This what some folk pay good money for

[WD Forte]

Whilst repairing, servicing and tarting up the wee SH125 I removed the
Spy 5000 alarm supplied and fitted by WWS motorcycles for the
previous owner.
The remotes had long been lost and I decided it was best out of the way and if the next
owner wants an alarm they'll have a clear deck with no redundant wiring cluttering the
thing up.

There are various ways to plumb in an alarm and I wondered what I'd find
Scotchloks, crimps, solder, terminal blocks etc?
Nope, WWS motorcycles in Bristol had done their usual shabby work
and just twisted wires together and wrapped some tape over it all.
I'm told this cost him 3 times the value of the actual alarm itself

These are get you home bodges not in any way what you'd expect when you pay for a 'professional' installation.
I've done similar in an emergency and conciously bodged things for testing/experimenting
but not even a blob of solder on these permanent joints indicates their standard of work.


Main power take off

https://imgur.com/2YfzOX6.jpg

Link to remote starting

https://imgur.com/W1CnwQe.jpg


Side stand switch, more cut, twist and tape

https://imgur.com/Dd23nwP.jpg
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bikers smell of wee

[stinkwheel]

I had similar from MotoCal in Edinburgh when they were still on the go. They fitted an immobiliser to my brand new MZ. Only the second (and last) new bike I ever bought. After about 18 months it started occasionally misfiring or cutting out, culminating in it conking out entirely one hogmanay with no spark. After two days of searching and testing all the ignition componants on the pavement outside my brothers house, I eventually found a bit of PVC tape on one of the CDI wires which had no business being there. It had been cut then twisted back together and wrapped in tape. I can only assume they had been going to route it through the immobaliser then changed their mind (it would have been a good one, rendered the bike immobile).

This is one of several reasons why I have trust issues with motorcycle dealers and mechanics.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[pdg]

To be fair, twist'n'tape is a more reliable and long lasting connection than scotchloks (blue guillotine of death).

In order of preference for a repair or accessory fitment, weighted for ease and need of rectification, worst first:

Scotchlok/wire nuts - tied position.

Just tape.

Twist and tape.

Insulated crimps.

Solder and heat shrink (standard or adhesive lined)

Correctly sized bare crimps with adhesive lined heat shrink.

Replacement run of cable.



A friend was having indicator issues after a "repair" on an alarm installation on an FJ (iirc) - a smattering of scotchloks, a couple of wire nuts, a crossed connection or two - unfortunately I can't name the 'electrical specialist ' who did the work because I don't know it but there was certainly something special about him... Some people shouldn't be allowed tools, let alone be allowed to charge for using them...
____________________
Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[MCN]

[sickpup]

Is WWS the place that deals with all the Deliveroo drivers?

[struan80]

Scary stuff. It's difficult to get someone to trust. Thankfully my go to for bike issues is very professional Not cheap though. I would be lying if I said I hadn't done a splice by twisting the wires and a bit of electrical tape. Things were so much better back then. I used to be good at tinning.

[WD Forte]

[pdg]

At some point does it not become simply more economical to learn how to fix some stuff yourself, even if it means paying to take a course?

I just can't quite wrap my head around someone buying what is essentially an old shitter and then paying 50-100 an hour to have relatively simple jobs done, and oftentimes done badly. Not that it's an example of bad work, but the 50 my son just bought came with a receipt for having the indicators replaced - £10 for a set of mini indicators plus £79 to undo and then do up 4 nuts and 8 bullet connectors (I suppose I should be almost thankful they did actually use the connectors) - oh, and they would've had to unclip the seat too.

Maybe I'm just getting tight in my old age...
____________________
Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[struan80]

[MCN]

[stinkwheel]

[MCN]

[pdg]

I'm in no way saying that everyone should be an expert in everything, but...

Having at least an inkling of what's involved may just give you a fighting chance.

I need a roof, the roof I have leaks. Because I'm pedantic I know exactly why it's leaking and how to remedy the situation, but like buggery am I getting up a ladder - so I'm getting a man in to fix it. Because I've taken the time to do a little learning, I'm far less likely to be in the situation where some pikey charges me twenty grand to whack some silicone around a tile...

By changing the details slightly, that example could be used for many other scenarios.

Also, there are situations where it really is more economically viable to get things done for you - I charge more per hour than the majority of my customers earn themselves, but because I can do it faster and better than they can it works out in their favour (they give me say 2 hours of their earnings for an hour of my work, the same thing might take them 4 hours and be worse at the end). It may not be that I'm fantastic, but I have a practiced efficiency.

So, should everyone who operates a motor vehicle be able to rebuild an engine? Well no, if course not - but they should at least be capable of pumping up tyres, checking oil and maybe changing a bulb. They are of course free to choose to pay someone to do those things too, but they have no justification to complain about the price and they should also be able to spot when it's properly shoddy work.



(Oh, and yes I have analysed my pension - in a previous life I was a web publisher for a pension company and I did a bit of proof reading too, so I had an education through osmosis... For me, a specific type of pension plan works out better than life insurance/assurance and in the event of my demise there will be sufficient funds to cover setting me on fire, paying for at least 3 people to get mildly tipsy, and planting a tree.)
____________________
Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[A100man]

[MCN]

[pdg]

[MCN]

[pdg]

[A100man]

[pdg]

[blurredman]

https://i.giphy.com/4LRkCWLi2MKOc.webp
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 17k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 38k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 49k.