What can I do to be more mechanically minded and able?

[rictus01]

you start with a father who's a "rocker" spend your formative years moving engine parts out the way to reach the bread, handing tool to dad, then you get a box of bits and dad helps you turn it into an engine that works, mess around with bikes and cars for the next 10 years, have HM's finest teach you work practices, followed by 30 odd years of bike maintenance, all pretty easy really.......

A maintainance manual and some patience

Originally Posted by Paul1984

I have enrolled on a basic motorcycle mechanics course in September so hopefully that helps and I have a Haynes manual.The trick is to know when something wrong and then fix it not find out when it is terribly wrong because you are sitting on the side of the road(thank god for the AA)

Tools. This is the solution to this particular problem! There will be a surprisingly small number of tools that do most jobs. I have a multi-bit ratchet screwdriver, a set of allen keys, and a basic set of spanners. 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17mm. Adjustable spanner. Needle-nosed pliers. This lot would fit in a pencil-case, or under your seat, and solve 90% of problems. The main tool missing is the 22mm spanner for the back axle. Would also fit under the seat, if not in a pencil case!

Clean the bike regularly, look for loose or broken bits and bobs. Check the tyres after every ride for stuff stuck in them! Change the oil regularly and don't rag the **** out of yer bike, and that will catch or prevent most problems.

i crash or drop the bugger then fix it (Im no advising you do that, just the way i did it)

tool's lots of tools

money (for tools, parts if you damage somthing while doing the maintinace)

proper kit helps like abba stand and a jack

a manual, good forum to asking loads of questions

confidence, if im not confident in what im doing then i stop, and get some one to help

my bike at the moment



wouldn't be able to get it to that stage with out the above things

what are you doing to your bike barwel?

making a unicycle?

Echoing a lot of whats already been said, get something and strip it down. learn how general systems work. Take a cordless screwdriver apart, take the hoover apart. etc. get to know how things fit together and it'll all start to make sense.

Ask friends if you can sit in on their fixing too.

Personally, I can get a good idea from a manual but its far better to actually take it apart and see whats happening.

Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. Keep testing yourself. this is where you learn. but take baby steps. Don't go for a full engine stripdown just because you've managed to take the toaster apart!

Get into the habit of GOOD PRACTICE. if you are stripping things down, get into the habit of using pots or trays to hold the screws and parts from various sections of the job. TAKE PHOTOS! Its amazing how quickly you forget what went where during a strip-down. If the project is a big one, then put each set of screws and parts in a ziplock bag and write what they are and how they went together on the bag. put the bags in sequential order so you don't get the roder wrong when putting things back again.

USE THE RIGHT TOOL! its amazing how quickly things can go wrong using the wrong tool for the job. It took me 15 years to learn this and since I rarely have a wrong tool disaster. And don't think that becasue a tool is supposed to do one thing it can't be adapted for another. Use combinations of tools. But don't bodge. a Screwdriver may make an OK drift for bearings but it isn't as good as a brass drift speciall for the job. Don't be afraid to make tools.

Mechanics is a learn by doing thing. Even if you watch someone else do a job you won't learn as much as if you immediately strip it down and do it yourself after (s)he's finished.

PREPARE your area and tidy up as you go! (a but hypocritical this one, as I an a bad offender) when you put your hand out for a tool it'll fall on it straight away if you put it in the same place. a job can take twice as long if you are constantly looking for the correct spanner or socket.

PLAN! I'm starting the biggest project I've ever done on a bike in building a Supersport Spec 600 engine from various parts with no base settings. Its taken me three weeks of planning and parts sourcing to get to the point where I'm ready to start. I'm nervous but I k now if I follow the tips above I'll stand a good chance

READ. Books in mechanics can hel immensely if you don't know how something works. Understanding how something works is the basis for being able to analyse faults and spotting incorrect play or operation. Its fine being able to take something apart and put it back together but how do you find out if its working properly before you put it back on.

Its a long road to being a top mechanic. It helps enormously to be mechanically minded but its not impossible to learn how to be.

Do it long enough and you'll be able to imagine whats going on and where things are in a machine before you even take the cover off.

C

if you want to pick up some know how, as someone has said, watch an experienced person do it. you're in london so if you want a mechanic who is happy to let you watch and ask questions get a service done at spannerman - he's more than happy to let you watch and ask daft questions like i do.

Originally Posted by GeneticBubble

what are you doing to your bike barwel?

making a unicycle?

yup :P

no im fitting a RSV mille front end and new speedo when they arrive

(crashed it bent forks and stuf)

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Berlin

Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. Keep testing yourself. this is where you learn. but take baby steps. Don't go for a full engine stripdown just because you've managed to take the toaster apart!

do a full engine strip down even if you haven't managed to take toaster apart... just not engine from your main bike!

You can pick popped engines up for £50, or even for free. Great learning experience.

Learn from someone, tbh most of it is common sense.

The way most mechanical/electrical machinery is going most of it is rip and replace so it makes things easier for the amateur mechanic. Even engine's are getting financally vaiable to just replace.