Do you girls do your own maintenance?

[marigami]

I was wondering whether we were a lot to do our own maintenance (as far as it not too technical and really really messy)?
I know that anyway recent bikes do not allow any of us do do so much maintenance as it you used to (alas) but are you interested in mechanics (like I am mind you) or more eager to live to your partner male) or professionals?
I try to do my own as much as I can (I like touching engine and other parts of bikes) but some task I can't perform either because I lack the proper tools or because it is too much for me (remember 4f feet 11 and 40 kg).
i know a lot of boys do not believe me when I say that I am doing my maintenance (well most of it).
Do you have any thing of that kind ?

[Anomaly]

Unfortunatly as I have only jsut started riding I havnt really done maintenance on my bike yet but I also live with a guy who is training in motorcycle mechanic so I am not allowed to really fix stuff as he likes to but he does teach me stuff when he is working on them

[Trudes]

Yes as long is it doesn't involve something that requires "special" tools, like some motorcycle brands require a certain tool for one bolt type of thing, which is annoying, so shit like that I can't be bothered with, and as long as it doesn't require my entire bike to be hoistered up off the ground or is a particularly "tricky" job. But general maintenance - oil change, spark plugs, radiator flush, brake pads etc, yeah, it's very satisfying. Go for it.

[Number One]

Yes as long is it doesn't involve something that requires "special" tools, like some motorcycle brands require a certain tool for one bolt type of thing, which is annoying, so shit like that I can't be bothered with, and as long as it doesn't require my entire bike to be hoistered up off the ground or is a particularly "tricky" job. But general maintenance - oil change, spark plugs, radiator flush, brake pads etc, yeah, it's very satisfying. Go for it.
What she said - hubby makes me - that and I can't bear paying someone else to do something that I can do myself!

[Rosie]

I do as much as I can, and Mr Rosie helps me out with the trickier stuff - which also helps me to learn to do these things myself. But even he's given up on changing my rear tyre :( so now I get the shop to do that.

[BiK3RChiK]

What she said - hubby makes me - that and I can't bear paying someone else to do something that I can do myself!

Yeah, what she said....

I've done all sorts of maintenance over the years. First car I ever owned I had the head off when I was about 16. Never looked back... I've done complete engine strips and re-builds and automatic transmission swaps. So changing the oil and chain on the bike is a no brainer really.

I couldn't stand to pay anyone to do stuff I have learned to do either!

[marigami]

Yeah, what she said....

I've done all sorts of maintenance over the years. First car I ever owned I had the head off when I was about 16. Never looked back... I've done complete engine strips and re-builds and automatic transmission swaps. So changing the oil and chain on the bike is a no brainer really.

I couldn't stand to pay anyone to do stuff I have learned to do either!


WoooohhhI envy you and a lot of admiration too.
Well done indeed!
Sometimes I am glad somedy will help me especially to lift the bike or the tyre.
But I do like to have greasy hands... I know crazy!

[kit]

I do All my own maintenance too.... just because I'm not paying someone else to do all the simple things i can do myself....My dad is a mechanic... so as alittle girl i always helped him tinkering round on cars etc and I enjoy the satisfaction of being able to fix most of the problems myself (with a lot of input from friends ):2thumbsup

[Stirts]

My man is a farken clever bugger when it comes to bikes and maintenance, so I just let him tinker, play, and get dirty. I just love a dirty man :blip:

I am very traditional in some ways when it comes to his 'n' hers jobbies. I prefer to do the pink jobbies, the cooking and cleaning etc and leave the blue jobbies to him, like the lawns, and house & bike maintenance.

In saying that I love to be in garage land watching him work on bikes and help out where I can, passing tools and ensuring a steady flow of bourbon mainly :D

[helenoftroy]

Used to do lots more stuff on my old airhead BMWs,everything was so easy to get at,fairings on the Ducati are a pain!!

now ....with guidance I will do stuff simple stuff on my bikes,oil & filters,chain adjustment,cable changes etc etc

The race guys have been awesome helping me out with my race bike(suzuki fxr)I have done everything on it to get it race ready:banana::banana:

[White trash]

hubby makes me.....

