Why Obsess?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
635
Location
Texas, USA
Why do some people obsess over simple maintenance issues like they are going to be the motorcycle mechanical nirvana panacea?

If an owner doesn't know better or is inexperienced in maintenance issues, all they simply have to do is follow the factory recommendations for their bike and it will last the designed lifespan or many, many years. Using XYZ air filter oil, or Super-Exotica uber-synthetic engine oil isn't going to offset regular, and consistent maintenance done to a bike.

Why do inexperienced mechanics think there is some deep, mystical knowledge that they can divine to cure all mechanical sins?

It is one thing to find out about design flaws and seek to prevent problems, but just following factory maintenance is a "no-brainer" if you don't know better.

Or is it just "strokin'-egos?"

Anyone?
 
Last edited:
To obtain the deep, mystical knowledge, sit in the lotus position in the oil aisle at WalMart and recite over and over..."Om, om, om...OMobil, OMobil, Mobil 1, Mobil 1"
 
Everyone wants to feel special.

I'd guess 5% of riders can even approach the envelope of their bike, but 90% figure they do.
 
Originally Posted By: bepperb
Everyone wants to feel special.

I'd guess 5% of riders can even approach the envelope of their bike, but 90% figure they do.


+1, bad storage then bad riding kills most bikes.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: bepperb
Everyone wants to feel special.

I'd guess 5% of riders can even approach the envelope of their bike, but 90% figure they do.


+1, bad storage then bad riding kills most bikes.



Correct only thing I'd add is wrecks.
 
Personally, I think it's ego stroking and one-up-man-ship.

I mean, after all, if you're sitting around with the knights of round donut shop table and you're not using "Oil of Eye of Newt from the planet Lubon" you're just so uncool. The fan boys will be sorely disappointed with your failure to ante up!

I've probably got more time riding and wrenching than many of these bench racers have breathing. But hey, experience counts for nothing. It's what you read that matters. Right!
 
Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Why do some people obsess over simple maintenance issues like they are going to be the motorcycle mechanical nirvana panacea?

If an owner doesn't know better or is inexperienced in maintenance issues, all they simply have to do is follow the factory recommendations for their bike and it will last the designed lifespan or many, many years. Using XYZ air filter oil, or Super-Exotica uber-synthetic engine oil isn't going to offset regular, and consistent maintenance done to a bike.

Why do inexperienced mechanics think there is some deep, mystical knowledge that they can divine to cure all mechanical sins?

It is one thing to find out about design flaws and seek to prevent problems, but just following factory maintenance is a "no-brainer" if you don't know better.

Or is it just "strokin'-egos?"

Anyone?


Once the inexperienced mechanic comes to that mystical knowledge, they come to realize this:

"all they simply have to do is follow the factory recommendations for their bike and it will last the designed lifespan or many, many years. Using XYZ air filter oil, or Super-Exotica uber-synthetic engine oil isn't going to offset regular, and consistent maintenance done to a bike."
 
Anal motorcyclists - I think they just lack imagination,read the book,and do it by the book.Anyone who has read a different book is wrong.

I used to know a guy who used to keep two manuals for his bikes - one for the workshop which could get finger prints on it,and another for his library indoors which was to stay in perfect condition.Somehow I managed to borrow one of his indoors books....um,I was very unpopular afterwards,and no longer one of his inner circle of friends.Gosh,sorry mate....
 
Some people just want the absolute best for their bikes - i'm one of them (I confess).

Obviously regular scheduled OC's with dino oil probably works just fine in 95% of the cases. But, no more oil than my bike/scooters take, it's worth it to me.

No bragging rights, no showing off, just piece of mind for me knowing that I give them the best that there is. Will it last any longer? Will my effors be vain?

It's my money, does/should it matter to anyone else?

