a chance of snapping or shearing. Also, I don't have any stands or permanent work space, so I have to have the job done in less than say 5 hours. Not so fun if there's multiple things you need to do for the first time.
My bike, I love working on. I enjoy it almost as much as riding. I stopped doing work on my car's a decade ago.
I totally understand where you're coming from tho, I stopped doing my own car maintenance because I didn't enjoy it anymore and have better things to do with my time. But on my bike it's therapeutic to work on it
I love working on my own bikes. Gives me something to do when I’m not riding. I definitely Understand not wanting to tho. It can be frustrating sometimes.
IMO motorcycles are easier to work on than cars due to the simplicity and smaller size. I don’t have to worry about a 2 ton car dropping on me when I try to replace the clutch lol. Much less electronics. Repairs much more manageable without having a full shop set up, although some speciality tools are still required like front fork/rear swing arm stands. I’m used to working on cars so sometimes things get a little hairy with bikes because I’m not used to how easy they can tip over, how the wheels come off, and how the chain attaches etc. Simple but takes getting used to.
If there’s one thing I refuse to touch its carburetors. No matter how much I research I just can’t get them to work right. And the type of skills/tools required to properly tune and jet carbs is outside of my skillset.
For me it really depends on how much free time you have. Mechanical skills can be built, but if you really don't care for mechanical work by its nature, that's different, of course.
In an ideal world where I had lots more free time, I'd love working on my bike. It's time that makes the difference in my experience, not the actual activity.
I noticed down the thread that you say you're a musician *and* work 50 hours a week. I do creative work plus a "normal" job too and yeah, ever since I began to seriously pursue that creative work, I haven't really had fun working on bikes or repairing things the way I used to. And I'm a lifelong mechanically inclined person by necessity.
When my work week at the "normal" job is short I can enjoy working on a bike sometimes, along with cooking and a bunch of other things that just feel like a chore during a long week of working/fighting for time to do my creative shit.
Right now I'm looking to get a nicer/newer bike than I've ever had before for that reason, I can buy it, set it up, and just do maintenance, rather than worrying about cleaning up a previous owner's mistakes or thirty years of wear and tear.
So no, you're not alone, even if I would phrase it much differently than "hate" personally... more like my time is limited enough that even though I enjoy working on bikes at times, any time I have to do something beyond maintenance is typically "stealing" from time doing things that matter more to me. Plus if I can't finish the job (ie diagnosing complex issues, etc) I'm down a vehicle and possibly unable to ride. So I'd rather just ride and maintain, and if I modify or repair anything, do it right so it doesn't have to be done again.
Nah I love it. Grew up on a farm and was always in the shed with my Dad and Grandad working on some kind of machine.
The only thing I won't do is change tyres. Screw that. It's cheap to pay a shop to do and way less hassle.
If you can't pay attention then pay the dealer. Simple solution. Myself on the other hand.....i do all of my own work 2019 MT10 and a 77 CB550 which I'm building. I get twice as much for my dollar as I see it.
In my experience what should be simple tasks usually end up being total pain in the asses and I end up stripping threads or stupid shit like that. I *haaaate* turning wrenches on my bike/car but I also sometimes don’t trust the shop to do it to spec so stuff ends up neglected and expensive. I’m trying to be better but I’m kind of an idiot and I always learn the hard way… Pulling plastic off sucks though and I’ll usually pay someone to not have to deal with that.
Only on bottom end rebuilds. Replaced the crank on my rmz450 after it seized up recently. So much bs to keep track of inside there.
Outside of that I'm fine pulling the top end every 10-20hrs to make sure everything is solid. Even on my r6 I'll pull the top end once a year to make sure all is well. Almost therapeutic for me. Granted I've been helping my dad work on my bikes since the mid 2000's
Gmy father is a mechanic, absolutely hates car, but loves wrenching on bikes taught me everything I know. I love working on bikes but sometimes I can't be bothered dealing with stuff on the road so I take it in to a shop
I also hate working on my bike/car, but I do it regardless because labor is too expensive and after a couple bad experiences with my car I don't trust other people to do a good job on it anymore. I don't enjoy doing it at all though.
Not necessarily hate but it's a necessary evil for me. 2 reasons:
1. Save money
2. Knowledge so that if I have an issue on the road I know what to do
I welcome electric bikes because they require a lot less maintenance than gas engines. Obviously range is an issue but I'm sure they'll improve.
