Do You Repair Your Bike Your Self?

[Trinith]

Im finally in the position where i can and am doing this.
Slowly though...

That's the only way to do it without breaking yourself. It makes things take longer, but buying the tools as you need them generally helps out a lot. The biggest problem is you end up with things that you almost never use...like the 4ft long screw driver I paid $20 for last summer. It's comically big, and a necessity, but I've only used it twice. :/

 

[Marbro_za]

but you'd pay that $20 again when you need it and cant find the blasted thing

 

[Trinith]

but you'd pay that $20 again when you need it and cant find the blasted thing

Absolutely. It's the only way to get the intake manifold back on. Kinda hard to lose a screwdriver that big though!

 

[MrFalloffalot]

An engine is still 'just an engine'. Pretty much, same moving parts their has allways been since the first one...

Obviously, their are special advances made along the way, new materials, new designs/concepts. New ways of installing parts or have them work. But out of all the cars and bikes ive worked on over the years, the differences are minor. Their is still a Piston, Crank and Valves in them all.
You tube however, IS A GOD-SEND for mending stuff!!
Just for those times you get a weird thing happening or just need a re-fresher b4 a job, someones done a Vid. (or yet to..)

So i say, DO YOUR OWN WORK, even if its just the simple Oil changes/Valve adjust/Tune-up/Fork Seals/Etc., it'll save you money.
When i buy a bike, i make it a point to buy a workshop manual for it too.

The way i see it is this - Mechanic work, Eg Service+Tune=$500(ish)
Avg. wage p/day = $200
So next time you get it serviced, you have to work 2.5days to pay for it. BUT, if YOU did it, it might take you half to 3quarts of a day. But then youve got the arvo off, maybe go for a Ride perhaps...??

My first job was working with my brother, at a Classic Car workshop. Only started sweeping & servicing, but did get a chance to do bigger jobs, on a few Nice cars eventually.
So i might've got an early heads-up on mechanical stuff, but its something that can be learnt from the basics, so no excuses really.

Since then ive either assisted or done the work myself. Cant imagine how much ive saved, but even a little is a lot...?

I have to admit tho, the older i get, the more i get someone else to work on my HEAVY 4wd tho!! lol
My 2c. (more like 'My $20 worth'?)
> : )

 

[O8ride]

Virago needed a new clutch, new ignition set and I wanted to change the air filter.

New clutch required removal of the exhausts, draining oil and removing filter, rmeoval of right foot peg and back brake, special tools to ensure the metal plates did not move, and cable and clutch handle adjusting. DFidn;t feel I had the nouse or tools to do it, but I boiught the parts and took them to my local Yamaha dealer. They couldn't get the exhaust screws out - had to drill it.

New ignition set bought off ebay for my precise bike - didn't fit. So not happened. Trying to get a return and replace.

Air filter requires full removal of tank and other elements. Pain in the arse. So got them to do it.

All in all, cost me nearly £300 just to get that done when I supplied all parts except oil and air filter. And I only changed oil 250 miles ago. And forks need replacing due to pitting.

Gutted. Hello AmEx.

 

[Kofla]

Yes I do.

 

[CBRHoonigan]

Not everything has valves

 

[Salty Suzi]

i do the minor things myself, so far i've did chain and sprocket change, clutch cable replacement, oil and coolant changes...i'm not really pro at this but i try to be smart about it and not break anything.
the rest is just putting everything back together as it was lol.

 

[Shirou]

i do the minor things myself, so far i've did chain and sprocket change, clutch cable replacement, oil and coolant changes...i'm not really pro at this but i try to be smart about it and not break anything.
the rest is just putting everything back together as it was lol.

The best part is when you torque the last bolt, think your job is done and you find a lone bolt on the floor/table.
And it looks nothing like the bolts on the outside.
And you're absolutely sure that it goes inside somewhere. The key word being "somewhere".
And you're struggling to decide to crank it and see if it explodes or take everything apart again and try to find where it goes.

 

[Salty Suzi]

The best part is when you torque the last bolt, think your job is done and you find a lone bolt on the floor/table.
And it looks nothing like the bolts on the outside.
And you're absolutely sure that it goes inside somewhere. The key word being "somewhere".
And you're struggling to decide to crank it and see if it explodes or take everything apart again and try to find where it goes.

wow lol..never happened to me, but i can imagine it will some day xD ..because it just sounds like my kind of luck lol

 

[dandoolittle]

Moved to maintaining bikes section

 

[Lurch]

I will do firstly what I have time for, then what I'm happy my skill set will do and then depending what tools are needed.

If it's a job a garage would take a day to do, but it might take me two or three with crawling on the floor as I don't have a bike lift, then I might throw it to them. Or if I'm busy and I need to guarantee my bike is sorted there and then, it goes to the garage.

Jobs done at the garage because of me being unsure were fork seals and carb balance. I've also had them do brake pads and a service due to a combination of time and inclination at the time, but I get on well with my local garage and they don't take the piss with labour charges.

 

[KaskuVlog]

Myself... it's best way how to learn repair motorcycle and it's very cheap.

 

[SwissMotard]

Cosmetic jobs and regular maintenance etc I do myself. Things like servicing, replacing chain and sprocket etc I don't, but I really should.

 

[OlliePrice]

most jobs I leave to a professional, because if I fuck the bike up, I have got no one to blame but myself.most I have ever done is reattach a loose fuel line.

 

[TSprint900]

Done everything so far myself on this bike. On other bikes I've done my own too, apart from things like rebores etc as I don't have the equipment for things like that

 

[AndyManCam]

I've always done my own work up to now. But I've had the safety net of my dad at the end of the phone with 25 years as a vehicle mechanic under his belt!

A spanner has been thrown in the works (pun intended) lately as I now have a bike with no centre stand and no garage, so my work is very weather dependent!

Just this week I had to do an air filter change, sparkplug and coil change and a few performance mods all at once as the sun popped out for an afternoon! The pressure was on as the sky became steadily darker!

 

[OlliePrice]

whats the weather like atm in Germany, right now its cold and rainy all the time in England. Loving it XD

I've always done my own work up to now. But I've had the safety net of my dad at the end of the phone with 25 years as a vehicle mechanic under his belt!

A spanner has been thrown in the works (pun intended) lately as I now have a bike with no centre stand and no garage, so my work is very weather dependent!

Just this week I had to do an air filter change, sparkplug and coil change and a few performance mods all at once as the sun popped out for an afternoon! The pressure was on as the sky became steadily darker!

 

[AndyManCam]

whats the weather like atm in Germany, right now its cold and rainy all the time in England. Loving it XD

Right now it's not too bad Ollie. Though for the last 4 days it's been relentless wind and rain. Not the best. And tbh, IRS set to get worse. Pretty much until march! Generally it's the same here as in the Midlands at home. Except in December the temp plummets further south and there's always been snow since I've known it! Great!

 

[OlliePrice]

only rode my bike once in snow, but that was my light 125. I dont know ifIam up to it on my tiger. Plus England shuts down in snow. Roads take forever to be cleared. 2 years back a friend of minehad a blood clot in his brain because the grit kn the road caused him to bin it and he landed funny on his neck. So I am always nervous.

Right now it's not too bad Ollie. Though for the last 4 days it's been relentless wind and rain. Not the best. And tbh, IRS set to get worse. Pretty much until march! Generally it's the same here as in the Midlands at home. Except in December the temp plummets further south and there's always been snow since I've known it! Great!