What to do?

OK, dunno whether this should be here or in the 'Darkened Recess' but due to arthritis I'm going to have to give full time spannering away unless I want to end up as a full-on raspberry by the time I'm 70.

Thing is I feel, perhaps wrongly, that I have a lot of knowledge and skills to offer. So what to do? I don't want to go work full time for some mob of cunts I'd hate in a management role but how do I turn my skills and knowledge into an income stream?

Pete

Contact Piagio and offer your services as a mechanic/trainer. Perhaps set up a skype system with them or offer trouble shooting to the public this way. I have friends that do guitar/piano/drum lessons this way to make some $ straight into their Pay-Pal accounts.

Any chance enlarging your shop and taking on an apprentice is feasible? Would becoming a Guzzi dealer be a silly thought?

tocino wrote:

Any chance enlarging your shop and taking on an apprentice is feasible? Would becoming a Guzzi dealer be a silly thought?

Solves the other concern as well. YOU become the boss.

I hate that 'A' word, wont speak it, never give it air time. Ok, so I'm in denial.
Personal preference is for natural medicines as most drugs have side effects.
Start by researching Moringa, the miracle plant. Get your own tree and anything else that helps.
Naturopath or even better, Kinesiology.

MOVE TO A WARMER CLIMATE -may I suggest Brisbane?

I'm not one to normally suggest alternative treatments, 'cos I take 11 pills a day to stop from falling off the perch, but for Arthritis, maybe Wayne is right. Worth a look.

There is no conclusive evidence that moving to warmer climes helps, BTW. Moving to warmer climes helps in other ways. It's usually not as fucking cold.

Gee its 15c in my shed currently, might have to put a jumper on and sip another latte'

I have arthritis in both hands and I live in Arizona where the daytimes temperatures average around 75 degrees. In Summer the weather is often in the triple digits, today it is 112 and in my garage it showed 103. I worked on reinstalling the shift linkage I destroyed earlier this week. I wouldn't say my fine motor skills are great but the heat does definitely makes a difference as far as the pain in my hands is concerned. I was able to spin a wrench, tighten with a ratchet and the pain was definitely milder than when I do this sort of thing in the Winter when the temperature is in the mid 60's or cooler. I don't take any medication, yet. But the heat does help my pain levels or maybe it's just so fucking hot I don't notice the pain. Also I think humidity plays more of a role in arthritis pain levels than warm temperatures. When the air is moist my fingers feel like sausages.

Pete, I am sure you could make a living as a consultant. Here's why:
- You are a unique individual, with a twisted sense of humour;
- You are knowledgable;
- You are experienced;
- You know true value;
- You call a spade a spade (not sure if this is always good - gets me in a heap of shit);
- You are articulate;
- You are always learning new stuff, and indeed, thrive on it;

As someone else suggested, carrying out training for the likes of JSG (or think bigger picture, Piaggio) would be your cup of tea, as you have tempered the theory with a wealth of real-world experience. Perhaps if you approached it right, you could also satisfy your's and Jude's desire to travel the world and deliver said goods wherever and whenever you want. Trouble is you would need to purchase a few more motorcycles and have them strategically located around the globe - kinda like Mal does...

Food for thought, indeed.

+1 what he said.
When your a global icon, you can travel and market your skills as a consultant anywhere.
Worst case scenario, any detractors/opposition known for their self promotion (without icon status) are just small fish in a big pond.

Sorry to hear about your advancing arthritis Pete. I too have been thinking along similar lines to Wayne and Tony.  We all know how crap Guzzi and Ape servicing can be around Oz, and I believe it could really payoff for Samples to contract someone with your knowledge and experience as a roving trainer/troubleshooter - god knows plenty needs fixing out in many dealerships.

Pete Roper wrote:

OK, dunno whether this should be here or in the 'Darkened Recess' but due to arthritis I'm going to have to give full time spannering away unless I want to end up as a full-on raspberry by the time I'm 70.

