I was wondering how easy it is to work on your own bike? I know that this probably varys depending on which bike, but in general.

I know that theres a haynes manual, but is it that simple?

What will I need to start? Tools, knowledge...etc

Thank you

Well ,,,yes and no. . .
All depends on your mechanical knowledge and tool kit,,a lot of the minor routine servicing jobs can be done at home with relitively little previous experience ( gaining some experience in the process).
In the front of most manuals it lists all the tools necessary for the tasks in the manual,, but id take that with a pinch of salt ,,as a lot of it is surplus to requirements for most diy mechanics.
Get yourself a set of decent (or at least half decent ,,, not pound store jobbies made of toffee) spanners, a socket set 1/2 inch drive ( 3/8 handy for lots of smaller stuff) and a good selection of philips and flat blade screw drivers.
Then have a good read through your manual at any section before even attempting stuff so you have a good idea of what you need to do.
As well as all the above,, just ask,,theres always a feew helpful people willing to help with help/advice

First place to start is the workshop manual. AB was right about the recomendations in them; they do tend to be over the top.

As for what tools to buy, Halfords tools tend to be of reasonable quality but not too expensive.

One tip I will pass on; whenever you're dismantling anything, lay the parts down in the order they came off, with the fasteners (bolts, screws, etc) with each one. That way, when it comes to re-assembling, it's just a case of reversing the order.

Its also worth trying to get a copy of the proper wokshop manual if you are going to try anything serious ~(not just routine bits) - Haynes manuals tend to cover several years but they generally only strip one version and there can be differences.

But give it a go - chains and oil changes are a good start point.


I once spent a LONG tine attemting to remove a bolt on my Bonnie after the Haynes manual told me "WARNING THIS IS A LEFT HAND THREAD" - ERM NO IT FUGGIN ISNT!

Fortunately I did try 'tightening' it before I got the anglegrinder on it

May I suggest a set of friends with an array of tools - ooer

OOOER Missus!!!! there nowt like a few friends with an impressive array of tools,,,,so iam told anyways lol

Or did I mis-hear you?

Besides,,,if one me mates had better equipped garage/shed than me . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
I'd rob the fooker !!!!!!!!!! lol

I'd move in!

AAh,, but my missus cooks the better bacon butties!!!! so betttter to rob his gear an stick it me shed lol

But but .... A decent workshop has a lathe and a mill and they are much more difficult to move than you but ... Good call - move in with your Wife?

A good start is having a set of phillips and posidrive screwdrivers, they both almost fit each other well enough to round off either the screwdrivers or screws.

A real good tip is not to have a mother in law like a friend of mine, he stripped his gearbox on the bench in his garage, laying out on paper where everything came from, he didnt have a ws manual. His mother in law came around and "Tidied" it all into a plastic carrier bag!!!

I'd say its like riding... start small and work your way up...

Do a little job, gain some confidence and move on to the next, bigger job

I do as much as I can on my Kwaks, I'm not as confident about my Honda, but then it doesn't need anything yet!

Because of the nature of the beast, corrosion and dirt and salt etc it can be bloomin hard to get fasteners undone and you can end up with stripped threads and ruined heads on screws.

The biggest tool is patience - take your time - don't do anything in a hurry or with a deadline

If you're getting too frustrated just put it all carefully away and try again tomorrow with a fresh view - you might just spot something you missed before you break something

Don't be put off by small disasters (such as me breaking my throttle tube when changing a heated grip)

When stuck, don't forget you've got the Phone a Friend/Post it Here option!

When buying your socket set buy one with sockets that grip the nut on six sides ( ie with a nut shaped hole in them) they grip the nut better than twelve sided ones and can mean the difference between undoing a nut in one go with ease or rounding the fecker off and then using/knackering the rest of your tools to brake it and anything connected to it

If you've got one it can be handy to use your camera phone to take a few snaps as to how something came apart to help upon reassembley..

Don't buy spanners or a socket set that cover metric and AF sizes if you don't need to ( most bikes these days only use metric fasteners and you'll end up with an impressive looking tool kit of which half of it will be useless..

Do buy some WD40 and copperslip grease...WD40 to help undo stuff and the later to make sure you will always be able to undo stuff again and again..

Don't start anything until you understand what it is and how it is you are going to go about it read it and read it again...visualize what it is you are going to do and make sure you have the tool to do it and that you are resonably happy about doing it...then is the time to do it..

Start on easy stuff...taking the battery out to check it's ok...changing bulbs, then adjusting your chain maybe an oil change the more familiar you become with the bike the more you will want to do as it won't seem so intimadating..

You can alsways ask someone here will know

You will also find in the Haynes manual that they have a "spanner rating" from one to five to let you know how difficult a task is. Buy a Haynes manual for your bike, and read through the procedures for changing the oil/plugs/air filter etc, and if you feel confident doing it and have the right tools, then go for it. If you see a level 4 or 5 job, then you will be wanting to get a garage or experienced mate to do it, but if you start with the sinple maintenance tasks, you shoul be ok.

Best bet is to find a local bike repair expert or a mate who knows a lot, then if you get your bike in bits and can't figure out how to put it back together they can help you - preferably a mate, as they don't usually charge...

The other thing to remember is that bikes are nice to work on, pushbikes are easier, but you cant pick up a car engine and work on it in yer kitchen. A Landrover transmission will probably oughtweigh your bike, and a 7.5 ton truck wheel will need a bar longer than your bike to undo the wheel nuts. I must get some patio doors to work on my bike in front of the telly

That pretty much covers it, for my first bike I managed to get the official Workshop Manual from ebay for a tenner- in my opinion that was the best tenner I ever spent on the thing.

I've now got a different bike and could only get a Haynes Manual- full of detail but they expect you to have a decent workshop in the first place.

Agree with everything said above.

I had an advantage as I started young on small two strokes (less moving parts and simpler to work on) and I had older lads 'supervising' me (not doing the work but telling me what to do, in what order and what tools were best). It may be a good way to start off for others as well.

Try your local college, many offer evening vehicle maintenance courses and are reasonably priced.

Don't be afraid to ask for help or borrow tools.

One tip is to take your time. Rushing can mean a bodge, important items are overlooked, loss of temper etc. which will probably cost you more in the long term. But take your time, as you gain experience you gain confidence and what was once a long job referring to manual, is now second nature.

Couldn't agree more. If you find yourself wrestling with a stubborn part (usually something that makes you twist in strange directions deep inside the frame) and getting angry or worked up - stop, go and sit down for 5-10 minutes with a cuppa and the service manual and chill before you go back.

Otherwise you just end up getting really angry and breaking something. More often than not, after relaxing for a few, the part just pops out...