Motorcycle Mechanics Course

+1 to the suck it and see crew. If you have a couple of phone numbers of people willing to help you too and the org you won't need to waste money on a course which could be used to buy some tidy tools.

Just to get an idea do you have a garage or space indoors to do work or is it just on your street?

90% of jobs can be done with 1/4", 1/2", socket sets, 8-19mm spanners, set of screwdrivers, allen keys and the right sets of greases, cleaners etc. . . .

Do you have a car too?

I'm just trying to think of an easy job which you need another tool which will cost you loads. £13 Multi-meter from draper will help for electrics.

I like to be able to tackle more jobs with confidence, kinda knowing HOW to get where I need to and not just knowing where.

I live in a flat so no garage but I can use my dads garage pretty much most of the time and he does ave a pretty extensive collection of tools...

...but...

...I can't keep relying on him. Its unfair and a pathetic on my part. Am considering on renting myself a garage. Some nice and warm to keeps the bikes as well as work on them.
I've got a pretty decent multi-meter, a few basic sockets, allen key set, drivers etc, but I do need to speed some money a get some decent bits. Lack of correct tools is the bain of my life.

Something I would like advice on buying is the bike stands, the rack/stand thing to lift the wheel off the ground. Where, how much, make etc? Any advice appreciated. Since non of my current bikes have a centre stand even things like oiling the chain become more of a pain than with my first bike!

Originally Posted by Lost@Home

I like to be able to tackle more jobs with confidence, kinda knowing HOW to get where I need to and not just knowing where.

I live in a flat so no garage but I can use my dads garage pretty much most of the time and he does ave a pretty extensive collection of tools...

...but...

...I can't keep relying on him. Its unfair and a pathetic on my part. Am considering on renting myself a garage. Some nice and warm to keeps the bikes as well as work on them.
I've got a pretty decent multi-meter, a few basic sockets, allen key set, drivers etc, but I do need to speed some money a get some decent bits. Lack of correct tools is the bain of my life.

Something I would like advice on buying is the bike stands, the rack/stand thing to lift the wheel off the ground. Where, how much, make etc? Any advice appreciated. Since non of my current bikes have a centre stand even things like oiling the chain become more of a pain than with my first bike!

It'd be well worth doing a course IMO, not only for the learn-it-right-the-first-time element but you'd meet new people into bikes and would be able to practise on the college ****-heap rather than your own bike.

And stands - totally necessary. (Almost) wished id got the Fazer 6 rather than the SV (even though the SV's better) when it came to lubing the chain and I had to shove it 15 feet down the road and back. And get cotton reels for the back. A nice wet/lubed swingarm tends to slide down the stand.

[fastdruid]

You can start with a set of axle stands and a bottle jack. An awful lot you can get done with just those.

Such as head bearing swap, note the high tech pile of wooden blocks


Druid

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by carternd

It'd be well worth doing a course IMO, not only for the learn-it-right-the-first-time element

If you think any course will exclude you from making mistakes you're on crack.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

If you think any course will exclude you from making mistakes you're on crack.

Oh no, but it's possible to spend a long time doing something face-about-ar*e until you see the light.

If you find any courses in essex or surrounding area can you PM me details? I'd be interested for sure.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by carternd

Oh no, but it's possible to spend a long time doing something face-about-ar*e until you see the light.

But in doing it wrong you are still learning.

And IMO more importantly in figuring stuff out, you are learning how to figure stuff out. The sort of reasoning you need to do this stuff can only be built by practice NOT by being spoon fed.

I can tell you how to strip brakes and rebuild them, but that will not equip you to check your valves. Whereas figuring out how to do your own brakes WILL prepare you to figure out how to check your valves. Geddit?



It's like learning a language. Me telling you a sentence "ich bin ein berliner" or whatever, may be gramatically correct in that language. But figuring out how to correctly construct a sentence you can only do yourself. Haynes manuals and the like are a translation dictionary to help you along

I may get shot down in flames for this,but a maintenance course will not make you a fully skilled mechanic. Many things you learn in an apprenticeship are not taught in college or manuals but by hands on experience over a period of time[5 year apprenticeship]. Secret of being a good mechanic is being able to diagnose the problem in the first place.I have worked alongside people with much higher qualifications than me, brilliant in theory,but absolutely useless on the spanners.
These short courses are useful for carrying out routine maintenance and give you an inclination into the bigger picture but they are not the be all and end all

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

I may get shot down in flames for this,

Nope, I fully agree