Recommend me...

[John 675]

A book on how Motorcycle engines work and maintanence guides... because im sick of issues with my bike i cant fix, then get someone to do it and it was so stupidly easy anyway..
i want to learn and no - one seems to be able teach me, and it P's me right off,
also i wouldnt keep asking silly questions on here...

[Sideshow#36]

Haynes! I just changed a front cylinder head and all the stuff that needs to be done with it. I'm pretty good with engines but it does go in to really good detail, and made the cam timing really straight forward.

[John 675]

Haynes! I just changed a front cylinder head and all the stuff that needs to be done with it. I'm pretty good with engines but it does go in to really good detail, and made the cam timing really straight forward.

is it done by pictures? lol, that would be really handy,
(waiting for children books jokes)

[Sideshow#36]

is it done by pictures? lol, that would be really handy,
(waiting for children books jokes)

LOL. Should get the "My first haynes" edition. Yeah sort of. It is all written out and then it will say eg. refer to picture 14.1a etc etc. Really easy....
Some might say even a child could do it:rolleyes:

[Spanner Man]

Morning all.
There are many people out there in your position, who would like to learn at least the basics.
I have always worked on bikes in front of customers, & have on occasion turned a service into a training session. I have found that most people really learn from it, & it gives them the confidence to tackle some of the simpler jobs.
It's important to realise when something is going awry, I see many bikes which are literally deathtraps, & the customer is blissfully unaware that their steed could kill them!
Two months ago I had a girl bring a Zephyr in for fork seals. Not only were her brakes contaminated with fork oil, the headraces were shot, there was 18 psi in the front tyre, & the swinging arm bearings were incredibly worn (rear wheel steering or what!)....Her previous bike was a CBR400, & she just thought retros were meant to handle like that, & BOY did she notice a difference after everything was put right.

I did put a post up sometime ago regarding maintenance tuition, surprisingly I had few takers.

As Sideshow says, Haynes manuals are pretty good as they do things step by step with lots of photographs.

Cheers.

[John 675]

Morning all.
There are many people out there in your position, who would like to learn at least the basics.
I have always worked on bikes in front of customers, & have on occasion turned a service into a training session. I have found that most people really learn from it, & it gives them the confidence to tackle some of the simpler jobs.
It's important to realise when something is going awry, I see many bikes which are literally deathtraps, & the customer is blissfully unaware that their steed could kill them!
Two months ago I had a girl bring a Zephyr in for fork seals. Not only were her brakes contaminated with fork oil, the headraces were shot, there was 18 psi in the front tyre, & the swinging arm bearings were incredibly worn (rear wheel steering or what!)....Her previous bike was a CBR400, & she just thought retros were meant to handle like that, & BOY did she notice a difference after everything was put right.

I did put a post up sometime ago regarding maintenance tuition, surprisingly I had few takers.

As Sideshow says, Haynes manuals are pretty good as they do things step by step with lots of photographs.

Cheers.

i might buy a haynes manual as suggested and a really old engine... for say £50 then strip it and rebuild it, like a big lego set... question is where can i find an old engine? lol,:p

[kwak zzr]

eBay is the place mate. if i get the 1000 back stick that lump in your 650 and play with your 650 motor:)

[John 675]

eBay is the place mate. if i get the 1000 back stick that lump in your 650 and play with your 650 motor:)

could i do that? swap the 650 motor for a thou?

[vzzzbuxt]

haynes is a good start

[Cam_73]

Haynes is a good start.

Also if you have a local college, why not see if they do a basic automotive DIY class, or if you're lucky you may have a bike maintenance course available.

When you do start working on it, don't rush it. If you get so far and begin to feel less confident. Stop take a break and see if you need to put it back together and get a mechanic. Otherwise take slow steady steps, take notes and pictures if it helps.

Top tip, keep a roll of scotch tape and a marker pen handy, label everything if you think you'll forget where it goes back.

