Well, it's happened. I learned quickly after starting to drive this bike that it drinks a fair bit of oil; I've gone through a litre already in just some weeks. (to be fair, I've been driving it pretty heavily) I've done all the top-ups myself, though I expect to arrange a full oil change soon. I'd actually like to watch, so I can learn to do it myself in future.
I've also done a number of minor adjustments myself - installing accessories like my tank protector (installed under the seat, which had to be removed) and adjusting the mirrors. (As in removing them and reinstalling them with a wrench)
Finally, like a complete drooling moron, I left the key in the bike overnight last weekend and drained the battery. Well, once I got a new battery, I had to add the acid myself. I'd have installed it myself too, except I didn't have a battery charger and the instructions said to charge the battery before use (presumably to allow the battery to attain a true 100% charge) - so we called a pro who ignored all instructions, installed the battery before the acid had been in the battery for 30 minutes, and then jump-started my bike and told me to run it for 30 minutes. (I did. Better than nothing.) I now expect the life expectancy of this battery to be below average - though I should expect nothing less from a guy who makes his living selling batteries!
Anyway, this is all a contrast to my years of driving cars. I hardly ever opened the hood, and wouldn't know how to change a battery or the spark plugs. Hardly ever needed to fill up on oil, so barely knew how. With my bike, I'm quite happy to go at it with a wrench and screwdriver, and it's simple enough that I figure I can see how it all fits together. Cars these days are way too complicated and (arguably) over-engineered; two-stroke air-cooled motorcycles are far simpler, and easier, cheaper, and much more fun to maintain. I smell of motor oil, and I love it.
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