Dumb Wrenching Mistake

[ZacharyB]

I thought I should share this to help anyone in the future.

I am taking a trip to Virginia in a month and I wanted to clean my 750E's carburetors. I lack motivation because no one in my family (or any of my friends) is into mechanical work, so I have to motivate myself by going on impulse. Yesterday night at around 10PM I thought, "if I don't get these carbs done now, I'll never do 'em." I go out into the night and start taking them off, airbox and all, by streetlight, working around the trash pickup pile that is in the way.

I was successful but something was knawing at the back of my mind as I took the carbs apart. I was so focused on them that I forgot to bring the airbox in. The next morning I remembered with a force equal to five cups of coffee and I ran upstairs to find the airbox had been taken away with the trash! I was so mad at myself I ordered a new one from the dealer as punishment.

Keep track of your parts, especially at night. Or don't work around a trash pickup

[KEITH KRAUSE]

[argonsagas]

I doubt the dealer thinks of it as punishment...just profit.

For future "losses" :? you might look at e-bay.



Good advice about taking care of parts. A small item I like is a stainless steel bowl with a magnet in the bottom: it keeps little pieces, like bolts and nuts, in place, and, since it is convenient tp place wherever you want., you actually tend to use it.

[Hotblack]

Ooooooooooowch! Some of life's lessons are hard indeed!

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain, Zach. Another little bit of advice: when moving, don't pack important stuff in a waste basket.

Dave

[Hotblack]

don't pack important stuff in a waste basket.

I can just tell that one's not hypothetical.

[Anonymous]

don't pack important stuff in a waste basket.

I can just tell that one's not hypothetical.

No, that's taken from experience. Some years ago my department at work was moving from rented office space into the main plant. I had a spool with about $200 worth of coaxial cable and left it in a small wastebasket that was also to be moved. Unfortunately the weekend cleaning crew came though before the movers did, and the cable got dumped.

Dave

[ZacharyB]

That's rough... same cost as my loss 8) Ahhhh, life

[Sandy]

I feel your pain, Zach. Another little bit of advice: when moving, don't pack important stuff in a waste basket.

Dave

Or green garbage bags. A friend who owned a bike dealership put a bunch of new m/c clothing in green plastic garbage bags for safe keeping over the winter. Come spring time they were gone. He figures it happened one day when cleaning out the shop over the winter. That was a $5,000 ouch!