Tiger and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

For 20 odd years now I've been taking my bikes to a main dealer for everything bar filling up with petrol. Ladies and gentlemen, it has got to stop.

Anybody know where I can get a night school type hands on motorcycle maintenance course? Have pointy will travel but ideally in or near Weegee Central.

Cheers!

good luck, i searched for weeks when i first got the bike, even went to local dealer and offered to work for naff all on saturday mornings but no joy.

[northwind]

Just buy a complete s***er like I did

I did a night school course. I learnt about wheel removal and oil changes, spark plug removal and stuff like that. never learnt about fitting fender extendas though
this was in Shrewsbury so not that useful

I'm lucky, got a motorcycle workshop just down the road from me, I just ask them how to do anything, and when I **** it up.. I let them take over, hehe :P

[STRAMASHER]

Go on the dole.









A car driving and bike riding relative of mine went to Langside college for spannering night classes, but it was for THOSE types of "people" .... y'know, skanky 4 wheel types.

She now "diagnoses" problems , and I attempt to fix them................MUG

The basic theories/principals are the same (but with bigger hammers) and it would give you a chance to ruin somebody elses tools/tin shed, before endangering your pride and joy. Taking stuff apart is usually fairly simple, but a course like that would get rid of the fear of actually having to re-assemble summit (and have it work!)

Also what about books, I think Haynes do a motorcycle maintenance one which should be good. I have summit like "My 1st M/cycle", how to strip an air-cooled 2-stroke,points,drum brakes etc.
Other bits have been useful tho'.

Workshop manual. Invaluable for any bike. Is there not a download of it on here?

I'd also like to do a night class.

Quedos and I popped along to Cumbernauld College to register for their previously advertised Motorcycle Maintenance course on two occasions. Both times the course failed to go ahead due to a lack of numbers. On the first occasion, we had both paid and there were around 6 names on the list. If the normal figures apply, there's normally 10-12 bods required at evening classes for most colleges. After our disappointment, monies were duly refunded and off we went to wait 'til next time around in the hope that the "prospect list" would grow to the required no of people. It was not to be yet again.

Perhaps a call to the college (01236 731811) to express interest would yield results in so much as they'll take names for the start of a new term. This way it might just happen. At least the location is pretty central for a lot of us.

Tiger, Quedos, Indi & Kilted would be four for starters and that before any others that might already be on a prospect list.

Good luck if you decide to pursue this avenue.

Garry

[DarrenSV650S]

A member on another forum is a lecturer at Dundee college, he is trying to set up a night class. This is what he said in a post in January

We cover all associated trades such as light and heavy vehicle, automotive electrical, body repair and vehicle refinishing.

But not Motorcycle technician training!

This is an area which Dundee College has never been involved in (as far as I’m aware).
A few years ago I was responsible for investigating the possibility of providing this facility for motorcycle repair businesses.
However the demand in the “local” area proved insufficient, there being very little such businesses in the area. (Allan Duffus was keen, then closed a few months later!) Arbroath and Montrose drew a blank, Forfar produced one, Perth we couldn’t venture into for fear of stepping on Perth College’s toes, as was the case with the Fide area.

Right then – here’s an idea which I’ve already run past our team leader and curriculum manager.

Why don’t we run an evening class on basic motorcycle maintenance?
Now this is just an idea at the moment, and it would depend on numbers to keep the bean counters happy at the college. Something like a maximum of 20 "candidates" for an 8, 10 or 12 week course.
Myself and (name) could “team teach” the class, and would welcome input from "guest speakers" and we could cover various aspects of motorcycle ownership and (basic) maintenance.
This could take the form of practical workshop time and theory with audio/visual presentations in the classrooms.

We could have the first evening take the form of a brainstorming session with the “students” to gauge what the majority would like to do/see/hear during the classes.
We initially thought things that would be useful could include:

• Re-commissioning procedures after winter storage.

• Appropriate lubricants including oil & filter(s) changing.

• Suspension adjustments front and rear.

• Chain and sprocket replacement & adjustment.

• Electrical systems and repair including bulb type & replacement.

• Tyre choice and inspection procedures including wheel balancing.

• Biggest & best wheelies in the college car park (just kidding!)

This is by no means an accurate list or any kind of syllabus – we could tailor it to your wants (within reason).

We were considering offering this evening class immediately after the college Easter break, it could be held weekly at Kingsway Campus on any evening Monday to Thursday.
There would be a course cost which I’ll update the posting with when I get a ball-park figure from researching previous motor vehicle evening classes (car) which should work out similar.

Your own bikes could be brought along and (minor) tasks and repairs could be undertaken with the class.

What we need then to show the powers that be is some numbers of interested “candidates”

Sorry for this being such a long posting, but I think that this could be a great opportunity for some of you to learn a bit more about the bikes we all love (and sometimes curse when they go wrong) and also might get the bean counters convinced to run the class on a regular basis. (they might even be persuaded to buy a couple of bikes as workshop demonstrators!)

Not done much on the SV other than swap plugs about and diagnose a faulty coil 'cos its less than a year old. In my experience though there's not much servicing or non major faults on a bike that can't be done with a haynes manual and a basic tool chest (unless you ride an R1 or something).

I'm certainly no mechanic, but have learned to do the basics that way.

If you don't know one end of an engine from another you might not get full benefit from a course as it's likely to be done on singles, parallel twins or fours, so you might still get a bit lost on a v-twin.

I'd love to get my hands on a Suzuki workshop manual (its what the dealers use), I downloaded a BMW one from the web for a friends R1100GS, it was a lot more detailed than haynes. Not sprent any time searching for one, but might have a look now as my wife has American Idol on!

Be careful if your bike is in warranty, if the dealer thinks you've made a mess of something, he may refuse to undertake work under warranty, (he'd rather you were paying for it anyway, especially if he's called Mickey or Jim!).

clydebank college offer a course every october and january but unfortunately cancel every time due to lack of numbers.

best way is to get someone who knows what they are doing to talk you thru it as you do it.

I can now put bike on paddock stand, adjust chain. change air filter and oil.

jimmy was talking about having a wee group up at his garage and going over the basics. give him a pm and see if this is still going ahead.