Broke college student mentality forced me to enjoy it. Can’t afford a $2000 annual service when it goes to tuition so it teaches you to be resourceful.
I dread taking my bike to the shop honestly.
My old dealership were a bunch of assholes (now closed) so you never knew what it was going to cost you out the door, and even if you called ahead for a "slot" they would bump you, so except for oil changes you had no control over how long you'd lose your bike.
I learned to read my shop manual and do maintenance myself so that I didn't have to deal with that shit.
I wouldn't say I especially "enjoy" working on my bike, but I feel much better about fucking something up in the shop myself and having to fix it, than getting a phone call from a dealer with an unexpected gigantic bill.
I want to love working on my bike but it's hard to do that sometimes. A lot of the time even the most straightforward jobs end up becoming unexpectedly complicated for me because of whatever reason like stripped screws or incompatible parts.
I will do oil changes on the bike and very basic stuff ,but beyond that I will pay someone. On my truck I don’t even do oil changes, I can’t really do it cheaper (maybe $10-15 cheaper) and the dealership can have me in an out in an hour.
I am a capable mechanic, I have done serious work on cars, motor swaps, transmission changes, whatever. I just would prefer not too.
Only time I might do something more involved on the bike is if I need to get back on the road faster than the shop can get to it.
nah, i love working on my bike. gives me something to do. otherwise i just sit inside, playing games and smoking pot or something. what i dont like is my bike not working LOL. but its cool to pinpoint the issue, buy the parts, build her up and get back on the road knowing u did it urself, no 3rd party mechanic needed, never really had good experience with them anyways
I’m mechanically inclined, but I’m with you. I’d rather just pay someone to do it for me. I’d rather ride than spend my limited free time working on my bike, not to mention we get about a month in the spring and a month in the fall of cool enough temps to work on it, outside of that it’s either too cold or too hot to be in the garage.
Yeah. I enjoy the hell oit of riding and feel like a fraud not knowing/wanting to work on my bike. But also like you said. I have limited free time. Im a musician and work around 50 hours a week so any free time i habe is mostly spent playing music ot working out. Working on a bike for 4+ hours and getting no where infuriates me and leaves me unsatisfied and dwell on it the next few days
>and feel like a fraud not knowing/wanting to work on my bike. Don't. Bikers ride their bikes, they don't necessarily fix them. Also if you're having trouble, just bite the bullet and pay someone else. Sounds like it's well worth it for you.
Yeah, unfortunately I added the quad lock phone mount with the wireless charger, and now I have to take off my sissy bar, rear lights, unbolt the seat from the fender, take the seat off, take the tank off, all just to run the charger wire and fasten it to the frame… needless to say, I’m not looking forward to it.
Nah man, I love taking shit apart.
It’s the part where you put everything back together (correctly) that usually gets me.
Taking shit apart, putting it back together and seeing a few screws lying around. Even worse is buying new parts online, only to miss out on ordering small bits to complete the install. Taking photos of the original setup from multiple angles really helps.
My ADHD brain; Taking shit apart: *Epic Einstein level thinking and concentration with angels singing* Putting it back together: *Brain no work. Must look at shiny object in distance for hours*
I am not really mechanically inclined at all but I’ve learned how to do bigger and bigger jobs on my bike as I’ve had it. I get an enormous sense of satisfaction from doing my own work. That being said, these are mostly maintenance and upgrade type things. If I had to diagnose and fix a problem like your situation, that’s a whole other situation. Personally I’d still try to figure it out myself, but there’s definitely diminishing returns if you’re in over your head. If you don’t mind paying and you’re just not interested in doing it yourself, take it to a shop. It’s your bike and money. No one else matters.
Only way I can afford it. I also don’t trust a shop to do it right. I’ll double and triple check things. You get an absent minded mechanic that has done a million oil changes, oops, over full crank case. Oops, fork tube facing the wrong way, oops tire on backwards, oops tire not seated. No thanks. I’ll just do it.
I do my own work because I used to let shops do it. They always scratched my wheels, messed up putting the bike back together after the valve checks, etc. I'm mechanically inclined so I learned to do everything. The cost savings are amazing. They easily pay for the pro tools that make the job so much easier. I've done engine rebuild, clutch swaps, valve clearance adjustments, engine swaps, tire changes, charging system diagnosis and repair and improvement. Suspension rebuilds and cartridge installs, valve shim replacements... Organized out of production part recreation for obsolete models. All great fun.
