The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: marcmax on February 16, 2016, 10:36:24 PM
-
I was at the local bicycle shop today talking to the owner (a long time friend) when a young sailor came in. I live near a Navy base. The sailor was looking to see if they carried any sort of mount for his iPhone he could use on his sport bike so he could use the gps function.
My friend and I are both vets and like to help out the young sailors that stop by/ Started talking to him about what we was looking for and went outside to look at his new Ninja to see if we could come up with a solution. It was obvious that nothing he could obtain locally would be a quick fit so we started brainstorming ideas of how to modify something to work.
The look on his face said it all. We could have been discussing quantum physics for all the sense it made to him. Now I know everyone does not like to do their own wrenching but after a short talk it was obvious he had no idea where the plugs were or how even do an oil change.
Is it just me? I don't like to spend money I don't have to but I also like to know that what I am risking my life on is safe to take on the highway. This guys idea or riding a bike is to put in gas and go until it doesn't go, they drop it at a shop and pay the price to have it go again.
I just don't get it!
-
'Modern' life is what it is, we live in a throw-away society, be it machines, I.T or families.
I cannot boast of any serious level of ability to wrench (I love that expression[ch127473][ch127479]!), but can undertake basic maintenance, plus I can read a manual...
Safety stuff like headstock & other bearings, drive chain and steering controls I leave to the pro's. The independent guys need income just like everybody else's does[ch128077]
-
I just don't get it!
I don't get it either. Knowing how the thing works is half the fun. That's one of the great things about an airhead, unlike modern machines that hide their engine behind plastic, you can see how an airhead works just by looking at it.
As for the money it's become a seriously expensive business if you can't do work on your bikes and cars or maintenance jobs around the house. I was tinkering in the workshop from an early age as my dad was skilled with his hands as many were in those days. When we were toddlers most of our Christmas presents came out of that workshop so we were banned from entering in the months leading up to the big day. I have two other brothers and all 3 of us ended up working in engineering, it just seemed the natural thing to do. I guess it's no different for other skills. If you are the son of a musician there is a fair chance that you will have some talent in music.
My own two boys didn't follow in their fathers footsteps though, one is a solicitor and the other an economist. I guess it's the way of the world where engineers are not as valued as they once were - that is until you have to pay a plumber to fix a leak. Then they seem to command a very high price.
-
Remember the lie they used to stamp on things, NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
They don't put it on anymore but is more true today than it was years ago. There literally is no one between the engineer and the user that can fix a device and if there were, it would cost more to repair than replace. We are now living in a world of "consumables".
My father grew up in the Depression. There was no money to replace things, you fixed them or went without. I watched my father make a carburetor gasket(you have gasket material. right?) by hand. Took him an hour, the carb didn't leak and he still had the money in his pocket.
When I was in High School and my 50 chevy had a whine in the transmission Dad would tell me what needed to be done, watch me block up the car so it was safe..... and then he walked back in the house saying , "hollar when you get it out". It went back in the same way.
That's the way a lot of us grew up and why we appreciate the Airhead for it's simplicity and the ability to repair on the side of the road with the tool kit supplied.
Every been to a tech day? If you have, you probably saw that there was more white hair among the crowd that any other color. We are on the tail end of the generations that will have any appreciation of the simple things.
We are a dying breed, never to inhabit the earth again
That being said, I still love tires that go 80K and not 10-15K, an ignition system that's good for 100K and not 5-10K, and the beauty of fuel injection on a cold morning( or damn near any other time)
-
You go into a shop and ask for something for an old engine and they ask what model is it for and you say don't ask because it's needed for an engine not a refrigerator. when you tell them what its for the look at you as if you are stupid.
-
Don't get me wrong. I like modern conveniences as much as the next guy. There are things on a modern engine I wouldn't even attempt to try and repair. But I still want to know how they work so if I do have a problem at least I know why.
We are a dying breed, never to inhabit the earth again
My father grew up in the depression also. At 15 he lied about his age and shipped out in the Merchant Marine. At the same age I was getting out of high school, he had already been around the world 3-4 times.
He ended up as an engineer and it was obvious he loved how things worked. On family vacations we always did the vacation stuff but he always managed to squeeze in a visit to a factory of some kind to see the automation that allowed some product to be mass produced. I got hooked at an early age.
