Service
Service
TOXIC GAS -> DEALER DILEMMAS -> TRANSMISSION WOES -> HONDA CB1QOOR
RAY NIERLICH
KWIK ETHANOL FIX
Q: “Ticked Off at gov.org” whined about ethanol damaging his vintage vehicles in his letter “Fuelish” to Service (July). I'd like to add my advice to what Ray Nierlich had to say. After my 22-year-old snowblower suddenly dumped a big puddle of gas on my garage floor, the small engine tech I took it to blamed it on ethanol destroying the fuel line. He told me that to protect plastic and rubber parts, I should use only ethanol-free premium fuel. Here in Wisconsin it’s available at all Kwik Trip stations. I took his advice, and my vintage snowblower is running like new.
JOHN BOLUS CYCLEWORLD.COM
A Almost enough to make me move to Wisconsin, as we don’t ■ have many stations with non-ethanol fuel here in California. ■ But wait a minute... snowblower? Never mind. (I did my coldweather survival training in the ’70s back in Cleveland.)
FENDER: FORM OR FUNCTION?
I’ve lived on two wheels all my life I ® but didn’t add a motor until about
■ 10 years ago. My Helix, Vulcan, and GZ250 have all had very effective fenders. I really like your magazine and have learned a lot from it, but I’m curious about all the bike photos that seem to show almost no fender structures. How do designs like the SV650 or the 390 Duke do at keeping road spray off the rider? How is that affected by an undertail kit?
NOEL A. TAYLOR COLUMBUS, IN
It’s different strokes for different
■ folks. Judging by your current
■ rides, you favor function over form. The two bikes you mention, as well as a lot of other “sporty” bikes, have fenders that look stylish rather than keep the rider or bike particularly clean. Usually an undertail fender kit will keep more of the filth off the rear shock area, with no improvement for the rider, but it may look fast. Both the Suzuki SV650 and KTM 390 Duke are really fun bikes.
I’m betting if you lived with either for a short while, you wouldn’t even mind having to clean the filth off once in a while.
AND THAT’S WHY I DRINK
QJust * her issue’s finished Service reading and the wanted, Septem-
* in particular, to comment on a matter buried deep within the lead Q&A entry, “Missing Thermostat.”
What struck me as fascinating is something I’m certain you’re already aware of. That’s the repetitive failure of dealerships to diagnose service problems and, in many cases such as this, even the simplest of ones. This situation says much about the inadequate level of training at most dealers, but it says much more about the dismissive attitude, arrogance, and complacency that are so common among dealerships, once the machine is purchased.
Among the independent service shops, this condition seems less prevalent in my experience, since service is their principal product, but the demonstrated lack of current training is much more common.
You folks may want to address this issue directly, as it inevitably impacts almost every one of us, and it seems to me has been for at least the 55-plus years I’ve been riding.
STU KLEIN ISLAND PARK, NY
Alt ■ I could is the claim human I came condition. up with I wish this, ■ but one of my guys saw it on a big banner across the doorway of a new auto repair shop about 15 years ago in Southern California (of course)... “Cheapest, Fastest, Best.” I have no idea if this genius marketing worked out for those guys, but to a large degree we (society) get what we are willing to pay for. At the risk of sounding like the old guy in a Clint movie, I’ll rant some.
Most schools these days don’t teach kids the basic skills they need to become a tradesman of any kind. Public education, rather than improving the content, dismantled vocational programs back when I was in high school in the ’70s. Most apprentice applicants I have inter-
viewed for a job had no idea what a file even was nor which end to hold.
Many parents are too self-absorbed to find the time to teach their kids (or let kids explore on their own) basic things that most kids took for granted 50 years ago. Has your neighbor’s kid ever built a tree fort? Can his 16-year-old figure out how to replace windshield wipers? I’ll bet not. (Try it. It isn’t as easy as it looks.)
Professional shops are driven by making the monthly nut. Always have been and always will, but costs for rent and insurance are historically high these days. Training is almost nonexistent for the typical apprentice. They are expected to “pick it up” by imitating the older guys.
The vast majority of mechanics are paid on a flat-rate basis. That means if they do the job faster, they make more money. At many places, so long as the job doesn’t “come back” that is good enough. If a mechanic attempts to be thorough and spends a little more time on his jobs, quite often the boss will ask what’s wrong with him and why he can’t flag as many hours as Johnny over there. Very rewarding. Very few mechanics have the interest in figuring out how something works, rather than just replacing it.
Since they aren’t being paid for that, why should they? Now, don’t blame the little guys (the mechanics, the waitresses, etc.). Blame management and also look in the mirror. We reap what we sow. I could go on, but bourbon will be mandatory...
RUG RAT
QI have a 1987 Ducati Laguna Seca * that I bought off a guy who rode * it only once. It has 308 kilometers on the clock. The rear indicators are “melting.” That is to say, the plastic is breaking down. The bike has been under a rug all its life. I am planning to offer the bike for sale soon and would like to know why the plastic is rotting. Was it poorly made or because it was in an old garage before I bought it some 10 years ago? If other parts do this, I will have trouble with the condition for sale! Any advice would be appreciated.
JOHN PYM PERTH, AUSTRALIA
I would think anyone in the ■ market for a 30-year-old Ducati is ■ probably aware of what they are getting into. Turn-signal plastic lenses aren’t known to melt, but typically the
stalks crack. Was the bike parked where the sun could shine on the rug?
DOGS AND SLOTS
QI have a 2003 Suzuki GSX* R600. When I get up there in ■ rpm, while in second gear, the transmission will kick into neutral. I’ve babied it since then and haven’t had any gear issues. Could this lead to a bigger problem in the future?
NATE LI0HTF00T SAN DIEGO, EA
A Yes, it will get worse with more ■ miles. The gear kicks out because ■ the engagement dogs (male) and slots (female) have ever so slightly rounded off the originally square corners. This is a common problem, especially with less-experienced riders who clash the gears when shifting. If you baby it and avoid high rpm in second gear, it should last a long time. The only fix is to split the cases for new gears. Not inexpensive.
CLUTCHES AND MARTINIS: WET OR DRY
I read with interest your response I ® on the PCX 150 oil issue (“Lost in ■ Oil,” Service, Sept. 2016) because I also have a PCX and was never able to find iow-30 oil, so I am using the more readily available iow-40. However, Paul refers to a dry clutch in the PCX, but this scooter is actually belt-driven. Is it really proper to refer to this machine as having a dry clutch?
KENSLUSHER
W00DB0URNE, NY
Alt doesn’t matter one lick if the bike is belt-, chain-, or shaft■ driven: So long as the clutch doesn’t run in oil, it is dry. The PCX uses a Salsbury-type belt drive with automatically varying width pulleys. The dry clutch is in the rear pulley assembly of the PCX 150 and is an automatic internal expanding shoe design. The spinning of the hub causes centrifugal force to overcome the shoe return springs and engage the clutch. Just like on my old lil’ Indian minibike. CUM
GOT A MECHANICAL OR TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH YOUR BELOVED RIDE?
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