I'll fucken bet he does!

My philosophy on the matter, is that you can fit it in the kitchen with you, by all means tinker away. So long as my dinner doesn't get burnt or go cold.......

[marigami]

Wooow i didn't know about pink or blue job as for gender...
Seems weird to me although alas it is still this for a lot of people. But I should also say that sometimes it is true!
Anyway i just don't know is fixing ones bike is pink or blue job(:lol:) but all i know is that I find satisfaction to care on my bikes as much as I can...excepting when I am leazy or when I can't have strength enough!
And sometimes it is just all right to let men do the job.
But I agree with you, dirty men can be very interesting indeed :calm::calm:;);)

[rie]

...marigami, i am curious as to why you can't fix bikes now, as opposed to before? also, i don't know what height and weight has to do with it. if you can put it on the centre stand you can tinker with it. sorry if this turns out to be an ignorant observation. my riding is still in its infancy, compared to most.

i don't have a mechanically minded person around. but i wouldn't let anyone fix my bike for me, even if they were bike mechanics. i usually try to fix the problem myself through independent research: take advice from friends, ask for help, refer to the kawasaki manual and youtube (surprisingly useful) even if it means carting it to someone else's garage to borrow tools.

it's a personal commitment and i know that not everybody takes on the same philosophy when they buy a bike.

[tate35]

No lucky enough I have not had to do any maintenance issues as yet. Any little things like replacing a fuse.....i have been shown how to do this so I guess I could if I had too. Other than that I know where to petrol and oil goes :2thumbsup

[Danae]

I love working on my bike, but I am not yet confident enough to do it by myself (in case I really fuck something up). My boyfriend is very mechanically minded and helps me with a lot of things. I can do the simple stuff, so far I have not had to do anything that is too complicated or requires special tools.

I don't like leaving my bike with a mechanic...I don't like not knowing what exactly has been done to it or if it's been done properly.

[klingon]

I am learning as I go along. Of course my bike is about as simple as you can get, spare parts are easy to find and no special tools are required.

After I had been riding for only six months I was hit by a car and my bike was 'written off' by the insurance company (ie they wouldn't repair it because it would cost more to repair than it was worth). I bought the wreck back from the insurance company and repaired it myself with a lot of help and guideance from some wonderful people on this site!

Since that day I have never been afraid to do things to my bike, because I really think I understand it! I have seen it without any clothes on and I know how all the bits work!

Pic 1: Three girls consult the workshop manual
Pic 2: A truly naked bike (note firewood for shock absorbers)
Pic 3: Where does this wire go? (Note tools in the background: a hair drier and a box of beer)

[Ms Piggy]

I'd like to know where I can learn. I learn by doing not reading or watching someone else. On my previous bike I did my last oil change under the tutorage someone with experience and knowledge. But on my new ride I haven't cos I didn't want to feck it up. I'd really like to know how to adjust my chain and do all that other basic stuff too.

[marigami]

True I had the opportunity to get friends very good on mechanics so it helps!
And as a teenn I wanted to be a mechanic myself (pff my parents absolutly refused it) so I have always been interested in engine and what's inside...
And I like being able to be as much independant as I can!

[klingon]

I'd like to know where I can learn. I learn by doing not reading or watching someone else. On my previous bike I did my last oil change under the tutorage someone with experience and knowledge. But on my new ride I haven't cos I didn't want to feck it up. I'd really like to know how to adjust my chain and do all that other basic stuff too.

Consider getting a mentor off here. Mack the Knife was the best mentor ever! :love: He stood by and drank beer while he patiently watched me fix up the Volty, even though things that would have taken him 5 mins took me an hour! :laugh:

[marigami]

:laugh:
Consider getting a mentor off here. Mack the Knife was the best mentor ever! :love: He stood by and drank beer while he patiently watched me fix up the Volty, even though things that would have taken him 5 mins took me an hour! :laugh:

So you've got the point: drinking lotta beers can help :laugh:
:laugh::laugh:
And be patient.
Better not ask your partner though to avoid big rows (I mean discussion, is that the right word?)