When my son was getting old enough to drive I started looking for the right car for him. I got him an older Ford Mustang knowing it was in good shape but also that it would need some upkeep to keep it dependable. Every small problem became an excuse to spend the weekend in the garage getting to know him and passing on what my father passed on to me.
He doesn't enjoy it like I do but he knows how to do it if it needs it.
-
Ugh. I learned way more over the past few days about how the emissions controls work on my wife's 2000 Hyundai than I ever wanted to know. I fixed it though.
There are still people who fix stuff, but it costs more to fix it than it does to toss the old one and buy a new one. Unless you do it yourself with cheap American (in my case) labor, it's not really worth having it done.
-
There's a neighbor on the next street from me, he's a professional " handy man ' .
I've had a few conversations with him over the years, it is amazing what he charges for simple things around the home .
$50 to replace a light switch, wall electrical outlet. $15 to replace a home heating cooling system air filter .
He has no lack of work !!!
The toughest part of his job, is keeping his comments to himself, when dealing with totally clueless customers !!!!! ::)
-
As one of the few members here whose younger than his R65, I'd like to give you gents a bit of hope. There are still some of us, though probably a rare breed, who like our vehicles (among other things) simple and mechanical and would rather fix them ourselves than spend insane money at a garage. I've also done my fair share of "handyman" work, including electrical and plumbing. Not my idea of a hobby, but I know those skills will serve me well when I own my own house.
And when we do have vehicles (among other things) that contain computer technology, they're still usually built on mechanical platforms. I've got no beef with modern engines from a reliability and performance standpoint, they just seem to lack the romance of their predecessors. What does annoy me are the people that thing I'm loony to work on the brakes, tires, or other safety-critical systems of highway going vehicles rather than "leave it to a pro."
P.S. I do love my computer, I just like when it stays on my desk.
-
As one of the few members here whose younger than his R65
Get off my lawn!! I'm older than my R65, but neither of my younger brothers are. I think there are still lots of people who enjoy understanding their machines and having the skills to work on them. Think hipsters and the zillions of cafe'd small displacement 70s hondas. For me it's monetary as well as hobby, but it cuts both ways. Last weekend I replaced the pushrod grommets.. but that meant the 4Runner went to the shop for new U joints. Just not enough time and tools to do it all. Unless you're Monte and the only thing on your agenda is coffee and donuts at the funeral home. ;D
-
...Unless you're Monte and the only thing on your agenda is coffee and donuts at the funeral home. ;D
Somehow, I just knew this was going to come up...again. One of these days, I'm going to start putting the name and addy of the guy that started giving away my "freebie coffee n' donut" secrets on all the retirement home, life insurance, reverse mortgages, funeral and cremation services, senior dating services, etc "return postpaid card for more information. A rep may contact you" cards.
You know who you are. ;D
-
I'm tempted to start a poll just to see how many of our members are in fact younger than their R65.
I hasten to point out that I think that it is a good thing and a testament to the design, engineering and durability of the Airhead.
I never had the "luck' to be younger than any of my bikes when I started my motorcycling journey.
-
I am not lucky enough to own a BMW that is older than I am but my Triumph has 10 years on me and still starts first or second kick.
-
and still starts first or second kick.
I start when i'm kicked too and I'm a 52 model
-
I am not lucky enough to own a BMW that is older than I am but my Triumph has 10 years on me and still starts first or second kick.
You are doubly blessed then. Firstly by the joys of an older bike and secondly having a Triumph that starts second kick.
I never owned a Triumph, well I did but for less than a day, I "bought" a Trident from a friend who was on his luck and had bills to pay, but instead of paying his bills he went to the racetrack and in a turn of events opposite to what you would expect to usually happen, he won large. He bought his bike back, I never threw a leg over it.
But I digress. When I started motorcycling it was on such forgettable things as a BSA Bantam, I progressed through various BSA's, a Norton or two, a brace of Velocettes and even a Matchless.
But they were even then, somewhat younger than I (on reflection the Bantam may have been older than me, but I am not sure), let's face it, Pommy machines of that era were not noted for the integrity of their design, accuracy of their assembly or their durability.
To an extent I feel sorry for the British motorcycle industry, on the one hand they were pinched financially and were slow to replace machine tools worn out in the then still recent war, but on the other hand they were terribly slow to innovate any real change.
