Over coming your gremlins

[killa]

Do any of you have this issue in regard working on your bike?

Often i come across an issue i know is a niggle, i know i could probably do the job but i just mull over so many outcomes i never want to get stuck in.
I think being an engineer doesn’t help, I’m fine with tools, I’ve worked on cars and bikes but for some reason I’m always overcome with worry about the results.
What if i can’t solve it?
What if i make it worse?
Should i just call the workshop?
What if i get halfway through and can’t do a thing about it!?

I recently looked over the carb etc on Luthians bike. She sat there whilst i got stuck in and stripped the carb. The last time i did this was in my teens when i owned DTR’s, NSR’s and the like. Once i had the thing apart and laid it all out, i thought “What the bloody hell do i worry about, i know what all this does!”
My TLR is obviously a little different, it is just after all a much harder puzzle to put back together but for general things i should be more than capable carrying out the work.
I was just mulling over this last night, i spent a lot of time in my youth mucking about with strokers and often thought the problems were a combination of mechanical faults i wouldn’t understand and generally 2 strokes being bitchy and making my life difficult through a mind of it’s own.

I guess what i’m asking is how do you overcome this or do you just suffer with the same thing?
I’ve realised with the tools i have to hand, if i just jump into it, i usually feel massively better for doing it. XP earned.
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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[Eddie Hitler]

Takes about a week after finding out about a problem for me to think about working on it. Then another week to attempt to fix it. But to date everything I have worked on I have managed to fix. No idea how as im quite clumsy.

Im the home mechanic who can do most things (standard service etc), when it comes to anything like chains replacing, head bearings etc.. no way.

But yeh, awesome feeling doing something yourself. Just need to beat my procrastination problems.

[MarJay]

[Zeuky]

I'm terrible for this as I'll be sure I can do whatever it is that needs doing on the bike, then about 20 minutes into the job it's a bit more like "Why the fuck did I even start doing this?"
Usually manage just fine though
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"S'cuse me mate but you left something under your car... think they call it a 'KEEP CLEAR' sign... No no, i don't need to go down that road to get to where I LIVE. Proposterous!"
https://www.CrunchySlipper.co.uk/

[jjdugen]

I'm retired now (not by choice) so buy up old wrecks on the Bay and put them back on the road, usually making a small cash proffit, but not if my time is factored in. The number of bodges I have had to repair are fairly mind boggling, let alone the design shortcomings of the basic design. There are jobs I hate to do becuase I KNOW they will fight me all the way. 4 cyl. carb rebuilds, its a bitch getting them off, a bitch getting them back on and you can gaurantee that one will flood even after every precaution has been taken.
Shimming some engines valves, its as if the manufacturer has put every hinderance they can in the way of you doing this without the assistance of a double jointed dwarf with the eyesight of a hawk.
Rear shocks when every bolt is corroded firmly in place, someties I just give up and buy in a reasonable replacement.... I could go on and on... but I'll shut up for now.

[Reid]

I'm exactly the same when it comes to stuff like that. The thought of getting charged crazy amounts by a garage for stuff I could do myself with a couple of hours and a bit of confidence means I eventually get round to them after a week or so (just finished up valve clearances today). Learnt a lot of skills and saved myself a fair bit of cash, just glad I started learning on a CG125 and not a carbed I4 engine.

A combination of 'The Workshop' and a Haynes manual usually provide me with all the info I need to diagnose and solve anything thats gone wrong - haven't taken a bike to the garage since 2010 now

[garth]

I do everything.

Act now think later.

When this fails... ''Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!''
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[MarkJ]

I overcome my worry of doing jobs I've never done before by going to the local bike shop and seeing how much the labour would cost

<-- short arms, deep pockets.