Thing is I feel, perhaps wrongly, that I have a lot of knowledge and skills to offer. So what to do? I don't want to go work full time for some mob of cunts I'd hate in a management role but how do I turn my skills and knowledge into an income stream?

Pete

start up a School ...one that deals with people like me that look to someone with knowledge so they can do their own
wrenching /maintenance , You could suggest tools that we would need explain how to use them and the mechanics of an engine. Frick you do here anyway to a certain degree.. doing it live and getting paid for it would be a nice thing.
You might find a protege in this at the same time
Might be fun for you as well, i dunno ..
just saying
Keener

Couple of young apprentices. Start training them as soon as. Feed them, mould them, guide them into 'Roperism'.

As others have said, sales pitch to Piaggio / Consultant lines.....

Go into business with Mark part time at first /developing and selling ECU maps for more models of bikes???????

Bike tester/ report writer.....

Jees, we all know best don't we but ultimately, this is a really tough call. It has been your life for so long. Almost as though you need something that would 'feel' like more of a natural progression from what you are doing now?

All the best to you.

Opening a dealership? In rural Australia. Taking on apprentices? Guys, I'm nearly sixty and have health issues. To open a dealership would cost at a minimum $250,000. At my time of life I have that money but it's all tied up in my superannuation and retirement.

The Australian economy is about to nosedive, a whole lot OE people who have been living on credit are going to have a serious wake up call. This is NOT the time to be thinking of opening a 'Toy' business.

Also while I know people respect me I'm not anything special. I'm just a tradesman who actually knows his trade and happens to be a good teacher too. I can't see any reason why anyone in the import business would contract me over someone with more venal smarts to promote the marque or train service staff. The assumption is that service staff have at least a modicom of knowledge. Those who lack it will never admit it. Once they have their ticket they aren't going to listen to some broken down old fart older than their dad!

I am lucky in that I do have enough cash to survive comfortably but I don't want to just 'Give' my experience away and I do really resent people stealing my shit and then profiting off it without so much as a 'By Your Leave'. The thing is I'd like to have money for a few more luxuries, like holidays, that currently will be hard, especially if the current government or the opposition decide to raid our super!

At the end of the day I consider myself so blessed in my life I can hardly complain but I do 't want to just 'Fade Away'.

Pete

Pete you are larger than life so you will not simply fade away - your legacy will live on long after you snuff it, which you are not allowed to yet.

Don't start a business unless it's about selling what's in your head or your heart - retail sucks big time - and you may be right on the nosedive thing.

I am a few years older than you and Jan and I would love to retire and travel extensively, BUT, I have insufficient funds in my super (bastards cleaned it out twice) and will be working till around 70. Currently I am looking for a new job that pays well so I can boost the super component and pull the pin.

I am sure you will find something, Pete.

Tafe college teacher?
Books/CD's with continued royalties?

Self managed super fund? .... or at least switch your fund to "cash management" for a short term.
End of this month could be catastrophic (Greece) ............... (GFC II?) ........................... hoping not but safety is paramount in current climate.

renowned financial analyst Martin Armstrong has for some time now been calling a Wall Street crash between 30 June and 2 July according to his chart based analysis. The Greeks just gave that date the geopolitical trigger…

Male model?

You've written a few words on several occasions on the holidays you've taken. Your trip to to the SW was somewhat enlightening. You want to have the money for more holidays. Write about them. See if you can get a local tabloid to pay you for your holidays. You may have to change your focus a bit (less negative, more positive), but it might work out for you. You and your wife on a bike touring Australia. What not?

Contrary to popular belief being stung by bees doesn't really help arthritis, I have it in one thumb and get stung a good few times a year, its another hobby, aswell as moto sickles

beetle wrote:

I'm not one to normally suggest alternative treatments, 'cos I take 11 pills a day to stop from falling off the perch, but for Arthritis, maybe Wayne is right. Worth a look.