Another example = my scooters do not use oil filters, just a gravel screen. I have installed magnetic drain plugs in each of them and change the oil at 1/2 the mfg's recommended OCI. Why? It sure can't hurt without an oil filter. Will it make a long-term difference? Only time will tell.


Rob
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Silk
Anal motorcyclists - I think they just lack imagination,read the book,and do it by the book.Anyone who has read a different book is wrong.

I used to know a guy who used to keep two manuals for his bikes - one for the workshop which could get finger prints on it,and another for his library indoors which was to stay in perfect condition.Somehow I managed to borrow one of his indoors books....um,I was very unpopular afterwards,and no longer one of his inner circle of friends.Gosh,sorry mate....


Shame on you for desecrating his sacred tome!

There are probably plenty magazine jockeys out there that do far more reading than riding. I know guys like that. They have stacks of magazines strategically placed near their chrome polish and/or auto wax collection and finest Sham-Wows!

I've yet to see a grease applicator or even an oil can in their shed/garage...That's too icky....
 
Originally Posted By: Scooter_man
Some people just want the absolute best for their bikes - i'm one of them (I confess).

Obviously regular scheduled OC's with dino oil probably works just fine in 95% of the cases. But, no more oil than my bike/scooters take, it's worth it to me.

No bragging rights, no showing off, just piece of mind for me knowing that I give them the best that there is. Will it last any longer? Will my effors be vain?

It's my money, does/should it matter to anyone else?

Another example = my scooters do not use oil filters, just a gravel screen. I have installed magnetic drain plugs in each of them and change the oil at 1/2 the mfg's recommended OCI. Why? It sure can't hurt without an oil filter. Will it make a long-term difference? Only time will tell.


Rob


Chances are that the machine will outlast you even with "normal" fluids and maintenance. You'd be amazed how much abuse those Japanese machines will take.

Back in the late 80s early 90s my nephew would come to camp for the summer. He would chum around with two hillbilly boys who's parent's camp was about a mile down the lake shore. My nephew had a Suzuki LT185 ATV to ride and the other boys had a couple Honda CT50s. They flogged those little bikes mercilessly. These boys were all between 12 and 13 years old. At that age, the only time they stopped riding was when they needed something to eat or ran out of fuel or had a mechanical problem. They had plenty of trails in the bush to ride on as well as over a mile of twisty/hilly/rough camp access road. Most of their riding was on the trails. One day, my nephew came into the camp to ask me to have a look at one of the little Hondas. He said it would start but wouldn't run very well.

The boys had all their machines parked up by the garage so I headed up to see what the problem was. When I started to look over the Hondas, I was shocked to see how beat up they were. Anything that could be knocked off the bike without impairing operation was gone. Anything that could be bent was. Seats were mostly duct tape and rags. Lights? What lights? Chain/sprockets rusty and badly worn, tires bald and almost flat. The engine was a sorrowful sight. Totally covered in mud, dust, grass, moss.

I pulled out a three gallon pail turned it over, sat down and had one of the boys roll his machine over. I inspected the air filter and it was, well pathetic. I doubt that it had been cleaned....ever! So off it came and went into a coffee can of solvent. Using a brush and compressed air, I cleaned off as much of the engine as necessary to inspect carb, carb boots and electrics. Boots were on good and tight and the carb was undamaged. I went to pull the spark plug and it wouldn't come out. It just kept spinning in the hole! Skip that step. I inspected the oil level. Unbelievable! These things were running on a few tablespoons of black grease.

I ended up cleaning the air filters, changing the oil, inflating the tires, lubing the chains and tightened some loose bolts. That was it. Off they went riding without any further problems. Loose spark plugs and all!

Those two little Hondas had to be at least ten or more years old and had seen punishment and neglect that is hard to believe they could have survived. But there they were, living testament to how tough they really are.

When one sees examples like that, it helps establish a "real world" perspective of reasonable maintenance. That's why I don't go over the top with obsessive compulsion to use the very best of anything. It's not necessary to ensure the machine will last and I don't need it to calm imaginary fears.
 
