is it me or what ...... ???

[riichy]

ok when people start giving me suggestions on what too do with certain problems with my bike i really havant got a clue .....

for example i dont know how to clean my carbs, not know where air filter is, dont now what a C.D.I is, ......basely i can just about lube my chain, fill oil up and clean it....... so is everyone on hear a Mechanical wizzz kid or are there some people out there like me who run too a Mechanic at every problem.........




ps i bort the bike to ride not fix
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[White Noise]

still loads to lean, but it all starts with the small things and as you get more confident with your spannering skills you will be doing a full rebuild before you know it
WN
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Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
Wing Commander White Noise - SE Clique
Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

[mchaggis]

Better to pay someone to do a proper job than to screw it up yourself. It keeps a lot of people in work too. For a valuable bike it makes good financial sense. For an old/ simple hack, it makes more sense to learn yourself, particularly if it likes to have a lot of problems. Buy a Haynes or Clymer manual for your bike, and tackle some of the easy jobs which are in theory impossible to do wrong. Learn from ground up, starting with small things and growing in complexity.

Personally, I'm a degree educated Automotive Engineer (or something ) , so I do know a thing or two, but not nearly as much as a lot of others on here. Not enough practical experience you see...
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[JodieWodie]

Babe..I can polish my bike, and that is about it !!

(I have a good polishing rhythm)

I can just about do oil check and change, check brake fluid..

I concur..get someone else to do stuff for a few bob
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Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow"

[White Noise]

[riichy]

well i have a click on my bike every 10 seconds when moving forwod it like somethings in the chain or on the wheel, but realy i havent the fogyist anyway al be off to the garage too moro. i think as time moves on al learn but av never been good at fixing things........ (violin plays in background)


hehehe
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[JodieWodie]

[stinkwheel]

When I got my first bike, it was my only form of transport and I couldn't afford to take it to a garage. If it broke, I had no option other than to fix it myself. You learn quickly under those circumstances.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[White Noise]

[JodieWodie]

[Vin]

Tough one this.
If you need your bike as transport you can guarantee that everything you touch will break and you will have a nightmare. If it doesn't matter and you have plenty of time fixing things can be relatively easy and enjoyable!
Having said that if I had a bike worth more than £50 I would probably get it serviced and repaired at a bike shop.

[Liono]

When I first got a bike I really didn't have a clue about how it worked and I was constantly in the Workshop section here asking daft questions. However now I can do most of the stuff for the services for my bike (although I haven't dared do valve clearances yet!) just through a process of fiddling around with all of the bits on my bike. Rather than taking my bike straight to a garage I now tend to at least try to fix the problem myself first. You have to be a bit careful doing this though, as there is a point at which any bits you bugger up could cost more than fixing the initial problem! What I've come to realise is that bikes are really quite straightforward to work on if you use a bit of logic and are not, as I originally believed, held together and powered by mysterious mechanical voodoo.

[instigator]

With my hornet, I won't go anywhere near a garage. I could afford for themto do the work, easily. But why pour money down the drain when you can learn about it and do it for free. Manual in hand, membership to BCF and a relaxed attitude, I'll try any procedure. I just can't hand it over to a garage.

This hornet won't be going anywhere near a garage under my ownership (unless I bin it and it needs to be assessed. )

[craigs23]

I just count myself lucky that Dad not only bought me into biking and how to ride (Sunday afternoon car park practice before my CBT was fun), but also how to rebuild and restore/maintain my bikes.

I was in the same position when I got my CM125 - not a clue on what all the different shaped shinney things in the tool box did, then looking over to my bike (man, that's one complicated Airfix model). I started by watching what he was doing when working on the bike, so when I got to my 400/4, I could work on it under supervision.

I'm definitely not a qualified mechanic, but I know the basics of maintaining and working on the bike now, it's only the more advanced stuff (engine work mostly) or jobs that require 2 sets of hands that I need help on. Some things (valve clearances for example) is still way beyond my reach and far too fiddling/time consuming for Dad to work on - so it has to go to the garage for that.

Have you got any mechanically minded friends that can teach you the basics of motorcycle maintenance - or someone who could supervise as you browse through Haynes wondering how to service your brakes (for example)?

[0ddball]

It really makes me laugh when i see someone at the side of the road trying to change a wheel (on a car clearly) then i drive past again 15 minutes later and they are still pissing around.

Anyone can fix almost anything on a car/bike with the use of a manual, the right tools and some confidence. And when they've successfully done something once they'll wonder what the fuss was about.

One thing that isn't as straight forward and does take experience is diagnosing faults. Even many qualified mechanics are crap at this and just replace costly parts untill they find the problem.
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ZXR750L

[binge]

Diagnosis is a pain in the arse.
When I worked at JCB Medway (Volkswagen garage) We had a 1551 Diagnosis machine and even with the help of that, it was still difficult finding the problems.

Anyway, I started out with an old moped engine out of my write off. My first task was to take the cylinder off, and clean it, and put it back on.

Took me a while to do some things. But eventually I was rebuilding scooter engines like theres no tomorrow.

it all comes with experience. But if you dont have a spaire engine to practice on, Then I guess you only get one shot at it on your own bike. and just hope you get it right.

[stinkwheel]

I have said this before. The best way to learn is to buy a non-running honda 4-stroke 125 from the 70's/80's and a Haynes manual. You would pay no more than £100 for a tidy looking one.

Dismantle it, fix what is broken, put it back together (parts are readily available for most models and are cheap) and learn a lot in the process. Now sell your running 125 for £400 and bask in the magic feeling you get the first time your newly reassembled engine fires up. Nothing better.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.