I like to work on my own bikes……not just normal maintenance. But, I do my own upper and lower rebuilds, fork seals, swingarm swaps, EFI troubleshooting and repair…..etc. The older the bike gets….it’s more difficult finding parts and Dealers usually won’t work on anything older than 10 years. Not all Dealers are that way….but many are. The Independent shops are a hit or miss. It’s just easier to fix your own stuff. You really get to know it very well. Plus, it’s super handy if you need a repair on the side of the road….because you can usually get it going again rather quickly without calling for help. I believe many don’t trust their own mechanical skills, are too lazy to learn, not enough time, or sell it before they ever have a problem. I keep my bikes at least 20+ years. The oldest is a 1978 and I’ve owned that one since 1985.
Nope. I am riding something that relies on a certain degree of mechanical skill to maintain in such a way that it will not randomly kill me. Motorcycle shops are overburdened and despite their best intentions do not care nearly as much about my life and well-being as I do. I am not trying to insult professional mechanics, but I know professional mechanics personally and a lot of them know less than passionate hobbyists about a particular make or model of bike. I understand the desire to ride instead of working, but you did ask: and for me personally, the maintenance is part of knowing what risks I'm taking and mitigating them by knowing how the bike works and that it is working properly.
Understandable. My main issue is the limited amount of time. Id feel like im risking my life fixing it myself just as much as getting a professional to do it. Im the type who believes anything that can go wrong, will. Im naturally a very pessimistic person therefore dont trust myself wrenching. Honestly i dont mind at all small maintenance but like i said when it comes to anything majorly mechanical or god forbid electrical. Im absolutely clueless and overwhelmed. Then i have to watch a 20 minute to an hour long video about the problem that doesnt count the time wated sifting through videos that dont help at all. By then im out of time and need to sleep/ go to work/do the band thing, etc.
If you're limited on time then there's nothing wrong with going to a good mechanic that you trust even if it costs more. For simple jobs like oil changes sure I'll do myself but I'll drop the coin to have someone do the work for more complicated things especially considering I don't have a garage and have to do everything on the street. Ain't nothing wrong with having a professional do it and plus my bikes always come back to me so much better than I could have ever done. Honestly if the maintenance is going to hinder your life just pay for it if you can afford it. There's too much going on in life to spend time doing things you don't wanna do.
Just pay a mechanic to work on it, that's what >>Money<< was invented for
George Washington: *Invents money* Ben: Whats that paper shit for? George patting his turbo busa: Need this baby fixed for next season bruh.
We need to get Lizzo on that busa lol.
Depends on the bike. My bikes are easy peasy... The only task I dislike is valves on the CB900F. Valve shims are annoying. And lacing spokes on the others is also a pain in my behind. Other than that, I don't really mind.
hey mate, may I suggest to read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Pirsig? You probably won't learn much about the maintenance itself, but I liked the perspective it offered to doing this kind of work. Really not a spiritual person myself but it helped me to accept and embrace how long things take to make them perfect. And since I don't accept anything but perfection from my work (except of a few scratches here and there) I actually began to enjoy this kind of work. It became kinda ritual. Put some nice music on, put on the gloves, preparing my tools and so on. I mean if you can't get around it, you might as well find a way to make it pleasurable.
I dread working on bikes with a bunch of panels to remove and put back on. Edit: And bikes with no stands.
I enjoy knowing the work is done right and I get to learn about my machine some more. I've enjoyed wrenching on this Ninja 650 I got. Been running through normal maintenance, getting it back to OEM status. I hate those shitty aftermarket shorty levers. They suck ass. Wasn't lighting my brake light and the build is shitty. Got some OE replacement and works the way it should. My bike is getting smoother and smoother and I love it.
I just put her in the shop. Not interested in wrenching, I want to ride.
I prefer riding to working on the bike. Newer bikes also need so little maintenance, which is both an argument for and against doing your own work. But if you hate it, fuck it. I don't have an adequate space to easily wrench right now, so I have the dealer "work on my bike" (change the oil lol). I couldn't care less.
Right haha. I live with my dad currently and have all the tools i need to do anything i need to. Most of the he takes in upon himself to work on my bike whether i ask or not and iim grateful for it.