[Teflon-Mike]

You're an engineer! & have a fobia about fixing things?!
Strange!
My first Design Lecture, at Uni; Tutor walked in said; "Right; you are now 'Engineers'... trainee Engineers, don't get ideas above your station.... BUT.... What, IS an engineer?" Then went round the room, polling answers until offering "PROBLEM SOLVER" an engineer is an applied scientist, some one who finds a use for science, and solves problems.
Rather curiouse, to have an engineer shy away from problems... though however many years in industry, as a trouble shooter after, maybe I shouldn't be surprised....
Yet, while trying to find some one to actually deal with something on the manufacturing floor, could often b difficult, shop floor blaming process engineering, process engineering blaming design engineering, design engineering blaming purchasing.... etc.... outside in the carpark, and Stuart from the prototype lab is fiddling with the carburettors on his Dolamite Sprint at Lunch time, there'd be a DOZEN engineers, with their head under the bonnet, offering their 'help'!

Mechie, Lecie and an IT engineer, in a car coming over the alps when the brakes fail....
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Lecie is driving, and he stamps on the brake pedal, and nothing happens, so he stamps harder, and then harder again, Mechie, in the passnger seat turning green shouts 'Change Down, Change Down', and grabs at the hand brake, and Lechie, slaming down the gearbox, using the engine braking, Mechie hanging on the handbrake they manag to get the car to a stop at the bottom of the valley, and thy all tumble out.

Mechie runs round the back to the boot, looking for the wheel brace: "Probably a seal gone on a caliper, I'll take the wheels off and have a look"
Lecie, dives under the dash board, and starts pulling covers off the fuse boxes, pulling his test pen out of his pockt; "No, I reckon its a problem with the ABS, I'll look for a sensor error.
IT Eng; looks around; "Woa! Far out! What a Ride MAN! I have NO idea what went wrong, but, y'klnow, I think we should push the car back up the hill....... see if it does it again!"
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(I worked in Defence; I was once acquainted with a US Airforce Radar Operator, responsible for running coms tests on NATO Def-Net. Basically he had to keep bouncing 'traffic' around the network during low useage, to make sure all ports and nods were responding and viable..... Bored, on night duty, sending random number sequences, he decided to play network 'Doom' with a mate on shift in Hawaii!... Yup, brought down the Atalntic link! System lifted the Defcon status two notches, presuming 'enemy' system breach, and almost had the Deputy President disturbed on the Golf course..... Apparently after the claxons had stopped sounding and the swoop squad had deecended, the General, a chief IT wallah's first words were, "OK, can we replicate the error?")
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ANYWAY:
What has always tended to work for me, looking at a knackered water pump or alternator, or starter motor, or non starting engine.... or whatever:

"OK, it's fucked.... anything I do to it from now on, cant really make it MORE fucked.... but if I can make it LESS fucked.... on to a winner!"
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Zeuky]

[hellbound]

[Dazbo666]

I tend to read and research Mr Haynes, and BCF before I attempt a new task, but I tend to do the majority of basic maintenance etc myself.

As already suggested, short arms & deep pockets, combined with expensive local labour costs usually means that I do the job myself.

The majority of the time, it's down to a matter of confidence and/or experience, and one of the few ways to improve both is to DO IT
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[Benson_JV]

The problem I have is whenever I do something, I'm afraid that when I'm doing 90+ down the M5 teh bike will fall apart due to me mucking something up.
As of such I get my mates to do it, I trust him more.
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Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[hellbound]

[Bru]

For what it's worth, I just think: a man put this together; so can I.

However, that does not always help when doing things like re-assembling carb bodies and fighting with their linkages. As long as there is an opportunity to walk away for a short time, the job will be done.

[Teflon-Mike]

[keggyhander]

I've taught myself over the last couple of years but I still shit myself at the thought of doing the valve clearances.

[Tim..]

I have no problems tearing into the drag bike or a friends/customer bike, I would happily rip it to bits just to look at a wrist pin or valve seat knowing all will be well in the end.

Working on my own bikes and I suddenly get nervous about getting it perfect. wierd.
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Project builds: My VFR400 nc30 build thread + Honda Britain Rep VFR + What? Another VFR +Project 'cos I want one' + V8 coffee table
www.marshallracing.co.uk
OCD - Helping to bring the standard of my bikes up and make me slowly go mad since 1999