Unfixable Chopper Worse Than We Thought!

[@oddojaggins]

Great job Craig! I hope the customer appreciated all your hard work to get his bike back. I fully see why no other shop wanted to touch it as it really needed a Craig's touch

[@edgarcastillo2804]

"What is happening now?!" The voice in my head of my old mechanic colleague "You are giving it to much love and now it wants to stay here with you"

[@privatepilot4064]

That bike doesn’t need a mechanic, it needs a priest!

[@BeanMachine0603]

It needed a craigorcism

[@buellb0y]

They’re good bikes. Sometimes they need a little “massaging” to get them dialed…. Still not a x-country candidate, but a solid rider.

[@bravo55286]

Sadly when a customer brings you something as messed up they have to be okay with paying you to learn.

[@ApriliaRSV4F]

exactly

[@MarkB-c8y]

finally decided I'm going to document my journey finding a cheap used bike and seeing if I can get it road worthy, handy with cars now wanna try my hand at bikes since I got my license to honor my late father this year. you are the best Craig

[@SchoolforHackers]

Your father will be honored. Kudos, bro. Post the name of your channel here and I’ll subscribe.

[@drocampos7303]

Awesome man. I just got interested more as well. My father passed in January so I feel you. 🙏

[@joeybobbie1]

Sorry to hear of your Loss. Your Dad will be helping you over your Shoulder.

[@colestowing8695]

nice, good luck

[@colestowing8695]

@@kurtfoulke5130 ouch lol

[@terrybarton8388]

Hats off to you sir! Your perseverance was unwavering. I’d have given up on that bike way back

[@the.happy.mechanic]

In 1997 there was an epidemic of that same starter problem, I worked at a place called Ultra Kustom Cycles, we found about 20 bikes out of about 200 that shared the same problem it was the aftermarket starters bolting to Harley Davidson style starter jackshaft assembly eventually they started to make an aftermarket jackshaft with upgraded hardware to solve the problem, the big engines from places like S&S cycles would destroy the factory HD jackshaft's due to the high compression.

[@midsouth4840]

I used to own a Big Dog K9. That's the soft tail version of what you're riding. I loved that bike...but I'm very tall torso'd so the rake felt good on my shoulders. The back tire feels real nice because it rights itself upright after a curve. The wiring on these dudes is a mess...they use really tiny wiring and a lower voltage and they burn up fast. It's best to do what Craig did and rewire them.

[@salvatorebaleno9807]

My brother has 2 of the Mastiff model Big Dogs and he absolutely loves them. One of them had been from NY to DYtona a few times (No Trailer).

[@toddgittins5692]

Exactly. Extremely, cheaply produced.

[@MouldyPIX]

You have the patience of a saint my friend. Hats off to you from the UK! 🇬🇧

[@bzamski17]

I really like how your not afraid of the work that takes a lot of brains to fix it has to be rewarding when you bring someone there bike back and say it’s fixed

[@JohnStruemph]

Great job. Those cascading gremlins is how most of my projects work. Every removal reveals something else to fix. However, once done, perfect!

[@associatedblacksheepandmisfits]

Hard tail = dangerous when road wet...... Nice work Craig ❤😊

[@garyyorke1080]

Well after all the issues I'm sure we wont chastise you for getting a couple of wires the wrong way round . Glad you enjoyed the ride makes spending soo long repairing the bike a touch sweeter . Cheers for the videos .

[@The_Bearded_Mechanic]

Have you read YT comments? They will chastise you for anything! Haha 😂

[@garyyorke1080]

@@The_Bearded_Mechanic I agree problem is there are so many keyboard experts out there that havent even touched a real bike .. great video glad you sorted it

[@wonderbreadwithextramayo]

Ooof a hard tail. I completely agree that those bikes are meant to be seen not ridden. the riding portion of the exercise is secondary to the looking cool portion. I own a cruiser bike but these extreme chopper style bikes never appealed to me much other than seeing them at a bike show or other gatherings so I can ogle the chromed out parts and sweet paint jobs. Glad you managed to chase down the last of the gremlins and get this beast running again.

