Motorcycle Repair 101?

[Tranquility]

This weekend I had the pleasure of "working on my bike". It was a simple enough job (installing saddlebags) and I felt a tickle of what "real" bikers must feel when completing a serious mod or a critical fix. It felt gooooood. But it also reminded me how completely auto/engine illiterate I am. If my bike punks out on the road, I would have NO idea how to assess the damage or mechanical situation. Seriously: NO idea.

So my question is: what are some recommendations in terms of obtaining a Motorcycle Repair 101 education?

[Dupo]

Hands on is always the best way to learn. Tinker around with your bike ..

Download our service manual and look through it! Study it ... read posts here on the forum. When something small goes wrong with your bike or you want to change something, do it yourself and learn. And of course, post here with questions.

[New GZ250]

Bring your husband with you when you ride. :??:

[Easy Rider]

So my question is: what are some recommendations in terms of obtaining a Motorcycle Repair 101 education?
Auto repair class at a community college.......and join AMA or AAA for roadside service!! :biggrin:

[Easy Rider]

Bring your husband with you when you ride. :??:

:skull:

Personal foul.
Tranquility gets two free shots !!! :popcorn:

[New GZ250]

[quote="New GZ250":3hebat3d]Bring your husband with you when you ride. :??:

:skull:

Personal foul.
Tranquility gets two free shots !!! :popcorn:[/quote:3hebat3d]

I have to agree, after I pushed the "submit" button, I realized I blew it! I hope Tranquility will forgive! ( I always take my wife with me, in case we have any mechanical problems) I can't even tie my shoes without her help! Thank God for velcro. :neener:

[Tranquility]

Yes, Mr. New GZ250, Tranquility will forgive ... THIS time. Good back-pedaling. ;-)

Easy Rider, ah yes, feeling the drama already!

Actually, I posed this question to my husband just this morning: "Does AAA cover motorcycles?" Great minds think alike!

[adrianinflorida]

AMA offers it through it's 'Moto-Tow' program:
http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/motow.asp

Some AAA clubs offer recreation vehicle (Motorcycle, trailers, etc) coverage, some don't. Check with your local AAA club.

[Tranquility]

Hands on is always the best way to learn. Tinker around with your bike ..

Download our service manual and look through it! Study it ... read posts here on the forum. When something small goes wrong with your bike or you want to change something, do it yourself and learn. And of course, post here with questions.

This reminds me exactly of when I hooked my Mom up with her first computer. "Mom, you're NOT going to break it, don't be afraid to muck around a little bit, the only way to learn is to do."

[Easy Rider]

This reminds me exactly of when I hooked my Mom up with her first computer. "Mom, you're NOT going to break it, don't be afraid to muck around a little bit, the only way to learn is to do."

While experience might be the BEST teacher, it is not always easy or pleasant !! :cool:

[alantf]

don't be afraid to muck around a little bit, the only way to learn is to do."

I noticed in one of your other posts (about saddlebags) a reference to "office".
Can "office" & "greasy hands" sit comfortably, side by side, in the same sentence?

[Tranquility]

Greasy hands ... helmet hair ... oh what's a girl to doooooo???!

[Easy Rider]

don't be afraid to muck around a little bit, the only way to learn is to do."

I noticed in one of your other posts (about saddlebags) a reference to "office".
Can "office" & "greasy hands" sit comfortably, side by side, in the same sentence?

Let's be a little more careful with the quote attributions, OK ?? :roll:

I'm sure I didn't type the first part.......and don't remember doing the other either !! :poke2:

[alantf]

... helmet hair ...

Sounds just like my wife when she absolutely insists on us using the car when we're going somewhere special, & I'm trying to convince her that there'll be nowhere to park the car when we get there.

