Yesterday I rode into Vicious Cycle and after looking around for a bit, asked to see the owner. I've been looking for a good motorcycle repair shop. Having decided through the Vanagon experience that it is worth the risk to try and repair many mechanical issues yourself, when you come up against something that you are sure is outside your skill set and tool set, it's good to be friends with an expert.So I shook hands with Joe (owner of Vicious Cycle, pictured above), told him about my prospective trip, asked what it might cost for the shop to go through the bike from front to back, and to notify me of any trip-defying issues. Joe did not seem too excited about the prospect of anyone riding across the country on a 40-year-old motorcycle, and suggested that I should consider something newer. BUT, being unwilling to refuse my enthusiasm, he agreed to tune up the bike at the standard shop charge and produce a laundry list of mechanical problems if there are problems to be found.
Joe struck me as thoughtful, opinionated, and a bit nitpicky, and I guess that's what I'm looking for in a motorcycle-repair friend. I don't want to get 700 miles into a trip only to find that the "good" condition of the machine I'm riding has been inflated. I want to know what all of the potential problems may be so that when the bike breaks down, I have an idea of where to start looking.As we headed into the back of the shop to make the appointment, I noticed Joe had a very nice looking early 70's CB750 sitting in a short line of motorcycles. It's good to know that they have some experience working on my particular machine.
I am starting with a minor list of my own to attend to: cable replacement/routing, clutch handle adjustment, rear shock replacement, new chain, choke/carburetor adjustment, charging issue(?), and a persistent oil leak. It will be interesting to see what Joe will add to the list.
