| Author | Message | ||
     Froggy |
Ok, stupid question for you all. I was born in 1986, and have been online since the early 90s, even before AOL existed and when people actually used their real names instead of handles. Anyway, the world has changed in the last 15 years or so, and there are many things in life that I honestly do not understand. One thing that I was questioning was how did you interact and troubleshoot issues back in the day? Today we have Badweb. Got a squeak coming from the rear? Post about it and in a few hours you should be back on the way with everything fixed. The only thing I can think of is you would call your buddy with the same bike. His wheel might have squeaked last year, and can tell you to refill the blinker fluid. What if he never had the issue? Who do you call? What do you do? What if you needed parts? How would you locate rare stuff like a Race ECM for a 2003 XB9? There are no eBay or Froogle searches. I would assume you would have to scan mail order catalogues or even worse, go to a store, and then just end up disappointed and wasting time. I know I would not be able to function without the internet; it has become a vital part of my life. That is why I thank Al Gore for inventing it along with global warming. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
go down to the local aftermarket bike shop and/or go to the next swap meet to find stuff or info. still go to websters swap meet that comes around once a month every once and a while. usually a lot of junk but every once in a while you come across something. | ||
| Spiderman |
That is why I thank Al Gore for inventing it along with global warming. HEY! That's my line  | ||
| Fast1075 |
Aw, it wasn't THAT bad Froggy...just everything was analog...magazines had actual tech articles instead of all adverts with a smattering of fluff...(one I still have from the early 70's has a very complete article on how to design expansion chambers from scratch) one used actual manuals...phone tech was not hard...most of the time...the dealership had the trusty microfiche...and a parts guy willing to use it...and like today, enthusiasts came together and had discussions...granted it wasn't instantaneous like the modern internet...but it was in many ways...better....if nothing else, it forced you to use the old think-gizzard and come up with stuff on your own..that you could wow and amaze your friends with later. | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
Back in the day before internet, they used magazines. | ||
| Darthane |
1986? Jesus, I'm old. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
I know I would not be able to function without the internet WRONG! I hope | ||
| Hootowl |
There used to be a thing called a dial up BBS (before Al Gore ruined it by linking disparate networks around the word with an ingenious new protocol - TCP/IP). I was part of a board called "Wet Leather Bikers" based in Seattle. In fact, it was my attempt to find them online several years ago after I moved to TX that lead me to Bad Weather Bikers, which itself started out as a mailing list. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Back in the day you didn't know you had issues till they occurred. Nor did you take on board stranger's. | ||
| Ted |
join a club. so maybe you'd go to monthly Buell club meeting, have a few beers & discuss 'stuff | ||
| Gunut75 |
Yeah, geeeez Frog! When you were born, I was about to graduate grade school, and just gettin interested in chicks!!!..........................LOOK AT ME NOW!!!!!!!!! I'm a mess! Just kidding. The local library was my internet. We just had to find a way to get info otherwise. A lot less info then, or just harder to find. | ||
| Hmartin |
Back in the day you either (a) started replacing parts one by one or (b) you just put up with the squeak/clunk until you couldn't ignore it anymore (or until something broke or caught fire). Being of meager means at the time, it was usually option 'b'. | ||
| Hex |
Back in the day, we made our own mistakes, things just took a little longer to fix (thrice) sometimes! Back in the day I lived in a large city, there were many like minded peps to ask questions to, now some of us are connected to an even larger city (the internet). Ever wonder why I acquired a machine shop over twenty five years of tool collecting? I needed it. Now I can make anything I want from scratch (plus materials). Including inventing the best carbon-fiber fly-fishing rod in the world. | ||
| Ulynut |
Like Fast1075 said, most things I just figured out myself. If I needed info, or help, my old buddy around the corner knew what to do. If he wasn't around, the last resort was the biker bar down the block. As far as parts... magazines, dealerships, buddies, or the local biker hangouts. Badweb does make it easier. | ||
| Etennuly |
You are talking about the days when phones were connected to the wall by a cord, if your family was doing well they had the 15' curly long cord in a color that matched the room. People actually did things. Went places met people. No video games and such at home. If you wanted to play Pac-Man or Pong you had to go to a local bar and put up your quarter. As far as bikes go the owners manual was supplemented by the service manual. Those changing stuff from stock usually bought things from another brand of bike and made it fit. GPS did not do well with no positioning satellites. If you wanted to go anywhere you read and understand a map. Parts came from wholesale accumulators like JCWhitney and whatever selection they had. Other than that you would buy a magazine, not only for how to articles, but for the advertisements in the back pages. Mail ordering was often questionable if you reached out too far. There was no credit card over the phone(at least no one in my neighborhood had one). You would fill out an order blank then mail it along with a check and wait two to eight weeks for delivery. Along with that was no way to check on your order, if you were lucky they would know if it had been shipped. The canceled check often would get back from the bank before the package would arrive. Most dealers would have a long time mechanic and parts guy. The mechanic usually was around for any group rides in the area, they would always help with problems if you were with them, most wouldn't even talk on the phone, and if you saw him at work for a question, be prepared to pay for the answer. Parts guys usually could tell you the part number of anything you needed before he would get to the book, as he had to write the numbers on the order form you didn't send. The small community I lived in was much like BadWeB. Many of us were involved in race cars. Every occupation was covered, everyone was a specialist who shared with everyone else who in turn learned enough to get along if no one else was around. Network = friends.....worked pretty damn good! Thirty years after leaving the area they are still friends who would do anything at the drop of a hat to help you. Also called "Good People". | ||
