Do you fix your own bike or take it to the shop?

[guitar man]

I'm kinda curious as to how many of the riders here do their own wrench work. I do just about all of my own. I just replaced a cratered clutch adjustment rod bearing for a total of $41.00 for the bearing, primary cover gasket and a quart of trans oil. Harley dealership mech looked and took a listen and quoted me $500 to fix it.

so, what say you?

[Robb]

1. I've got too good of a hook-up with a local wrench

...to do it myself. Good friend, multiple Pike's Peak winner, and a magician with the motorbikes. Plus he's like three blocks away, calls me when it's time for service to tell me to leave the key in and he'll walk over and get it.

Few days later, it's back in my yard, and purrs like a kitten all summer. :D

[guitar man]

6. I had a deal like that going

then he moved away several years ago :(

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Can I vote twice?

First, it's "I'm fixing it myself".

Sometime later, it's "screw this, let the mechanic fix it", as I hand him a cycle, and a basket of parts.

:rofl:

[guitar man]

5. been there, done that

:hi:

[dmallind]

3. Repairs I "do" myself

always turn out in the long run to be more expensive and serious than repairs I leave to people with mechanical skills that, unlike mine, exceed the ability of the average stuffed marmoset.

[guitar man]

4. I hear ya

It took a long time, some money and a lot of screwed up stuff before I got really good at working on my own scoot. I was sure glad though, because I damn sure didn't have the $500 to give the stealer....er, dealer to get it fixed and it's time to ride, it finally got warm here :)

[Lowell]

7. I've been wrenching my own bikes

for over 40 years. I'd feel guilty if I began having someone else do it. Those few times I've let a shop do it I discover they take short cuts.
I will admit though that working on today's bikes is more complicated than a few years ago. Mapping EFI comes to mind.

[guitar man]

8. I hear ya

I've done almost all my own work for over 30 years. The only reason I even consider taking one to the shop is that I sometimes just don't have the time to screw with it these days. But I agree wholeheartedly about shops taking shortcuts.

Haven't gotten into the fuel injection thing yet, my little '99 Sporty is still running a carb :evilgrin:

[ThomWV]

9. I do all of my own work

They are basically pretty simple vehicles. The first thing I do with any new vehicle that I have any intention of keeping is to get shop manual for it. The Motor Company has an outstanding Manual, worth every dime of the $65 or so one cost for recent models. Very helpful thing to have for any bike.

[Lowell]

10. The Manual is the most important

accessory you will ever invest in. I've always bought the manual for my bikes and lived by it. Anyone who doesn't is just asking for trouble later down the line.

The beauty of motorcycles is their simplicity. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled out an engine, drug it into the house and disassembled it. My first wife left me when she realized that I was in no hurry to get the engine to my old '47 knucklehead out of the shower. I plugged the drain and completely rebuilt it a couple times in there. Good lighting and air conditioning. Unfortunately I had no manual for that bike.