Why don't tech threads start honestly...

[ddog6900]

Hi my name is a cheap ass. I don't know anything mechanical, don't want to learn, just want you to tell me how to fix my bike without spending any money (or better yet, come over to my house and do it for me). Furthermore, I'm going to ignore any advice you give and probably ask you the same questions a million times in the same thread. If you reference me to search using Google, the manual or even the tech data thread, forget it. I obviously can't read or use a computer. What's more, I can't spell things correctly or use proper grammar, so if by some stroke of luck you can read and understand my page long ramble using incorrect terms and broken English, I probably won't come back anyway to read your response. So let's just cut to the chase, I'm more than likely just going to take the bike to a mechanic, who is only going to make my problem worse then come back begging for help when all I would have needed to do is read your advice in the first place.

Thank you and go yourself ( every tech thread I've ever replied to)

[Jolsen]

I know right.

[YoDude]

Hahaha, yeah, I hear ya there. It can get real frustrating for sure. I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did over on IA. I still had fun trying though.

Yo-

[ddog6900]

Hahaha, yeah, I hear ya there. It can get real frustrating for sure. I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did over on IA. I still had fun trying though.

Yo-

95% of my post count came from tech threads. I only got fed up here lately. I want to just post read the manual, Google is your friend to every single one anymore.

[DMIntruder]

At one time years ago I put a thread together on how to post a tech thread on IA. It detailed all of the questions the forum members would need to know to properly answer questions and provide quick accurate feedback. It never caught on or was put on the tech board, so I figured it wasn't worth it.

Since I have tried to help others but most of my initial posts were filled with the questions needed to be answered FIRST to properly understand the issue; when my post wasn't answered I would just not try to help.

I also prefer to assist folks with issues I personally have experienced and have FIXED. I won't go into the 'here try this next' thing.

[YoDude]

At one time years ago I put a thread together on how to post a tech thread on IA. It detailed all of the questions the forum members would need to know to properly answer questions and provide quick accurate feedback. It never caught on or was put on the tech board, so I figured it wasn't worth it.

Since I have tried to help others but most of my initial posts were filled with the questions needed to be answered FIRST to properly understand the issue; when my post wasn't answered I would just not try to help.

I also prefer to assist folks with issues I personally have experienced and have FIXED. I won't go into the 'here try this next' thing.

Gee, sad. Do that here and it'll probably get pinned.

Yo-

[DMIntruder]

It was more detailed than this, but this is what I hacked out in a few minutes.


Before you post a tech thread asking for help, please help us help you by answering these few simple questions first.

1. What year is your bike?
2. How many miles are on it?
3. How long have you owned it?
4. Are you mechanically inclined, have common tools, and desire to work on your own bike?
5. Has it been modified? Intake or exhaust?
6. What were the last maintenance items you did or had done to the bike?
7. Did the issue you are currently having begin after the last work done on the bike? If so, go back and check all things you did or had done. Chances are the root cause is there.

Pictures are videos if possible are greatly appreciated in helping the forum diagnose your problem. We are not there so trying to describe a sound or item that we cannot see or hear is pointless.

Use this link http://www.partsoutlaw.com/oemparts/c/suzuki/parts to first find the correct part names of things to are describing. Miscommunication due to using the wrong terminology is going to confuse the forum and possibly lead to the wrong diagnosis. Help us help you. Take the time to learn a bit about your bike before diving in and tearing things apart. Download the Service manual and do some causal reading; read the owners manual thoroughly if one came with the bike.

[wj_hurd]

WOW!

Hope I'm not guilty of this offence... I do use the google search tip I was told to use to find things, and I read topics all the way to the end looking for nuggets of information.

I don't want to be a ASKhole.


***wonders about his recent tire post***

[DMIntruder]

WOW!

Hope I'm not guilty of this offence... I do use the google search tip I was told to use to find things, and I read topics all the way to the end looking for nuggets of information.

