STN's Pool of Knowledge for Women Riders

[Mrs. DantesDame]

FOUR days?? FIVE days? *sob* I go a full seven days no matter what. If I had the time to recuperate this winter, I'd have the plumbing yanked out entirely.

I've always known that I've been fortunate with my three days. And with the regularity of The Pill, I can count on Tuesday - Thursday, leaving my weekends "free" year 'round  

[jadziadax8]

FOUR days?? FIVE days? *sob* I go a full seven days no matter what. If I had the time to recuperate this winter, I'd have the plumbing yanked out entirely.

I found that once I started exercising regularly, my periods went down from 7 to 4-5 days.  The treadmill is good for many things.

[Weaselette]

I found that once I started exercising regularly, my periods went down from 7 to 4-5 days.  The treadmill is good for many things.

Dammit!! Don't tell me that exercise is good for THAT too? I've done my best to avoid it as much as possible.

[jadziadax8]

Dammit!! Don't tell me that exercise is good for THAT too? I've done my best to avoid it as much as possible.

 

Yup, sorry.

[ReynoldsFH439]

 

I've always known that I've been fortunate with my three days. And with the regularity of The Pill, I can count on Tuesday - Thursday, leaving my weekends "free" year 'round  

Yeah... I am fortunately pretty regular on my own.  I was on the pill for awhile but OSVS made me get off because of the depression it caused.  I've always had some level of it, so I didn't really notice.  I guess now that I'm off I see the difference.  I certainly don't feel my best the week of my period anymore...

[Ears]

 I've always known that I've been fortunate with my three days. And with the regularity of The Pill, I can count on Tuesday - Thursday, leaving my weekends "free" year 'round  

I've got to say it..... No one else has....

I just go with the flow.  

While I don't have a short 3 day, my fade-in, 6 day, fade out has always been consistent.

[Weaselette]

I've got to say it..... No one else has....

I just go with the flow

Aiieeeeeeeeeee!   No fade in here, more like BLAMMM the dam burst.

[TripleA]

  I'm sort of shocked at how this "STN's Pool of Knowledge for Woman Riders" turned into a discussion about aunt flo.   Strange... anyway... It will definitely keep the men out, that's for sure.  

I have a question for you though.  Do any of you work on your own bike?  And if so, how did you learn how to do it?  I'm good at checking my air pressures, and checking the oil level, but I would like to learn more about my bike and be able to fix anything should the need arise (i.e oil changes, tire changes, brakes, etc).  I'm not much of a grease monkey, but I'm not afraid of getting dirty (I'm a geologist and play in dirt).  Did you guys take classes?  Did you learn from someone, husband, SO, etc?    I'm asking too, because I own a BMW, and the nearest BMW shop for motorcycles is a good hour and half away!  

Thanks in advance!

[cultureslayer]

  I'm sort of shocked at how this "STN's Pool of Knowledge for Woman Riders" turned into a discussion about aunt flo.   Strange... anyway... It will definitely keep the men out, that's for sure.  

I have a question for you though.  Do any of you work on your own bike?  And if so, how did you learn how to do it?  I'm good at checking my air pressures, and checking the oil level, but I would like to learn more about my bike and be able to fix anything should the need arise (i.e oil changes, tire changes, brakes, etc).  I'm not much of a grease monkey, but I'm not afraid of getting dirty (I'm a geologist and play in dirt).  Did you guys take classes?  Did you learn from someone, husband, SO, etc?    I'm asking too, because I own a BMW, and the nearest BMW shop for motorcycles is a good hour and half away!  

Thanks in advance!

My father  taught me some basic stuff (mostly as a way to keep it apart and me off of it  ) and I learned the rest from my boyfriend, bike specific forums (ninja250.net) or the shop manual.  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

   I have a question for you though.  Do any of you work on your own bike?  And if so, how did you learn how to do it?  I'm good at checking my air pressures, and checking the oil level, but I would like to learn more about my bike and be able to fix anything should the need arise (i.e oil changes, tire changes, brakes, etc).  I'm not much of a grease monkey, but I'm not afraid of getting dirty (I'm a geologist and play in dirt).  Did you guys take classes?  Did you learn from someone, husband, SO, etc?    I'm asking too, because I own a BMW, and the nearest BMW shop for motorcycles is a good hour and half away!  

I work on my own bike as little as I have to (I'm in the middle of switching out tires on the KLR right now; needed a break from the heat). I "learned" by inviting knowledgeable friends over the "help". I try to pay attention to what they're doing, and some friends are more adept at explaining what they're doing and why. Usually it takes a couple of visits before I'm comfortable doing it on my own (especially for something like a valve-check on the KLR; even now I'm not too keen to tackle it alone).

I didn't notice which BMW you have, but if it's an R series, those are dead-easy to do work on! I can check/adjust the valves on the GS in less than an hour, and that includes messing around with the crash bars that are in the way. And oil changes are a snap on just about any unfaired bike  

Best route, IMO, is to have someone show you once and then you do it next time while they watch. Hands on is the only way to go for me.

[Weaselette]

All righty, back to bikes, ever so much more fun. I don't work on mine, mainly because I don't want to invalidate the warranty. I'd like to learn, though, if an opportunity presents itself when I have the time-- basic all 'round wrenching. 'Course then my husband would want me to do HIS too, he hates mechanics.