Guess who wins the argument :cry:

[Tranquility]

Believe me, I am researching all my options!
High maintenance option: carry hair spray, blow dryer and curling iron w/me.
Mid-Low maintenance options: baseball cap, bandana, hair ties.
Zero maintenance: Hey! Accept me for who I am!! the flat-haired chick :-)

[alantf]

I'm sure I didn't type the first part.......and don't remember doing the other either !! :poke2:

Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've checked back, & it was "easy quoted" what "tranquility quoted". It was a genuine error on my part (must've gone too many "quotes" back). Didn't mean to offend! You've just got to accept that some of us computer semi illiterates aint perfect. I'll try not to do it again. Grovel, grovel. :cry:

[Easy Rider]

Guess who wins the argument :cry:

You do......when you shut up and do what SHE wants !! :poke2:

[Tranquility]

I used to work with this huge, burly guy ... if you didn't know him, he looked like somebody you'd want to avoid. "I AM THE MAN OF MY HOUSE" he bellowed. "I WEAR THE PANTS ... I MAKE THE RULES ... AND I GET THE LAST WORD: 'yes dear'." He was very funny.

Rode in to work on my GZ this morning for the first time, oh boyyyyyy! Other than grabbing the wrong gloves and suffering w/very cold hands, the ride was beautiful!! I avoided the highways, riding through farm country and back roads ... I felt like I was flying.

And just so to keep on-topic: my clothes and shoes fit fine in my saddlebags, left the purse at home and grabbed my wallet only, managed to avoid heavy-duty helmet hair and I experienced zero technical difficulties resulting in grease-less hands. A perfect commute!!

Have a great day, Guys!! Thanks for the banter/info/insight!

[INBikerChick269]

Tranquility, just to throw in a comment on a post that is almost two months old (but I'm a newbie, so I'm just seeing it!) men are intrigued by women who have no issue with having grease on their hands, helmet hair, and just keep going....

I was doing a restore project on a Kawi I bought for $500 off eBay, I noticed all my male friends kept coming over to "see how it was going" finally I asked one of them wat the deal was with everyone wanting to come watch me work on the bike. He said "it's hot!" I looked at myself, grease and oil halfway up my arms, smeared across my face. I smelled like oil and gasoline. I looked at my friend and said something to effect of "Ok, let me get this straight. All these years, women have tried to dress nice, look nice, smeel nice for you guys and what you really want is achick that smells like a garage wearing oil and gasoline? He (straighfaced) said "Yep." *sigh*

Second. JUMP INTO THE REPAIRS! Don't be afraid to try anything!!! Get the service manual and dig in. If I (5'1", 98 Lbs, experience with engine work was working on my dads old "67 Ford Pickup when I was a kid) can tear down the Kawi, rebuild the carbs, fix a couple of oil leaks, repaint the thing in my house (LOL), and get it started on try number two after putting it back together, you can do it too!

[Tranquility]

INBikerChick, thanks for the post! Now that I've been riding more and more, my concerns about helmet hair, etc, have dwindled down to just about zero. I'm not a "high maintenance" gal, don't even wear make-up ... but I do spend 10 hours a day in a Corporate environment so I guess I was a little concerned about easily transitioning from biker-chick to Corporate-Professional. Ha ... I just had an image of Clark Kent walking down the hall with a scrap of his red cape peaking out from under her shirt :-).

I gotta tell you though, since word has gotten out around the office that I'm riding, I have alooooot more guys coming to my office "just to say hi". The young kids think it's "awesome" (translation: ...awesome that the old lady rides a motorcycle). The guys more my age wax nostalgic and 1) wish their wives would "let" them get a motorcycle, and/or 2) wish their wives would ride motorcylces themselves.

Thanks again and welcome to the forum!

[Easy Rider]

.......... you can do it too!

Welcome and congratulations on choosing a great bike! :tup:

I had a background somewhat similar to what you described but started out with lawn mowers and re-building a John Deere tractor with my dad when I was about 14.

I gotta take issue with the above statement however. Just because YOU have a mechinical apptitude and YOU can do it doesn't mean that anybody can. Even with help, some people just don't get it. That doesn't mean they shouldn't try but your statement would tend to make them think they are not "normal" if they can't.......and that is certainly NOT true.

[Tranquility]

Speaking for myself, I'm bold enough to try some fixes/mods on my own, but I'm also keenly aware of my lack of inate mechanical ability and won't attempt anything out of my league.

If I were to consider myself abnormal, it would NOT be due to my inability to rebuild carburators.

(For the record: I am definitely not normal) :-D

[mrlmd1]

Check out this site, it will get you started in the right direction and give you a lot of useful information.

http://www.dansmc.com/MC_repaircourse.htm