Cheers

[Spanner Man]

Evening all.
A good tip in these days of digital photography, is to take pictures as you go, these can really aid you when putting your bike back together.

Cheers.

[yorkie_chris]

A good way to learn about the basic stuff is to buy an off road bike or even a cheap road one.
Best would be 4 stroke, aircooled single that you can get a manual for and just play with it, start taking things to bits and putting them back together and making sure it runs good when you've finished.

Chris

[kwak zzr]

the only problem with haynes is they take brand new bikes apart not 18year old xj600's where all the bolts are knackerd and previous owners before have changed wiring and things.

[yorkie_chris]

The typical "unscrew and remove" instruction...

(translation: "jump on the breaker bar and round off, grip with vicegrips, beat with a hammer, apply angle grinder, replace..")

[kwak zzr]

yea thats what i'm on about and then "follow steps back from 8-1 to re attach"
but you've fecked the thread or bolt? i think you've been there too.

[yorkie_chris]

Me?

Noooo I've never monstered a component and welded/tiewrapped/drilled out/araldited anything back together in my life!

#angelic face#



But back onto topic, such experiences are how you learn, if you can work on a sh|tbox and get it running then a new bike/car is a doddle, brings out the inventiveness most of us have too :-P

[Spanner Man]

Morning all.
Good point there Kwak regarding removal of stubborn/knackered fasteners. Haynes should really give a bit more instruction as to what to do when one comes across such things. Otherwise people go down the 'Yorkie' route & just beat the beggar!:D

Cheers.

[chazzyb]

How does an engine work? Suck, squeeze, bang, blow, of course!

Well, a 4 stroke does...

[yorkie_chris]

Otherwise people go down the 'Yorkie' route & just beat the beggar!:D

Cheers.

No need to make me sound like such a butcher! :-P

I can be gentle...

[rictus01]

As I've been teaching this for years now I've found nobody who couldn't be taught to do most of the service stuff themselves (even had one of the ladies change and engine herself with minimal assistance), I don't do very much these days, but do privide the "how to" instruction for thoughs requiring it*, getting them to do it themselves actually teaches the practical skills, rather than merely reading or watching.

Of course a knock on benefit I've found is thoughs already taught pass on thoughs skills to others** and have become useful contributors on here.

*you provide the parts/muscle & time to fit in with me, I'll provide the rest.
** my only fee.

Cheers Mark.

[Spanner Man]

Morning all.
Good point there Rictus, as you say there are few people who cannot learn the basics. I have only ever come across a couple of people who shouldn't be allowed to own spanners:D.
Obviously it's lack of confidence & fear of the unknown that puts people off giving it a bash, not to mention the cost element if they bugger something up!

Even now I find it quite rewarding when someone who literally knew nothing, thanks to my tuition progresses to the stage where they can undertake some of the more complicated jobs such as fork seals etc.

I taught an adult education class in bike maintenance at Twickenham college some years ago, my pupils ranged from a young lad with a souped up scooter, to an elderly lady with an SH50 (she called it Mortimer:D). All my pupils felt that they had learnt something from the course, & more importantly they all enjoyed it. It's a shame there aren't more such vocational courses available.

I've always maintained that it's important to know at least the basics, for one would at least be able to recognise when something was going awry, & also when some of the more unscrupulous members of the trade were trying to have one over.

Cheers.

[Balddood]

Morning all.
Good point there Rictus, as you say there are few people who cannot learn the basics. I have only ever come across a couple of people who shouldn't be allowed to own spanners:D.
Obviously it's lack of confidence & fear of the unknown that puts people off giving it a bash, not to mention the cost element if they bugger something up!

Even now I find it quite rewarding when someone who literally knew nothing, thanks to my tuition progresses to the stage where they can undertake some of the more complicated jobs such as fork seals etc.

I taught an adult education class in bike maintenance at Twickenham college some years ago, my pupils ranged from a young lad with a souped up scooter, to an elderly lady with an SH50 (she called it Mortimer:D). All my pupils felt that they had learnt something from the course, & more importantly they all enjoyed it. It's a shame there aren't more such vocational courses available.

