Motorcycle maintenance

I'm looking to upgrade my mechanical skills over the winter. I am thinking about doing one of thoes mail in things.  My choices are limited here in germany, but would realy like to learn more!  Thanks for the help.  
Broom Brooomm

I don't know anybody that has done one of those, so I can't comment with complete faith, but I can tell you how I learned. I think it's probably more cost effective as well.

Spend $40 on a service manual for your bike and do the next scheduled service on your bike. Ideally it will include a valve adjustment, plugs, lubing cables, oil change, etc. Basically you just follow the directions in the manual and be prepared to ask questions from those here and at your local shop...if they're the helpful types. I did my first valve adjustment using this exact method. The manual tells you exactly what you need to do pretty much. Just buy the tools you need as you go along, the manual will tell you what tools you need for each procedure as well. You've got all winter to figure it out, by the time you're done you'll have learned a great deal.

It's scary at first, but after awhile you'll wonder what the big deal was. Worst case scenerio you box it up and bring it to the shop. Good luck.  

I'd tell you to get a repair manual and start tinkering if you're like me and learn by doing...or i usually go to www.mrcycles.com and they have detailed pictures of parts, part numbers and assemblies so it's hard to miss a part unless you lose it  

Next spring I'm getting a MV Agusta F4 1000S.  I realy don't feel like trying to go at it cold like that not with that machine. I also don't like not being able to care for my own baby.    Thanks.  
Broom Brooomm

well in that case...nobody takes care of your baby like the guys in the service shop at the dealership (even though they charge you for it)...but you can change the oil if you need to feel special...or you can do like i do, ride with the guys that own a speed shop and eventually you'll get "friend" prices like getting your frame swapped for a 30pk. of Bud Light  

After spending the amount of coin on a bike like the MV F4S Mille, you will probably end up saving a lot of money in the long run if you work on it yourself; most shops figure that if the person has the money to spend on a MV, they can fork out big $$ for service work.

However, the MV has a lot of mechanical parts that require special tools that you'll have to special order, like the diagnostic box  to service the EFI. Working on it will take a lot of patience, as much of the engine components are crammed together pretty tightly, and some are unique to the bike, like the radial valve arrangement; you will probably need some narrow feeler gauges to check valve clearance. If you want to change tires yourself, you will need a huge socket and either breaker bar or air impact gun to remove the nut that secures the rear wheel; then you will need the proper spacers to hold the wheel on the balancing stand.

If you really want to tackle working on your own bike without any experience, it would be best to order the factory service manual, and read it thoroughly; it will tell you what special tools you might need (incidentally, I'm hoping that you have a full complement of tools already), and hopefully will give you an idea if you will need any special workshop requirements like stands, etc. You might also ask the advice of any MV shop mechanics if there is anything you should watch for when working on a particular component. If you're unsure about something when disassembling the bike, stop and find the answer; it's way too easy with today's bikes to screw something up if you just try to "force it".

Hope that helps.