There were occasional things like the Velocette Valiant - an admirable concept, horizontally opposed twin with a fairing, bodywork over the engine and gearbox and shaft drive. If only it had been a little bigger than 200cc....
There are of course many other examples of "could of, would of, should have." By 1973~74 when my own interest in motorcycles was ramping up, the British motorcycle industry was on its knees, and I was once "privileged" to see an example of why.
The town I lived in at the time had a long term motorcycle dealer by the name of Orm Snell, Orm sold Norton, Triumph, BMW and Honda. The town also playyed host to a very large army base. I happened to be at Snell's motorcycle shop when a young soldier who had just returned from deployment to Vietnam walked in and announced that he wanted a 750cc motorcycle and had cash in his pocket to pay for it.
The positively salivating salesman first offered a BMW, but it would take 5 days for one to be sent from the State distributor, so that was rejected. Next the salesman and the soldier dallied in front of a Triumph, but the puddle of oil under it caused the soldier to loose interest immediately. Next in line was a fine looking Commando in black and gold, sadly a dozen or so lusty kicks from the salesman failed to breathe life into it. Last in line was a Honda 750-4, the salesman threw a leg over it, turned the key and pressed the button whereupon the bike started immediately and then sat there patiently idling awaiting orders.
Best of all the Honda was the cheapest of the 4.
I probably don't need to write that the young soldier, after purchasing a 'brando" leather jacket and a helmet wobbled off down the road heading back to the base.
It occurred to me then that unless the British motorcycling industry made things like the 750-4 that it was all over for them.
They did of course try, in an unco-ordinated and heavily undermined way and it was indeed soon "all over for them".
-
As one of the few members here whose younger than his R65
Jeez,................. I hadn't thought of that statistic. I'm just a tic under being twice as old as my Airhead.
I won't think of myself as old, but rather a person that as a fresher bike than the rest of ya...... ;)
-
My R65 is half my age but strangely eligible for "historic" registration concessions. How can that be? Still, at least I get a discount if I ride by bus.
Having taken up this motorcycle thing at age 64 it has been a steep learning curve but a fascinating one. I have developed a deep appreciation for this airhead, my first bike.
A friend with very limited mechanical skills asked how I learned my mechanical skills. I explained I started by pulling apart a lawn mower at an early age. "So did I !" He said.
"Ah, but then I put it back together" I said. Therein lies the difference.
-
Having taken up this motorcycle thing at age 64
Good for you You get bonus points in my book!!
-
You know, I don't feel that old, but after reading all this I realized that I was the same age that the bike is now, when the bike was built. Oh well, the weather is warming up around here early this year. Me and my repacked steering head are going riding real soon.
-
I thought I'd add this to the thread .
I'm an aircraft mechanic with Southwest Airlines, been in aviation since June, 1976 .
Had a conversation with one of the mechanics, that goes to job fairs, etc., to interview prospective applicants for mechanic jobs at Southwest .
He's been on the road for 7 weeks since mid January, with about 4 job fairs a week .
Southwest needs to hire 70-100 mechanics for the work load at the present time .
Future estimates are 400 additional mechanics in the next 5-6 years .
12,000 applicants, 3700 basic interviews with this group, in 25 major US cities .
They could not find one qualified applicant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Southwest has an apprentice mechanic program, that Southwest employees in other departments, that have their A+P (Airframe and Power plant ) license, can apply for and then spend two years with on the job work experience and book learning .
The 80 % of the people wash out before finishing the two year program .
The 20 % that make it through the program, about 1-2% are mechanics, the rest are ' filler material " .
The average age of the maintenance workforce here, is 53 years old, within 10 years or so, about 60 % of the mechanics will be retiring/leaving/ dropping dead on the job . :o
That leaves a gaping hole in the experience level of mechanics working on these increasingly complex machines .
The future of aviation is getting more scary all the time !!!!! :o
-
I'm an aircraft mechanic with Southwest Airlines, been in aviation since June, 1976 .
I'm an "A" lister with Southwest, keep up the good work Bob!
-
I know what you mean Bob. My brother spent 25 years as a jet mechanic in the Air Force and since he retired he has been working at Sikorsky building the prototypes of the next generation of military heavy lift helicopters. He is in his mid 50's and is one of the youngsters at work.