The fallacy of "servicing" a bicycle.

[GrumpyGregry]

Actually, I thought it was a great book but I don't recall a chapter on bicycle gears.

Jets. I remember lots of talk about carb jets on boxer twin BMWs. The fettling of which should be the last thing an amateur wrench undertakes.

Oddly my own R100RS was the most maintenance free mo'bike I have ever owned.

 

[Globalti]

I expect it was; motorcycle engine technology had moved a long way from the old boxer twins by the time the 3 and 4 cylinder in-line engines came out. I may be wrong but those engines must have a single carb or even fuel injection for the three or four pots, meaning it's easier to achieve uniform carburation, whereas the poor old boxers had two primitive carburettors on opposite sides of the engine, which vibrated like a tractor when I rode a 750 boxer.

 

[glenn forger]

What if you are confident, yet inept? Asking for a friend.

 

[Profpointy]

I expect it was; motorcycle engine technology had moved a long way from the old boxer twins by the time the 3 and 4 cylinder in-line engines came out. I may be wrong but those engines must have a single carb or even fuel injection for the three or four pots, meaning it's easier to achieve uniform carburation, whereas the poor old boxers had two primitive carburettors on opposite sides of the engine, which vibrated like a tractor when I rode a 750 boxer.

I doubt if that's right. The old BMW twins had (what looked like anyway) the German equivalent of the SUs and Strombergs on the old minis and so on. Balancing a pair of that kind of carbureter is pretty easy - if my old Triumph Vitesse was anything to go by. The 3 and 4 cylinder motorcycles typically had a fixed jet carb per cylinder. All fuel injection these days

 

[keithmac]

I'm a motorcycle mechanic and love setting up old BMW's (there's deffinitely a knack to it), had a 1975 Triumph triple in which needed the carbs stripping due to a bodge job before hand (which customer had paid good money for), a real job to setup but rewarding.

Nowadays it's all extremely complicated Electronic Fuel Injection, abs/ asr/ chassis control. If you don't have the correct diagnostics you are severely limited to what you can achieve (we have £3000+ of multi make diagnostics).

Saying all that the times I've riden a bike in for service to find both tyres virtually flat and the chain hanging off is unreal, I mainly put down to laziness..

 

[GuyBoden]

In the old days, when you were miles from home, you needed to be able to fix your own bike to get back home. Nowadays, I've seen riders with a puncture phone their girlfriend to pick them up and drive them home...........

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

You Tube has been my learned friend for a few years.
You are correct ,only you know when your bike feels right or not

 

[tyred]

In the old days, when you were miles from home, you needed to be able to fix your own bike to get back home. Nowadays, I've seen riders with a puncture phone their girlfriend to pick them up and drive them home...........

Those of us who don't have a girlfriend still need to be able to fix our bikes to get back home!

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

Those of us who don't have a girlfriend still need to be able to fix our bikes to get back home!

Phone your boyfriend then ?

 

[Venod]

Not all bike mechanics are muppets; I know a couple of excellent mechanics at my LBSs who certainly know more than me but I would not expect them to be able to perform routine maintenance or adjustments, which is the rider's job

I did a 5 year apprenticeship and spent a lot of my working life mending things far more complicated than bicycles, I enjoy building them more than maintaining them, but the maintenace has to be done, I would expect the LBS mechanic to be able to perform routine maintenance for the people who can't or just don't want to do it themselves.

Or did you mean, I would not expect them to perform routine maintenance or adjustments

 

[raleighnut]

I doubt if that's right. The old BMW twins had (what looked like anyway) the German equivalent of the SUs and Strombergs on the old minis and so on. Balancing a pair of that kind of carbureter is pretty easy - if my old Triumph Vitesse was anything to go by. The 3 and 4 cylinder motorcycles typically had a fixed jet carb per cylinder. All fuel injection these days

Bing CV carbs, more similar to the Stromberg than the SU, a good mechanic can set em up (balance them) by ear.

 

[hopless500]

But only if you have an excess of the will to live to get rid of.

100% agree. I tried again for the 2nd time last year. I think having my toenails hoiked off with pliers would have been more entertaining.

 

[Andy_R]

If you can't adjust your brake/gear barrel adjusters on the fly (ie whilst still riding) you should have your cyclist badge removed forcibly.....eg "Oooo...gear change sounds a bit clicky...time to tweak before the next hill"

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Is it wrong of me, that whenever seeing this thread's title, I have a mental image of a horse "servicing" another horse?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Is it wrong

Yes; very 'wrong' and a mite worrying. Easy on that saddle.