Mechanic Courses

[natnokes]

I'd really like to do some sort of training course in basic bike mechanics since all I am capable of is adjusting the chain, and popping to my local mechanic to flutter my eyelids and get things fixed. Does anyone have any idea of where I can do one that won't burn a huge hole in my pocket?

[Andy OH]

I would try your local college first, they must do mechanics courses but I assume you mean motorcycle mechanics which they may or may not do....give them a call would be the first thing I would do....good luck.

[natnokes]

Thanks Andy - have tried that already though. The only thing they do is a HND in mechanics, 2-years full-time. I'd be really interested.. if I didn't have the small issue of rent to pay, food to buy and a big old student loan!

[Glade]

Swindon college periodically have a course. Its run by the chief druid from stone henge and he's quite an entertaining chap!!

His courses are short 1 day basics, or 10 weeks of 2 hours a week where you work on your own bike doing oil changes etc

[Steve_T]

I've spent about the past two years of Monday evenings doing bike maintenance courses. It's well worth it and I've saved far more than it cost me.

Steve.

[Wedg1e]

Surely you can get friendly :fnaarrr: with some local biker who can show you what's what? You really need a guy who knows his stuff, say early 40s, slim, GSOH, fine set of spanners, likes beer, no piercings or tattoos...



Ar53, you're at the other end of the country

[Biker's Nemesis]

Wedg1e said:

Surely you can get friendly :fnaarrr: with some local biker who can show you what's what? You really need a guy who knows his stuff, say early 40s, slim, GSOH, fine set of spanners, likes beer, no piercings or tattoos...



Ar53, you're at the other end of the country

Thanks for offering my services, very kind of you I must say.

[dern]

What is it you want to achieve? The haynes manual or the workshop manual will contain all the instructions you need for servicing. The most important lesson you'll learn is to always use the right tools (the most important one in my experience is the torque wrench) as if try and make do than you'll break something.

Mark

[Wedg1e]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Wedg1e said:

Surely you can get friendly :fnaarrr: with some local biker who can show you what's what? You really need a guy who knows his stuff, say early 40s, slim, GSOH, fine set of spanners, likes beer, no piercings or tattoos...



Ar53, you're at the other end of the country

Thanks for offering my services, very kind of you I must say.

I think you're even further away from her than I am...

[Kernel]

I personally wouldn't look at doing a course unless I had at least a basic understanding of what I am doing and that applies to everything.
Get a Haynes manual and teach yourself, they tend to have fairly decent instructions. Luckily I have been spannering for years

[virgil]

Kernel said:

I personally wouldn't look at doing a course unless I had at least a basic understanding of what I am doing and that applies to everything.
Get a Haynes manual and teach yourself, they tend to have fairly decent instructions. Luckily I have been spannering for years

You can teach yourself quite a lot of things (I have, loads), but not sure i'd want to learn the safety side of servicing a bike when my life depends on it working properly...

Bit like I'd rather not teach myself how to make nitro-glycerine (if I were that way inclined)

[Momentofmadness]

virgil said:

not sure i'd want to learn the safety side of servicing a bike when my life depends on it working properly...

All the more reason to do it yourself, then you know it is done right

[dern]

Momentofmadness said:

virgil said:

not sure i'd want to learn the safety side of servicing a bike when my life depends on it working properly...

All the more reason to do it yourself, then you know it is done right

Absolutely. I don't know everything there is to know about motorbike maintenance but short of head work, reboring and the like I'll take the time to learn anything because I've had plenty of bad experiences of others doing the job and I know that although it may take me a lot longer I'll do the job right.

[natnokes]

Haynes manual... y'know I admit, I didn't know they do one for bikes. Though I suppose now they're doing one for teenage menaces they had to have done bike ones already. I suppose I hadn't thought about it because I respond better to being taught/told.... (The blame is shared if I stuff it up).

As for getting friendly with a local biker.... I'll have to find one with patience... that doesn't really go with having a bike now does it? ;-)

[virgil]

natnokes said:

.... I'll have to find one with patience... that doesn't really go with having a bike now does it? ;-)

So you'll be needing a bike riding doctor then

[Whizz]

virgil said:

natnokes said:

.... I'll have to find one with patience... that doesn't really go with having a bike now does it? ;-)

So you'll be needing a bike riding doctor then

Do they exist? Aren't they like bike-riding nurses.... just a dream to most men ;-)