Do I need to be a competent mechanic?

[kei]

Hi all,

I have a passion for travel but had never dreamed about going with a bike until 2 years ago, the moment I met a German couple with their bikes when traveling in Iran. I got inspired and started to appreciate the fun that only a motorbike could bring you.

When I returned home I learned how to ride and got a license. It has been one year since I had my own motorbike. The idea of overlanding obsesses me every day, it becomes an important goal in my life.

But when it comes to reality it seems I'm still very far away from it. Being a junior, clumsy rider with little experience, the only maintenance I can barely do is the oil change. Many of you here are quite professional mechanics, capable of doing almost every repair & replacement work on your own.

Relying solely on local shops is unrealistic because of their availability and competence. Therefore I'm doubtful about my dream. Just get a bit frustrated & discouraged.

So I'm here looking for your opinions and advice, and what's your thought on the minimum requirement of mechanic proficiency.

Many thanks,
Kei

[mark manley]

If you have any friends who are mechanics ask them to go through servicing your bike with you, include things like removing wheels, taking forks and shock absorbers out. If this is not an option look out for a night school motorcycle mechanics course.
It is not essential that you know everything about your bike before setting off, I have met people who can just about check the oil and tyre pressures who are on the road, but it will make life easier and save you money and hassle.

[juanvaldez650]

Get a bike and maintain it yourself for awhile. It helps to pick something that has an internet following like the KLR650 so you can get support as you learn. Most maintenance stuff is dead simple and you will catch on quickly. Mostly anything that needs to be done is covered in the owner's manual (which folks never read).

[yokesman]

while servicing the bike buy whatever tools you need to do it properly,read some reports on other materials needed ie epoxies,wire,straps,learn some basic electricity.Be familiar with whatever bike you buy,it weaknesses and fixes your needs but donot fret over it as many times a problem can be over emphasis on the net,perferrably not an old one that alone due to age can come back to bite you in many ways with no mechanical back ground,unless you want to use it as a learning tool.but that takes time.

[grumpy geezer]

Try to learn as much as you can but don't delay your trip because you can't take the bike apart and put it back together in the dark. I went to SA with limited knowledge about my bike, was able to replace the starting motor by myself, fix wiring issues, and keep it running well. I sold it in Peru to an Aussie whose best friend took it apart, saw a cracked valve, and insisted they would buy it anyway and wait for a new valve to come. They broke down on the Altiplano. I would suggest to know your limits and use common sense. Have fun.

[robson]

you can always hire a mechanic and drag him with you RTW trip

[Endurodude]

I would love to become more proficient looking after my bike, but the simple truth is that my current skill set lies elsewhere. I've been travelling during my holidays since I bought the bike in 2010 (and I have been to Africa) and I've not worried too much, just enjoyed the riding. Admittedly, the bike's still fairly new and in good nick, but there will always be someway of finding if needed.

I'd love to learn more. My local evening classes never take place due to the lack of interest of others (there have to be a minimum take up), and my local garage always seem overworked, so asking there's probably a no go. I'd rather not wait until I'm proficient mechanically before setting off somewhere.

Yes, learn as much as you can BUT never let lack of knowledge put you off riding in the first place!

[mollydog]

Take Mark's advice the get some mechanic's training anyway you can. It really will help you calm down and gain more confidence whilst on the road.

Try to buy as NEW a bike as you can afford. Learn it well, take shorter trips to start off and do basic maintenance on the road. Build a good basic tool kit as you progress. Start doing maintenance at home with only your travel tools. All this will help.

There are good mechanics all over the world. The trick is to find the good ones. Hubb and other Online forums can help source qualified mechs. Ask for specific help for specific places before you get there. Keep notes.

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.

Riding
If you are a "clumsy" rider ...that is not good You'll need to get better.
But how? Two ways:
Take up dirt bike riding ...take real dirt bike classes using SMALL bikes.
Forget the posers on the big BMW's ... little trail bike is what you want to learn on. YES ... these learned skills will cross over to ANY bike you ride.

Do track days on the race track or a good On Track rider training course. Some provide a bike, some you use your own. Huge value as skills builder.

Both these exercises will ramp up your learning curve quickly, your skills will improve 100%.

But riding a bike your general traffic sense and defensive driving skills need to be top notch too. Ask anyone who's ridden through India, Asia or parts of Latin America. INSANE drivers.

You need to be playing with a FULL DECK to survive those conditions. Do all you can to get better ... Don't wait and think you can "learn on the road".
Get in the training and practice NOW.

[twowheels03]

Hello Kei,

Sounds to me like you are on the right track, You know your limitations but you are thinking about it. Put the effort into learning a few base skills and you will be more prepared than some.
At the least you should know how to do a basic service and oil change - on top of that being able to change a tyre and fix a puncture is a must. Most things that break you can see so it's easy to replace.......fault diagnosis is usually the problem the not so experienced fall down on. The fact is that modern bikes are usually reliable engine wise and if it does need work you can seldom fix it on the side of the road. Concentrate on all the ancillary stuff and electrical fault diagnosis. Like Molly says.... your riding is the biggest hill to climb. Get all the training you can afford but nothing beats hours in the saddle. Ride the bike all you can in all conditions. Don't worry about it all any way, if you breakdown - you will meet new friends and have a tale to tell.

[backofbeyond]

I suspect many of us here got to be competent mechanics not through professional training (T. Ted excepted) but by trial and error - fixing whatever we could at the side of the road and either abandoning the bike or getting it recovered when we couldn't.

I've done all of that and whatever facility I have to fix things comes not from any innate ability but from a need driven mainly by desperation and a decades long trail of broken parts, stripped threads, bodges, lash ups and work arounds littering the roads of Europe. I know which end of a spanner to use because it was either that or walk.

