"Can I fix this myself?"

Tomk's reply in my "pipes" thread raised this question in my mind.

Often people ask "Can I fix this myself?" and often I'm thinking to myself, Sure you can. That's a simple matter of this and that...

But when it comes to things like fixing a motorcycle, or the brakes on a motorcycle--critical stuff where a mistake means a life threatening accident--just how comfortable should I feel giving direction to somebody whose abilities I don't know?

There are certain questions that, if the questioner actually asks them, are a clear indication that he would be a danger to himself (and others) should I put a wrench in his hand. Like for instance someone asks, "Do I have to unplug this toaster before I stick a fork in it?" Right away I should know that this guy should NOT be trusted with electrical appliances.

But what about the guy that asks, "Is it OK to put these Harley driving lights on a Nomad?"

Well, sure it is if you know what the devil you're doing in the first place, but what if a shoddy re-wiring job blows the tail lights out and the guy gets smacked by a car at night because he couldn't be seen from the rear? What if his bike suddenly loses electrical power in a turn and he lowsides off of a mountain when his wheel locks up?

Just how comfortable should we be about giving advice here? When would you feel most uncomfortable about it?

[misunderstood]

So, what was the answer to the toaster question ???

PS- where your pm button go, I had a question for ya........seriously. Did you put the rear guard on yet. If not and you don't really want it, I'll buy it back. Just throwing it out there as I changed to the chuckster's hitch, which allows for it and now can't find one reasonably priced. :(" title="" border="0"/>

PM button's still there AFAICT.

I have not yet mounted the fender guard, but it's because I've been busy. My birthday, my daughter's birthday, and two grandaughters birthdays all occur in April. Really poor scheduling on our part. HehHehHeh...

I really do not want to sell it back though. Sorry.

[blowndodge]

As moderator of this forum I posted the regs as to what we are trying to do here in Blowdodge's Garage.

Questions such as "should I change my exhaust" are not tech questions but opinions. If your not going to do your own wrenching then it's probably best to ask in the general forum. I'd like to keep this area like men sticking their head underneath the hood and know what their looking at and doing. Garage monkeys.

As CaddmannQ pointed out "would,could,should" is too broad a brush: however, I've noticed lots of good sound tinkering going on and whether or not you would do it is not a reason to discount it as a bad idea. Lots of experimentation on what works and what doesn't is the only way we are going to get intimate with our Nomads!

[dogdoc]

+1

[misunderstood]

Originally Posted by caddmannq

PM button's still there AFAICT.

I have not yet mounted the fender guard, but it's because I've been busy. My birthday, my daughter's birthday, and two grandaughters birthdays all occur in April. Really poor scheduling on our part. HehHehHeh...

I really do not want to sell it back though. Sorry.

No problem, just thought I'd check. Dave, ............................. walking away, still wondering about that darn toaster.......

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

As moderator of this forum I posted the regs as to what we are trying to do here in Blowdodge's Garage.

If your not going to do your own wrenching then it's probably best to ask in the general forum. I'd like to keep this area like men sticking their head underneath the hood and know what their looking at and doing. Garage monkeys.

Damn, that means I can't post here any more. I'm pretty sure my mechanical info is lower than basic.

I do know however, lonemsunderstood, that you should NOT stick a fork into a plugged in toaster

[blowndodge]

that's enough knowledge to be here TC !!! you better stay. What KawaNOW is concerned with it individuals not having the ability to do things to their bike that might get them in trouble. Take pinging issues for instance. It affects all of us and is a good tech question.

"Should I run a car tire?". Nobody without sound mechanical knowledge and riding skills should ever consider taking on that task just because some are and or have done it. Get the point TC? Now go fetch us some beer....

[ponch]

I take Ronald's advice: Trust but verify.

Originally Posted by caddmannq

Tomk's reply in my "pipes" thread raised this question in my mind.

Often people ask "Can I fix this myself?" and often I'm thinking to myself, Sure you can. That's a simple matter of this and that...