[LicketySplat]

I enjoy working with my hands, so I was messing around with my first bike before I really knew what I was doing  

Then I married an ex-motorcycle mechanic with a full Snap-On tool chest   Sometimes he'd rather do something himself than spend the patience to teach me - but I insist.

[jadziadax8]

I have a question for you though.  Do any of you work on your own bike?  And if so, how did you learn how to do it?  I'm good at checking my air pressures, and checking the oil level, but I would like to learn more about my bike and be able to fix anything should the need arise (i.e oil changes, tire changes, brakes, etc).  I'm not much of a grease monkey, but I'm not afraid of getting dirty (I'm a geologist and play in dirt).  Did you guys take classes?  Did you learn from someone, husband, SO, etc?    I'm asking too, because I own a BMW, and the nearest BMW shop for motorcycles is a good hour and half away!  

Thanks in advance!

Mostly, my husband and I are learning how to do bike repairs on our own.  There's a guy up in Zion (Denny, AKA Seeker) who does repairs out of his garage.  He's awesome because he'll let you watch what he does, and taught us how to do valve adjusts, change tires, etc.  He even sold us his old tire changer for $10 when he bought his new NoMar one.  Bomber has also been generous with access to the Entropy Lab (ask him about the monkey!) and even gave us his old repair bench.  Other than that, we go to model specific forums and get the instructions for how to do whatever we want.  Oil changes are simple, as long as you have a pan and a filter wrench (both can be had at AutoZone).  In fact, I'm changing my oil tomorrow, so if you want to come over from Winfield, I'd be happy to show you how it's done.  PM me.  I'm in Glendale Heights.

P.S.  What do you do as a geologist?  Teach at CoD?  Work in industry?  I teach physics in the physical science department at Harper College, which incorporates physics, geology, astronomy, and physical science.  We're always looking for good adjuncts if you've got an M.S.

[jsanford]

A local community college offered a ten-night basic mainteance course.  It was a great class--really de-mystified the bike.

So now I read instructions and learn from others' experience on the 'net and ask questions, even from my mechanic.  I don't start anything without understanding (or believing I understand) what I'm doing.

[TripleA]

P.S.  What do you do as a geologist?  Teach at CoD?  Work in industry?  I teach physics in the physical science department at Harper College, which incorporates physics, geology, astronomy, and physical science.  We're always looking for good adjuncts if you've got an M.S.

In the state of Illinois, there is not much 'geology' to be done.   I am an environmental consultant and assist property owners in cleaning up their contaminated sites (i.e. leaking gas stations, etc) according to Illinois EPA regulations by conducting soil and groundwater surveys to determine contaminant transport.    It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

[bluepoof]

I don't work on mine, mainly because I don't want to invalidate the warranty.

Aha! Thanks to the Magnusson-Moss Act , working on your own bike won't affect the warranty. Wrench away with impunity!

Oh, and as for the original question, I do all the work on Peter's and my bikes.  I learned from the service manuals, online resources, and lots of trial and error.

[lionlady]

 I have a question for you though.  Do any of you work on your own bike?  And if so, how did you learn how to do it?  I'm good at checking my air pressures, and checking the oil level, but I would like to learn more about my bike and be able to fix anything should the need arise (i.e oil changes, tire changes, brakes, etc).  I'm not much of a grease monkey, but I'm not afraid of getting dirty (I'm a geologist and play in dirt).  Did you guys take classes?  Did you learn from someone, husband, SO, etc?    I'm asking too, because I own a BMW, and the nearest BMW shop for motorcycles is a good hour and half away!  

Thanks in advance!

I learned at Tech Days held at fellow BMW club members' homes.   I attended one or two first, just to watch and socialize. Then, I showed up and did my own 12K service, with guidance from several knowledgeable fellows. That was a cool feeling!!

Since the boxer engine is such an easy thing to get into, I'm not surprised that private Tech Days seem to be mostly a BMW rider thing.

P

[jadziadax8]

New topic: what's the best "OMG! It's a girl on a bike!" moment?

Mine came tonight.  I headed over to Oberweis dairy to pick up my free quart of ice cream (thanks Heartland Blood Center!).  I pulled into a free spot, and a woman in the car in the next spot, who was talking on her cell phone, yells out her window that I have a nice bike.  I say thanks, and she says "OMG you're a girl!  You go girl!"  I got a good laugh out of that one.

[ReynoldsFH439]

New topic: what's the best "OMG! It's a girl on a bike!" moment?

Mine came tonight.  I headed over to Oberweis dairy to pick up my free quart of ice cream (thanks Heartland Blood Center!).  I pulled into a free spot, and a woman in the car in the next spot, who was talking on her cell phone, yells out her window that I have a nice bike.  I say thanks, and she says "OMG you're a girl!  You go girl!"  I got a good laugh out of that one.

It's not quite the same, but when I went to the DMV to take my written test and get my permit, a guy in the line next to me asked "Ah! So you're going to be a motorcycle mama?" in a good-natured sort of way.

[mrwog]

I have been much more fortunate finding women's sized gear in the last two years.  The industry is finally figuring out we have bucks to spend and more women are riding.  

Hello Barb...Mr. Wog here
Taking some time off the ZRX forum eh.
Welcome Malady
Paul