Maintaining/modifying your own bike

[Furiae]

Hi all,

Wrong section please move it!

What is the best way to keep your bike maintained during cold weather and snow/ice conditions? I won't be riding in these conditions. I've heard about waxing the motor?

I wanted to enroll on a maintenance course for motorbikes but because not enough people enrolled and this meant no funding the course was cancelled. any good video's and literature?

How did any of you get into modifying your own bikes did you have an engineering/mechanical background or is it just something that you wanted to do?

[Mr Fro]

Buy some ACF50 and give Megawatt a PM to see if he'll be in your area.

[eastanglianbiker]

self t aught and learned by my mistakes many years ago can fix most things tho but it all comes with practice/experience

[Guest]

I started in the garage with my dad messing with cars and bikes. Then ended up buying old bikes to ride to work (as we all did in the 70's) so people like me are self taught. But the bikes were simpler back then. But if you really want to learn then ask a mate to show you how

Sent from my E5603 using Tapatalk

[Guest]

I started in the garage with my dad messing with cars and bikes. Then ended up buying old bikes to ride to work (as we all did in the 70's) so people like me are self taught. But the bikes were simpler back then. But if you really want to learn then ask a mate to show you how

Sent from my E5603 using Tapatalk

[Stu]

I was brought up just generally tinkering with anything with an engine!

when I was about 11 we had a puch magnum x it was a 50cc off road bike I ended up stripping it and rebuilding it just for fun

as a kid I liked to know how things work! and not a lot has changed!

[Tiggie]

Self taught with a lot of online help

I am not in the same league at all as Stu, Megawatt, EAB and others on here but I have still done plenty of work to my bike and cars that a lot of people wouldn't have a clue how to do and would take to a mechanics.

I don't like paying people to do work I feel capable of doing myself, whether its electrics, plumbing, mechanical or whatever. So I do the research and ask the questions then just get on with it.

If you feel confident enough get a haynes manual for your bike, start off with the easy stuff like changing oil, adjusting chain, brake pads etc, , ask questions on here if you get stuck.

As someone mentioned, Alan (megawatt) is very competent with a lot of experience and is currently trying to do a bit of drive-by-spannering where he would teach you the basics as he works http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=61049

[ThePhatomfart]

Hi all,

Wrong section please move it!

What is the best way to keep your bike maintained during cold weather and snow/ice conditions? I won't be riding in these conditions. I've heard about waxing the motor?

I wanted to enroll on a maintenance course for motorbikes but because not enough people enrolled and this meant no funding the course was cancelled. any good video's and literature?

How did any of you get into modifying your own bikes did you have an engineering/mechanical background or is it just something that you wanted to do?

Hi , I have the Workshop Manual, Owners Manual and Parts Manual for this bike if you need it, Although the Workshop and Parts Manual are for the FZ-09 ( the Americans called it that) , will send you a link to down load it if you like

[RantMachine]

If you want to get good at fixing bikes - and fast - buy a Chinese bike. Or a German one. Or both!

[Furiae]

Hi , I have the Workshop Manual, Owners Manual and Parts Manual for this bike if you need it, Although the Workshop and Parts Manual are for the FZ-09 ( the Americans called it that) , will send you a link to down load it if you like

 

yes please!

[ThePhatomfart]

Hi Furiae, here you go

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hve6hn9tv52k52a/AAA_iw4Sbaz-XZMnEl5E7jz5a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cockercas]

I just like taking things to bits, even if it dosn't need it

[Furiae]

Hi Furiae, here you go

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hve6hn9tv52k52a/AAA_iw4Sbaz-XZMnEl5E7jz5a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

Thank you!

[ThePhatomfart]

Hi Furiae, here you go

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hve6hn9tv52k52a/AAA_iw4Sbaz-XZMnEl5E7jz5a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

Thank you!

