How to add your cycle to the database

  1. Click on the following link, fill out information for yourself, and click "Save."
  2. A password will be emailed to you.
  3. While you're waiting for your email, go and get the VIN of your bike. It's required; the database can't work without it.
  4. Click on the link and log in to the system.
  5. Click on the top tab, "My Log"
  6. Click on the green + symbol to add a new bike to the system. Put in the VIN, model year, whether the odometer is in miles and kilometers, and if you have a pet name for your bike, enter it here too.

Here's the link to create your account


How to fill out the individual log records

Once you have your own account and your cycle entered, you can begin adding maint / repair log entries. Click on My Log, select a cycle if that menu appears, and you see your log at that moment. The most recent items are at the top, and odometer records that are out of order are shown in pink. Click on the green plus symbol at the top of the page. You'll get a blank form.

Date
Can be written YYYY-MM-DD or YYMMDD. For dates before 2000, you have to use the first form.
Odometer
What the odometer read at the time of the event or work.
System
If the entry is a repair, select which system in the bike it was for. If it's maintenance (oil and filter changes etc) select that. For anything that doesn't fit in the categories (just a note to yourself about the current mileage for instance, select Misc. Click Save to save your record. You can edit any of your log entries at any time by clicking on the date portion.
Maint Period
If this is regular periodic maintenance, you can select which one you had done.
Cost
Use for some currency amount. There are no math capabilities at the moment, and the system doesn't know what currency you're using. It's for visual purposes only.
Details (big box below)
Put in any useful (or fun) information here. People will be using this information for research for many decades, and will also be searching for the things you're typing, so spelling counts.


How to reset your password or email address

If you've lost your password but your email's the same, click on Login and use the "Mail me my password" link.

If your email has changed, send mail to Dan and give me your name and your old email address -- or your bike name, or something to identify you by -- and I'll change it and have the database send you your new info.


How to store your own maintenance records

  1. If you and your cycle aren't in the database already, add yourself and the cycle to the database according to how to add my cycle to the database.
  2. Click on the My log tab at the top of the page.
  3. If you have more than one bike in the database, click on the nickname or VIN of the cycle you want to add records to. You'll see your existing log records, newest ones first.
  4. Click on the green plus symbol to add a record. Enter the date, mileage, what system, which maintenance period, and the cost if relevant, and click Save. There are more details on the fields in another Howto.
  5. Click Save.

    If a mileage figure is out of order, the next one will be shown in pink.


How to update your email address

  1. Click on My Log
  2. Click on your cycle - any of them
  3. Click on the link Owner at the top of the page
  4. Update the information, click Save
  5. Wait for your new login link to arrive by email.


How to use the database for research

This database has many thousands of maintenance records for a few hundred bikes. The full database is darn dull reading, so normally you'll use it to

The database is broken up into sections for the different parts of your bike. If you want to view all the electrical items for a bike, select the Electrical system. If you want to look for a keyword, say, "screen" to see if anyone has any problems with windscreen, enter "screen" into the Details Containing.

If you ask for records with "screen" in them in the "Electrical" system you probably won't get anything back. You may also want to search for "wind" in case someone used the phrase "windshield" instead of "windscreen."

Examples

If you are looking forthen do this
Info on spark plugs for your '96 bike select:
  • All years,
  • All systems, and
  • enter "plug" in the Details Containing box.
You might get a few records mentioning people using plugs in their tires too.
info on stators select All years, All systems, and get Details Containing "stator". Use the singular "stator" because that is what most people write in their logs.
info on engine problems for '94 bikes Select Year: 94, Subsystem: Engine and leave Details Containing blank to get all records.
All transmission problemsselect All years, the Transmission subsystem, and leave Details Containing blank to get all records.
Just your data Put your email address into the "Details containing" box.

The search fields are ANDs. So if you select '96 bikes, the Tires category, AND Details Containing "plug" you will get all the records in the "Tires" category that mention plugs -- that is, people who used the word "plug" when talking about tire records.

The search engine uses only one word - the first word if you enter more than one.


Odometer units

The database will present the "Odometer Reading" column in the units of your choice. It converts from whichever the owner has submitted to your preference.


Maintenance items

Items such as oil changes, plugs, air filters, &c, are not shown in the "All" list; you only will see them if you select System: Maintenance.


Comments, questions, suggestions? Mail Me!


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