[@anonimous2451]

Chrome don't get ya home. (Old Harley saying)

[@JamesCouch777]

Kudos for fixing the bike that nobody else would touch! I can't believe the owner was dumb enough to jump it with a 24 volt system

[@StaticVapour590]

Man you gotta keep doing these videos at your own pace, been binging your videos for few weeks on/off now and quality is amazing

[@joeybobbie1]

Dan is doing a Great Job documenting Craig’s Work.👍👍

[@SailingWithVampires]

Nice job Craig. It was cool to see your thought process change. Custom bikes have such a different intensity level when a true mechanic is working on them.

[@Fantasmamuerto]

First rule for diagnosing problems, reduce it to the simplest, then add components. First, battery, ignition. (does it work? yes? we continue with the rest) Isolating systems is your best ally

[@iwantmyvanback]

"I'm startering to hate this bike" was pretty good. Haha. I was super excited to see this follow-up video. Loving the content, Craig.

[@jimmcalister4413]

Great job keep up the good work. I fix large industrial chillers and commercial building HVAC in LA & OC. long ago, in the beginning of my career, I remember a time when i was embarrassed about admitting my mistakes but not anymore; we all make mistakes. later in my career when the repair doesn't turn out right one of my first thoughts is "what did i do wrong"😂 It's great that you are showing the whole process of fixing something that others will not or can not. That you work through a true troubleshooting process and are not one of those mechanics that says "it has to be .... that's broken" I commend you for not wanting to bill the customer for your learning. I'm now basically a consultant visiting contractors job sites to assist in troubleshooting and repair. I have laughingly put mechanics troubleshooting approach into 2 different categories (1) the shotgun approach, It could be this or it could be that or "this was bad last time that happened" or (2) the snipper approach, methodical, has a plan, uses his tools to gather information to pin point the problem.

[@IveAlreadyWon]

Man, I can't believe how much more I'm enjoying this content than I thought. Even more than the OG channel! Great job Craig.

[@thetoymanator7723]

Another great vid Craig. I like how you methodically work through every element that may stop a bike from firing up, eliminate them all, to identify the actual problem. It's a great help to us WST's (weekend spanner turners) who may have a piece of junk we're trying to resurrect.

[@Ronaldl2350]

I was at a bike manufacturers expo years ago. Big dog had a booth with a few of their brand new bikes. On the bike the brakes were leaking brake fluid, brand new. Quality control was not their strong point. "These bikes are made to be seen not ridden" That's a understatement. Lol.

[@toddgittins5692]

Big 10-4

[@nathanbannister8502]

Custom bike, had to cost a ton. Suction cups to hold the seat on! They probably did that for resale value! That sucks...Another great video in the can! Congrats!

[@thecountywilliams5098]

Only made to be seen on if you want to look like a dork...haw haw.

[@doluggs]

@@nathanbannister8502 6:14 "think you have to lick'em first?"

[@garyseaton4619]

Craig, you're the man. You did the difficult, if not impossible, and got the Big Dog rolling down the road...

[@maximumghoul324]

Love watching these videos and trying to learn as I go. Despite riding I don’t know nearly as much as I should to repair even any simple stuff. Fantastic as always

[@noelg3384]

I had a Big Dog Ridgeback thought it was great on straight long roads. The engine is brilliant goes very well. You have to counter steer it to get around corners you get used to that after a while. Rode mine for 6 hours in the pouring rain and it did not miss a beat. Never had a problem with it. Only got rid of it as it was not practical where I moved to. Too many mini roundabouts.

[@desaint4952]

you have more patience then I do. if I had to redo all the wiring the customer definitely wouldn't be able to afford my labor

[@bazabaz21]

I love your determination and the fact you are willing to show us when you make a mistake that's gonna help us learn too

[@davidfrank6666]

agree 😁.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Craig it is great to see a new video on this chopper. It's coming along nicely so far my friend. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon Craig. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Fab On. We'd On. Keep Making. God bless.

[@edwardpedley8813]

I owned a 2007 Big Dog chopper and loved riding it. Had a 117 ci SS with a super G carb & a Baker 6 speed transmission. Plenty of get up and go. The only problem is it was a real finicky beast.