No problem Furiae, the next thing you should look at is a good set of sockets and spanners, there's plenty out there and Halfords have got decent sets and a warranty, myself I use Teng ,just because i like em

[MR_W]

Hi Furiae, here you go

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hve6hn9tv52k52a/AAA_iw4Sbaz-XZMnEl5E7jz5a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to set your links to auto download when clicked, change the 0 at the end to a 1

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[ThePhatomfart]

Hi Furiae, here you go

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hve6hn9tv52k52a/AAA_iw4Sbaz-XZMnEl5E7jz5a?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to set your links to auto download when clicked, change the 0 at the end to a 1

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Thanks for that Mr_W ,learn something everyday , I'm not really a techie so any help along those lines is appreciated

[megawatt]

I bought a new Honda ss50 in 1975. It had one free service and they couldn't even do that right. I bought a Haynes manual and some basic tools including a 3/8 socket set. I've learned by trial and many errors over the years, about 40 of them. Nowadays there's loads of videos on YouTube to teach you stuff and loads of courses.

Buy a cheap Japanese bike, a Haynes manual, cheap tools from Aldi or Lidl or eBay and get stuck in.

Don't grease your engine!!! Keep the bike clean and smear ACF50 over most of the bike, except brakes.

I'd love to help you learn, I get a kick out of teaching what I know and keeping poor bikers out of the clutches of bike shops. Unfortunately, I'm heading north from Derbyshire tomoz on my UK tour and won't be near Walsall until end of September /October, but I'll gladly help you then.

[Arwen]

I've started doing all my own servicing and modifying, with some help from my partner who has had bikes longer than me (and can actually removed the stupidly tight bolts that plague my bike!) My bike had it's first service done by a dealer, but since then it has been me.

I did however pick a bike that is very easy to work on, which is helping with the learning. Next "big" learning thing will be to check the valve clearance, which I am looking forward too.

[Furiae]

I bought a new Honda ss50 in 1975. It had one free service and they couldn't even do that right. I bought a Haynes manual and some basic tools including a 3/8 socket set. I've learned by trial and many errors over the years, about 40 of them. Nowadays there's loads of videos on YouTube to teach you stuff and loads of courses.

Buy a cheap Japanese bike, a Haynes manual, cheap tools from Aldi or Lidl or eBay and get stuck in.

Don't grease your engine!!! Keep the bike clean and smear ACF50 over most of the bike, except brakes.

I'd love to help you learn, I get a kick out of teaching what I know and keeping poor bikers out of the clutches of bike shops. Unfortunately, I'm heading north from Derbyshire tomoz on my UK tour and won't be near Walsall until end of September /October, but I'll gladly help you then.

 

I would appreciate it. I was looking forward to that course, stupid funding it was about 80 pound I would have paid more (reasonable price) if it was fully paid by me.

I just saw a poor bloke running with his bike to get it rolling fast and he jumped on it to get it started or something. This is probably something I would do because I only know how to put petrol and oil in.

 

If you want to get good at fixing bikes - and fast - buy a Chinese bike. Or a German one. Or both!

I am really conscious about the money I spend. I want to move in a couple of years probably after finishing paying off my bike, so I don't really know if buying a cheap (how cheap is cheap) german/chinese bike and its parts and learning about it all will save me money on the long run?

[megawatt]

I've said this many times.

ON NO ACCOUNT BUY A CHINESE BIKE.

You will regret it.

[Furiae]

I've said this many times.

ON NO ACCOUNT BUY A CHINESE BIKE.

You will regret it.

 

That bad?

[megawatt]

In my humble opinion. I'm sure someone on here will disagree. I wont be giving any help or advice concerning these bikes, waste of time IMHO.

[megawatt]

Lots of cheap Japanese bikes out there, especially if you're not bothered about cosmetics.

[Guest]

Lots of cheap Japanese bikes out there, especially if you're not bothered about cosmetics.

Or reliability

or build quality

or time maintaining the things

great for repeated learning how to mend them though

[megawatt]

Are you talking about Jap, or Chinese bikes, drzhooner