[klingon]

:laugh:

So you've got the point: drinking lotta beers can help :laugh:
:laugh::laugh:
And be patient.
Better not ask your partner though to avoid big rows (I mean discussion, is that the right word?)

I agree! I kept sending my partner away to make coffee and fetch more beer, so that he wouldn't try to take the tools from me and do it himself. He found it very painful to watch me doing things at my own pace!

"Rows" is definitely the right word. :bash:

[klingon]

:laugh:

So you've got the point: drinking lotta beers can help :laugh:
:laugh::laugh:
And be patient.
Better not ask your partner though to avoid big rows (I mean discussion, is that the right word?)

I agree! I kept sending my partner away to make coffee and fetch more beer, so that he wouldn't try to take the tools from me and do it himself. He found it very painful to watch me doing things at my own pace!

"Rows" is definitely the right word. :bash:

[Nasty]

I'd like to know where I can learn. I learn by doing not reading or watching someone else. On my previous bike I did my last oil change under the tutorage someone with experience and knowledge. But on my new ride I haven't cos I didn't want to feck it up. I'd really like to know how to adjust my chain and do all that other basic stuff too.

The next maintenance day at Nastys is 02 November ... with dinner!! ...

I have a go at the basics ... can now changed oil/oil filter/spark plugs and when i remember all the steps adjust the chain ... but one of the guys from here helps me out with it (in case I screw up) - thanks Nudes ... and oh _Stain_ .. they also ensure that I don't do anything really stupid ;)

[Mom]

Since I have owned the blue lovely I have got my hands plenty dirty looking after her and fixing things that go wrong. I have a workshop manual and it really is a guide for dummies :yes:

The last thing I did was to remove the tank and clean up all the rust on the outside and the inside and then rust treat the insides with a Por 15 kit

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=110215

This was a bit of a process and frankly a bit intimidating but with some great encouragement and some good instructions it was not a daunting as I was expecting. My next mission is to put her all back together and see if I have finally solved my fuelling issues.

Get stuck in girls! It is not hard at all, and you get the biggest buzz from doing it too :yes:

[Number One]

I'd like to know where I can learn. I learn by doing not reading or watching someone else. On my previous bike I did my last oil change under the tutorage someone with experience and knowledge. But on my new ride I haven't cos I didn't want to feck it up. I'd really like to know how to adjust my chain and do all that other basic stuff too.
Andrew Templeton offers basic maintenance courses...you take along the gears and they watch and guide you to do all the work ;)

[Insanity_rules]

I was going to come in here and make a truely tasteless joke about self service and special tools (No really Insanity, that'd be so unlike you) but after I read all the posts I'm quite impressed at the can do attitude. So instead I'm going to say well done.

My wife used to work on her own car but hasn't done so in years. I've tried to encourage it cause we used to have fun sharing the garage. It was a rather unlikely couples activity but I really liked it.


The next maintenance day at Nastys is 02 November ... with dinner!! ...

Hmmmmmmm busting to comment, noooo must resist.

[Ms Piggy]

The next maintenance day at Nastys is 02 November ... with dinner!! ...

Arrrgghhh bugger - social calendar far too full that week to pop over. I did really enjoy the last time I did the oil change on Betty over at yours.


Consider getting a mentor off here. Mack the Knife was the best mentor ever! :love: He stood by and drank beer while he patiently watched me fix up the Volty, even though things that would have taken him 5 mins took me an hour! :laugh:

Great suggestion - I might need to go do some begging.

[Trudes]

I'd like to know where I can learn. I learn by doing not reading or watching someone else. On my previous bike I did my last oil change under the tutorage someone with experience and knowledge. But on my new ride I haven't cos I didn't want to feck it up. I'd really like to know how to adjust my chain and do all that other basic stuff too.

