Be Your Own Mechanic: No More Excuses!

DISCLAIMER:
This article should give you the confidence you need to finally start servicing your motorcycle. No matter what kind of bike you have or style of riding you do, there is no real good reason you shouldn't be your own mechanic. However, if you fail at everything you try and blame your teachers for it, then please don't continue.

Many riders don't service their own bikes. But what are the alternatives? You can either ride it until it blows up or even worse... give it to a mechanic.

If you've ever filled your own gas tank or held a wrench, you can service your bike better than a garden variety mechanic. Think about this: most of them care more about your wallet than your bike. Why would you entrust a stranger without a high school diploma to care for your most prized possession? I don't.

Let's take a look at those excuses you make while neglecting your motorcycle and examine just how stupid they really are:

"I'm no mechanic!"

There is no shame in that. You decided to do something important with your life. 

For a guy that uses two different types of moisturizers, I have never fancied myself a gear-head. So if I can do it, you can too. Since you are cautious about your first time performing a brake discpad change, you will probably double-check everything. You're already ahead of the competition! That is two more checks than Doyle, your local brain-dead mechanic, performs.

"I eat from the value meal, there is no way I can afford all those expensive tools!"

It's surprising how much work you can do with only a 10mm wrench. Simply put, you don't need much. With some know-how and what can fit in my small toolbox, I have done everything from a simple oil change to replacing worn steering head bearings. In fact, I took my bike to a shop to ask for an estimate on the head bearings. In a frenzied panic, I quickly tried to ride away after he answered. My helmet just barely fit over my head because my mouth was gaping open so wide. He asked for ¥40,000. With some help from a friend, I got the parts and did the work ourselves for less than a back-alley handy. I spent the savings on beer for my friend, hot Japanese girls, race fuel, and time away from work to write you this crucial advice.

So fork over a bit of cash, and get yourself some basic tools. You’re years late already, so get a move on. As an added bonus, you'll have tools handy for any other automotive or housework your significant (yet naggy) other requires of you. Also, holding a tool instantly increases your sex appeal. Just look at any calendar targeted at lonely woman for proof.

"I don't have the time"

Really? But you have enough time to get your bike to the shop, try and explain it to Doyle (who just nods in agreement with a seven-mile-stare), and pick it up again. Also add on the time it takes to do the whole thing again when the problem comes back due to shoddy workmanship. Make the time and… who knows? You might actually enjoy it! Working on a passion is points spent towards valuable and necessary me-time.

"Sounds boring..."

Brushing your teeth, checking your daughter's homework, and kissing your wife goodnight are boring. But you still find the time for them. That is because you want to have a decent smile, a daughter who doesn’t end up working at a waffle house, and a wife who doesn’t run off with Doyle. In other words, you maintain the important parts of your life. So why shouldn't that include your bike?

You might be surprised at the peace of mind you find while performing some basic maintenance or troubleshooting a problem. A lot of people experience the same thing. Hell, there is even a  bestselling book written about it!

"Well, mechanics aren't all that bad. Right?"

Wrong again. A smart or honest mechanic would cease to be a mechanic. I finally stopped taking my rides to shops when I was 18. After some basic suspension work I had done, I picked up my wheels. I drove less than a minute before I heard a loud *CLUNK*. I got out of the car, and saw a shiny 28mm wrench smiling up at me. The "expert" mechanics didn't even double-check they had everything in order, and left a tool attached to my rear shock. It now sits in my toolbox as a constant reminder to do the work myself. I hope your realization comes before adding your horror story to the countless others out there.

Ok... So where do I start?

Many roads lead to Rome... if Rome happened to be a place you gain motorcycle maintenance expertise. Start with any of these three. Choose one TODAY:

1. Get inspired! Pickup a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Simply a great book.
2. Get smart! The internet is an amazing source of information for motorcycle maintenance. With countless forums, blogs, and YouTube how-to videos, you will never be without support. And if you have the cash, buy a service manual for your specific model. It is an easy reference for specifications like fluid levels, torque values, and part numbers. (scroll to the bottom for a link to helpful videos)
3. Get clean! Grab some soap and clean that dirty thing you call a swingarm. A good cleaning will reveal some parts in need of attention, and gives you a better understanding of your bike. Oh, and stay away from pressure washers! They do more harm than good. (link also at bottom)

Got it? Good. Next time you are on a road trip and something goes wrong, you can impress all your friends with your know-how. Maybe you’ll even fix their bike on the spot! Start leading a stronger and more independent riding life by taking responsibility of your bike. 

Finally, I will leave you with some TIPS for your journey on becoming a self-sufficient biker.

• Buy in bulk. It's frustrating to run out of something you use all the time. Good things to stock up on
• Latex gloves (for dirty work)
• Shop towels/rags
• Brake and Parts cleaner (cheap and effective)
• Fluids (Gear oil, Engine oil, DOT4 brake fluid, coolant) 

• Buy used tools Most tools outlive their owners. Garage sales and online auctions are a great place to find a deal.
• Buy quality tools. Since you might be stuck with that phillips screwdriver for the rest of your life, a nice handle might be worth the extra couple of bucks. Used and quality don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
• Righty-Tighty Lefty-Loosey ;)

If you have any questions or concerns, leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to reply.
Thanks for reading. Oh, and remember, no more excuses!

