Doing your on servicing?

[fizzygrrl]

I am getting ready to tackle all my own servicing since my bike has huge maintance costs and I would like to take her to the track someday. I am curious how many of us do our own wrenching and how you began learning.

[acalliste]

What little wrenching I have done has been with an SO.

Hopefully Shewolf and Quicklimegirl will chime in here, as well as Blndebmbr. They are the mechanically inclined ones around here.

[Iceman_954rr]

She said "doing her own servicing" something about that really caught my eye and I ended up in this thread...

Go figure.

[Southernbelle]

<I wrench my own. I just got the mechanic's manual and tackled it. No SO to give me a hand but Ive found that the guys get such a hard on to see a chick wrenchin that they are very willing to give a hand when necessary


*FYI, go out and buy a rubber mallet. If you are anything like me then you dont have much upper body strength and tappin that on your wrench with save you lots of time and aggrivation when you get to a bolt that has been torqued to death.

[silent_R1]

I actually started out learning w/smokenjoe. After I wrecked the R1, he showed me the basics, got me a manual, gave me tools and told me to get to work if I wanted my bike back together.

I have since rebuilt it (4 years ago), rebuilt his R6, done multiple little things to various bikes for myself, my friends, etc. I have made a little money. Joe hardly works on his own bike anymore...well, he is at the moment because I am going to school too.

[blndebmbr]

General Maintenance is quite easy. The manuals are a huge help. I would recommend finding a shop manual. It will help you step through how to do various things. Get yourself a simple tool kit. Sockets, ratchet, screwdrivers, box wrenches, allen wrenches pliers and wire snips should be enough to get you started. Then you can buy specialty tools as you need them. And of course ask questions as they come up! I am lucky to have my hubby here to help me on the tricky items. But I try to do as much as I can myself. We have too many bikes for just one mechanic!

[silent_R1]

one good investment will be an inch pound torque wrench. I spent about 150.00 on mine (before it was stolen), used it it seems all the time. Also, remember your bike is metric, so an investment in a set of metric tools is a must.

[acalliste]

Oops! How could I have forgotten you, Brandy? Sorry!

[silent_R1]

eh, no problem. You know I'm easy to get along with...or is that just easy to get?

[acalliste]

I can't answer the latter....





yet.

[blndebmbr]

I wasn't sure if the Duc was metric or not...thanks Brandy!

[LadyF4i]

get an oil filter wrench for a few bucks...oh yea and when you change your radiator fluid don't just pour it in and think you are good, could get a nasty air bubble ...there are a few steps to doin it, not hard at all though