What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

I am seeing plenty of so called advice round here that is poor.

Time to rain in the enthusiastic amateurs again.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Remind us what requirements had to be met to be BASAT approved?

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Attachment 6815



:dwarf:

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

For those of you who werent on the forum the first time round or have forgotten... BASAT stands for :

BigApe Sound Advice Theory

SOTDSAT doesnt have the same ring to it does it...

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

You mean drywall screws AREN'T a good puncture repair option?!

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

oh ffs chris i've just put some under my rear seat in case of emergencies

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

only if you use ptfe tape to keep it air tight ;):D

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Thats the stuff in those kinky films, right?

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Poor? You're a very generous man Mr Wilky.

Most of it is nowhere as good as 'poor'.

Being anything like right would be a great start.

Discussion is good, dissemination of information is what a forum is for obviously, repeating other people's knowledge while not understanding it fully and in the wrong place doesn't help - this happens too often.

Fizz: Did it not mean 'Big Ape Sound Advice Test'? As in; information supplied should be able to pass a reasonable test of its validity.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

What was the worst ?

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

tim saying i could ride a bike

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Despite starting to type an answer. I have decided not to name and shame.

However, It is my personal opinion, that if somebody asks for help/advice only those properly qualified to answer should. Opinions do not help.

I am no expert. however, I am by profession a Mechanical Engineer, by training an Automotive Engineer. I was a research and development engineer specialising in vehicle performance and durability. I additionally worked for a number of race teams on preparation of Chevron B19/21/26 and for formula Ford/Atlantic/5000 etc. and as such judge myself competent to understand most concepts and to advise on some.

I would however hope that I am wise enough to know the limits of my knowledge and would not pretend to give authorative advice whilst talking out my derrière.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Ah go on go on go on go on, lol.

Nah I didn`t mean name and shame, I just meant in general over the years.

For instance, I was told by someone who took their car to a garage to get serviced, that when they asked to get the steering checked as it seemed a bit heavy, the "mechanic" simply put 60psi in the tyres. Instant power steering.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

One of best on here was guy who took his bike to get a new chain, and they drilled holes in sideplate of rivet link bigger to make it easy to fit

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

I am not referring to the sillies other people/places have done. But about forum members who advise other member to do something wrong/unnecessary etc. Those who have the ability to make a diagnosis on partial information and present themselves as being authoritative. how many on here have told others that their R/R is screwed before full checks have been complete etc.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Got a fair bit of competition for repeating a method of removing the fork internal recently. That didnt go down too well, I wont name an shame the person who initially offered me the information. Just proves the point squid made above, it shouldnt be repeated if its not understood.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Think this is fair enough. I'm a very amateur bike mechanic, but I can tell somebody how to change a shock or fork springs, or replace most of the bodywork, or fit a relay, or carry out a service, etc, etc. All the things I have done myself, and I think that's a fair test. But no way could I advise someone on how to check valve clearances, I'd take it to a dealer for that myself.

Or if somebody posts up "rear light flickering on and off", I can tell them to check the block connector under the pillion seat as it corrodes, because that happened to me, but ask me anything remotely complicated about electrics and I'll run away ;)

The forum is a useful source of SV information because there are so many owners on here with experience of their own bikes. A spanner monkey who works on all different makes and model probably actually knows less about the common faults on a particular make/model, than a collective group of that bikes owners. The reason the spanner monkeys on here know so much about SV's is because they've owned them, and through this forum read a lot about other owners experiences and serviced a lot of other owners bikes.

At the end of the day everybody knows they are reading advice on a forum, and unless your a gullible muppet you don't act on that advice unless you trust the member posting it, or you have had a page of answers that give a common theme.

Re-posting information can be useful when a newbie joins and fails with the search feature too, so long as it's nothing complicated and something that is very common knowledge and you absolutely know it to be correct. For instance 3 or 4 06 plate bikes in SV Ecosse have suffered coil failures. Almost every long serving SV Ecosse member would be able to answer "check your coil" if a newbie signed up and complained of a sudden loss of one cylinder, in dry conditions, checked the HT leads, etc, etc.

IMO it's all about self regulation and honesty, only post it if you've done it yourself, or if its a newbie asking a really common question that you absolutely know the answer to be correct. The issue arises when somebody is desperate to appear knowledgeable (for some strange reason because what value is kudos when it's only attached to a faceless forum username).

