Top 10 Newbie Mistakes

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Read my sig.

"You can't make the same mistake twice. The second time you make it, it's no longer a mistake. It's a choice."

I know it's been said already but clean your carbs COMPLETELY!

The same can be said about fuses. If your fuse blows again and again, find the short before placing another fuse in!

 

[jus1087]

Sig test...

 

[Buffalo Bill]

That'll never happen to me!

That'll never happen to me!

Thinkin' you'll never crash, or have a bad day. So you wear the minimum gear.
Remember, Real MEN don't need “mommy laws” , (read that term on this site. But what would be a daddy law? :-k )

This is for 5th year riders:
You're only taking a short test ride, so you don't need no silly insurance and just swap the plates off a bike that is insured. $$$$$$

See: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=173548

Bill

 

[Nessism]

Updated the list by adding more detailed information. Also added 1A.

 

[Guest]

Whoops, I was doin pretty good til this popped up.

I know I am guilty of some of these. Did this one yesterday, only worse. Found a tube in my '79 1000, so obviously there was no valve stem. Pulled the tire off an old '82 650, just to get at the valve stem so I could put it in the other rim.

 

[Guest]

Ed, add this to number 8...

And results in a fried ignitor, which for 450's in particular means lots of pain trying to find a rare working one and they're expensive if you can find one.

 

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Ed, add this to number 8...

And results in a fried ignitor, which for 450's in particular means lots of pain trying to find a rare working one and they're expensive if you can find one.

YES! Very true. ^^^

 

[dueller]

Glad I found

Glad I found

this thread. There is a TON of info here so it is sometimes difficult to find. I know I've spent the last two weeks combing NUMEROUS posts to find info I'm looking for, but sometimes after all that it is difficult to find. I actually found this from some other newbie posting a question that was probably asked more than a few times. I kinda fell into that crack of buying a cheaper bike hopin to get some use out of it to save some gas money as times are very tight for me. I was actually going to get a new bike from '09 middle of last season that was still left over but couldn't get financed for the $4K so bought a $900 special instead But ran into charging system issues on the ride home that didn't appear to be there on the test ride. Test rode it about 25 miles and came back. Went home to mull it over and came back the next day to buy it and got about 15miles from where I bought it and had to duck walk start it after filling it up at the gas station That's what I don't understand is that it was fine for a 25mile test ride but wasn't after a 15 mile ride home. Think hit the high rev charging system detonation. Ah well. I've been on a few msg boards though and know some protocol so hopefully wont be seen as that bad of a newbie

 

[cowboyup3371]

Hey Ed, here's 10A especially since I just did it this week.

10A. Taking pictures of a teardown but not using those pictures when putting back together. Don't just search for the answer on the forum but also on your own computer/book.

 

[jeff.saunders]

Another add:

n) Trying to work on the bike without the right tools and without a workshop manual... in particular impact driver, metric sockets and wrenches, feeler gauges, spark plug wrench...

 

[hampshirehog]

Buying a 550 and trying to spend a fortune to get the performance of a 1100. Either that or weighing in at 25 stone and wondering why your 550 won't top 100mph.

 

[hampshirehog]

Another add:

n) Trying to work on the bike without the right tools and without a workshop manual... in particular impact driver, metric sockets and wrenches, feeler gauges, spark plug wrench...

.....and a dirty great big hammer...

 

[Hobbes]

As a confirmed newbie I have to admit the posts made me laugh and cry. Laugh at how much work still has to be done, and cry at how much it will cost..... C'est la Vie.

 

[David_510]

Buying a 550 and trying to spend a fortune to get the performance of a 1100. Either that or weighing in at 25 stone and wondering why your 550 won't top 100mph.

Wow, my 83 550 tops way over 100.

 

[salty_monk]

Are you 25 stone? That's 350lbs...

If so I'd like to see a picture, could use a laugh!!

 

[mike-s]

Nowif only i had these when i started out, life would have been sooo much simpler and incident free. Can't think of any new ones to add, most of my clangers have been covered in one way shape or form.

 

[Joneman]

torque wrench

torque wrench

Thinking that having the right tool means you will do it right. 40 ft-lb is less than hand-tight, and the wrench "click" is pretty quiet... A few sprocket nuts and bolts later, I now know better

Trusting a shop (stealership especially) will do a good inspection of your bike and that it means its safe to ride. If you need help with something, go to a small shop with guy who has his reputation on the line... I now know that chain maintenance is REALLY important, and a chain that comes off (no even break) can still do a lot of damage - I am taking out my gearshifting shaft and clutch shaft to straighten them out as the chain bent them pretty bad. Which means I have to take my clutch apart first

 

[SVSooke]

This guy http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=179939

 

[78gs1000]

Very nice stuff on here, This one is more for laughs but i could see it happening
15) Getting really nice and intoxicated and decide to fix some things on your bike... then waking up the next day and hop on your bike with some unfamiliar sounds, if it starts at all!

 

[ikantbreave]

Very nice stuff on here, This one is more for laughs but i could see it happening
15) Getting really nice and intoxicated and decide to fix some things on your bike... then waking up the next day and hop on your bike with some unfamiliar sounds, if it starts at all!

Or deciding you can carry your engine all the way across the yard after using aircraft stripper and a brush to get the clearcoat off earlier in the day when you used the dolly to get it over there in the first place. And wondering why your back hurts so bad the next morning... Hypothetically, of course.