Opinion on a bike shop

[Ponytail]

Hi. RoseRed and BSGal, good looking, definitely. Pretty smile and looks good walking away.

Desertrat, Ponytail, Aps, you are all correct. There are some things I can do, since I'm quite good at following directions and troubleshooting (Mom calls it being crafty - I call it abstract reasoning) plus I have the Service Manual and lots of info online I can follow, but there are things, like certain sounds, feel, etc... that I think a person picks up with the experience of owning, riding, tweaking a bike. I'm new at all three so I would like an 'expert' (someone with more experience than me) to listen, feel, etc... to the bike. If there is a problem with something, or one starting, hopefully they would explain it to me and/ or show me so I can LEARN and be able to fix it myself before I costs mega$$$ to get it fixed.

Most folks that know things love to show they know things. It's whether the person listening is really willing to LISTEN and learn.

Would Bob (and you all) do this for me? I would love to meet others who ride down here. Where and when is the get together?

Oh yeah, I have not lowered the bike yet, I am waiting on the shocks (ordered) and I have to trim the fender guard thing first. But I am confident I can do this. I am changing the oil and filter this weekend. I've done the research and I'm ready to try.

Thank you all very much.

You're wasting your time taking it to a shop to do a basic inspection. There's a good chance the shop will take you for a ride.

Bikes are simple. Keep fresh oil in them, gas em' up, lube the cables, check tires for dry rot and your done.

People have this wierd sense that mechanics are magicians and can "just tell" when something is about to go wrong. They can't. There are no computers on your bike, so no diagnostic info can be read. A Harley makes noise, and lots of it, from just about every part on it. The valves are noisy, as is the rest of the drive train. For a stock Harley such as yours, if something starts to go wrong, you'll know it, as will anyone with in a 6 block radius. Once you start modifying it such as carb tuning, exhaust, heads, ignition, sounds change as does tuning diagnostics.

If you can change the oil, and I'm confident that any one with two hands and at least 4 fingers can, you can prep your bike for riding. Nothing to it.

You have the manual. You'll want to change the engine oil, tranny oil and clutch fluid. You'll want to get new seals for the tranny case and clutch case covers from the dealer. I have done it without new seals, but with yours being an '87, and not knowing how old those seals are, I'd recommend new ones.


From the looks of the bike, I'm guessing that there aren't many miles on it. Kick the tires, lube the cables and you're good to go. Seriously, there is nothing on a Harley, or any bike for matter, that you can't do with the right tools. I took my first bike, a Sportster, to the shop once. They charged me rent and kept my bike long enough for it, for a simple oil change and a "look over" such as what you are asking for. Right there I decided that I would never do it again. I bought the factory manual, and taught myself how to do EVERYTHING.

I have a Springer and a new Buell now, and neither one goes to the shop for anything. What you spend on one trip to the dealer or any shop for that matter, you can spend on the tools to do it yourself. It's worth it moneywise, timewise, and knowledge wise. If you do the work yourself, You'll have a totally different confidence in your bike, and you'll KNOW when something is just not right AND also know that you can fix it yourself.

 

[RoseRed]

You're wasting your time taking it to a shop to do a basic inspection. There's a good chance the shop will take you for a ride.

Are you offering?

 

[Ponytail]

Are you offering?

I'm not a shop. :shrug:

 

[RoseRed]

I'm not a shop. :shrug:

Damn, I need my oil changed.

 

[Ponytail]

Damn, I need my oil changed.

 

[RoseRed]

 

[aps45819]

there are things, like certain sounds, feel, etc... that I think a person picks up with the experience of owning, riding, tweaking a bike.

1. Your bike will sound different with different helmets
2. If you smell something burning while riding, it's the guy in front of you.
3. Any thing you order and need right away, will be backordered.

 

[Ponytail]

1. Your bike will sound different with different helmets
2. If you smell something burning while riding, it's the guy in front of you.
3. Any thing you order and need right away, will be backordered.

but true.

 

[cbspec]

Ponytail, thank you. You just raised my confidence level 1,000%. When I bought the bike I got the receipts for stuff done/added and the guy told me alot of what he had done, like change the sprockets/chain, etc.. and gave me the old ones, and maintenance stuff. Went through inspection with no problems. Your post just reconfirmed my ability. Sometimes a newbie/girl/woman needs to be reminded that yes, I can do it (take care of a 'machine', i.e., bike). Thank you very much.

See you Saturday at the BBQ?

 

[Ponytail]

Ponytail, thank you. You just raised my confidence level 1,000%. When I bought the bike I got the receipts for stuff done/added and the guy told me alot of what he had done, like change the sprockets/chain, etc.. and gave me the old ones, and maintenance stuff. Went through inspection with no problems. Your post just reconfirmed my ability. Sometimes a newbie/girl/woman needs to be reminded that yes, I can do it (take care of a 'machine', i.e., bike). Thank you very much.

See you Saturday at the BBQ?

You're welcome. But no, I won't be at the BBQ. Too much other stuff to do and friends coming in from out of town that aren't the BBQ type . I'll be at the Blessing of the bikes though on Sunday. I'll be the one with a ponytail, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans.

 

[aps45819]

When I bought the bike I got the receipts for stuff done/added and the guy told me alot of what he had done, like change the sprockets/chain, etc.. and gave me the old ones, and maintenance stuff. Went through inspection with no problems.

If it went through a legitimate inspection, things like stearing head bearings and oil seals should be OK.
If you got the old sprocket and chain and they're not worn out, they were swapped to change the final drive ratio. Count the teeth on the old and new sprockets to see how it changed. Less teeth on the rear and/or more on the front will raise the gearing giving you better highway use.
The opposite will give you better accelaration, but the rpms will be higher on the highway.

 

[desertrat]

I'll be the one with a ponytail, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. [/QUOTE]