I've always maintained that it's important to know at least the basics, for one would at least be able to recognise when something was going awry, & also when some of the more unscrupulous members of the trade were trying to have one over.

Cheers.

Yes, very good. However, the only thing you really teach these days is "how to make the dodgiest coffee in the world, sonny". Told you before, i wouldn't believe a word you say cos you don't know what you are talking about.

That said, this guy is only in NottingNam and could quite easily pop along and watch, like you stated above, while you work on peoples bikes. That way he could learn whilst making coffee. If you make it a Friday afternoon / Saturday morning, you also have the added bonus of meeting the most fabulous person on this forum, moi :D

Seriously though, i have built my own bikes in the past, messed around with my own bikes, i even have a city and guilds qualification for vehicle repair and maintenance (A mechanics papers basically) but what Spannerman don't know about fixing bikes, to be perfectly honest, isn't worth knowing. There are things he "just knows", when everyone else is fuddling around trying to work out what's wrong, he's already figured it out and knows a way of fixing it :P

So, again, it might bode you well to pop over and make the coffee and watch the man at work.

Thats enough Pen!s rubbing for now, i have to go and shower. I feel dirty.


Love you lots Stewart darlink :) :) :)

Sean

P.S I'll be over with the plates tomorrow. :)

[Spanner Man]

Afternoon all.
I see the Portly one has been on here rambling again!
I don't know how he can condemn my coffee when he drinks so much of it! Mind you, he probably can't taste it after the 17 sugars he takes in it. (He has to maintain his girth somehow):D.

Cheers for the 'Big up' Porky, at least that part of what you said was true.

Mind how hard you rub old boy, according to Mrs Baldood (who isn't) there aint much there to start with!!:D:D.

See you tomorrow.

Cheers.

[Spanner Man]

Afternoon all.
I see the Portly one has been on here rambling again!
I don't know how he can condemn my coffee when he drinks so much of it! Mind you, he probably can't taste it after the 17 sugars he takes in it. (He has to maintain his girth somehow):D.

Cheers for the 'Big up' Porky, at least that part of what you said was true.

Mind how hard you rub old boy, according to Mrs Baldood (who isn't) there aint much there to start with!!:D:D.

See you tomorrow.

Cheers.

P.S. Baldy isn't the most fabulous person on this forum, he's just the fattest!

[Balddood]

Crikey, don't you go on? You didn't HAVE to say it twice. Just the once would have done, and if you DO have to P.S, THINK about what you want to say BEFORE double posting. Silly old Baffoon :)

See you in the morning

Sean

P.S, Gotta love the CAPITALS explaining WHAT i'm saying huh...
oh wait, that argument has ALREADY been done :)

[ASM-Forever]

I seem to have stumbled into match.com, time to leave the thread. :)

[Balddood]

I seem to have stumbled into match.com, time to leave the thread. :)

Naw, he's just ma b!tch is all. Sometimes he needs putting in his place :D

Sean

[Spanner Man]

Evening all.
I only mentioned your size twice for CLARITIES sake!!! Just in case there was any MISUNDERSTANDING amongst the PICKYBUGGERS on here, (they KNOW who THEY are!):D
NOW your SPELLING is terrible, it's Buffoon, & not Baffoon PILLOCK! & never AS LONG as I have breath in my body will I ever be your BITCH!

Cheers.

P.S. Anybody reading this definitely shouldn't take it seriously, you should hear the standard of banter when the FAT GIT is blocking the light in my workshop!!!!
See you tomorrow o sweet Baldy one!

[Balddood]

Evening all.
I only mentioned your size twice for CLARITIES sake!!! Just in case there was any MISUNDERSTANDING amongst the PICKYBUGGERS on here, (they KNOW who THEY are!):D

Cheers.

Steady on, the pink, fluffy bunny, right wing bashers will be along shortly :D