New Ducatis theoretically come with owner's manuals, right? A booklet where you learn how to repair, maintain, and service your new motorcycle? In reality, no, as most pages on those repairs and maintenance state, "See a Ducati Service Center for (X)." It says this even for minor things like oil change intervals.
So that owner's manual is essentially useless, as is trying to fix your Ducati yourself as there are wires, sensors, and ECU mapping connected to literally every single part on the bikes. And Ducati isn't alone, as more and more new motorcycles are becoming harder and harder to fix in the comfort of your own garage. Indeed, nearly every machine these days all but requires you to head to a dealership for even the most minor of fixes. That's by design, as it nets both the dealerships and the OEMs more of your hard-earned cash. It also flies in the face of how we've done things for generations, fixing it ourselves and saving some money, and why the fight for Right-to-Repair has been so heated between consumers and manufacturers.
Yet, there's one industry where the top manufacturers are actually making it easier for their customers to work on their products: hunting bows. And I know it's a stretch to compare a new compound bow to a new motorcycle, but I think there's something worthwhile motorcycle manufacturers can learn from these companies: If you make something you can fix and maintain yourself, the customer is more likely to stay with you rather than search something out.
Case in point, my Elite Omnia hunting bow.
I've had my Elite for a while now and, with the help of YouTube, countless forums, Elite's own manual, and my buddy Scott Einsmann over at Outdoor Life, I've learned how to fix, repair, and tune that bow so that it's perfectly suited for me. And that's by design, as Elite's packed a host of features into that bow—as well as all the other bows in its lineup—to make it easier for the consumer to change things and fix. But that wasn't always the case with hunting bows, and still not the case with every bow company out there.
In past years and decades, bows required presses to do much of anything. Indeed, my first bow, a Bear Archery Species needed a press and the know-how of a dealer or bow mechanic to change any of its adjustments. Let-off, draw weight, draw length, and arrow tuning were all done behind the veil at my local Sportsman's Warehouse or local bow shop. And that was the case for a lot of bow manufacturers, and still is for a couple. But recently, more of these bow manufacturers have begun making it easier for the average hunter or archer to do the work themselves by designing these bows to be tuned and worked on without needing a $500 press or the knowledge of someone who's been doing it for six decades. Now all you need are a set of Allen wrenches and a laptop or phone.
Armed with those, and the will to learn, you could do just about anything to your bow. I've personally spent hours tuning, toying, and adjusting aspects of my Omnia so that I can walk out my front door, aim at my 60-yard target in my backyard, and put two arrows directly in the center completely cold, no warmup required. Likewise, I know that I can put it through hell strapped to my backpack and make sure it's still tuned once I get home with a few simple adjustments.
About the only thing I can't do is change its strings without a press. But another bow company, Mathews, has built a system called Stay Afield System (SAS) that lets archers change out their broken strings anywhere. So the concept is being worked on.
That all is mostly missing in the motorcycling industry, though.
As mentioned, a lot of new motorcycles are being sold to folks who'll never be able to fix, repair, replace, or tune their motorcycles due to the intricacies modern bikes are built with. They'll never be able to touch something as modern tuning and ECUs require specific diagnostic tools or updates that consumers don't have access to. Or because rather the design was done up by an engineer who'll never have to get their hands dirty, so they make everything almost impossible to work on without completely disassembling the motorcycles. That last one isn't just a motorcycle industry problem, as the oil filter in my Honda Ridgeline points at the right suspension, and to replace just the front strut requires you to remove the entirety of the hub.
It's maddening and disincentivizes folks to work on their own machines. I mean, why bother doing an oil change if it means it'll cost you an entire day? Why change your air filter if it means completely disassembling the motorcycle? Especially since most folks likely don't have a motorcycle lift to make it easier, as well as the time or training to ensure that everything is back where it's supposed to be and torqued to the right specs? Or how about BMW making the R 1300 GS' shifter out of plastic?
This, however, just wasn't the case with older motorcycles. And it's something I believe the industry should get back to if they want new and old riders to continue spending their money on their brands. Something most companies are desperately needing folks to do right this very second, as many are struggling to retain customers and leverage brand loyatly.
That concept, i.e brand loyalty, used to be the gold standard with any company. You used to got to Craftsman and stick with Craftsman because of their build quality, standards, and lifetime warranty. You went to Toyota for its legendary reliability. You bought GE because you knew the product would last for decades. That's just not the case anymore, and folks hop from one company to the next, which reduces that company's ability to retain customers. But they can return to those times. Bow manufacturers have shown the way.
And while some will point out that companies could lose money by building something that lasts and you can work on yourself, it doesn't look like any of these bow companies have. Rather, Elite, Mathews, Hoyt, Bear, and others are still selling their flagship bows in record numbers, as well as their other more inexpensive offerings. And I think in the long run, the decision to make these easier to work on and use will make lifelong customers of those who buy them. It has for me, as I know if my Omnia ever becomes inoperable, or if I slip, fall, and break it to where I can't fix it, I'll be going back to Elite for my next bow.
I wish I could say that about a motorcycle brand.