I don't want to be a ASKhole.


***wonders about his recent tire post***

Most of this is really just common sense. Put yourself in the other position. Someone asks you for help with limited or very obscure details. What is the first thing you will do? Ask questions for more details.... It is just intended to help speed the process of assistance and providing the PROPER answers. Asking for help on a forum is hit or miss anyway especially if it is urgently needed. Think of it like when you call 911. What do they do? Flood you with questions to they can quickly ascertain the issue.

[BlacktopTravelr]

I am simple minded and need help whenever or whereever I can find it. I have and will ask stupid questions from those smarter than me. If this bothers you... sorry. We'l both live another day.

[BlacktopTravelr]

I think 911 got flooded when FB went down. Now that is an emergency facebook is down.

[ddog6900]

WOW!

Hope I'm not guilty of this offence... I do use the google search tip I was told to use to find things, and I read topics all the way to the end looking for nuggets of information.

I don't want to be a ASKhole.


***wonders about his recent tire post***

The post that inspired this.
I answered every question in my first post. Ignored what I typed and asked the same questions again.

[MadCow]

While we can sit around and be all bad ass and act like we are the end-all-be-all for bike tech support, there are many folks who are not technical with their bikes and therefore, seek out help from the guys who do know....why else would they ask?

And since these same people don't know as much as you bad asses obviously do, they probably don't know what information to give because they are unsure as to what is relevant...and I would even venture to say will struggle with describing the problem/symptoms. I mean really, wtf does "how long have you owned the bike" have any thing to do with the mechanical breakdown? While that might be relevant for CERTAIN problems, certainly is not relevant right off the bat. Would you like them to fill out a credit check application while they are there? And asking if they are willing to work on their own bike and have tools or if they are mechanically inclined...also not relevant..why do you think they are asking for help in the first place? Let them decide if they can work on it or if they have to take it to a mechanic.

I mean really...listen to yourselves here.

[DMIntruder]

While we can sit around and be all bad ass and act like we are the end-all-be-all for bike tech support, there are many folks who are not technical with their bikes and therefore, seek out help from the guys who do know....why else would they ask?

And since these same people don't know as much as you bad asses obviously do, they probably don't know what information to give because they are unsure as to what is relevant...and I would even venture to say will struggle with describing the problem/symptoms. I mean really, wtf does "how long have you owned the bike" have any thing to do with the mechanical breakdown? While that might be relevant for CERTAIN problems, certainly is not relevant right off the bat. Would you like them to fill out a credit check application while they are there? And asking if they are willing to work on their own bike and have tools or if they are mechanically inclined...also not relevant..why do you think they are asking for help in the first place? Let them decide if they can work on it or if they have to take it to a mechanic.

I mean really...listen to yourselves here.

In that instance isn't it better that they just take it to a mechanic? Then he can HEAR, SEE, SMELL, FEEL the probelm. Makes perfect sense to me.

[MadCow]

In that instance isn't it better that they just take it to a mechanic? Then he can HEAR, SEE, SMELL, FEEL the probelm. Makes perfect sense to me.

Exactly, why even offer to help, why even bother to have a bike tech section at all then...

I mean really, take a Fukidol pill and just let them languish...who cares right?

[ddog6900]

Fixed the original link.

http://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/index ... cID=245854

MadCow, I get where you're coming from, but this is just getting progressively worse. Read most of my tech responses. I'm probably the most patient long time poster. The ridiculousness of these new people asking for advice, it's unparalleled. They completely ignore what you post, and ask the same question again and again. With the right info, like DM stated, I can usually get the problem right off the bat. If I need more info, I ask. When I came to IA, I had a heavy car background, Googled and found all the info i needed.

