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Be kind to your mechanic please...

scottmastrocinque

scottmastrocinque

GT Godfather!
GT di Razza Pura
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
5,859
Location
Lima, Ohio
Stepping onto soapbox...

I own a motorcycle repair shop and I'm a single man business. I do it all.

If you utilize a personal mechanic like me, or even a small shop with a few employees, please try to remember that we do this because we love motorcycles. NOBODY does this to get rich. No way, no how.

One of the terrible afflictions of most mechanics like me, is that we do a lot for free. We see something wrong, and we just make it right. It might be something simple like tightening your floppy mirrors, loose footpegs or luggage mounts. It might be something serious, like loose bolts that shouldn't be loose, or a broken wire or crumbling connector. We just put a new connector on and keep on going, because it's just the right thing to do.

Don't ask me, I don't understand it either. We just do this because it's who we are. We actually care.

So, be kind to your personal mechanic. They are a rare asset in this over-commercialized "powersports" industry that has perverted our sport.
 
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Hello Scott,

I deal with a two man shop, for recent work I had done on the Honda, and I will use them for jobs I too chicken or lazy to do myself on the MG
“You” are guys we talk to about bikes or whatever, you’re bikers and just happen to do service.
I can’t expect them to be (much) cheaper than the big shops if they do Better work but have a bit lower overhead.
Once you’ve built that trust relationship, money isn’t the issue ( even if I AM cheap ) it’s dealing with someone you know and trust you’re life to !

I’d rather give my money to someone I know that the big Corp !
 
scottmastrocinque said:
One of the terrible afflictions of most mechanics like me, is that we do a lot for free. We see something wrong, and we just make it right.
Click to expand...
What? You don't have the secret magic free wand? A very worthy and timely post. I've probably given away $1 or every $1.50 I've made. I've learned to take care of my good customers, and shut the door on the asshats. Even my online Store customers; I don't know why people think it's OK to be be such dicks sometimes. Silly thing is, is that once you order, I have your address, and I have some not-so-nice friends all around the World that might just pay you a "friendly" visit on my behalf. ;)
Not to side-track your post Scott, nice one. Kudos.
 
What Scott said, AND if you like the service GIVE HIM A TIP. Something, anything, beer, whisky, $20, more service. I didn't have very many do this, but, I remember them all!!
I had wife's 3rd generation diesel wrench grandson do my rear shocks on the Cherokee when the heads of all bolts snapped. He got shop time plus 1/2hr.
 
V700Steve said:
What Scott said, AND if you like the service GIVE HIM A TIP. Something, anything, beer, whisky, $20, more service. I didn't have very many do this, but, I remember them all!!
I had wife's 3rd generation diesel wrench grandson do my rear shocks on the Cherokee when the heads of all bolts snapped. He got shop time plus 1/2hr.
Click to expand...

I "tipped" a vintage Guzzi specialist a battery. The vintage Guzzi specialist went through all systems on my 78 Lemans, aka Miss Raspberry, to get it N. GA mountain twisty ready. Miss raspberry had been on a 15 year hiatus and needed expert attention, and tlc.

I heard from said specialist just recently that the battery is still going. So is mine Steve. :)
 
V700Steve said:
What Scott said, AND if you like the service GIVE HIM A TIP. Something, anything, beer, whisky, $20, more service. I didn't have very many do this, but, I remember them all!!
I had wife's 3rd generation diesel wrench grandson do my rear shocks on the Cherokee when the heads of all bolts snapped. He got shop time plus 1/2hr.
Click to expand...

An interesting point, Steve and blakbird.

Kathi and I likely "over tip."

We both grew up in near poverty, and it was only thorough the sweat of our parents and our own stints on waitstaff (in my case, mostly back sink and busboy duty ;); Kathi was cuter and got the tips! :makeup::clap: ) and other jobs that we got lucky. As a result, we are generous tippers.

I have had family, friends, relatives, and buttinskies criticize that as "you must need approval," or "you are making it hard on the rest of us," or "you must think that'll get special treatment," etc.

Actually, I think the last has been true in a bar or two with "better pours," :giggle: but overall, it's just our way of redistributing wealth to the deserving instead of the guv'ment doing it willy-nilly. Apologies if that came across as political, but I mean that we'd rather directly reward and help specific folks who work hard instead than throwing tax dollars at amorphous problems.

I have done that with every Guzzi (and auto) tech/mechanic I've ever had touch my two- and four-wheeled machines.

Silas Marner likely had few mourners. I've already arranged for our liveliest granddaughter -- now only 14! :) -- to run my wake. Hoping she'll be in her 30's before that's necessary, but my only instructions to her are "open bar; no cheap booze; oh, and a Mariachi band!" I've told her to advertise this on some Guzzi forums, so all here should get notice. "See you there." :giggle:

I'd better get to bed. Off tomorrow to Erie on the V7 III. Taking two days for a 300-mile trip, but I am taking all sorts of twisting :long cuts." RON tomorrow night in Wellsboro.

Enough. Perhaps you can tell from my blathering that we've just come from a (stupendous) Italian restaurant where we celebrated Kathi's birthday b-- # deleted for my personal safety :inlove: -- and, aside from a grand Brunello di Montalcino, I had a grappa for dessert. :party:

Ciao.

Bill
 
Yep, my mechanic lives about 3 hrs away and I wouldn't go anywhere else.
At best it's a two man operation and they pick up on so much stuff each service that I would miss.
Guzzis need intimate knowledge and that only comes from someone who cares.
Chris (Bellagio).
 
Interesting thread. New guy here. I have a small one butt m/c service and repair shop on my property. I've worked on just about everything except airplanes. The worst customers were yacht owners and the best have been the motorcycle owners. I have a small but loyal customer base and they screen new customers. They don't recommend idiots to me. I give away more labor than I should but it comes back in other ways that more than make up the difference.
 
In the marine days they would come to our docks or if we went to them the charges started when I left our yard. A lot of large boat owners are pretty sure their stuff doesn't stink.
Where I am now I do NO boat work even though there are lots of lakes around. If it doesn't fit on one of my lifts, I don't work on it.
 
My HD mechanic usually sits on a bucket, shows me how to fix it, hands me the tool as I need it, cusses, bitches about everything, offers me a Budweiser while he opens another. Lights up a smoke, cusses, tells me about the idiots he has for customers, (me) ? I pet the dog. Opens another bud, bitches a little, points out a few tips about the bike, cusses, lights another cig, offers me another beer. Of course he charges me his shop rate while I do the work, but I learn a lot. I stop by to see him occasionally to check if he is still above ground. 1990HD FXRS.
 
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That sounds like my old shop in IL but I had Canadian for Australian(Fosters) in the fridge.
I may be seeing John Zibell in a few weeks & will be buying him a drink if he wants. You can see us at the NC rally.
 
Bacongrease said:
My HD mechanic usually sits on a bucket, shows me how to fix it, hands me the tool as I need it, cusses, bitches about everything, offers me a Budweiser while he opens another. Lights up a smoke, cusses, tells me about the idiots he has for customers, (me) ? I pet the dog. Opens another bud, bitches a little, points out a few tips about the bike, cusses, lights another cig, offers me another beer. Of course he charges me his shop rate while I do the work, but I learn a lot. I stop by to see him to check if he is still above ground. 1990HD FXRS.
Click to expand...

That is awsome - you get to do some work, learn something and have someone making sure your on the right track ,
 
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