These days bikes are a lot more reliable than they used to be (believe me, they really are!) so most breakdowns come from either incident (ie you fall off the bike ) or wear n tear (ie some other bit falls off the bike or fails). It's unusual to have a complete "meltdown" where a core part (like a crank or gearbox) fails and there's nothing you can do. Not unknown, just unusual. Most of the time when things go wrong it's not the fault itself that's the problem but the time it takes to get it fixed when you're on a time limited trip. The distress comes from seeing your schedule and plans vanish rather than the cost of the part or the need to find a mechanic. It's far more psychological than monetary.

My advice is to buy something intrinsically reliable (no piston holing or crank shredding two strokes like I started on), ride it within its limits (cruise at no more than about 70% of whatever the mags got as a top speed. 0r the speed limit, whichever comes first) and wear some ear plugs to stop you worrying about innocuous rattles and knocks. There's always an element of the unknown with this, but that's the point. If it was a certainty it wouldn't be as interesting to do.

[helcat]

I don't think you need to be a competent mechanic at all, no. More fun not to be.

In reality you're not taking with you the tools to do serious work. If you've got a basic toolkit and some duct tape, cable ties and quick weld you're good to go.

The things that can happen and be in your control will be dependant on how many spares, tools and crap you can carry.

Puncture, carb issues, chain, cables, electrics, broken levers, leaks, drips, cracks, clogged filters or bad fuel.

Anything more than that you're gonna need a big toolkit and lotsa spares to tackle, so just better to take it to someone unless you're really into working on bikes and carrying shed loads of equipment.

Spend your money and time saved buying a fuel injected, reliable bike and hooking up a Scott oiler (or buy a shaftie), handguards, and get it fully looked over by a proper mechanic who's aware you're going on a trip of however many thousand miles.

[helcat]

P.s. people learn all this stuff because they enjoy it. Motorcycles aren't intrinsically unreliable or prone to breaking. And even when they do you usually get enough warning or can keep doing until you're somewhere sometime can help.

You probably have a car you get services every once in a while and never had much trouble with. Its the same deal just service a bit more.

Also motorcycles are pretty easy to chuck in the back of a van or lorry so even in a worst case scenario you're not going to be stuck too long.

I don't know why local shops would be incompetent, they're probably going to be a lot more proficient than most here. I'm not saying don't learn your bike a bit ie. What fluids it takes and common problems but you don't need to take mechanic classes IMO.

[Squily]

Originally Posted by robson

you can always hire a mechanic and drag him with you RTW trip

I'm for hire if you diced to go this way...


All depends on how much time you've got and what you're prepared to invest, but asking a mate to show you how it's done is a great idea. I know mechanics don't like having someone look over their shoulder, but even paying your mechanic to do this might give you the confidence. And it's just about confidence.

And if you're prepared to invest the time, correspondence courses like this can be great:
Online Motorcycle Mechanic School Training Course | Penn Foster

They go through all the basics as well as practical and even discuss tool requirements. And you get to learn at your own pace

[mollydog]

Originally Posted by helcat

I don't know why local shops would be incompetent, they're probably going to be a lot more proficient than most here. I'm not saying don't learn your bike a bit ie. What fluids it takes and common problems but you don't need to take mechanic classes IMO.

Depends where you are in terms of good or bad shops.
Much of the world's shops are car mechanics, not bikes. In Asia and other areas, more bikes, so all good. But even there ... There are good ... and bad. Trust me on this one mate.

The suggestion to take "mechanic classes" was ONLY meant for the OP to learn the bare basics you've listed in your post above. No Novice mechanic is going to learn to do a total rebuild in a month long class anyway, not a chance.

We're only suggesting he learn the BARE basics ... which the OP does not currently know. Stuff you take for granted (see your long list) he, apparently has never done, he's never owned a bike or ridden much either. So it's baby steps here.

But I agree with your point: It's absurd to carry all the crap to do a major repair. Carry just enough to do very basic maintenance. (Oil changes, tires, chain, sprockets, bearings (maybe) fuses, battery, bulbs, that's about it.

Spares might consist of a spare cable or two, tubes, front sprocket, bulbs, fuses, set of brake pads, fork seals and a spare Nut/Bolt kit. Anything serious, seek out the best guy you can lay hands on and PRAY.

If a new rider starts with a new, near new or very well set up bike, then a lot of common problems will be avoided straight away. A travel bike should start a major trip with:
New tires/tubes
Fresh Oil/filter
Valves recently checked
new battery, all electrics checked confirmed good
New chain and sprockets. (quality items, no Crap)
All bearings checked and serviced.
New brake pads and brakes serviced.

That's about it. Hit the road, do what you can along the way.

[DaveGetsLost]

I wouldn't be comfortable going more than 1,000 km away without knowing how to plug a tire or change a tube and patch the puncture so I'd still be ready for the next. It's the problem that can pop up anywhere with no warning. Mollydog hinted that new tires reduce the chance of puncture but on a longer trip worn tires are inevitable.

As far as learning -- a lot of mechanical repairs have the same steps and require a feel for the parts that comes only from practice. How tight to tighten a bolt or screw into steel or aluminum. The oil change from the OP will be cleaner when a mechanic knows the feel of a drain bolt that has just one last thread engaged -- another half-turn and oil's coming out. The feel of a part that requires some force and a part that's being forced where it shouldn't be are different. A class may help with some of this, but practice can help over a longer period and throw in an occasional lesson on troubleshooting.

I agree with twowheels03 that it's GREAT to know limitations and think about how to go forward.

I hope the plan isn't to start with the first long trip being RTW; I'd say start with learning to fix tires and shorter trips then work patiently through the maintenance procedures as miles pile up.