What were you wanting to do chick? Between the hubby and I we could supervise you :blip: (and I have some books to return to you also :hug:)

[Ms Piggy]

What were you wanting to do chick? Between the hubby and I we could supervise you :blip: (and I have some books to return to you also :hug:)

Awwww aint you sweet! Just all the basic stuff - oil change & filter, chain adjustment and all that stuff. What to look for and worry about...all of it!! Got a week to spare - heh heh. I'm sure my fella would like some tutorage too. We have some very basic tools and I guess we'd also like some ideas around what's stuff we need to effectively maintain our bikes.

[R-Soul]

I love working on my bike, but I am not yet confident enough to do it by myself (in case I really fuck something up). My boyfriend is very mechanically minded and helps me with a lot of things. I can do the simple stuff, so far I have not had to do anything that is too complicated or requires special tools.

I don't like leaving my bike with a mechanic...I don't like not knowing what exactly has been done to it or if it's been done properly.

Control issues?

[Pixie]

Control issues?

no, mechanics are monkeys

[Trudes]

Awwww aint you sweet! Just all the basic stuff - oil change & filter, chain adjustment and all that stuff. What to look for and worry about...all of it!! Got a week to spare - heh heh. I'm sure my fella would like some tutorage too. We have some very basic tools and I guess we'd also like some ideas around what's stuff we need to effectively maintain our bikes.

Well neither of us are mechanics and don't know everything, but we've been doing our servicing for a while and pissing about with buckets and have knowledgeable friends who are but a phone call away, and service manuals are fantastic books so we could probably muddle through .... or you could bribe Bistard or Jim to supervise ;)

[Ms Piggy]

Well neither of us are mechanics and don't know everything, but we've been doing our servicing for a while and pissing about with buckets and have knowledgeable friends who are but a phone call away, and service manuals are fantastic books so we could probably muddle through .... or you could bribe Bistard or Jim to supervise ;)

Sweet as luvvy. I reckon I'll start by getting me a owners manual and then ask for halp when I need it but before I feck it up! :D

[sondela]

I taught my sons to fix bikes, so now they do my maintenance for me, heh :D

[surfchick]

I do alot more now - I had a dirt bike and that broke the mould for me with all the gaddam oil filter changes every 5mins. I`ve must admit I like tidying the bike, tinkering with it... adding little upgrades to it...:whistle: on weds I had that thing where you take off the fairings to sort coolant and when you put them back on one of those irritating black popper things was extra... so now if you ride behind me you might score a free r6 panel...:sweatdrop

[davebullet]

Women are probably best suited to be mechanics... after all, they'll ask for help if needed and they'll actually read the manual!

[marigami]

Women are probably best suited to be mechanics... after all, they'll ask for help if needed and they'll actually read the manual!

AAAa
Ha hah !! So what's of men :whistle::whistle:

[buffstar]

For the first year or so of dirtbiking I left it up to my parter - soooo understand the pink and blue!! lol
For the past two years however I have been more involved in my bike maintenance, air filter gets cleaned after every ride, and as we ride mainly in sand a very thorough clean after each ride is essential - the salt fks everything if you dont keep on top of it. (have become a little OCD with the cleaning now tho - even have a toothbrush to really get into the engine area) I find it a little bit Zen to just get into it these days and have pulled plastics off on occasion - the farkn things neva go back on as easy as they come off - thats when i usually start drinking!
needing a top end rebuild about now but theres no way I'm taking that on!! off to the shop she goes......... is always less friction if a third party shows me what needs to be done as oppose to my Mr!!

[ceska]

i've had my vtr250 for the past 18mths & i've done some interesting things, the most memorable was when i had a friend install heated hand grips for me, then hand me over super glue with a warning - ensure i only used a small amount!! I then proceeded to go hm & super glue my throttle tube firmly to the handle!!

well, hubby wasn't going to fix it, so thankfully i'd previously arranged a workshop manual & ordered the new throttle case. btw good friends, logic, fb chat & my manual i managed to get the job done over the space of 4hrs! it was one of the hardest things I've had to do mechanically & personally won't do it again cos it was crap! good thing is i know where my carby is located LOL!

these days i oil my own chain, keep air in my tyres, inspect the bike b4 riding anywhere, pump fuel & hav a trusty mechanic for anything else :2thumbsup

oh & with the dirt bike I've delagated that to hubby 4 upkeep!