[@Kiz552]

Well done dude, yep they can be a nightmare at times. Happy Mechanicing from England.

[@kylewalsh9508]

you have a way of doing things and explaining them that is just easy to watch, you should bring in regular people with their bikes and work with them on repairs and servicing them

[@MikeRummler]

Awesome! Glad you got it all figured out. Nice looking ride. 🤘

[@ki11m3please325]

It’s awesome that people in the comments helped you find the issues. Another set of eyes it always good after looking at something the same for hours on end. Good work sir!

[@Jonathan-L]

I can imagine Craig getting new business cards: "I do stuff that others can't do or won't do. That doesn't mean that I want to"

[@user-Borgus]

,,,but it's the best way to learn.

[@Jonathan-L]

@@user-Borgus ... yes, a great way to learn about people as well as their bikes :)

[@blah4821]

This man loves what he does. That bike got fixed because of love! Great attitude all the way through, and the results show. Priceless is this type of work is (and learning ;-) ).

[@T.McGarry]

Not sure love enters into it. Some guys can't walk away from a challenge. I'll get pissed off by a clusterf**k, and hate-fix it, or die trying. I get energy off the adversity. This guy has the patience I wish I had.

[@snowmanrainmaker]

I was told if you're not making any mistakes you're not doing nothing evidently you're getting it done. congratulations on your success!!!🤯

[@Dodger2879]

Analytical Trouble Shooting: What should it be doing? What isn't it doing? What has changed? (I used to carry a plastic card in my pocket to remind me never to stray from those rules). This approach can be applied to almost *all* faults and always points in the right direction, but only if; The mind remains open, The ego is retired, No experience driven, "I don't need to check that, coz I know what I'm doing" shortcuts are employed! You aced it! I really enjoy your videos. Thanks!

[@tonymbabuphotography3016]

I really was eager to see how it would all turn out. I knew you'd make it happen somehow. Good job Craig.

[@GautamKumarGoswami]

Congratulation Craig! Your knowledge, your intelligence & your patience - all were rewarded as soon as the bike started with its fullest performance! Your videos are so much informative & inspiring. I am an electrical control panel manufacturer but I love, cherish & learn a lot from your videos! Many many thanks & all the best wishes for you & your team.

[@Mrtweet81]

I don’t know what it is but this has suddenly become my favourite motorcycle content channel. I genuinely feel like me and Craig are old best buddies and that is kind of weird to say for a forty two years old Norwegian

[@imchronicallyme1339]

I am starting my own project. Car ran a red light, and I smacked them on my FZ6R. Thankfully, I was able to react enough that it's mainly cosmetic damage. But my front end is a little crooked now. So, I will be diagnosing that first. Watching you shows me it's not as hard or intimidating to work on a bike as I thought. So I will give it a go. Thankfully, I walked away with no injuries, but sucks I can't ride for a while.

[@lologh5496]

We want to see more 2 stroke bikes specially the old one please 👍👌

[@mikekuczynski1552]

Nice job getting it going again . I looked at purchasing one of these years ago and thought they were put together pretty well . Took it for a test ride and came to the same conclusion as I did with the 47 HD chopper I built . Hard tails look cool but not that much fun to ride for very long . Been turning wrenches for 60+ years and there are two saying I hate to hear , no problem ( the mechanics lie ) or I’ve never seen that before. Thanks for sharing

[@FoulNews]

Nice job! Can't wait to see the UN-FIXABLE bulldozer series next!

[@ShaunChurchill-S.A]

Hey Greg😂😂, love your enthusiastic, humourous, entertaining & knowledgeable instructable videos. I'm a bike (home) mechanic. Learning all the time, thanks to you and Dan. An inspiration, for sure. You guys are my favorite downtime entertainment. Keep them coming.

[@HighLife420Guy]

I believe it's called a starter Bendix not an appendix 😂😂 I've heard a few people call them human organ, but it is a silly name. Love the videos

[@magnusolsson8548]

What a battle....but very impressive systematic fault finding. You nailed it as aspected!!

[@shermantincher3417]

Been waiting for this one. Still got faith in you Craig. We shall see.