But when it comes to things like fixing a motorcycle, or the brakes on a motorcycle--critical stuff where a mistake means a life threatening accident--just how comfortable should I feel giving direction to somebody whose abilities I don't know?

There are certain questions that, if the questioner actually asks them, are a clear indication that he would be a danger to himself (and others) should I put a wrench in his hand. Like for instance someone asks, "Do I have to unplug this toaster before I stick a fork in it?" Right away I should know that this guy should NOT be trusted with electrical appliances.

But what about the guy that asks, "Is it OK to put these Harley driving lights on a Nomad?"

Well, sure it is if you know what the devil you're doing in the first place, but what if a shoddy re-wiring job blows the tail lights out and the guy gets smacked by a car at night because he couldn't be seen from the rear? What if his bike suddenly loses electrical power in a turn and he lowsides off of a mountain when his wheel locks up?

Just how comfortable should we be about giving advice here? When would you feel most uncomfortable about it?

[Top Cat]

Yup BD, got the point. I shouldn't do anything to my bike if I have no idea what I'm doing and you will let me stay in the garage if I make beer runs for the real mechanics
I learn fast ;)

[blowndodge]

See TC. Buuuuurrrp. We're all good here...

+1

Originally Posted by Blowndodge "Darksider"

....Nobody without sound mechanical knowledge and riding skills should ever consider taking on that task just because some are and or have done it.....

If you listen to the official mantra of the goverment...if you listen to the official mantra of the LEO's ..if you listen to the official mantra of the manufacturers, nobody should ever modify anything ever. It's not safe, it's not sane, it's not legal, this-is-a-finely-tuned-instrument-and-you'll-turn-it-into-a-deathtrap-if-you-touch-a-single-thing...I'm sure you guys know the drill.

The truth is that everything is as safe as the operator makes it. If you're riding a modified machine, it's up to YOU to know what you've got under you and what it can and can't do.

This applies to stock vehicles as well, but they are more of a commodity thing, having been dumbed down by the government and the manufacturers to pander to the lowest possible level of skill and awareness.

A hopped up motorcycle is another sort of beast though, and it's really hard to tell if the folks were dealing with over the web are able to deal with it in the necessary way.

[dantama]

It is also a cultural thing (with benefits going to the dealers).

If you go to other less developed countries, the majority of the transportation is cobbled together by the owners out of what ever they can find to keep it running. The idea that "you can't do that, it won't run like it should if you do" would sound like such a foreign concept to them that they wouldn't know what to make of it.

Cuba for example has kept all it's 1950's vintage cars running, even though no new parts have been brought into the country since the late 50's or early 60's.

But in our culture, nobody should touch anything except the specially trained dealers.

I understand not wanting to be responsible for what somebody else chooses to do with their bike when they don't know what they are doing though. I'm not the gear head type, but know some about machines. When people ask me questions, I usually end my comments with, "use your best judgement though."

[macmac]

And the problem with the dealers is they hire kids who know nuthin and work for 10 bucks an hour, trying to pay for tools, rent and cars. Hoping one day they can afford a bike.

If I were anyone on this board I would refrain from the 'dealer' in Chadron Nebraska. The tools sets are aquired from trucks of dead cars if you ask me.

Maybe if you have a 4 wheeler they can sort of make it fixed, but probably don't know why.

The only one who could ride a Nomad there was the owner, and he isn't any sort of tech either. Now all of them were nice guys, but none of them knew a thing about big bikes, or how you go about working on something that isn't coated in mud..

That squeal thread has me buggered because i know some kid out the bike tother out of a steel crate, and that wheel has something wrong, and what ever it is was a error made by a kid, who probably can't even ride a Nomad.

The 2 kids in Chadron were all wide eyed at the thought of test riding my bike. I know they ment well, but a ruined wiring harness, crimped air supply lines to my rear shocks and all sorts of bolts falling out after 'the fix', was just nuts...