 Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 53
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OP
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Joined: May 2008
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Could anyone suggest a good bike mechanic within an hour or two of the Killeen/Waco area? There is a Triumph dealer in Waco and Austin. Has anyone had any dealings with their service departments? My husband's bike needs to have his carbs cleaned since old gas has sat in it for too long and now the bike is having starting issues. We were quoted (without looking at the bike) $70 an hour and about 4 hrs of work from the Waco dealership. So please let me know if this sounds fair or if anyone else has a mechanic they can suggest. The bike is in the Killeen area, but we could get it to the DFW area if the price is right.
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,500
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,500 |
I have heard very good things about the shop in Waco (The Euro Shop of Waco), but I've never used them personally. They put out a nice custom America a couple of years ago.
I use RPM Cycles (and like them very much), but it's located on the North side of Dallas. The Triumph dealership in Fort Worth has been highly recommended to me, but they are a bit far away for me to use.
I would think any of the shops in your area could handle cleaning the carbs. There isn't anything special about our carbs as far as I know...
Last edited by nuthin; 03/18/2010 1:58 PM.
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW ar
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 10,730 Likes: 6
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 10,730 Likes: 6 |
The cabs are easy enough to work on, you could do it yourself if you wanted to save some money. A can of carb cleaner and a toothbrush will fix you right up.
Always remember to be yourself. Unless you suck. Then pretend to be someone else.
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW ar
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,227 Likes: 62
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 23,227 Likes: 62 |
Quote:
The cabs are easy enough to work on, you could do it yourself if you wanted to save some money. A can of carb cleaner and a toothbrush will fix you right up.
+1 not to mention that quote seems a bit high. Not so much the rate but it wouldn't take me 4 hrs. , 2 maybe.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW ar
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 513 |
Of course a person might first try to drain the carbs and add about 2 ounces of Sea Foam cleaner to a full tank of fresh gas. You will definitely see some improvement. Ask me how I know this. You can pick up a can of Sea Foam from any auto parts store for about 10 bucks or so. If that doesn't resolve your issues then you still have the option to send it to the shop. 
Its more fun to be ridin'! I'm still ridin
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,425
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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I AGREE WITH THE SEA FOAM IDEA!! its easy to drain the carb bowles and add sea foam to the gas.
DONT FORGET TO CHECK THE "HIDDEN FUEL FILTER" UP UNDER THE TANK IT COULD BE GETTING CLOGGED.EASY FIX. I would also install a inline fuel filter. cheep and easy. 4 bucks for a small one and 2 zip ties. a good 5 dollars spent on a lot of protection. (Goes between petcock and gas tank)
Or have your hubby bring the bike to Mineral Wells, and we can try the ideas out and I will work for beer. LOLOLOLOL
the ft worth triumph guys are really cool. trustworty.
Mal: "Y'all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun?{ref, Jayne} Man's lookin' to kill some folk. So really, it's his will y'all should worry about thwarting."
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,500
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Sounds like we need to have a tech day for the Texas folks....
Learning from my mistakes... again and again.
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Quote:
I AGREE WITH THE SEA FOAM IDEA!! its easy to drain the carb bowels and add sea foam to the gas.
+1 Might as well give it a try.
Quote:
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE "HIDDEN FUEL FILTER" UP UNDER THE TANK IT COULD BE GETTING CLOGGED. EASY FIX. I would also install a inline fuel filter. cheep and easy. 4 bucks for a small one and 2 zip ties. a good 5 dollars spent on a lot of protection. (Goes between petcock and gas tank)
The little filter is EXTREMELY prone to vanishing up. Also you might want to rinse the gas out of your old tank.
Huh? Remove the fuel line. Place a hose over the petcock outlet and drain that nasty stuff for use as a weed killer, cocktail, er fuel for the lawnmower if it, at the minimum, smells like gas. Turn the petcock off. Add some fresh gas, say a pint. Now drain that too, except drain it using not the petcock spout but the carb bowls. All the gas out that you can get out? Turn the petcock off. Remove the tank. While holding the tank over something, open the tap and move the tank round to get what you can of the remaining gas. Remove petcock. Set tank on 2x4 so petcock hole is higher than the right side of tank bottom. Add fuel to tank. A pint or so. Place your fat thumb over petcock hole, lift tank and swish. Hold fat thumb over that something to collect fuel and remove fat thumb. How does rinse look? Clean? You decide on re-rinsing. Clean petcock stalks. Replace petcock.
While you have the tank off, get to the hidden fuel filter. Remove it clean it then you decide to replace it or use an in-line aftermarket fuel filter.
Replace tank. Re-connect fuel line. Then bolt stuff up. Add about a gallon or two of fuel/seafoam mix to tank. Turn petcock on. Turn petcock off. Drain carb bowls. Turn petcock on. Turn petcock off. This is your captain we are all going…er. Pop open a brew or several and go to bed. Try starting her in the morning.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,425
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,425 |
just to clearify, after reading about the little thing thats hidden, I went and bought the inline filter. have had one on all my bikes and it has caught a lot of potential headach.
Mal: "Y'all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun?{ref, Jayne} Man's lookin' to kill some folk. So really, it's his will y'all should worry about thwarting."
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 53
Member
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OP
Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 53 |
Thanks for the suggestions!!! I am going to pass them all along to my husband. We have had a lot of issues with the battery (due to lack of use.) He was having issues starting it, so got the battery recharged and he got it running. He put new gas in it (we had drained most of the gas when we had it shipped) and new oil. He had to adjust the choke, but got it running. He rode it for about 30 minutes and it sounded like it was going to die a couple times (I am trying to remember what he told me) but ended up riding fine. We all just figured it needed to go for a long ride to run what ever was left of old fuel out. It rained the next day so it sat. Then on Thursday morning he went to ride it to DFW and it wouldn't start. He went and got a new battery since the old one was suspect, and still wouldn't start. so we are pretty sure it is the old gas/dirty from sitting for so long.
Again, thanks for the info! Lesson learned that if he isn't going to be able to ride for a bit he needs to take a few steps so the gas doesn't get junky, oh and we need to buy a battery tender!!!!
I am going to look and see if there are any posts about how to remove the carbs incase he can't get it started and seafoam running through.
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: Need a mechanic in the Central Texas or DFW area
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1
Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,681 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
Sounds like we need to have a tech day for the Texas folks....
Maybe you could attach a rally to it. You have to admit The Bonnevilleamerica.com "Texas Rally" has somewhat of a ring to it. 
"Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary" Author unknown
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