Learning to work on bikes

[Thunderchild]

Hi all

Despite riding for getting on for 3 years, my knowledge of how to work on bikes is embarrassingly little, and I think it's about time I do something about this. What is the best way to go about this in your opinion? I'm not to keen on the teaching myself idea beyond a point, as I don't want to do something inadvertant to my bike, and I've not really got anyone to learn from that I know of.

Thanks for any ideas

[.....]

I'm a bit of a mong with the spanners but can get by - not rebuilt an engine yet but can do servicing, brakes, forks etc.

Just start small - oil and filters, read on the net, get a workshop manual for your bike and go from there. Having the right tools for the job can make things much easier as well.

The main thing is not to rush, if you're truly stuck have a cup of tea and come back to it.

[Teflon-Mike]

I days of yore we learned by necessity; bikes were cheap transport; so DIY maintenence & repairs were par for the course; if you couldn't fix stuff, you couldn't ride!

Biker Addage: Real Bikers Build Their Own.

Comes from them days; and you would learn how a bike worked and how to do the mechanics by building one.

Its still a nice, if somewhat tedius and often expensive task to learn 'bikes'. Getting down and dirty, investigating thier intricacies you aquire an empathy for them, you see where the stresses and strains are pout, where forces are working, where bits move and rub.

It teaches you how they work; and the principles and practices of handling spanners and where things can go wrong, and how to fix them, as well as give a respect and empathy for the machine, for when you are riding it.

If you dont want to lammer into what you got and risk ruining it; take on a project.

Get an old bike; pull it to bits, and put it back together again.

If you are only concerned with learning mechanics, and don't want to spend money making anything 'more' from it; get a spares or repairs Chinky thing for £50 and just mess.

If you want to try and do a renovation out of it; you need to be a bit more canny in what you pick, and be a bit cute on what you spend.

As a learning excersise, you wont learn much by avoiding bit chunks of work; so you will want to take the engine to pieces and over-haul it; you will want to strip suspension; brakes; replace wheel-bearings etc.

From the learning point of view; a four-stroke has more 'relevence' than a two stroke; becouse it has valves and cams and stuff. But a single cyclinder bike only has one set of everything, so makes it a bit easier. Most bikes have disc brakes these days; so I would probably pick something with a disc front and drum rear so as to learn how both types work. Most bikes have mono-shock rear suspension these days; so while a Twin-shock is a lot more simple to get to grips with, and cheaper to overhaul, a mono bike would let you play with how suspension links work.

Sort of suggests some sort of single cyclinder, four-stroke dirt bike, would be a good candidate.

Something under 125cc is Learner-Legal; which means more readily available candidates; but aolso means they will be more expensiove, and on a project bike, less likely to sell for as sensible a price. A bigger 'single' would probably be cheaper, but depends whether you have a use for it after.

Doing EVERYTHING to learn mechanics on a bike, will almost certainly mean spending more money than it is worth, when you are done; so if you go that way, you want to pick something either worth loads of money when done, or something you can make use of, riding it.

Have a shuftie round Show & Tell; plenty of inspiration & ideas in there.
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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?'

[Thunderchild]

I can and have done some things, I've changed brake pads ok, fitted slip ons (proud of that as the 2 under-seat cans are a pain in the arse to line up on a street triple), regularly adjust for slack on the throttle and clutch cables. But then I've never done things like an oil change or air filter change or adjusted for drive-chain slack which I'd really like to do. My biggest issue is anything to do with torque screws, I did have a torque wrench but had no real idea how to set it up to a specific rating .

Also can anyone recommend any tool sets that are good (and not too expensive) that I can buy that will set me up well?

Cheers

Edit: thanks for that Teflon, I'll have to think about a small project to mess around with

[lihp]

Mechanics don't often go and buy a "tool-kit"

Yes, go get 2! Decent spanner sets, 1 of each size is often never enough, and a good socket set.

But then buy tools as and when you need them. No point buying tools just in case, buy the specialist stuff when there becomes a need for it.

The only real way to learn is get stuck in, but if you're not mechanically minded this can be difficult.

The R6 never ran right when I bought it for a long time, finally got it working, and tempted the idea of trading in, but I love the bike, and partially because of the hours I've spent working on it, it becomes more than just a bike!

[.....]