[@saltspringdesign]

that chopper is gorgeous. Thx for sharing your process man and for getting this dream machine back on the road. It’s people like you who make the world go ‘round. Cheers from Pacific Northwest Canada.

[@Tokin_Alien]

I don’t even jump my bike with a car because I’m scared to… you said a bulldozer ?!?!?😂

[@_Not.all.RC_]

Far as I know its okay but you shouldn't even turn the big displacement engine over, rather just the ignition switch to get electronics on. But thats with 12v not 24 haha and also, very very quick lol

[@volvo09]

No problems jumping a bike with a car. But Bulldozers and heavy diesels are 24v, so that's why it got fried.

[@Tokin_Alien]

@@volvo09 lol makes sense

[@rvega314]

You can use the car but don't start the car engine.

[@davelowets]

@@rvega314 Yes, you CAN have the car running.... 14 volts isn't going to hurt the bike

[@sgtshak2806]

That's why Honda made the Fury. Made to be seen AND ridden. Enjoyed watching your knowledge.

[@ahrentelford1391]

The starter issue was from the weird firing and starting issue with the timing being off.

[@zekester1]

The Big Dog's starters were always a problem: not aligned correctly( most needed spacers)🤨...later👍💪💯

[@georgerobinson9275]

You fell victim to Occum's Razor! I have been there a few times! Your face even looked like you were even being cut by Occum's Razor! Priceless!

[@ZinoAmare]

That engine sounds amazing spoilers :3 Cya next video Craig already watched those two!

[@garystratton454]

Crag you are the Chopper Bike Mechanical Genius? I have worked on bikes and built several choppers and I am impressed with your level of expertise. Thumbs UP!

[@smoll.miniatures]

Not sure I’d want to ride a cursed bike 😂

[@tonyaxeman4381]

Hard tails are hard on the a&& . When replacing the rear tire on my Sporty I noticed that the rear springs were set to the bottom . It was not a comfortable setting . It was the way I got the bike. I went up a notch and it is like riding on glass . You are right about why no one would work on it because it would cost more than it`s value.

[@DjVendetta]

No offense to Sean but his goofiness not being around is refreshing. Please finish the WLA Craig.

[@D3vtsb]

Sean could make things happen and a good host - but he was totally weak on general knowledge of motorcycles and the mechanics

[@DjVendetta]

@@D3vtsb Sean’s older stuff is much better. Yeah he got some facts wrong about some stuff but overall it wasn’t bad. Im definitely more mechanically minded then most, and I really don’t like slapstick comedy. Sean more recently went the way of scripted slapstick and thats why I prefer Craig on his own. He is actually the person that kept me watching bikes and beards for some time now. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Sean is a bad dude or anything. But he went too Talladega Nights for me.

[@benoitchartrand5772]

Personally, the 2 together were the best of both worlds

[@1Klus]

The two are definitely the best of both worlds. I miss Sean. I love the mech in Craig.

[@johnpost]

I don’t miss Sean.

[@ruffryda1961]

Your passion n sheer will is your super power. I have an 08 Pitbull and I was told that Wires Plus make a n EHC harness after mines stopped on the parkway. Not an electrical problem since. Anyway, I love your "no give up" mentality. That Dog was a mess. Cudos my friend!

[@savoie0721]

The starter gear definitely broke due to that timing issue! Hopefully, you didn't charge the customer for that one. Glad you got it running!

[@draken_mlbbxxx486]

Did we watch the same video?

[@savoie0721]

@@honestbud Reduction gear and some other bits broke in the last video. Watch all the videos before picking holes in my statement. LOL

[@savoie0721]

@@draken_mlbbxxx486 Yes we did. See my reply to the other genius.

[@braddevers526]

Good job on fixing this one , my Buddy’s Dad had a big dog and loved it never had an issue the time he had it

[@biblequestionswithchristop8971]

Knew you could and would do it.

[@brucejeric6701]

You have a lot of patience on top of tons of know how. Congrats. On getting that running.

[@craigcaggiano431]

So glad to see you got this bike to run and worked your way thru all of the issues. Great two video series of fixing this bike.