Here are some useful LINKS to get you started.

How-to CLEAN your bike (UK web series)

How-to service yourbike (mrmaxxstorey's videos)

With pricey tools, 
service manuals the size of Womp rats, 
and terms best suited for the engineers of a particle accelerator, 

it's no wonder 
many riders shy away from doing mechanical work. 

But with a passion for bikes, 
a dash of intuition, 
and a willingness to help your mistreated bike, 
you can be of great service.

Your bike will love you for it. 

It treats you well, 
so return the favor.

One Hell of a Trip: Enter the Void (2010)

WARNING: This film contains graphic sexual content and drugs. But so does life, so get over yourself.

I was first recommended this movie by a far-from-sober foreigner in Shibuya. And after coming across this movie in a "Least Watched Great Films" list, I became more intrigued. Being a fan of his work in Drive (2011), I read that Ryan Gosling also chose this film as his best pick of the year. Now, I had to watch.

Directed by Gaspar Noé, Enter the Void is a French film. But you wouldn't know it as it is set in Tokyo with a predominantly American cast. The film follows the life-story of a conflicted young adult named Oscar, played by Nathaniel Brown. Longing for his sister (played by Paz de la Huerta), he turns to selling drugs in order to pay for her plane ticket over. The film explores their troubled past and the choices Oscar has made in life.

With a brilliant cast, amazing visuals, and excellent writing, it's hard to pass up this novel work.

But this isn't "just another film". It requires your attention and an open mind. Approaching it with strong preconceptions of drugs or the difference between right and wrong does it little justice.

With a production period of over 15 years, this film doesn't disappoint. As a Tokyo man myself, I must say it looks like someone did their homework. I felt the depictions of the city and the people to be fairly accurate. It never felt like the director was trying too hard to "capture" the city. Perhaps because the decision to set it in Kabukicho was an afterthought, it worked well. But it is a limited perspective nonetheless. Like a walk in the red light distrcit of Amsterdam won't give you a full grasp of the Netherlands, Enter The Void won't give you a complete picture of Japan. This film isn't meant to bring tourists to Japan though, so it's no loss. Sex, money, and drugs make big appearances; my friendly landlady or helpful friends do not.

If you're ready for a unique experience that, for better or for worse, you won't be able to forget anytime soon, then enter the void. A non-sober state is recommended.

NOTE: 72 hours after watching Enter the Void, it refused to leave the forefront of my brain. I have since heard many accounts of people finding it difficult to recover from this film. It brought me out of my sobriety from the seedy sides of Tokyo. I decided to take another peek. Here are some pictures I snapped the day after watching the film of Kabukicho, Tokyo's red light district.

Kabukicho, Shinjuku in Tokyo

New Front Stuff!

At the racetrack, I realized that the tire shop mounted my tire/wheel in the wrong direciton. Ack! I flipped it, but was getting wheel wobble.

I decided to get a new wheel and rotors.

I found this gem of a used front wheel off an MC18 at the used parts store Up Garage. Online and in the store, used wheels usually go for ¥20,000 and up. But here it was going for ¥1,990! I asked the staff why and he said because of the scuff marks on the side of the rim.

Great bargain

To get the front end up I ordered a front-stem mount stand. Easy setup and use.

Flying NSR. Ready for some tinkering.

I got the wheel off and had my friend change the tire onto the new one. I painted over the scuff marks shown here. The wheel bearings were still good.

I used touch-up paint and gave it two coats of wax to help fight off brake dust

I purchased a set of Arashi rotors from China. I have heard both good and bad reviews of them, but at such a cheap price (¥15,800 shipped), I am willing to give them a shot. I also ordered new brake disc bolts as the previous were quite rusty.

old/new bolts 

New setup assembled

new

old

After taking an abundance of pictures, I went out to Astro Products tool shop and got a static wheel balancer (¥3,890). Balanced, lubed, fitted and torqued the new wheel. Tomorrow I'll go for a ride and start breaking in the new setup. 

New front stuff = Better than the old front stuff!

I like motorcycles!

I like riding, touring, racing, commuting, off-roading, maintaining, repairing, modifying, washing, and watching motorcycles. Hell, I even like talking about how much I like motorcycles. Ride safe ;)

Keep on ridin!

Next time you get into a small accident, remember this guy. He doesn't pause to take a picture or tweet to all his friends about his scratched elbow. He just keeps on ridin.

(Here at NR, we hope the other party involved full and speedy recovery)

To Dirt or Not to Dirt

That is the question. I realized found out via gaijinriders.com that there is a large public dirt-bike course in Sagamihara, about 20 minutes from my house... I love Japan. Here is an aerial shot of it:

I decided to go and check it out. My CB400 was not the too happy with me.

