BakerNinety3 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Don't you just hate them? I took my bike to get a new piston fitted, was running sweet before it broke, I sent it to the garage, got a brand new piston and top end gasket fitted, and he has completely messed up the mixture and put the needle on the carb through the roof! seems like enough fuel is going through for a 125cc engine and it's only an 80cc, I told him not to because it's an aftermarket carb with race reeds, but he obviously took no note. It's obvious he hadn't even started it for more than 30 seconds let alone run it and set it up. Taking it in tomorrow morning so I can watch him set it up properly. Rant over Anyone else had bad experiences with dodgy mechanics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendo phil Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Oh god yes, the best (or worst) I found was a mechanic that had done an engine rebuild and pinched the arm that controls gear box selector locking it solid. I have broken open a DT125 LC engine and found a bit of what I believe to be coat hanger where the woodruff key should be. Undone caliper bolts - oh and I once found a set of feeler gauges under an inner tube! Basicly there are garages that employ shaven chimps to do their work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakerNinety3 Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 Oh god yes, the best (or worst) I found was a mechanic that had done an engine rebuild and pinched the arm that controls gear box selector locking it solid. I have broken open a DT125 LC engine and found a bit of what I believe to be coat hanger where the woodruff key should be. Undone caliper bolts - oh and I once found a set of feeler gauges under an inner tube! Basicly there are garages that employ shaven chimps to do their work! Bloody hell LOL, sorry to hear that, those stories make not setting the mixture and setting the needle too high seem like basic mistakes haha, I hope he hasn't done anything like that on mine. This is his own garage, so the owner is a shaven chimp Cheers for the reply too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted April 20, 2009 Moderator Share Posted April 20, 2009 this is why you do your own, its a bike and not too hard and you build up your tools as you go along. plus you get more satisfaction from it. having said that, my mate this weekend had snapped off a caliper bolt on his cb750F1 When he drilled it out, he didn't realise he drilled right through the fork and it wasn't till the bike was put back together he got oil pissing out everywhere you live and learn as they say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cov_AL Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Please don't get me started - it's too painful... I'd rather walk than even buy oil from the local "bike shop" idiots (the next nearest bike shop is a dealership, they know what they're talking about and the head mechanic is stella! ) also - watch out for "helpful mates" who cause your bike irrepairable damage. Then charge you for a lift coz your bike has broken down! If you work on your bike yourself - then you need to be sure of what you're doing (read and re-read the manual to be sure) and double check your torque settings! My advice - Get to know your local mechanic and trust your instincts. If you don't like him, don't let him work on your bike... My mech is called Mike, he knows my name when I walk in the shop and remembers what bike I've got as well as the main problems I've had with it. When I've got a problem that I'm not sure about, I'll pop in and ask him about it. He'll give me free advice because he works for a big dealership, and doesn't need to make extra work for himself. He might charge £40 an hour, but I feel like I still owe him a pint... I do most of the work on my bike myself, but I don't begrudge giving him jobs as easy as an oil&filter change when I'm just too busy to do it. There are good mechanics out there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shed hermit Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 i took my bike to a well known bike shop in glasgow a number of years ago to get a back tyre fitted and an MOT. the bike came out of the workshop last thing on a saturday evening and they gave me the bill and said it had failed the test due to a front wheel bearing.(nothing wrong with it). riding (hammering) down the road home in a bit of a huff i suddenly had a feeling to pull over and look at the bike, the retaining clip on the chain was not replaced (dont know why they split the chain to remove the wheel) and the back caliper was only finger tight on the stay bar. obviously they were in a hurry home and never even tested the bike or this would have been seen. went back on the following saturday (when the showroom was busy) and kicked up f#*k so every one would hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdave Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 not sure how it works overseas where you guys are but most shops in the states wont look at a bike let alone work on it if its more than 5-6 years old... i ride an 81 xj550 (maxim) an 82 xj750R (seca) and ive got an 83 xj900R (seca) im getting repaired at a little independent shop that specializes in older bikes... some guys are just hacks and i guess its our responsibility to weed them out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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