| Aldaytona |
That's an easy question. BMWs and Harley-Davidsons. Not much to break, even less to troubleshoot. Simplicity at its best. I have one of each still that I bought new that are older than Froggy. They are daily riders. As much as I love the quick access of the internet, it isn't as much fun as when one of your riding buddies comes over and brainstorms with you over a cold malted beverage or two.  AirHeads and ShovelHeads forever! | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Got a squeak coming from the rear? I was born in '81. That answer is easy. You have gas! Stop eatting the beans... I often too think about this. How did anyone ever get things done as quickly as it's done now? | ||
| Glitch |
Back in the day I listened to the Old Timers. Issues with Electronic Ignition, or Fuel Injection were non-existent. Experimentation was the rule of the day. If it squeaked you oiled it. If it smelled of gas you leaned it out, if you were burning plugs, you made it more rich. Times were much more simple. Before AOL, anyone here remember Q-Link? Before Q-Link, anyone here ever been a member of a real BBS (Wildcat anyone!)? | ||
| Odie |
I love my Shovelhead.... | ||
| Moxnix |
1986? Good grief, my Italian racing boots are older than you. And my Belstaff waxed cotton bad weather set is waaaaay older than you. Bikes came with a decent tool kit for most on-the-road problems or the odd tune up. Complete with little tire irons . I toured a lot, so always had at least one flat twin (BMW). We had old time dealers with the owner's wife or daughter behind the parts counter, and knowledgeable. Clymer's manuals. And one just developed a "native intelligence" on how to fix things. Or there was always someone to ask. Or the bike didn't get ridden. I was chatting with an old friend about putting together KR bottom ends on the kitchen table just last week. In the year you were born I had a Commodore 164 computer for word processing and all the nonsense available in the stone age. My first laptop operated by rubbing two sticks together. I wouldn't go back for nuthin'. Well, maybe to regain my youth. I'll even trade this wisdom of age straight across. | ||
| Dbird29 |
"One thing that I was questioning was how did you interact and troubleshoot issues back in the day? " If you didn't find the answer at the dealer or a friend you just parked the vehicle at the farm under a tree. BTW I have T-shirts older than Froggy. | ||
| Wheelybueller |
WOW....we would hang out and socialize just like today,But with smaller more local groups. Networking at its purest. | ||
| Etennuly |
Yeah, it was when a 'neighborhood' meant something beyond where the house is parked. People were out enjoying there homes and neighbors instead of hiding in a back room with a 'puter and cyber friends. This is where BadWeB goes above and beyond. Make it to a Buell event or to to see what I mean. Many have described it as a family reunion where you just haven't met everyone yet. | ||
| Blake |
Danger Man, "Back in the day you didn't know you had issues till they occurred." Lucky for you we're here to advise that you do indeed have "issues." Just like the rest of us moto-heads.  | ||
| Just_ziptab |
"Back in the day"......shop manuals,dealer dudes and magazine/magazine ads for catalogs. Poured thru the info and then order by mail....just sent a check with the order.No such thing as a credit card. I've made a lot of cool shit,sans the Internet. It's only quicker now with the Internet ........ just one way UPS or mail destination time. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Mmmmmmmm. Chiltons. I was able to field strip my VW Bug. I worked in a computer lab in college in 1990 when they installed the first Windows program. I remember thinking "who the hell needs to have more than one program running at one time". 1986? Mmmmmm. Jennifer. I loved the band bus. | ||
| M2statz |
I used the library and the "old fart next door" who knew just about everything about everything and of course my "old man" and my grandpa. Lets see 1986...gotta love the collage days! We had this bo...um sorry Froggy dont want to hijack the thread. May a story for another time! | ||
| Leftcoastal |
We carried tools. Lots of tools. We carried parts. Lots of parts. We couldn't hear any squeaks over the straight pipes and noisy top end. It would probably just squeak til it broke, then ya knew what it was. You could time a Pan, Knucklehead or Shovel with the cellophane from a pack of smokes. Sometimes you pushed it to the nearest phone booth and called for tools, parts, or someone to help push. I'm thinkin' this all might have been a bit prior to "back in the day". Al | ||
| Swampy |
86? Native intelligence. I still had cars with carburetors. Some cars still had mechanical cables to operate the heater controls. It was still common to remove cylinder heads in the driveway. The only car engines with overhead cams were Japanese, European, or the Ford SOHC 427 | ||
| Delta_one |
back in the day things were easy to fix go online to figure how to re map your ecu and where to add fuel to the data graph and how to pulse the fuel injectors and data log it all so... on and on and on I learned to ride on a motorcycle that my dad made me tear apart and re build just as his dad made him, what you didn't learn from that you would ask about when it gave you trouble. learn from those who have experienced it. less parts on the bike meant less things to fail as electronics have flooded our motorcycles it has simultaneously created a dependence on other electronics in our lives. now bikes have thousands more parts so there are thousands more things to go wrong. (even more if you count all the things that can go wrong in the ECM its hard to have experience in all of them, so you need a network of individuals not just on or two (in my case my dad and granddad) just my .02 |
