Dude For A Day

It can be feared or frequented, but chances are that at some point in your biking endeavors you'll deal with the service department. While we won't deny there are many shifty establishments in the industry, we also know quality shops do exist. If you've already found a great shop, support it. If you haven't, ask local riders where they go for service. And if you've hunted but still can't find a shop you like, keep some of SSB's tips in your pocket so you're on top of the game.

Instead of conducting the day as a fly on the wall I decided to both observe the inner workings as well as get down and dirty (Mach 1 didn't let me work on customer bikes unattended, but I did help).

Unlike the sales force that rolled in after the first pot of coffee had already been drained, the service team asked me to arrive an hour before opening. All but the most immediate jobs were rolled out of the shop and into storage where they were parked in priority order. I then took inventory to make sure everything was kosher, cleaned the workbenches, recycled the old oil, disposed of old gas, boxed up the used oil filters and sent the dirty rags to the cleaners. All the while I shuttled goods between the parts department and the shop enough times to finish a 10K race.

When the good work finally started, the pace was so fast I could barely keep up. Rounded nuts, over-torqued bolts, dirty bikes and general junk got in our way, but the service crew pushed through it like it was habit-that's because it was.

In addition to the scheduled repairs, the service department was also greeted with 20-something tire changes, PDIs (pre-delivery inspections on new bikes before they're sold) and a few urgent "I need this fixed right now because I'm riding today" orders.

We even handled a dude who brought in his KTM Super Duke and insisted that we install the pipe off his single-cylinder enduro. When we told him it wouldn't work, he told us to make it happen...

In addition to sportbikes, we also saw plenty of dirtbikes, a few cruisers and a handful of antiques. A great mechanic definitely has to be well rounded to survive here.

While I was busy complaining about the poor condition of the bikes, the mechanics were busy burning through the repairs.

By lunch I was covered in grime and had bloody, busted knuckles. Without help from the true mechanics I might've finished one repair-one.

It was at that point I decided all of this shop work wasn't for me, and at the end of the day I discovered that, ultimately, the more you give the mechanics to work with the better off you'll be. Helpful things like cleaning your bike go a long way. If you take the time to thoroughly scrub it before a service not only does it make the mechanic's life easier, but the chances of unfortunate mishaps like dirt falling into your motor during a valve adjustment are greatly reduced. Furthering that notion, if you've accidentally flubbed something (rounded off or over torqued a nut, for example) don't be embarrassed. Instead, tell the mechanic what to look out for. It'll take him far less time to fix a known problem than trying to find one only you know exists-after all, less time in the shop is more money in your pocket.

A good working relationship with a trustworthy service department is vital to your bike's upkeep. If trust is earned on both sides then both will benefit. Keep your bike clean, don't hold secrets and your conscience will be clear.