The forum would loose it's knowledge base and usefulness if only certain people were deemed qualified to answer. I often come in from the garage to do a search or post a question, and one of the things I love about this site is how quickly you get a response. I posted a question about sprocket bolts yesterday on two forums at 4pm ish. The first response on the other forum was in the early hours of this morning, and it was a different opinion to every other response given since, but the same question posted on this forum was discussed by 5 people including Sid and YC and a conclusion reached by 11pm.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

OK, the other forum was actually 6pm ish. I have just posted on the other forum, a thanks for everyone's replies, and an explanation that I am going to obtain and use the OEM studs, not try and find new alternative hi-tensile bolts.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...046#post287657

I have reposted this information from YC as an explanation of why I have made that decision

It is something new I have learned, I've explained that it's info that somebody else has given me from another forum, and I trust the source, so I see no harm in posting it on the other forum as an explanation of why I am sticking with studs rather than bolts. Now anybody else who reads that thread can now learn as I have done why the manufacturer used a stud not a bolt. There can be no harm in that. Reposting is not always a bad thing, so long as you 100% trust what you are posting to be authoritative. That's why I think we shouldn't need hard and fast rules, just a bit of self regulation.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

If you've done a job yourself you're qualified to comment on your experience of doing it. Bits of paper mean F all.
Repeating 3rd hand information your cousin heard down the pub is a no-no.


Sids reasoning for using shouldered studs was more valid than my in that case

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

By all means having done the job, of course you are qualified to offer your opinion.

However, there are many ways to skin a cat. Who is to say you have used the correct method.

My favourite gripe is the misuse of WD40 as a penetrating oil. Despite many saying it is a water dispersant, people will still argue that it still has a lubricating quality. Maybe, but nowhere near as good as actually using plusgas etc.

I don't want this to be a rant/gripe whatever. Just can we please check our facts before telling others how to do something.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

If somebody gives advice which they heard somewhere/read from unknown source without being able to back it up with logic or experience then they had best get ready for an e-shoeing unless they add the caveat that they don't really know.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

how exactly are people meant to submit said experience?

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

lol, i might put a disclaimer in my sig.
"Any advice I give is not worth the pixels its made up from. Feel free to follow it but I wouldnt."

Rofl, no seriously I might put that in there I quite like it.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

When did anyone say that? Anyone and everyone is more than welcome to say anything they like. The point of the forum tech sections is the dissemination of information, asking and answering questions is its exact reason for existing. If it's not a useful or suitably experienced* answer it can do more harm than good.
I'm not telepathic and thus have not been able to discern the beliefs of others at a distance, but I sincerely doubt anyone who posts on here regularly thinks that they alone are the final arbiter of matters technical, and yes, there are some tasks that can be achieved in more than one way, but not many.

The simple fact, and it is a fact whatever you may personally feel, is that some of the advice given on this forum, (and others), is poor, some of it tragically so. Giving advice when you don't know what you're doing can be, and let's be plain about this, dangerous. No-one wants that I'm sure, but sometimes it seems that enthusiasm exceeds understanding. I'm quite certain that no-one knowingly gives poor advice, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Post away, (that's why it's here), at the very least add the caveat of your personal experience - that's just good manners.

*This doesn't solely mean professional experience, if you have carried out a given task and found along your way the tips and pitfalls that may ease or trap the unwary, post away - that's good and useful experience.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

Easy, observe;

a: "how do I do x job?"

b: (either)
"When I did this job I found..."
"I've done loads of these and they're always a c*** of a job because of..."
"The manual says..."
"When I had this done by somebody else..."
"I've heard/read..."

Simples

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

To be fair,the real howlers tend to be quickly corrected here.

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

This is a forum, anyone can post (nearly) anything. Most do it with good intentions, but if they are talking carp correct them! It would be rather dull round here if people restricted themselves to professional qualifications or quoted books etc. in support of their statements.

When I post, I often look up in Haynes, old bike mags, Wikipedia etc. but by no stretch of the imagination am I a good mechanic. Barely competent more like. By posting carp and being put right I have learned as well as the OP.

It should be stated that advice from people you don't know and trust should always be taken with a pinch of salt, and common sense applied at all times!

Re: What ever happened to the BASAT requirement?
 

every time i have asked for advice i have been given it. especially on my mates daytona(pce of carp) and i can appreciate that it can be nearly impossible to diagnose a problem from up to 200 miles away but people try! as to people that offer advice incorrectly.... someone advised them once or they did it themselves and it worked.or they are complete twits. either way its up to the askee to extract what would be useful