You're right mollydog but I'm just saying its not at all likely something will go wrong with a well prepped bike and that can be done by any cherry picked mechanic. That's going to negate all little problems like cables, bearing and chain issues.

Then the guy can change oil which is pretty good so presumably he knows how to swap a fuse (although I've never ever had a fuse blow on anything I've been riding ever).

The only thing worth learning if he has a tubeless bike (many aren't) is to take off and on the tyre and patch it.

I just don't know where this whole if you want to be a biker or tour you need to learn mechanics thing came from. If you know some REAL basics you're good. And even if you don't you'll be fine and someone will always help out of the goodness of their heart or for cash

Of course if you're a cheapskate (no judgement wife's Scottish) or like fiddling with things or are going to be riding to the north pole off road where your only option is to fix it yourself then learn everything and take a trailer full of spares.

These kinds of posts always end up with a bunch of time served road warriors with wrenches for fingers arguing about the number of breakdowns you can fit on the head of a pin while the o.p. hides under a blanket somewhere.

Anyone who's read ZAMM will know that part of it is about whether you should DIY intervene to keep a bike running at its peak or trust that the manufacturers service schedules, carried out correctly by qualified professional service "technicians" is all that's necessary. In the book BMW is German for leave it alone.

In reality the o.p. can trade off time and / or money against knowledge - as long as he's sticking to what you'd loosely call the 1st world (NA, EU, Oz, etc). If the bike stops (and it isn't fuel) call a rescue service. They'll arrive (eventually) and once they've stopped laughing they'll either fix the problem or take the bike somewhere where it can be fixed. People do this in cars all the time.

If the o.p's. trip is under 500km - knowing how to put fuel in is all you need (IMHO).

500 - 2000km? - work out how to check your oil / where to put the new stuff if necessary.

2000- 5000km? - add checking tyres and coolant (if it's a w/c engine) + how to check chain tension. If any of these need adjusting, find a dealer.

If it's over 5K km or it's to some of the more interesting parts of the planet then, yes, some ability to intervene would be desirable, but a different mindset rather than specific wrenching skills is probably the most important change needed.

Bikes are essentially simple mechanisms and there will be almost always someone around who can fix whatever goes wrong. Ignorance isn't quite bliss but better than than worrying yourself to a standstill and not going at all.

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions.
The reason I love here is the people are always willing to teach and share.

I think I'll delay my trip a little bit since I'm underprepared and have to look for some training in bike maintenance. I attended a knowledge class organized by a bike shop a month ago. The content was useful however limited to basic theory only. Zero hands-on experience. I was shown the dissembled engine, transmission etc., and learned some basic fault & wear diagnosis.

What I need most is practice. Hopefully I can find somebody helping me.

Buy a DRZ as the only maintenance they need is a oil change

My advice would rather be to buy an old bike because they are way easyer to maintain and repair (no diagnostic computer needet) and the loss of value per km is lower. This is importend when riding long distances no matter how good of a mechanic you are

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2yywDcqJd0

Hi Kei,

Where are you based ? fill out your location in your profile, then local people might offer to assist you from the HUBB!

Don't worry about knowing how to repair your motorcycle, I have met many motorcycle travellers who had no clue or interest in working on their bikes and getting their hands dirty, some in the middle of the South American Altiplano - broken down by the side of the road, they had a tent, food, water and were quite happy!!!

Whilst Im not disputing that having the knowledge/tools/spare parts is a good idea, also having an attitude that "I can sort out any situation" is another great "tool" to carry with you. 9 times out of 10, someone will come along and be able to assist you without a long delay.

I have personally had some of my best travel experiences whilst relying on peoples assistance, most people WANT to help - and end up as good friends. If you travel in your own little "bubble" and never accept any help you will miss a valuable aspect of travelling.

I worry more about breaking down in a "first" world country more - I don't have AMA/RAC/AA roadside rescue- not many people stop and assist these days as everyone is "too busy to help" , In so called 2nd and 3rd world countries - most people stop and help, that is the way it works.

Don't limit your motorcycle adventures because you cant fix your motorcycle - get out, ride, enjoy yourself and have the attitude that "I can sort out any situation"

You could also contact a local to you HUBB community and see if there is anyone willing to show you a few things about servicing/repairs, look under the "connect tab" at the top of the page and then "contact a community" they might also be able to ride with you and help you improve your skills.

Good Luck!

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Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

I generally agree ... but WHICH old bike is the question. Some "old bikes" are still being made. Bikes not available in UK, EU, like DR650, XR650L, KLR650. ALL can be still be bought brand new in USA, Australia and elsewhere ... but NOT the UK or EU. All these bikes feature 20 year old technology and ALL are dead simple. So this is sort of what I was alluding to in my statement. In the same post you quoted, I also said this:

"But if you buy a simple, straightforward bike, then most basic maintenance can be done with minimal training and some decent tools. If your bike choice is good, problems should be very few beyond regular maintenance, tires, chain/sprockets, oil changes. More you learn the better."

I was in the exact same situation as you. I had a dream to drive to the end of the world on a motorcycle, but never drove a motorcycle.

I took the course and got my permit and I left for my trip, from Montreal to Ushuaia, only 2 months after I got my permit and in that two months I managed to crash and destroy my first bike (total lost), I was fortunatly not hurt badly (nothing major). Got a new bike and left.

