Flipping mechanics

Took the R6 for its service and MOT yesterday morning - picked it up
last night and rode home. Gear selection had felt a little notchy, so
once home thought I'd have a look once backed into garden. That cleared
up why it felt notchy - 'kin chain was near straining on the sprockets
(could feel it clearly when backing it up). So, it was out with the
spanners and a spot of re-adjustment so it now has a bit of slack in
it.

Why oh why do they feel the need to adjust the chain so tightly? This
is the second bike shop I've been to that's done this. As long as
there's no danger of the chain bouncing off the sprockets, I'd much
rather the chain was slightly too loose than too tight (although I'd
much prefer that they could adjust the chain correctly in the first
place!).

<sighs>

 

If they **** up with something as simple as the chain, imagine what
they've done to the valve clearances...

This sort of thing is precisely why I do all my own maintenance now,
despite the effect the lack of 'FSH' may have on resale value
(especially on the MV). In fact the letters 'FSH' are more likely to
put me off a used bike these days.

Even shops I know and trust(ed) have made monumental ****-ups, & some
of the stories on the Yahoo groups are enough to put you off ever
letting your bike near a mechanic again. For example the MV main dealer
who over-tightened the plugs so much one of them blew out due to the
partially stripped thread, resulting in a new cylinder head (this was a
dealer with an excellent reputation). Or the other MV main dealer who
used semi-synth oil because fully synth "makes the clutch slip". And
who fitted a 750 oil filter to a 1000, which the factory specifically
say shouldn't be done due to different pop-off valve ratings. Or the
other dealer who left someone's plugs so loose the only thing stopping
them unwinding was the caps.

 

Heads!

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 155 TS
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Well yes, that's why I do tend to check the obvious bits when I get it
back. As I've said up there ^^, that's very likely the end of the
Yamaha FSH now. I have spanners, I have a Haynes BoL and I am
certified to wield an angle grinder - what more would one need!

 

Judging by the contents of my garage, a lot! Although the line between
'need' & 'want' does get a little fuzzy at times[1]...

[1] Fondles iPlasma Cutter fondly.

 

Sadly, that's very probably the case - tbh, these have been the best of
a bad bunch too. Suspect this will be last proper Yamaha service I'll
have done.

 

Seconded, although I Timo'd the engine so badly the first time I tried
to do the valve clearances[1] I ended up putting a new crankshaft in -
which was when i actually started learning how to spanner properly.
Maybe we should advertise with FUKRMSH in future.

Tiff

[1] See http://www.livejournal.com/users/christiffer/7392.html

 

Dissatisfaction with dealer servicing was why I did my own servicing on
the SV. The decider was the last dealership[1] replacing the front HH
brake pads with non-HH pads and not pointing this out[2].

[1] ESB Motors in Leigh
[2] They'd said the pads had been replaced, but didn't point out that
they'd have all the effectiveness of chocolate after two applications
of the lever. I found that out on a twisty B road. Calls to EBC and
Suzuki both got the same response of "only HH pads are supposed to be
fitted to this bike". ESB didn't acknowledge they'd done anything
wrong, or apologise. I leave you to draw your own conclusions of which
five letter word I most often associate with them.

 

Jeremy Ovenden was worrying, on the French Run, about the noise from
his chain, and asked me to have a go on the bike (Fazer 6) and report
back. We were swapping bikes in a petrol station forecourt when I saw
the chain was stretched so tight it was like a solid bar. This was the
courtesy of the dealer that had "serviced" the bike just before he
departed.

I point-blank refused to ride it like that (probably the influence of
having recently seen the effects of DNC's snapped chain), so we
adjusted it correctly there and then and lubed it later.

There are too many bike dealers like this. Utter shysters, and
incompetent shysters at that.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Christofire amazed us all with this pearl of
wisdom:

Shoddy?

 

Cunts.

 

Bless.


(which, strangely enough, does have 5 letters)

 

problem can be caused when dopey mechanics use bike lifts that take the
weight off the back suspension , wheel drops chain looks loose so said twat
adjusts chain
when the bike is placed back on the ground one overtightened chain in the
making .

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, dwb amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

Heh. When I counted the letters out on my fingers I missed the "o"

 

LOL, nice one.

 

Never thought of that. It makes sense.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

I borrowed my bruv in law's CBR600 at the weekend. When I picked it up
the chain was so tight it was locking the rear suspension. I backed it
off 3 flats of the adjuster screws and it was fine.

Three weeks ago my B-I-L had fitted new chain and sprockets because the
old chain snapped. I wonder why?

 

I couldn't possibly say.

 

Glad someone noticed
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 155 TS
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Well, I'm a mechanic