So, who fixes your bikes?

[steveh]

I've been on here a while, and I've sort of got to know who's handy with a spanner or two and do all work themselves, but I found myself wondering what people do to fix/maintain there bikes that don't' have a mechanical background?
A lot of people slate dealerships, totally understandable, there isn't a single dealership I'd trust working on my bikes.

Most will have friends who do there work for beer i suspect, I do a lot of foreigners at home, my friends always break something and look to me for help, I don't mind, I like to help out were I can.


I thought in a place full of enthusiasts, it would be interesting to see who does what, who changes there own tyres, who does all there own engine work, who sand casts there own crank cases?

vote and post details.


steveh.
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[davebike]

I do it all my self but I am professional Mechanic bike trade since 1977
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[stinkwheel]

I get someone else to change tyres (the guy fits them free if I buy them off him) and farm-out any "proper" engineering like balancing a crank, fabricating an exhaust or reboring a barrel. I'm also crap at painting so bodywork painting goes to a spray shop.

Everything else I do myself.
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[DrDonnyBrago]

Fortunately I haven't ever required any major engineering work, so have done pretty much every bike repair/service myself. I once paid a mechanic friend of a friend to remove some seized exhaust studs and swingarm adjuster bolts, haven't farmed anything else out.

Probably helps that I don't care about cosmetic crash damage .

I do my tyres too, but mainly because I move around a lot and can never find a decent tyre shop, the £40ish saving is also appreciated.

[DrSnoosnoo]

Done all the mechanical work myself. Tyres - I take the wheels to the shop I buy the tyres from and they fit them for free - pointless me learning how to do it.

If any engineering needed doing - repairing cranks or other stuff I know nothing about I'd farm that out.

I'm a Scienceist, self taught spanner wielder with lots of information from the internets.
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[MarJay]

Where's the option for "I can do most things but I know my limitations and take it to a dealer for really complex stuff"?
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[Beehive Bedlam]

I have mastered all the basics on my Varadero.

[Dave500]

Any servicing, repairs and other stuff it goes to a dealers.
I can't be trusted haha.
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[Rogerborg]

GS has had a dealer service to get a stamp in the book.

I'd have been better doing it myself.

And buying my own rubber stamp.
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[kerr]

I do what i'm comfortable with, general servicing etc, engine rebuilds or anything electric then id rather pay someone to do it.
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[chris-red]

I don't take mine to a dealer but I have a independent mechanic I take mine too. I can do most things myself however he is reasonably priced and very good so I tend to do every other service + things like brakes/cables etc. But give it to him on alternate oil changes or for major work, because he is better than me and I can't be arsed
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[Phoenix]

Very few things I take it to a mechanic for, will happily rebuild a bike from scratch these days and have done plenty of times. Some tools i'm reluctant to buy though, these include chain tools, because the amount of times I will use it has not yet justified the cost, I can get a chain fitted for a few quid down the road, tyre fitting is the same, have in the past had shims swapped for me and carbs balanced because i hate that job but will now just do it myself. Never trust a garage with electrical faults IMO, cars and bikes their motto tends to be swap bits out for new one at a time until it all works so people end up paying for a string of new electricals when only one was at fault.

A lot of the problems with DIY mechanics is when people only have one vehicle, if you have a backup then there is no harm in a DIY job going wrong or taking longer than expected but if it's your only means of transport then there's more at stake and it ends up going to a mechanic just to be safe.

[mudcow007]

having a severly broken bike, you tend to get to know quite alot about fixing stuff

if you ever need to learn how to mend things, i suggest buying a chavved up Bandit

[Beehive Bedlam]

The wheels on the band wagon are now rolling everyone is an arm chair expert mechanic.

[t121anf]

Are backstreet garages "dealers"?

Dealers to me suggests places like Honda, Suzuki etc i.e. places that sell new bikes.

[angryjonny]

Oil and filter changes I'll do.

More than that and it goes to a garage. I changed the carb on my wife's bike once and wished I'd never started.

[WD Forte]

I'd take a crank to be ground or hore boned
and I've paid to have tyres fitted and balanced, but other than that
have always done my own mechanical electrical work.
Pretty shit at paint work though I don't/can't do pretty
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[Baffler186]

[Moxey]

At present I work on everything myself and what I feel is a bit beyond me with the old fella or father in law.

However with my latest bike think I'm going to be having to find a trustworthy mechanic with it being my first FI bike (EFI is black magic to me) and no longer having the time to fuck about in the garage due to long hours and the missus.

Oh and as for Carburettors, beyond cleaning I prefer to trust them to Roy the Boy/Oily Roy in Darlo, but he's getting on a bit and there's no one else I deem competent to get a set of carbs absolutely perfect like hime.
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Do my own basic stuff, valve clearances at that it goes to a shop.
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[monkeybiker]

I do pretty much everything myself apart from tyre change because I don't have an air compressor.

I can't do an engine rebuild but I've done a head change.

[Alpha-9]

No option for a mechanic/garage lawl

Do it myself unless I think it's going to round off or be a cunt or take longer than 2 hours, sooner pay someone
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[Al]

Do what I can myself and take it to a backstreet garage for anything else.
I could probably do more stuff myself but I work all week and can't really be bothered.
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[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Oil and filter and fuck all else is my general rule. A mate did a valve check on the dub, another mate was keen to tackle fork seals on the 500 - but my spanner-phobic senses were tingling and I talked him out of it. Good job as they were mullered kintyre and needed a lot of heat and swearing to remove - which would've been a big ask of a mate. Fortunately that's been the biggest - or at least, most difficult - job so far.
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