There is no conclusive evidence that moving to warmer climes helps, BTW. Moving to warmer climes helps in other ways. It's usually not as fucking cold.

what's wrong with you? I am having some health issues lately too and thought two pills and pain killers a day are too much

My vote goes for you to start teaching in some capacity Pete. I'm a bit surprised you haven't taken on an apprentice or such already. Teaching would seem the natural progression for someone such as yourself and you seem to identify with this already.

It would be a real waste not to pass your knowledge, experience & standard for quality work on to someone else who loves bikes. Your student/s would also get the benefit of being exposed to new and novel ways of expressing themselves with the English language.

Good teachers / mentors etc. don't fade too fast even after death and the world always needs more of them!  (with the exception of profs. of Keynesian economics)

If I had the time and money I'd fly down and have you teach me how to tear my GRiSO apart and rebuild it because I would want to learn from someone who knows and loves these bikes inside-out and has top-notch standards with a fine understanding of their subtleties.


Blue's suggestion would be my second thought as well  - definitely male model material, arthritis and all!

I agree with 1151. Your sage like wisdom and ability to explain relatively complex issues with clarity are a gift to be shared. Ranging from touring stories to technical discussions.
Perhaps even a you-tube series of clips may be in your realm. As TV further deteriorates into numbing and dumbing of the masses, I find I watch more and more you-tube stuff. There's a huge range of interesting stuff beyond kids farting and cats drinking from toilets.
Just tossing around a few ideas, but perhaps an online blog type rant column that offers a Mr Fixit type service. MG should of course sponsor, but I fear the salt dispensed may irritate some of their wounds.
Your way too valuable Pete.
Its better to burn out than to fade away. (Neil Young)

Phang wrote:

what's wrong with you?

I'm fully sick.

Even though I have not been a member here for long, I agree with others on the forum that you're too valuable to lose...and not just your knowledge of MG, but also that great wit and writing ability.  I hope you find a way to leverage those attributes into a "paying" venture.  Here is a factual story about a Technician that worked in service at a friend's motorcycle dealership (selling Honda, Suzuki and KTM at the time).  Over time, this tech trained himself to become the "expert" on Honda's Gold Wing's...especially those model years built in the Ohio factory. The word got out to the public and eventually Honda America took notice.  He was so good analyzing and fixing customers' Honda's, that Honda would on occasion consult with him to help diagnose problems with their bikes...including some that resulted in recalls.  After several attempts by Honda to hire my friend's Tech, he eventually gave in and went for the Honda job...making a lot more money than my friend could afford to pay him. When last I saw the Tech, he and his family were happy and he no longer was sweating his ass off in my friend's service department.

Now, Pete, I am not sure if Piaggio/MG would be in the same position to notice you, but it does go to show that people that stand out from the "routine" levels of accomplishment can be discovered and move along to new careers (and a fatter wallet).  I hope you stay positive and are open to explore/seek out any opportunities that are available to you.  Good Luck in any case!

NorthernProducer wrote:

Even though I have not been a member here for long, I agree with others on the forum that you're too valuable to lose...and not just your knowledge of MG, but also that great wit and writing ability.  I hope you find a way to leverage those attributes into a "paying" venture.  Here is a factual story about a Technician that worked in service at a friend's motorcycle dealership (selling Honda, Suzuki and KTM at the time).  Over time, this tech trained himself to become the "expert" on Honda's Gold Wing's...especially those model years built in the Ohio factory. The word got out to the public and eventually Honda America took notice.  He was so good analyzing and fixing customers' Honda's, that Honda would on occasion consult with him to help diagnose problems with their bikes...including some that resulted in recalls.  After several attempts by Honda to hire my friend's Tech, he eventually gave in and went for the Honda job...making a lot more money than my friend could afford to pay him.  When last I saw the Tech, he and his family were happy and he no longer was sweating his ass off in my friend's service department.

Now, Pete, I am not sure if Piaggio/MG would be in the same position to notice you, but it does go to show that people that stand out from the "routine" levels of accomplishment can be discovered and move along to new careers (and a fatter wallet).  I hope you stay positive and are open to explore/seek out any opportunities that are available to you.  Good Luck in any case!

Well said.