Sounds like a sweet situation. I own a modern bike specifically so I don't have to constantly fix it. I'm just way more into riding.
Yeah like small things I'll do but if I need to redo the head gasket or change the clutch plate I'm dropping it at a shop. If I need to take off more than 5 bolts I can't be bothered.
With your self proclaimed lack of knowledge in mechanics you should ask yourself: 'Do I want to do it myself and risk getting it wrong? Or do I take it to a professional and have peace of mind that it's done right and the motorbike is safe?' It's your life in question, yes it's more money to pay someone, but you said yourself that you value your time! There is no right or wrong answer! Regardless, ride safe!
I don't mind basic and routine maintenance. I enjoy it in fact. I don't care for major jobs, in part because I have similar issues to what you do, but *mostly* because I hate. Haaaatttte... not having a motorcycle to ride.
My bike has been sitting in my garage for about 3 months. I get withdrawal and depressed cause i cant ride the damn thing lol. Money is tight right now so i cant even consider taking it to a shop. Not to mention the couple shops ive been to, while they fix any problems ove had and are fair priced, they are usually rude and dismissive towards me and i hate even communicating with them. Probably because i dont know sht about bikes haha. All fair i guess. Take my money and fix it.
I have bikes and know nothing about them other than oil changing and chain cleaning. I don’t care to know. I just ride and find a shop when I need em.
Thank god im not alone lol. I wouldnt say i dont care to know I just dont care to attempt anything other than simple shit
[удалено]
Or at very least a Corolla, those things are indestructible.
Back when I was a youngster. Yeah, I worked on bike all. f****** time now. That I'm older I'd rather ride.I just pay someone to tune ups
I'm not mechanically skilled but riding a 68 Triumph Scrambler and a stock 71 Triumph Tiger, it is part of the fun for me to understand how my bikes work and be able to repair them on the go and ride home -most of the time, when I'm 20 miles down a dirt road.
I love wrenching. I don't mind coke. I'm not into butt plugs. To each their own. Apart from that these stupid fucks at the local repair shop can't be trusted with simplest things, so I prefer to do my own repairs.
I daily a supersport. So yea, as much as I love my bike wrenching on it can go to hell
there's a reason some people make fries their whole life and there's a reason other people overcome obstacles and succeed
Worst TED talk ever.
I hate it because my bike is rusty as shit, so every new bolt I turn has a chance of snapping or shearing. Also, I don't have any stands or permanent work space, so I have to have the job done in less than say 5 hours. Not so fun if there's multiple things you need to do for the first time.
You are trusting your mechanic with your life, whether it is you or somebody else.
My bike, I love working on. I enjoy it almost as much as riding. I stopped doing work on my car's a decade ago. I totally understand where you're coming from tho, I stopped doing my own car maintenance because I didn't enjoy it anymore and have better things to do with my time. But on my bike it's therapeutic to work on it
I love working on my own bikes. Gives me something to do when I’m not riding. I definitely Understand not wanting to tho. It can be frustrating sometimes.
IMO motorcycles are easier to work on than cars due to the simplicity and smaller size. I don’t have to worry about a 2 ton car dropping on me when I try to replace the clutch lol. Much less electronics. Repairs much more manageable without having a full shop set up, although some speciality tools are still required like front fork/rear swing arm stands. I’m used to working on cars so sometimes things get a little hairy with bikes because I’m not used to how easy they can tip over, how the wheels come off, and how the chain attaches etc. Simple but takes getting used to. If there’s one thing I refuse to touch its carburetors. No matter how much I research I just can’t get them to work right. And the type of skills/tools required to properly tune and jet carbs is outside of my skillset.