Careful, you're starting to make a believer out of me.

Boraticus, that is definately a testament to the Japanese engines. Come to think of it i've seen similar cases around here, although not as extreme, and the old 110 3-wheelers just kept going. How? I don't know.

The little Honda 49cc Metropolitan scooters (like my baby) are, by design, pretty well bullet-proof. There are several reported models of Met's and Ruckus (same engine/drive train) scooters with well over 30,000 miles on the original untouched engine, execpt for belts/rollers/tune up/etc.

Still hard to believe for such a small engine without an oil filter. But then, I don't remember any of the Honda 50's or 3-wheelers having an oil filter either.

Simply amazing!


Rob
 
Last edited:
Real life experiences have a way of simplifying one's perspective.

If you've never seen how bad something can be treated and yet keep running, and running well, you really don't have anything to compare good, sufficient maintenance vs. unnecessary waste.

Compared to those little Hondas, my equipment is pampered. My machines see regular but not excessive maintenance and conventional HDEO.
 
I tend to agree, I was at the at the motorcycle super store here in Ohio (Iron Pony) and they had oil there that was close to $20.00 a quart. I find it hard to believe that this would extend the life of a motor at all in comparison to decent oil changed at reasonable interval. In the wing I change the oil every 4,000 miles, this is half the recommended OCI, in the LS650 I change it every 2,500. Normally using HDEO for the wing and Mobil 1 15W-50 for the LS650 (got a dozen quarts a Wal-Mart on closeout). Anything more would be a waste; this probably is too.
 
Why do some people obsess over simple maintenance issues like they are going to be the motorcycle mechanical nirvana panacea?


Sigh.

IMHO, people "obsess" all over BITOG, every day, in most every post. Any and every member of BITOG has or does obsess. They wouldn't be here if they never obsessed about lubricants, etc. AAMOF, the purpose of BITOG in the first place is most likely so people like me can have a free place to "obsess" over lubricants they use and "simple maintenance issues", obtain info, and base their decisions from that.
 
Originally Posted By: Lurch
Why do some people obsess over simple maintenance issues like they are going to be the motorcycle mechanical nirvana panacea?


Sigh.

IMHO, people "obsess" all over BITOG, every day, in most every post. Any and every member of BITOG has or does obsess. They wouldn't be here if they never obsessed about lubricants, etc. AAMOF, the purpose of BITOG in the first place is most likely so people like me can have a free place to "obsess" over lubricants they use and "simple maintenance issues", obtain info, and base their decisions from that.


Sorry friend, but this USED to be a site where "real" oil experts explained to us "unwashed" how oil really worked and we listened and tried to apply their knowledge.

NOW, it is just a place for the obsessed to stroke their egos by trying to tell other strokers why they should spend $10 a quart for oil to be used in their 10 year old $200 Briggs and Stratton mower. They recommend RP just because they use it or because it lets them sleep at night.

Your Kwak will run virtually forever on HDEO changed at 4000 mile OCIs. I GUARANTEE it. I can safely say that that engine can easily reach 150,000 miles with virtually no problems if you will just follow the factory recommendations which you are quite reluctant to do. That engine was designed to last on conventional oil changed at Kaw's OCI recommendation.

So, the question is -- will it ever see 150,000 miles in you ownership? Doubtful, given that you seem to ask more questions than you ride.

I ride about 15,000 miles a year, so it would take me 10 years to reach that kind of mileage which I have done on many bikes. I know that synthetic oil isn't going to protect my bike any better than conventional oil using short OCIs and the only way to get the advantages of using synthetic is to adopt longer OCIs which I do on some machines but not others.

As usual, I am trying to make a point for the newbies to quit listening to the obsessed and use common sense in their oil choices. For the obsessed -- quit recommending unnecessary oil for the wrong applications like scooters and lawnmower engines just to stroke your egos.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top