"get me back on pavement!"

friendly fellow riders

I met some guys and asked them a bunch of questions on what size bike they recommend for just the trails, etc. They took me to a shop after they finished riding and we exchanged contact info to setup some rides down the road (pun, sadly intended). Apparently this guy is damn good. He is only 21 but has been riding since he was 3, and now does exhibition dirt track racing all around Japan. He said he would teach me some moves. Awesome.

a pro

I have only ridden a dirt bike once in Cambodia a few years back, and although I had fun I felt better on actual pavement. But seeing as how lots of racers started in the dirt, or at least play in it, I think it's a great place to learn bike control, and just have fun.  Heading out to a race course or unpredictable mountain roads all the time can be time-consuming and dangerous. So I think it would be a good way to have a bit of fun on the weekends. Now to convince my landlady three bikes is reasonable...

First Track Day: A Success Story

I had a ton of fun, the bike had no problems, and I didn't fall or get hurt. So needless to say, it was an awesome day. I have to stop smiling before my teeth fall out. We went to Fuji Speedway's Kart Course, a small but fun course that's shared with go-karts. Here's the recap.

Met at Uehara's place in Isehara at 8am. Then took the tollway to Gotemba.

Ready, Set, Go to Fuji Speedway

We arrived at 9am, stopped to buy some food and get gas.

Entrance to Fuji Speedway was ¥1,000. A full day at the kart course costs ¥3,000 and lasts from 10am-5pm.

There was no safety inspection, but we were required to tape all glass/plastic parts in case of an accident.

All set (the bike that is)

 The weather was amazing, and the view was awesome. Got quite a sunburn as the day progressed.

Mt. Fuji watching over the action

Around 11am my friend Sam from Yamanashi showed up. He brought his Ninja 600, and his friend Keith rode a Ninja 250R.

The gang (from left to right):
Me, Taka, Keith, Sam, Uehara

During final checks I noticed that my tire... was on backwards! Another reason you should do work yourself, and not trust a shop to do it. Here's a vid of us getting ready and me flipping my wheel around:

Time to hit the track! I warmed up on the short course (even shorter than the kart course). Sam snapped some pics of me, you can see as I tried to get lower on each lap through this corner.

Too high!

Getting lower

And lower

and lower...

touchdown!

Once I got my knee down, I hit the kart course and was dragging through almost every corner. Extremely fun!

Sam snapping pics of his first time touching knee

tired, but it was too fun to rest

Later on, Keith low-sided two corners from the straight. He was pretty smooth throughout the day so it was a bit surprising. Taka also low-sided on his r6. Both riders were fine, but fairings were scratched.

Assessing the damage to the shifter assembly

"blaaaa, you should have gotten frame sliders"

Here's a video I captured of Keith's low-side.  Skip to 55s for the crash:

Here's a video of Sam showing good form on his Kawasaki ZX636:

Here are some shots of me on the main kart course. As you can see I need to work on my form. I think I should try and be less rigid and hunch over the tank more. Also, I'll try and carry more speed through the corners as I was a bit sluggish. But, I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

Here's a video (long) of me warming up on the short course, then hitting the kart course. Sam was kind enough to lend me his GoPro. Awesome camera, think I might pick one up. It was drizzling, and I stopped a few times to check out my front wheel as it was wobbling, yeeks. Time to get a new one. Anyway, skip to the end for the (faster) stuff:

The NSR held up extremely well. A lot of the course was in 1st gear with high-revs, but the engine didn't have any complaints.

love my bike!
<3 NSR

Trip reset before, 49km ridden on the track throughout the day

Here I snapped two shots of my rear wheel. I got rid of my 'chicken strips'. Yipee.

START of day

END of day

Of all the riders, I was probably the slowest. But, I really didn't wanna push it on my first time out and just get a good feel for it. I was impressed with the form and control of many of the other riders as it was also their first time. Especially Sam, who showed excellent control of his 600cc on a track better suited for smaller bikes.

Afterwards, we headed to get some food.

Mt. Fuji with some dangerously deceiving clouds

Traditional Japanese restaurant

Katsu-don with Soba

Katsu-don (or Katsudon) is a bowl of steamed rice topped with seasoned tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork). (source: japanesefood.about.com) This set-menu item cost about ¥1,200 or roughly $USD 15. Well worth it!

Keith excited to dig in. Either that or laughing about something inappropriate :P

Saying goodbye to the gang before I head back home solo

I was absolutely exhausted and the packed-up holiday traffic coming back towards Tokyo didn't help. I pulled off to a rest stop and was approached by this kind gentleman from Belgium. I'm used to getting strange looks whenever I pull up anywhere in full racing leathers, but it was nice to get some friendly conversation from it for once! Alex and his girl were on their way back from a scenic tour of Izu. He rides a 1992 Yamaha XJR 1200 (correct me if I'm wrong). It was obvious from talking to him that he was a bike-lover. I did my best to convince him to do some work on the bike himself and take the over-priced mechanics out of the equation. Best of luck Alex! Hope to hear from you, maybe we can do some cruising in the future.

Overall, it was a great day and got to meet tons of awesome people. I got home at 10pm and if I ever had trouble falling asleep, I wouldn't have known it! Till next time. -M.R.