The Halfords Pro socket sets are popular on here and can be found half price a lot of the time. I've got one and it has served me well so far. The rest of the stuff you can pick up as you go along and find you need more stuff.

Adjusting the chain is probably the most basic job and easy jobs to do with plenty on guides about to learn from. Torque wrenches are great but don't rely on them 100%, go by feel as well, but it depends on what you're doing.

If you post your location on here there's a very good chance that there's someone local to you on BCF that will happily run through a few things with you.

[WannaBeDude]

Teflon T bag said:

I don't give a fuck about BCF awards !!!
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Jogging on, destination living.

[Ericck]

Never mind 3 years, I've been riding on and off for 30 years and I am only just starting to maintain my own bikes.

IMHO it depends on how much you want to learn. Sure I would like to be able to strip and rebuild a bike but learning how to service and maintain your bike will probably prove more useful.

My system is to have two bikes, if I'm working on one I ride the other, that way I never need to rush a job too much. As already said get some decent spanners and sockets and buy other stuff as you need it. I am building a fair tool box as I do different jobs, even find myself working on the wifes car nowadays.

It takes time as you only really learn by doing and making mistakes if you don't have anyone to show you. Get a manual and look online for videos, you can always call the mobile mechanic if it all goes pear shaped
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Current Bike: 2004 Suzuki Bandit 600S
Previous Bikes: Yamaha FS1E, Mobylette Moped Thingy, Suzuki GS125, Kawasaki Zephyr 550, Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Kawasaki ER500, Suzuki Bandit 600, Honda CBR600F, Triumph Street Triple 675, Suzuki V Strom 650, Suzuki Bandit 1200, Suzuki SV650N, Honda CB500F.

[jjdugen]

If you do want to learn, the FIRST thing you need are a couple of pairs of overalls and a BIG box of latex gloves. You wont believe how dirty these things get, the older, the dirtier and rustier.
Whatever workspace you have, go and buy some sheets of thick polythene and cover your floor area. That way when you drop all the thick gunky oil and stuff on the floor its easily swept / cleaned up.
Get some good lighting, overhead and SIDE lighting, most of your work is under something else and shadows can make seeing what you are doing difficult.
Go and buy LOTS of plastic boxes, small and large for the parts you strip. DONT use cardboard, it tears and goes soggy.
A GOOD digi camera. The cheap ones dont focus too well close up and that is what you will be doing to keep a record of what fits where.
Make sure you keep your payments up to your Internet provider, there is more specialised knowlege out there than you can shake a stick at!

Cheers
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[Okeydokey]

My experience goes like this... buy Draper (cheap as chips) when a bit breaks it means you are using it alot, then replace the broken bit with Britool or other top dollar stuff like Snap-on, Blue wotever its called, so far I have bought 10mm Britool spanner to compliment the Draper set, inherited a socket set from Draper as well, not bad!
When it comes to hex etc, I use so few of them, when I need them I buy them with a handle connected, like a screw driver, if you get me drift...
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Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruitsalad!
YB100 v. Ford Sierra (1982 I came 2nd place) Honda H100S (Currently 0 - 0) CX500 Cafe project (me 1 - wife 0.... maybe!)

[Fizzer Thou]

PM sent.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Dan_Davies]

ahh i wish i could learn more about mechanics but the lack of anywhere but my street to work on the bike restricts me a lot
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current ride: 07 suzuki sv650s
ex rides : lifan mirage 125

[Mikey3]

[Suntan Sid]

It can be a bit daunting delving into any machinery.
Most people get it into their heads that it's a big complicated piece of kit.
In one sense it is, but the whole is just an interconnected set of components, once you grasp that, you'll realise that virtually all of the components can be worked on as separate entities.

Get a Haynes manual for your bike, I know some people don't like them but they are very handy guides to have around.
Just think of the manual like a recipe book for your bike, follow the instructions and 9.5 times out of 10 everything will be fine.
Reading through the Haynes a couple of times before you take a spanner to your bike, is good idea.

As for tools don't buy cheapy ones, but you really don't need top dollar tools for home maintenance, if your short of readies, like I was, get down to your local market, there's usually someone selling second hand tools for a fraction of the new price.

As with most things, if the subject is something you have an interest in, it's far easier and enjoyable to learn!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[WannaBeDude]