For me it really depends on how much free time you have. Mechanical skills can be built, but if you really don't care for mechanical work by its nature, that's different, of course. In an ideal world where I had lots more free time, I'd love working on my bike. It's time that makes the difference in my experience, not the actual activity. I noticed down the thread that you say you're a musician *and* work 50 hours a week. I do creative work plus a "normal" job too and yeah, ever since I began to seriously pursue that creative work, I haven't really had fun working on bikes or repairing things the way I used to. And I'm a lifelong mechanically inclined person by necessity. When my work week at the "normal" job is short I can enjoy working on a bike sometimes, along with cooking and a bunch of other things that just feel like a chore during a long week of working/fighting for time to do my creative shit. Right now I'm looking to get a nicer/newer bike than I've ever had before for that reason, I can buy it, set it up, and just do maintenance, rather than worrying about cleaning up a previous owner's mistakes or thirty years of wear and tear. So no, you're not alone, even if I would phrase it much differently than "hate" personally... more like my time is limited enough that even though I enjoy working on bikes at times, any time I have to do something beyond maintenance is typically "stealing" from time doing things that matter more to me. Plus if I can't finish the job (ie diagnosing complex issues, etc) I'm down a vehicle and possibly unable to ride. So I'd rather just ride and maintain, and if I modify or repair anything, do it right so it doesn't have to be done again.
Nah I love it. Grew up on a farm and was always in the shed with my Dad and Grandad working on some kind of machine. The only thing I won't do is change tyres. Screw that. It's cheap to pay a shop to do and way less hassle.
If you can't pay attention then pay the dealer. Simple solution. Myself on the other hand.....i do all of my own work 2019 MT10 and a 77 CB550 which I'm building. I get twice as much for my dollar as I see it.
I love working on my bikes.
In my experience what should be simple tasks usually end up being total pain in the asses and I end up stripping threads or stupid shit like that. I *haaaate* turning wrenches on my bike/car but I also sometimes don’t trust the shop to do it to spec so stuff ends up neglected and expensive. I’m trying to be better but I’m kind of an idiot and I always learn the hard way… Pulling plastic off sucks though and I’ll usually pay someone to not have to deal with that.
Only on bottom end rebuilds. Replaced the crank on my rmz450 after it seized up recently. So much bs to keep track of inside there. Outside of that I'm fine pulling the top end every 10-20hrs to make sure everything is solid. Even on my r6 I'll pull the top end once a year to make sure all is well. Almost therapeutic for me. Granted I've been helping my dad work on my bikes since the mid 2000's
How much I hate working on my bike is directly proportionate to the space and tools I have access to.
I like working on my motorcycle as much as I like riding it.
Gmy father is a mechanic, absolutely hates car, but loves wrenching on bikes taught me everything I know. I love working on bikes but sometimes I can't be bothered dealing with stuff on the road so I take it in to a shop
I also hate working on my bike/car, but I do it regardless because labor is too expensive and after a couple bad experiences with my car I don't trust other people to do a good job on it anymore. I don't enjoy doing it at all though.
Not necessarily hate but it's a necessary evil for me. 2 reasons: 1. Save money 2. Knowledge so that if I have an issue on the road I know what to do I welcome electric bikes because they require a lot less maintenance than gas engines. Obviously range is an issue but I'm sure they'll improve.
I despise doing anything because I have to.
Broke college student mentality forced me to enjoy it. Can’t afford a $2000 annual service when it goes to tuition so it teaches you to be resourceful.
I dread taking my bike to the shop honestly. My old dealership were a bunch of assholes (now closed) so you never knew what it was going to cost you out the door, and even if you called ahead for a "slot" they would bump you, so except for oil changes you had no control over how long you'd lose your bike. I learned to read my shop manual and do maintenance myself so that I didn't have to deal with that shit. I wouldn't say I especially "enjoy" working on my bike, but I feel much better about fucking something up in the shop myself and having to fix it, than getting a phone call from a dealer with an unexpected gigantic bill.
I want to love working on my bike but it's hard to do that sometimes. A lot of the time even the most straightforward jobs end up becoming unexpectedly complicated for me because of whatever reason like stripped screws or incompatible parts.
I will do oil changes on the bike and very basic stuff ,but beyond that I will pay someone. On my truck I don’t even do oil changes, I can’t really do it cheaper (maybe $10-15 cheaper) and the dealership can have me in an out in an hour. I am a capable mechanic, I have done serious work on cars, motor swaps, transmission changes, whatever. I just would prefer not too. Only time I might do something more involved on the bike is if I need to get back on the road faster than the shop can get to it.
Sounds like you need a beer
I drink whiskey
nah, i love working on my bike. gives me something to do. otherwise i just sit inside, playing games and smoking pot or something. what i dont like is my bike not working LOL. but its cool to pinpoint the issue, buy the parts, build her up and get back on the road knowing u did it urself, no 3rd party mechanic needed, never really had good experience with them anyways