[@RossMalagarie]

Craig great to see you are doing good after the days of SRK cycles. Thanks for the info on this Big Dog K9. I was looking at getting my first street legal motorcycle after riding a Honda XR100 from 13yrs old to about 28yrs old, then joining Eagle Rider and renting HDs for a vacation for about 10yrs then I had narrowed it down to HD Breakout, HD RoadKing, HD Heritage, Honda Fury, Big Dog K9, and Yamaha Raider. After years of research I went with a 2012 Yamaha Raider S. I got it as new old stock, in 2018 in a Yamaha dealership in Stuart, FL with 1mile on it, never titled. It was delivered to my door in perfect condition. Runs great, looks great, and its basically a Yamaha chopper with the up angle gas tank, 39.5 degrees total rake and 210mm rear tire that can go up to a 240mm with no mods. It has the dependability and price of a Yamaha, and the looks of a chopper. LOVE the bike and after seeing more and more about the Big Dog K9 I KNOW I made the right decision. I have quick disconnect saddle bags I throw on for long trips, and I added a quick connect for NOCO batter jumper, for batter tender, and for a usb to charge my cell that are mounted to my bars that I use for GPS and Spotify to my helmet while riding. LOVE THE BIKE! The K9 looks AWESOME but with zero bag options and the price of maintenance and repairs on a chopper on a firemen's salary I KNOW I made the right choice. Thanks for the vids, keep'em coming and I hope you do great on KZbin, your shop, and in life.

[@brianmurphy559]

Great job! Way to stick with it. Typical 2001 plus Big Dog experience. The older 1994-2000 Big Dogs are a breeze to work on, they do not have all the electronic/ECU and electrical plugs on them.

[@ColaMill]

Glad to see vintage days mentioned. Going to keep an eye out for famous people like Craig this year

[@winstonlanda7731]

Literally my favorite channel and my favorite mechanic. Lots of love from Los Angeles. 🏍🏍

[@recoilrob324]

Well done Sir! Keep fixing things until you run out and then you're done. Great demonstration of perseverance with a happy ending.

[@mohawk2185]

I saw only the table but not the Asian girl at the end

[@robertalvarado358]

You never cease to amaze me Craig! You give me encouragement to keep on wrenching and always recheck your work.

[@thebones]

I enjoyed that. Major props to you for fixing that wiring nightmare.

[@svenkassi9285]

Fully respect to your work and your endurance. Nice to see. Hopefully the customer offer some special thanks gifts. Greats from germany.

[@emersonvella]

Agreed with everything except the bit where you said customer isn't paying you to learn. Damn right they are. Nobody else wanted to touch it, because nobody else wanted to charge for 'learning'. When something is this messed up, you need to diagnose what's going on, and if diagnostic time is more expensive than the fix, then so be it. It's either time or parts, or both. You gotta case the gremlins to catch them. Getting to know the bike is more than half the fight in this case. Great job, Craig!

[@Wese28]

I wouldn’t know where to start in a case like that happened to this bike. Good work, and thanks for sharing along. I always saw those Chopper style bikes are for a certain kind of person/rider. Always wanted to ride one.

[@bigdogv6543]

Got it done! Wow. Good on you for taking on this massive project.

[@duanetrivett750]

Craig, I had a friend who had one in the 1990s and it ate starters like hotdogs ! It was under warranty so they just keep putting them in. It was crazy expensive and that was almost 30yr. Ago. B.D.M. was very new back then and everyone loved it except the owner . All in All it was a money Pit . Good job Craig.

[@RVAMotorsports]

Your videos inspire me to get to work turning wrenches on my stuff, thanks Craig!

[@fedge9049]

As much as it was cursed, my takeaway is how much he learned about these types of bikes and something happened he's never seen before. Knowledge is worth the gremlins.

[@spikemcnock8310]

Excellent job, it takes a lot of patience to work on electrics. Top man 👍

[@victorauletta7699]

Bike sounds good. Great job. Electrical issues can get you to pull your hair out. I bought a bike that took me 3 days to find all the issues the previous owner butchered. Ride safe.

[@TrustyZ900]

Big guy on the Big Dog. This man has the most pleasant of dispositions. If I had to work on this bike, the video would have been full of bleeped out expletives. Bike owner should be proud he worked on it.