[danielle]

I would love to learn how to do my own maintenance but have no idea really on where to start

[Danae]

I would love to learn how to do my own maintenance but have no idea really on where to start

Start with changing the oil and filter; that's the easiest bit and your manual should tell you exactly how to do it. Also clean/lube your chain (probably a two-person job)

[CibbyBabe]

I share my bike with my hubby and he does all the maintenance.. but i do help him and watch a lot but its a bit hard to get my head around. im sure i could do some things - if my husband let me - haha

[I'll C U Jimmy]

Marigami...theres nothing sexier than a chick with a spanner! seriously..the more you do the more you learn, so when the day comes and your bike shits itself at the roadside, you have half a chance of getting it going again.

[CookMySock]

Marigami...theres nothing sexier than a chick with a spanner! Yes there is. A chick doing a stand pivot. Chick doing a wheelie. That sort of stuff. :love:

Doing your own bike maintenance is easy. It's knowing lots of the little things that get you in the crap that's hard - like dropping the O ring from behind the filter and not realising (yes theres an O ring seal in there), making sure the replacement part you have is the right one, and figuring out how to tell the parts guy what exactly want.

Much of this sort of stuff should really be done under supervision. Then there is having the right tools, and not hurting yourself.

I'm bloody impressed with a few of the ladies on KB, who quite on their own, ripped into biking, racing, maintenance, everything! And some of them don't even have a helper to put their bike on the trailer! Much respect! Much love. ;)

Steve

[Love my Bonnie]

I used to do my own oil & filter changes on my 250.
Easy as, just ask for help from a dude who knows what hes doing.
Most fellas are only to willing to give insruction. (in exchange for beers)
I did oil change, air & oil filter chango on my Bonnie at 20000 ks.
Not much different from the 250 really
Just that the parts costy more

[CookMySock]

Most fellas are only to willing to give insruction. (in exchange for beers)Some of us can make do with a smile and a hug! Cheap!! :lol:

Steve

[Love my Bonnie]

But if you give them a beer, it keep their hands busy
Otherwise they end up doing all the work for you and you learn fuck all.

[Ratti]

My hubby was a mech and i just stayed out of his way when he was working. I loathe mechanical stuff. Was forced into it just before he died as he was too ill to do much and we had the business to keep going for as long as possible. I did the work and he supervised. All it did was confirm I loathe mechanical stuff!

Now that Im flying solo, I am relying on mechanics. I have this theory that if a man can do it then so can I...with the exception of peeing standing up without it running down my leg. Have yet to put this to the test with the Z, but I do intend to. Starting with the rat nest wiring...

Handy hint if you hate greasy hands, buy some disposable vinyl gloves from the supermarket to wear while you are doing oil changes and chain lubes. Easy to clean you hands, just peel them off and chuck 'em in the bin.

Question..what to do with yukky oil from oil change? we used to send 2x 200 L drums to recyclers every few weeks.NOW what am I going to do with the wretched, vile smelling stuff?

[howdamnhard]

My hubby was a mech and i just stayed out of his way when he was working. I loathe mechanical stuff. Was forced into it just before he died as he was too ill to do much and we had the business to keep going for as long as possible. I did the work and he supervised. All it did was confirm I loathe mechanical stuff!
Handy hint if you hate greasy hands, buy some disposable vinyl gloves from the supermarket to wear while you are doing oil changes and chain lubes. Easy to clean you hands, just peel them off and chuck 'em in the bin.

Question..what to do with yukky oil from oil change? we used to send 2x 200 L drums to recyclers every few weeks.NOW what am I going to do with the wretched, vile smelling stuff?

Sorry to hear about your loss. Yes the disposeable gloves work a treat. Try HazMobile for getting rid of your old oil.