The Wrench Monkey's Lounge

[StarGate]

Originally Posted by zedx11

how many people set an appointment at their doctor and just walk right into an exam room and sit down, I have an appointment?

Hmm... thats a great idea. Ticks me off to no end to make an appointment with the doc or dentist that can't be sooner than 6 weeks from now. Then when I get there they make me wait over an hour in some cases. Now if I'm late for my appointment time by as much as 20 min they tell me I'll have to reschedule and BTW you owe XXX dollars for not making your appointment or canceling it at least 24 hours in advance. I don't like double standards.

I know it's not the same with mechanical services and if I need my truck worked on I just leave it with them and I've never had one try to bill me if I was late.

[StarGate]

Nice find Tina but go back at night and don't let them see the wrenches in your pockets.

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by StarGate

Nice find Tina but go back at night and don't let them see the wrenches in your pockets.

I really want the sign!

[A2rider]

Whether it be parts or wrenching, the lack of info that the customer gives is what kills me.

"It just quit running."

"It's blue, what else do you need to know?"

The only really crappy thing I did to a guy was to order him the wrong color plastics for his 4-wheeler. He was one of those people that didn't give me correct color, and told me all Yamahas were the same color. So I ordered him blue plastics. He had to wait another 3 days for the right color.

[Tod]

Originally Posted by A2rider

I really want the sign!

You have a population of 193?

I've heard of having a monkey on your back, but this is ridiculous.
How do you even walk??

[A2rider]

I'm laughing so hard I can't properly reply!

[zedx11]

Originally Posted by Tod

You have a population of 193?

I've heard of having a monkey on your back, but this is ridiculous.
How do you even walk??

LOL

[LoudFastUgly]

Originally Posted by A2rider

Whether it be parts or wrenching, the lack of info that the customer gives is what kills me.

"It just quit running."

"It's blue, what else do you need to know?"

The only really crappy thing I did to a guy was to order him the wrong color plastics for his 4-wheeler. He was one of those people that didn't give me correct color, and told me all Yamahas were the same color. So I ordered him blue plastics. He had to wait another 3 days for the right color.

I love how people whine about pricing to the mechanic.

A. I'm the last person that can change the price. The janitor has more authority here.

B. By cutting the price, I'm cutting my own throat. Single income, house, wife, 2 kids.

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by LoudFastUgly

I love how people whine about pricing to the mechanic.

A. I'm the last person that can change the price. The janitor has more authority here.

B. By cutting the price, I'm cutting my own throat. Single income, house, wife, 2 kids.

They think you take home that $90 an hour, can you blame them?

[zedx11]

Originally Posted by LoudFastUgly

I love how people whine about pricing to the mechanic.

A. I'm the last person that can change the price. The janitor has more authority here.

B. By cutting the price, I'm cutting my own throat. Single income, house, wife, 2 kids.

yep, the last shop I worked in the SM would cut the price of a bill for a customer that complained enough. you guessed it, they never discounted the price of the parts, the mechanic always ended up taking the hit. sucks if you are on full commission.

[A2rider]

The funny thing is, not ONE of the instructors at school were honest enough to tell us that we were going to get totally screwed working in the m/c industry.

Anyone that wants to go into this industry better be prepared to live hand to mouth, unless a relative owns the shop.

[LoudFastUgly]

The funny thing is, not ONE of the instructors at school were honest enough to tell us that we were going to get totally screwed working in the m/c industry.

I believe the age of the weekend warrior will soon be behind us. Just look at the forum, all the KZ250s, KZ305s and KZ550s are showing up like they haven't in years. People are looking towards motorcycles as a means of transportation again, rather than a funmachine. Nearly $6 a gallon Canadian for gas should start getting people thinking logically. In many ways the gas prices are a benefit. People say (or maybe just for the cameras) they are driving less, and considering public transit or more efficient transportation. Hey, even my old 550 with some mild mods (intake, exhaust, cams) can still pull off an easy 55mpg, in town or hwy.

I say let it happen. Good for the motorcycling industry, good for insurance (higher user base) good for the environment.

[A2rider]

Even better for your sanity!

I hope what you are saying is true. It would be nice to have people that are more concerned about keeping their bike running than draping it with bling, and biotching about the price of an oil change.

[LoudFastUgly]

I only bought my 550 a couple of years ago. The guy who had it before me (the 2nd owner) did most of the mods and lightening (I added the cams). He rode it every day to work when it was reasonable to do so, warm or cold. The money he saved in fuel allowed him to pay yet another insurance premium and have some fun on his commute (~20 miles one way). Its' higher mileage (40000 Miles), but I don't mind because he did proper maintenance along the way. I plan to use it here and there until I can afford to turn it into a streetfighter. But once I'm done it'll be my daily. Can't wait to roll the odometer.

[A2rider]

As I've only had the remade 750 KZ running for 6 weeks, I haven't had much time to really get to know the potential of this old piece of steel. Running it 10 miles back and forth to work doesn't really test a machine.

Today we did almost 200 miles. A few twisties, pot holes, gravel, and about twenty miles of straight, flat, ahhhhh...... DRAGSTRIP quality roads. So I opened it up. The speedo/tach is off a 550, only goes to 85mph, tach 10k.

By Darrell's bike, we were doing well over 100mph. Speedo stopped working at 77mph, and tach got to 8k. So even though I really don't know how fast I was going, it was awesome, to say the least.

I sat on a 28 year old bike, that most consider past it's prime, any 600 can spank it's butt, but still can yank your arms off. Something to be said for older bikes.

[LoudFastUgly]

It's all about the charm isn't it? Every nut and bolt turned by your hands, the exhaust beating in time through pipes you painted yourself. Every time you cram your hand under the carbs and burn them on the engine cases to turn down the idle because you made it run that much better today... awesome. You know you can adjust up that clutch cable because you measured the plate thickness and springs yourself. Even the oil leaks add something, because you know you'll get it done 'the next time its down'.

All these squids that ride brand new bikes on mommy's money have no idea.

[LoudFastUgly]

Originally Posted by A2rider

The speedo/tach is off a 550, only goes to 85mph, tach 10k.

Must be an LTD or Zephyr

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by LoudFastUgly

All these squids that ride brand new bikes on mommy's money have no idea.

They are the least of my aggravation. They'll soon be sporting road rash and new plastics.

It's the over 50 crowd that makes me insane. They expect to pay almost nothing for the bike, to get free oil changes for life, and to get a 50% discount on every little bauble they attach to the bike for the next ten years.

Then complain that the bikes crap one year after the sale because it won't start this spring. Until you ask them 70 questions, and they admit that no, they didn't put Sta-bil in the motor when they parked it in September,

no, it didn't go on a battery tender and

yes, they did put 72 aftermarket lights on it, wired wrong, drawing current all winter,

that they, in fact, killed their own bike and it's not a piece of crap after all.

I cannot tell you how good that feels to finally put that in print.

RANT OVER

[A2rider]

And this is why I will probably never work in a dealership again.

[LoudFastUgly]

Baby boomers are a PITA. It's tough selling wants compared to needs.

My battery stained the chrome on my XXX900... WAAAAh.

Really? I can barely afford to drive to work, get behind the counter and listen to you cry about electrolyte overflowing on your pipes because you're too stupid to pull the battery out of the bike while putting it on a 10 Amp charge, DONKEY!