On the flip side, I'm the first one to give walkthroughs or even come help you out if you're close enough to me. That isn't what they want. They want a free mechanic to come them, do it for them, and be on their merry way. Or, they want to ask the same question over and over until they get the answer they want. You can't have it your way, this isn't Burger King. I volunteer my time, if your ears are open. I'll help if you show me you want to listen and learn. If not, you're on your own, and I'll just tell you what you want to hear.

[MadCow]

Fixed the original link.

http://www.intruderalert.com/cafe/index ... cID=245854

MadCow, I get where you're coming from, but this is just getting progressively worse. Read most of my tech responses. I'm probably the most patient long time poster. The ridiculousness of these new people asking for advice, it's unparalleled. They completely ignore what you post, and ask the same question again and again. With the right info, like DM stated, I can usually get the problem right off the bat. If I need more info, I ask. When I came to IA, I had a heavy car background, Googled and found all the info i needed.

On the flip side, I'm the first one to give walkthroughs or even come help you out if you're close enough to me. That isn't what they want. They want a free mechanic to come them, do it for them, and be on their merry way. Or, they want to ask the same question over and over until they get the answer they want. You can't have it your way, this isn't Burger King. I volunteer my time, if your ears are open. I'll help if you show me you want to listen and learn. If not, you're on your own, and I'll just tell you what you want to hear.

I understand the frustration of trying to help, believe me, years of Tier 3 and 4 tech support in the IT community has taught me that people sometimes haven't a clue and I wonder how they can even get dressed in the morning. But...they reason people come to me is because they know that I know something that they don't know..I'm the expert in their eyes...I don't expect them to be. And they can take my advice and rol it and smoke if they so desire...I can only lead them to the water...my job is done.

Think of it as good customer service...have a lot of patience with them and they will keep coming back..and deep down inside, that's what we all crave....admit it. We like being the "goto" guys...even if it means we bang our heads on the walls repeatedly over some noob without a clue.

[MadCow]

General triage questions are important, especially if the OP asks a vague question. Other times, the questions can confuse the matter. It all depends.

Keith I completely agree...when someone asks me a vague question...I usually respond with a series of questions that I chose to help me help them. Asking this information up front BEFORE you are willing to help them is silly...which is what it sounds like ya'll are proposing.

If you REALLY need all of those questions answered, have a "HELP ME" button/menu option in tech support where someone can submit a help request, you can use that to display them a preconfigured form with fields to fill out...then click submit. Of course, this will only work if there are moderators to review/approve the submission. There are plugins that I am sure are set up to do that...

[BlacktopTravelr]

We need a tech board for people like me that understand how our bikes work but when it doesn't I need to ask for help and see if I can fix it or take it to someone that knows more than I do. My bike is over 10 yrs old so the dealer won't work on it. I try to understand what is said but some times it just doesn't sink into my head right and I have to ask it again hoping for an answer that makes sense. It took me 4 times as long as it should have to do the 1400 swap because I didn't understand why the 1400 spacer didn't work on my 800 and it did for other people. I'm sure the people helping me got tired of all the emails and pm's I sent, but I just couldn't see what they were saying. Heck, I'm still confused as to whether my spacer is put in right or not. Since it runs ok I don't worry about it.

[YoDude]

Most of you probably know, I can often get a bit wordy when I'm trying to help someone. I do this in hopes that my explanations of things will help them understand why I want them to do or try something. I tend to pick things apart and that's because if you don't, it's like a can full of variables you have to sift through to get to the meat of the problem.

There were a couple real good carb sync threads going on IA (that I'm quite sure are now gone because of the IA crash) that I spent weeks or longer on trying to help the guys. They paid attention at least and tried the things I offered and sometimes you can only do it my trial and error. During that time, I was helping them to eliminate the variables to help get them closer to something that would at least make their bikes ride-able.

I had the pleasure of meeting with one of them and helped him out as best I could. I got his bike ride-able, but it still wasn't quite right. Turns out he still had carb issues going on with his rear carb, even though he had, 'gone through' them.

Thing is, I stuck with it, once I jumped in.

Yo-