Communal OCD ?

[Ninjinsky]

(I posted this elsewhere but decided to give it a thread of it's own)

One thing that never ceases to amaze me on this forum is the over the top threads like
"I usually change my oil every week but I got lazy and left it a fortnight, will I have damaged the engine?"

"Should I change my brake fluid after an emergency stop"
or
"I rode over an acorn, should I take the bike to a dealer for a frame alignment check?"

Okay I exaggerate, but only a bit

C'mon, these are motor vehicles and are pretty durable, mine is 23 years old now and is outside in all weathers just the odd oil change and an annual service but rides no different to what it did 20 years ago

" You must change the engine oil after spraying carb cleaner on the plug threads"
That was a real one from last week!
ps the actual quote was alex.s
"if you spray carb cleaner in your engine, you must change the oil after."
but we were only spraying the plug threads on the head not in the engine.

http://www.ocdla.com/OCDtest.html

[Alex]

I don't think it's unique to this forum, but I certainly get your point. Much of it has to do with people not having (or desiring) much of a mechanical background. Luckily these things have become so generally reliable that one doesn't have to be a mechanic, or even understand almost anything about how they work to just enjoy riding them. Without much of that intuitive knowledge, it's harder to make informed decisions on whether something they are doing (or have done) to the bike has had zero effect, little effect, or a large effect.

Watch out for those acorns, they can be costly.

[alex.s]

"my helmet fell off my couch onto the carpet... do i need to buy a new one?"

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

" You must change the engine oil after spraying carb cleaner on the plug threads"
That was a real one from last week!

you actually misquoted me.

but... you think its good to have carb cleaner in your oil then?

[MrAtom]

Originally Posted by alex.s

you actually misquoted me.

but... you think its good to have carb cleaner in your oil then?

Yeah, I think that's justifiable. Carb cleaner is designed to eat **** up. Oil is designed to do roughly the opposite. You don't want carb cleaner in your oil.

[Ninjinsky]

Yes but the whole point is that a couple of squirts on the plug threads wouldn't get to the oil, not to mention the gallons of another solvent called gasoline that is sprayed through the same combustion chamber. We weren't spraying it "in the engine" in any meaningful way

Your actual quote now included and attributed

[dcj13]

There's "oil full immersion baptists", "oil athiests", and the spectrum between.

I'm an "oil unitarian".

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by dcj13

There's "oil full immersion baptists", "oil athiests", and the spectrum between.

I'm an "oil unitarian".

I'm "oil lapsed", usually by a couple of thousand miles by the time I remember to attend a service

[Skullz]

Don't even get started about valve shim adjustments, i have 30k on mine and have yet to do one but it is getting to the point of needing to be done, i have added the manual CCT that took care of most of the problem but could use a shim job now.
I enjoy reading peoples reactions to how a bike will implode if you do not follow the recommended intervals.

[JohnnyBravo]

If you get any flamable spray down in your plug hole, insert plug, crank bike... An watch out for acorns as you ride off into the sunset

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Skullz

I enjoy reading peoples reactions to how a bike will implode if you do not follow the recommended intervals.

Right, but those are coupled with viewpoints from the other extreme: no maintenance is actually necessary, and things will work fine with zero attention for the life of the bike. (Those checking their tire pressure once a season may fall into that particular bucket of shame)

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by Alex

Right, but those are coupled with viewpoints from the other extreme: no maintenance is actually necessary, and things will work fine with zero attention for the life of the bike. (Those checking their tire pressure once a season may fall into that particular bucket of shame)

Can't imagine who you are talking about there?

[NevadaWolf]

To address the point of the thread, along with not being mechanically inclined, we also are a group that is heavily represented in the new rider category.

Sure those who have ridden around for decades know that bikes are pretty tough little buggers. But brand new riders, trying to do things on their own, a bit of paranoia is expected. Especially if this is the first vehicle they've bought on their own.

I fall into the "let some things go (what's tire pressure?) and obsess over others (must oil chain constantly!)" group. I think I've mellowed out since I can't quite make heads or tails of the interval when converted to miles and don't feel like doing an involved service every few weeks.

Though I will admit to half jokingly being worried that my engine would blow up with me on top of it when I rolled over to 50k. I mean, everyone says the engine dies at that mileage, right?

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by alex.s

"my helmet fell off my couch onto the carpet... do i need to buy a new one?"

Couch should still be OK. Carpet, I not so sure.

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

...Though I will admit to half jokingly being worried that my engine would blow up with me on top of it when I rolled over to 50k. I mean, everyone says the engine dies at that mileage, right?

