Chip nice offer my man!!

 

I'd do it for anybody.

I'm a firm believer in Karma, and if I can pay it forward without distressing my family financially, I can see no reason not to.

I hope he responds....

 

Very nice...Time was that's what these bikes were All About...good to see once & a while

 

Sounds like a plan and thanks for the offer. I'll send a PM!

 

I replied... and I'm up late right now, I'm on days off.

Whatever works for you...

 

Ditto

 

I appreciate the kind words, guys... saw this, and it defines how I feel.



There was an old greybeard biker, 20 year HD mechanic, retired, who had 2 lifts in his shop behind his house in the northwoods of Michigan, ran under an LLC, but didn't advertise his business, just kept a couple bikes on the lifts to, as he put it, "pay for my gas".

I met him through a mutual friend, and he invited me out to change my oil... this was a lot of years ago, and I had my first new Harley, and was still afraid of the "void your warranty" BS... he convinced me to come out. Put my bike on his lift, showed me the ins and outs of following a service manual, and helped me over my fear of Mother MOCO. My dad was a Machinist Mate in the Navy, a mechanic and machine repair tech all his life, so I knew my way around a tool box, but had never ventured into wrenching on my Harleys.

The greybeard told me he spent most Saturdays out in the shop, and come on by any time... he could always use a hand. He said he wouldn't pay me money, but wouldn't charge me for my education either.

I spent quite a few Saturdays wrenching with this guy, drank a couple beers, had some good times,
.....and learned a lot about wrenching bikes, and learned a lot more about myself.

Eventually I had to move out of Michigan, and was sad to lose my mentor. Shortly after I got to Appalachia, I bought my own lift, beefed up my tool collection a bit, and started wrenching on my own stuff, and my new friends stuff, word spread, and through word of mouth, I had 15 or 18 guys that would bring their bikes to me for regular services. At first I tried it for free, but most insisted on paying, the guys that would stay and help, I'd tell them they owed me a beverage, but a lot just wanted to drop it off and come back tomorrow. Most gave me $50 to do their service after they bought oil and supplies.

After a couple years of having a friend or 2 in my garage most Saturdays, my lift paid for itself...

Now that I'm in Texas, working considerably more hours than I was in Hillbilly country, I'm really not interested in building a "customer base" to fund my own oil... but I still have the lift, and any friends that need to use it are free to come on over. I'll lend any hand I can, share my knowledge, limited as it may be....

I still may ask for a beverage, though.

 

Once my new tire is on we can go exploring some of he great roads here.