bike maintenance

[MikeL]

Reading all these posts about repairs, mods and so on makes me feel really inadequate :( I don't feel confident to tackle even simple jobs because I don't have much mechanical knowledge. On the other hand I'm at least of average intelligence and I'm willing to learn. But the question is - how? Are there any courses or classes available (I don't mean full time vocational courses for aspiring motorcycle mechanics but evening classes or weekend courses). Or is it just a case of having a go? I've got the workshop manual for my bike but without any previous experience a lot of it doesn't make much sense to me. I think I could do an awful lot of expensive damage...
Should I give up and resign myself to paying an expert (then again, I have a sneaking feeling that more often than we care to admit the "expert" doesn't actually do a competent job...)
Any thoughts??

[Coldkiwi]

from my limited years of experience I have noticed one thing.

Experts are quick.

I am slow.

I could learn how to do some more than basic maintenance (I can do the chain, oil, etc) ... but it would probably take me 1/2 a saturday to figure out how to get everything to the point (pulled off, taken out etc) where I could work on it and the other 1/2 of the saturday to get it done and put back together. And really...i'd rather leave it with the mechanics for an hour while I'm working and go for a ride in the weekend!

I'm happy to pay them to do it right provided they're not wasting their time and charging me for it. :)

 

And if you get a good place to do it, you can get discounts on other stuff (haha):cool:

[bluninja]

I'd concur with that. Experts are quicker, and have normally seen enough bikes to know their idiosyncrosies and common problems. They normally also have all the right tools:rolleyes:

Having said that it is worth your time to learn about your bike and how it works as it's all that's between you and the tarmac. With practice things become quicker and easier. I once stripped a ford 4 cylinder car engine down to component parts and re-assembled it in under 4 hours.....there were lots of parts left over when I'd finished....the other engineers had slipped them onto the workbench when I went for a coffee break :p Had I had to do it over and over I would probably been faster.

TTFN

 

[MikeL]

Thanks for the advice, fellas. I don't feel so bad now although still envious of you guys who think nothing of stripping your engine down. As far as tools are concerned, I'd be quite happy to equip myself with standard tools e.g. torque wrench and so on, but it seems that increasingly for particular jobs there is a special tool required...
As for learning by doing, I'm reluctant to experiment on my bike because it's the only one I have and I rely on it for getting to work (not to mention that I would suffer severe withdrawal symptoms if it was out of action for a weekend!). I've thought about buying an old wreck just to learn on - what would be a good model (cheap, readily available parts, mechanically uncomplicated)? Anyone got a suitable project for sale (preferably complete with service manual!!)?

[aff-man]

 

 :mad: my bike kinda died on me the other day carbs a bit dirty but the battery went flat when rying to start it and thats where the problem started. I can't ride it now because anything over 7g revs and the thing starts jercking forward like boosting almost but then back down,. Not enough power to run indicators and if i turn on the headlights or let the thing get anywhere near idle it dies automatically.

I think it may be the alternator because i replaced basically the whole charging system except for that about 3 months ago. The bike is going to the mechanic on thursday (on a trailer :( ) so if anyone has any ideas on what the problem might be i really would like to save a bit of money and time as well as wanting to get back on a smooth running bike asap.

cheers

[bluninja]

Errr...as a quick check wouldn't it be a good idea to charge your battery and see whether your bike starts and runs properly with enough juice for the electrics? If your battery is screwed you'll find out quick, and if it's good you will find out if the running and starting problems are down to not enough juice for the electrics or something else. Racebikes often have the alternator removed and just run off the battery so you'll be able to prove the engine is fine (or not). If all is fine it should be a simple check with a meter to see what the alternator is putting out and whether it needs attention.

 

TTFN

 

 

[bikerboy]

Quick fix charging alternating what?

This section is interesting but far too complicated for
a simple sole such as me.
:(

[bluninja]

Bikerboy, the alternator is also known as the flick-up footstand on a ducati....sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down...it alternates :D You need to ensure that the alternator is in the correct phase for the bikes current position or you may find starting and engine running problems.:cool:

TTFN

[bikerboy]

Haha bluninja, As long as it works whenever I push the button I'll be happy.:D

[Coldkiwi]

I do believe that's touché for those SBK comments Bikerboy!

 

[bikerboy]

Obviously a" touch e " subject for more bikers than I bargained for! :p

[SPman]

.

[bikerboy]

Shouldn't a picture of a cat picking it's nose be on the "animals do the strangest things" web site?

[Kwaka-Kid]

Originally posted by bikerboy
Shouldn't a picture of a cat picking it's nose be on the "animals do the strangest things" web site?

before anything i think the first question we have to ask ourselves is why SPMan was searching for pictures of cats originally... :S:eek5:

[aff-man]

don't know if this should go here but here goes. My clicking the other day and a couple of weeks ago the mechanic said it would probably happen due to the crank sounding a bit dodgey. Due to poor student syndrome i have not the funds to fix my bike or buy a new one. So this weekend i decided to take the engine apart but i need to know what exactley i'm lookin for. So if anyone out there has an idea of what a stuffed crank looks like or knows where to get info or pics it would be greatly appreciated.. 

[wkid_one]

I had an example of this - on Monday my bike decided to become a 500cc single once the rear pot lost its spark - nice at 11pm at night in the middle of nowhere.

Next day - off came the fairing, tank, airbox, wiring loom etc....well buggered if we could find the problem.  Quick call to Coast to Coast, $60 later and the bike was with Ramon at Haldanes (again - no comments, personal preference!)......

2.5 hours and resistence testing of everything on the bike, found that the bike had doen a typical v-twin thing - and shook a wire loose!! Nice.....

Moral:  I could have looked at the bike for 3 days and not found it, or seen it first look......however the mechanic had all the tools etc to do the job properly.......plus he fixed my cock up in putting the hoses back on the tank wrong (I would have found out - HONEST)

It comes down to the expert having the ability to chuck the bike on a workstation, with no shit around them, having all the tools, calling on previous experience etc.....most of us could fix our bikes, but is it efficient to do so?

[Kwaka-Kid]

what kinda noise are we talking about? is it that bad?

i hate local car mechanics that look @ ur bike and want ur money so say bullshit.  i say take it to someone good first and see what they think, then again, i say dont fix it, haha i never fix anything, just ride it harder and things go away.. haha nah.

hmm, hard dec.  btw i havent looked hardout, but i got VT250 Tank, and Instruments so far, and foorpeg frame part. the tank is silver, and mint i think.

[aff-man]

well only in the last two days but it has started "clicking" quite loudly today. Even over the new exhaust. Hmmm as to wkid_one i totally agree to send it to the experts.But when they tell you that it will cost a couple of grand to fix which is more than what the bike is worth then the only thing for it is the steep learning curve of fixing it yourself. I just need to do something having the engine sieze on me isn't a vey nice thought. Do you guys know about top-end problems that i what the mechanic thought it was. And lucky for me those good old '88 bikes are really really really straight forward - engine , carb , electronics simple as pie:D :D :D

[Kwaka-Kid]

hmm, could be camchain? i dunno :/

ask the other guy.