My expectation for a water cooled engine is substantially greater than that: I'll be disappointed if I don't see 100K miles or more (sanely ridden, adequate maintenance).

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

I'm "oil lapsed", usually by a couple of thousand miles by the time I remember to attend a service

The oil unitarians welcome you with open arms!

[csmith12]

I am not a fan of this thread. The only silly question is the one not asked.

[Ninjinsky]

Originally Posted by csmith12

I am not a fan of this thread. The only silly question is the one not asked.

It's not really about the questions,
It's more about stopping the "scare mongering" in the replies which propagate and leads to more worry for beginners and a cycle of paranoid questions because of OTT replies they read here.

Sure you are experienced and can separate the wheat from the chaff, and make your own judgements, beginning riders cannot.
Hope that clarifies where I am coming from

[dcj13]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

It's not really about the questions,
It's more about stopping the "scare mongering" in the replies which propagate and leads to more worry for beginners and a cycle of paranoid questions because of OTT replies they read here.

Sure you are experienced and can separate the wheat from the chaff, and make your own judgements, beginning riders cannot.

I know where Paul is coming from. It’s the ultimatums and absolutes. ALWAYS use special motorcycle oil, not car oil. NEVER start your bike in the middle of winter storage, otherwise you’ll wreck the engine and you’ll be condemned to hell forever. NEVER buy a used motorcycle helmet: it’s no good because it’s used, for God’s sake! ONLY buy a SNELL helmet that costs $600: anything less is tantamount to a death sentence. Gloves? Gotta be triple thick racing style, with titanium knuckle protectors and gauntlets up past your elbows. If you don’t, you’re gonna be a cripple. Boots MUST be racing style that go up to the knee and have steel ankle protection. Jacket and pants? LEATHER only! Textile will wear through to your skin if you stumble in your driveway!

I tell new riders to relax. Learn to ride. Wear gear: if you don’t have $300 gloves, wear leather garden gloves, just make sure you wear gloves. If the Bilt helmet fits well, get it. Wear it (by the way, I recommend full face). Pick up a used motorcycle jacket on Craigslist. Motorcycle pants are a good idea, too! Wear boots (not sneakers). If you find you enjoy riding, buy good, purposeful gear as you go.

[InvisiBill]

I try to give the reasoning behind my advice specifically for this reason. If you think I've come to a stupid conclusion, you can look at the facts yourself and come to your own conclusion. I also try to explain what results could theoretically happen (your engine will explode instantly) and what will likely happen (a little more wear on some engine parts that you'll probably never even notice) so that people get an idea of the range of possibilities and a guess of where in that range they'll fall. I think letting them make an informed decision based on as much fast as possible is the best way to go.

Do whatever you want with your own bike. I'll do my best to help you make a smart decision, but I can't stop you from making a stupid decision.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Ninjinsky

It's not really about the questions,
It's more about stopping the "scare mongering" in the replies which propagate and leads to more worry for beginners and a cycle of paranoid questions because of OTT replies they read here.

Sure you are experienced and can separate the wheat from the chaff, and make your own judgements, beginning riders cannot.
Hope that clarifies where I am coming from

let me ask you a preference between two extremes... and yes i know this is a logical fallacy but i'm trying to make a point about "scare mongering" with new riders.

would you prefer people are overly cautious when they don't know?

or would you prefer that they just DGAF about any of it and make massive assumptions about what is safe and what is not?

how often do you see a squiddy riding down the street with a chain that looks like its seconds away from disintegrating? or with a bald tire that you can see cords on? have you ever see someone who doesn't know what they're doing work on cars? i have seen someone torque a spark plug bolt with a breaker bar. and they get confused when things go wrong. what would have the solution been? more caution i think. so what you are suggesting is a negative, i think is not a negative. the solution to ignorance is knowledge. but what is the motivation against ignorance? if you are a new rider, what motivation would you ever have to learn about maintenance items? fear for your life because if its wrong, you suffer the consequences. this is not a car. this is not a sewing machine. this is a vehicle with no safety features. you should be terrified of the consequences of doing things wrong. have you ever seen a squid with no safety gear crash? it isn't pretty.

now, i'm not saying you should use royal purple and lube your chain every 100miles. what i'm saying is that you should have respect for something that can VERY EASILY END YOUR LIFE.

don't be in denial about what we do for fun. we have fun at the expense of safety. do not make it a slippery slope. take every precaution available. this includes being OCD and a worry wart about your maintenance. in my opinion, not being cautious in every sense is ****ing stupid, bro.

[MrAtom]

^ If were at the post-milestone-thing to mark that as helpful, I would. If something goes wrong on your bike, it can send you into orbit. Imagine if your engine died when taking a sharp turn.