[@HarleyFirestorm]

I had a 750 (or 800 cant remember) Vulcan years ago, that no one seemed to be able to fix, I offered to fix it for fun (I do not own a shop or work for money) But was offered it for a small sum of money and a promise that its your bike now and they don't want to hear anything about it, if I can't fix it. Done all the usual tests and check through the electrical system I guessed it was an electrical problem as it wouldn't turn over despite the electrics working, turns out it was the diode in the ignition was gone, and on top of that the board was cracked. I done an extreme service on it and (fixed a lot of stuff) it was almost ready for a MOT when I finished, but the mystique of getting the bike back to running order had worn off. I had done my job, so I moved it on. Really enjoy doing stuff like this, have got a few bikes that no one wants to work and fixed on. Great video, brought back the memory of the troublesome little Vulcan. Do miss getting un fixable bikes and getting them running again.

[@LincolnshireRose]

getting connectors mixed? We have all done it and learned to triple check every bloody thing we do. Good work, fascinating to watch someone else do the work. Take care, ride safe

[@davehooper5115]

You did amazing figuring and sorting this thing out, the bike sounds and looks great. Well done man

[@afhostie]

Really hope you labeled all those connectors afterwards, really awesome seeing guys still tackle these projects

[@michaelallen345]

In a fan. Couple videos the past few days and fun to watch, relaxed and good info.

[@soho71]

I do love seeing the back roads of Pa since I only get home once in a blue moon for Carlisle auto fair.

[@jediknight1294]

Kit build bikes are always a nightmare, these late 90s/early 2000s kit bikes are only as good as whoever did the finishing work. They are a GREAT source for cheap revtech or S&S motors though. Good on you for working on it.

[@scotstafford2137]

When you were talking about long rides on a hardtail, I expected an "East Rider" clip and music. At least it played in my head. 😂

[@samnance2891]

I’ve owned a Big Dog k9 since 2009, love the bike, hate that not many people know how to work on them

[@jimmydcricket5893]

Watching from Oz, enjoyed the added tour, cheers.

[@curtisscott02]

I have owned two big dogs and the starter did the same thing on both and went insane on the first one and said never again and got another on cheap and they both had open belt and I hated that and both burned my legs on the exhaust all the time. I was always paranoid about getting my pants caught in the belt. When the second one would spin and not start we knew what the problem was and fixed it quickly. If I had seen this earlier I could have saved you a bunch of headaches. Sold the second one and never bought another one again. Have a sweet 2000 sportster bobber that only had 400 miles on it10” ape hangers instead of the cafe racer bars(miserable for an old man) put forward controls on it and 4 “ Cooper seat springs and now I really enjoy it. To say it looks cool is an understatement. I can’t ride it more than 100 miles at a time before feeling like everything is asleep but me but that’s ok. Great job Craig. Jesus is Lord so let’s all make Him that in our lives! Amen

[@donflores5227]

I had every confidence you would find it. Way to go! The one thing is you know the answer is in there somewhere

[@BlueLineHarleybyMiltonFig]

Loved this series! Fantastic work seeing this project to the end.

[@nomad74777]

Awesome Job! Glad you stuck with it. It was a blast to watch.

[@garyhoward2628]

Love the phrase back roads😅 in UK particularly rural areas like Cornwall those roads would be considered a motorway or in your language multi lane highway i think😅 love the dogged persistence with this job be safe have fun

[@hoobeydoobey1267]

Big Dog (Coleman coolers) screwed up using identical connectors for the two sensors. You slapped that muffler like you've never touched a hot exhaust. Glad you got her running again.

[@calvarycustoms6681]

@The Bearded Mechanic Craig, that’s a bike I could only enjoy for precisely 31 minutes and 36 seconds… which is the length of time I watched you wrenching on it and chasing gremlins. That was as much “enjoyment” as a bike like that could ever give me. 😏 Extra points to Dan for, “startering to hate that bike”. 😂👍🏼

[@chrischarles27989]

Thanks for the videos Craig! Me and my wife love your videos. Can't wait for an update on your dads bike you brought back!