I was clearly not experienced enough as a driver when I left for my trip. I had a few spills and a very scary one on a volcano in Costa-Rica. I was riding with a more experienced rider and was trying to keep up. I eventually met a motorcycle safety course instructor in Peru and drove with him for a week while picking his brain for tricks and tips on how to ride. From that moment on, for the rest of my trip, I felt much more safe on my bike and was enjoying my trip and riding way better. I never had another fall since then and I rode through all kinds of terrains, up and down infinite twisties up and down mountains.

In insight I consider I've been lucky to not hurt myself more because even though I knew my skill level was not great, I was still trying to catch up with more experienced riders when in groups. I was still looking to push my limits and drive fast and was getting overly confident sometime because I thought I drove this far, I'm now proficient, but the reality is I couldn't be proficient without learning the right way to ride. It's possible to accumulate a lot of miles and still not be a proficient rider.

That being said, I met riders with poor controls of their bike and they rode all the way down and survived with no crash, because they knew their limits and respected their fear. I met a guy, so shaky on his bike, I couldn't believe he made it this far, he was driving very slow and very carefully. He made it, all the way to Argentina and in one piece. I could not do that because I'm a bit reckless and impatient in nature so driving slow all the way down was not an option for me.

You need to figure out where you can place yourself in this axis of prudent to reckless and be honest about it. You can always choose the small displacement route and go for a 250cc and less motorbike, lot's of fun to be had slowing the pace and taking in the scenery a bit more. Lots of thread about it on the HUBB and ADVrider. A smaller bike is going to be safer for someone with limited riding experience, that's why in some places new riders can only ride smaller displacement bikes.

You have options, you can do your trip with the skill set you have now, but be smart about it.

As for mechanical competence, I was like you, a complete newbie. I asked a friend of mine to show me the basics. I had a KLR650 so for me the essentials were to know how to change the oil, adjust, clean and lube the chain, fix the master link on a chain, clean air filter and how to change/repair a tube. That's it. That's the strict minimum and that's all you need if you choose to ride a bulletproof bike like the KLR. You can learn all this in a few hours from an experienced rider.

Like others have said in this thread before me, the mechanical part is the easy part, the riding skills are much more important. Poor mechanical skills can lead at worst to an interesting story of you stranded in a village with cheerful characters, while poor riding skills, well, you know where this goes...

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http://solomonde.blogspot.com
http://euromoto2015.blogspot.com

Well said.

There's something to be said for modern bikes. I was strictly in the carb or I won't buy it camp but I've pretty much reversed my opinion Suspension, vibrations and brakes among other things have also come a long way.

IMO- it's about confidence.

If you're a worry-head (and some people just naturally are), you won't have fun with these "what-if's" banging around in the back of your head. Do something about it (i.e. prep etc.), but I agree with Gipper- much more important to go and enjoy yourself than missing out because you may or may not break down etc.

That said- for some people, the prep is part of the 'enjoy yourself' and there is a certain amount of satisfaction in learning new skills.

It's amazing what you can do if the 'need arises'. My adopted philosophy from Helge Pederson: there's no problem so big that stopping, making a cup of coffee and thinking about it will make it worse. It's amazing what solutions present itself in the 15min coffee-break!

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Squily

Two good sayings spring to mind.

"Prevention is better than cure"..

And

"If it ain't broken, fix it until it is".

Ok the last one isn't relevant but I like it anyway.

Do you need to be a good mechanic. No, not really. Just find one to go with you

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I live in Hong Kong so I guess it's tens of thousands of kilometers away from most of you.

And I do appreciate everybody's advice and encouragement. To me the dream and passion still outweighs the worry and frustration. Will try my best, learn and practice as much as I can.

Hello
Don't worry to much.
All you need to know is how to use a screwdriver and a wrench.
Not to forget the good old hammer and duct tape, fixes nearly everything.
If you go to remote places you should be able to remove the wheels, if you have tubes.
As said before get a relatively new bike, best japanese, nothing to hightech.
A lot of bikers with nearly pro mechanical skills will never hit the road because they know that they can't take there torque-limiting wrench and fix a broken gearbox in the middle of nowhere.
On my 24 month RTW I had to rely on local mechanics to service my bike.
Met some incredible idiots but my XT660Z Tenere didn't mind.
You have the dream, that's all you need, make it happen.
sushi

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My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

I can change a tyre on my 4x4, change an fuel filtre or something similar, but not much more. I know that I need help if something happens.

I can live with that. I need also help when I need a doctor. At home I also need help when something in my flat is broken.

I can`t repair my washing machine, my dishwasher, can not fix my toilet flushing, cannot fix my heater, i cannot fix my TV. In my daily live I regulary need help if something goes wrong.

I drive a new car with much electronic stuff. I know that I have to get the car to a capital, if something is wrong abroad.

When we read some travelblogs, we see too these older less electronical cars who needs to be carried away.

For shure it is good when you know that you can fix some issues by yourself. Too it is helpful when also the guys in the smaller towns are able to repair your vehicle. But it is not required for travelling.

Go out and enjoy.


Surfy

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

You could say that about any bike......especially if you don't care for it much. All modern bikes have about the same attrition rate...........all have weak areas that need addressing. All need more than an oil change.
Do a few thousand miles on dirt roads and you'll wish you did more than change the oil. Don't listen to him Kei, you learn all you can.