Such a long day

[Rookie]

Thought I'd share an experience with you, the climax of which happened today.

A few weeks ago, the bike blew an exhaust gasket. It was in for new tyres and an oil change anyway, so I got it sorted pretty much straight away. Fast forward a week, I've ridden up to uni in Staffordshire, and the bike is making similar noises again, but often accompanied by a very disturbing rattle. As well as this, my chain started slipping on the sprockets because I don't have my torque wrench (or any tools at all) to adjust the chain.

So I booked it in to sort out the sprockets and the gasket (again), and for good measure I order a C+S set and send it to my Somerset address, so I can fit them when I get back.

Arrive at 9.30 this morning in the pissing rain, having been up since 4pm Monday because of my fantastic sleeping pattern. Turns out no-one even arrives until 10, so I am thoroughly soaked by the time I get in there.

So I leave it with them and go for a 20 minute stroll. 10 minutes in I get a call - 'your chain is absolutely knackered mate'. Bollocks. I'm not the best at judging this stuff, seems I was a week or 2 late ordering the C+S. He says it's literally about to snap, and I don't doubt his judgement, given how often it was skipping on the sprocket. So I tell him to fit a new chain but leave the old sprockets on, and I'll fit the new sprockets when I get home, I'll just have an extra chain. It's an extra £60, but I need to get home this Friday, so I'm happy enough.

2 minutes later, I get another call. 'Your sprockets are knackered too mate'. Well, I can't say I hadn't been expecting that one, knackered chain normally comes with knackered sprockets. Add another £40 to the bill.

It's still pissing it down and I'm in the most godforesaken part of Stoke, there's absolutely nothing to do. I go and sit in a snooker club for an hour, sipping coke and watching old men play. I get very bored and decide to mosey back to the shop, they won't be too much longer. I go in, sit down, have a cigarette and a chat about Ducatis, and I end up waiting for another 40 minutes. By now it's going on 1pm, I thought I'd be long gone.

The mechanic comes out to me and gives me this little gem:

It turns out that the rattling was the 2nd downpipe rattling against the head. One of the studs wasn't even there, and the other one had snapped inside the head. Disaster. Basically I haven't got much choice here, I tell them to sort it out. They tell me it's going to be quite a long haul, as they've got to take fairings, radiator off etc. So I've got another 2 hours to spend in this shithole of a town.

I go to a pub, have a pint, and transfer all my 150 contacts from my old phone into my new phone, manually. Very, very boring. I finish my (rank) pint, walk back to the shop, and have a look in the workshop. 'It's going to be a long while yet mate, this is turning into a big job.' I don't even question it at this point, my spirit is crushed. I walk back into town, back into another pub, and spend another hour and a half sipping coke before I just can't stand the boredom. I walk back to the shop and intend to sit there until it's finished. As it turns out, it's very nearly done.

Turns out, this has happened before. Someone snapped the stud off, and tried to drill it out. Except they were a mongoloid, and didn't drill straight, so the stud never went in. So they spent a good while sorting that out, and I pay my bill of £195.

I only wanted my chain tensioning and a gasket. And I've now got a chain and sprocket set which will just take up space until I finally need to use it!

Total time - 8 hours.

Andys Motorcycles in Stoke - top chaps, really friendly and helpful, and if you happen to be reading this, sorry I messed up most your day in the workshop. Dog Motorcycles in Burnham - well, either it was you who cocked up my head so it cost me a fortune, and neglected to tell me this, or you just didn't have the common sense to tell me what a state it was all in. Either way, I don't think I'm coming back.

[alpine]

You managed to burn 8 hours of waiting?

I cant stand an hour waiting for my bike to get serviced..

Well done for pulling through
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Current bike - FMX650.

[numpty]

Sounds like a fun day. At least its all sorted now
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Current bike: CBR600F-Y

[ram_doom]

FUCK that.

Shit day all round really then
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TL1000s, KDX200

[Mooncatt]

sounds like a nightmare mate, at least its sorted out now.
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current bike...CBR400RR
"you always need more chicken"

[Rookie]

[killa]

Killing time waiting for a job is bad, but that must have been hellish!

The new C&S will make things better
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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Rookie]

[Mooncatt]

yup. its a nice feeling isnt it when something works how it should lol
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current bike...CBR400RR
"you always need more chicken"

[Shaun]

I'm impressed you spent 8 hours in that part of Stoke without getting mugged, oh wait.

[Gazdaman]

At least your stuff's sorted now.

Surely you could have seen the snapped stud thing coming... Exhaust gaskets don't really fail, and if they do you wouldn't really tell all that much.

Guess it should be a lesson to you to keep and eye on your c&s more closely. Do rekon you probably coulda got home on just a new chain to replace with the stuff you've got.

No-one likes unexpected bills. I had to pay out £55 on a new chain last week and that stung.

Gaz

[dodsi]

What sort is your spare C+S?