Basic motorcycle maintenance course - London - 29th October 2013

First topic message reminder :

There's a few here who are in or around London, thought of organising a block booking at one of Oval Motorcycle Centre's monthly courses. We can all go individually at different times, but could be good if we could have the demo's done using a   not to mention meeting up with site members

we run a Basic Maintenance Evening. The course is designed to teach you how to check all the areas of a motorcycle that would or should be inspected on any service or pre MOT check and can help you to spot defects in the purchasing of a second hand motorcycle.

The course covers; Electrical system, Tyres, Brakes (pads & discs), Wheel bearings, Headrace bearings, Swing-arm bearings, Chain & sprockets, Forks & rear shock absorber, Control cables & levers.

The Basic Maintenance Course is run on the last Tuesday of each month from 7pm and costs £35. Each session has 10 places and will last for 3 hours, although sometimes can finish later as lots of questions are asked, which is a good thing. Please call for details and availability.  

OMC, if you don't know is a rentable motorcycle workshop - more info

Any interest?

Going
SteveCat  
OhJay      
Hilts
James

Bookings now closed. I released the 3 places I had reserved, there was a waiting list for them, so guess they'll be gone in no time.

This might be a stupid question but do I need to sort out bringing my bike along for this? It lives in Derby these days so would have to work out how to bring it down for that week

No, you don't need your bike. It's more a demonstration course than getting our hands dirty. I think he does use some of the bikes that are ridden there for the demo. For that reason I gave mine a wash yesterday, seems there is only so much muck that can come off in a single cleaning - looks a lot better, but still some grease and grime where I don't want it.

How will you get there, by car? If so, best have a look at Google maps street view for where you can park. I've only been there once before and seem to remember it a bit of car parking nightmare.

Thank you. Was on the point of resorting to leaving the car at Cat's and being on the bike all week for commuting et al. Just trying to work out how cold that would be last week of October

I'll have a look at a map, it'll be car or train. I can park on a mate's drive in Guildford and get the quick train Guildford to Clapham if I do it that way or it's about an hour straight up the A3 if there's parking somewhere. Might give them a ring.

Well if we do require a 'donor' bike then right on cue my bloody fork seal has gone yet again - too much standing in the garage instead of riding! Must remember to keep moving and working the forks even when I can't get out on it. Dr Dave here we come...

Could be a good candidate for seeing why it's going. Mine is semi clean in case it is hoist onto the ramp and 11 pairs of eyes glaring at it.
If I decide against doing any work on my bike at OMC, I think I'll be giving it to Dr Dave for some tlc. He told me he has a loan bike whilst mines' there - just hope it isn't his beloved C90  

Paul, would you be interested in an ACF50 weather treatment from all year biker to website? Think we need 4 bikes and a venue for Jon to come out and do the bike clean and treatment. Have a definite from a neighbour

http://www.allyearbiker.co.uk/Hosting.html.

You can even host one yourself and save a third off the price if they're too far away from you for a treatment.

Could be worth setting one up and make a day of it. Clean bike followed by a rideout hmm

That's exactly what I had in mind Stu  There's 3 of us in my building with bikes, all are keen to have it done. I've contacted all year biker to see if I can get a home visit booking and how many people are needed to make it viable for the guy to come out. Last year when I had it done there were 4 bikes - that was all he was taking for the day, mind you it was beginning of December.
Not sure about the rideout afterwards though. One of the bikes has been off the road for nearly two years, would be interesting with the other chap, he used to be a motorcycle paramedic; even though he hasn't ridden his bike in a bit, I bet he'll still go like stink I'll find out on the 22nd as he's joining us on the maint course

e-mailed them today:

OMC wrote:We have parking on site you can use.

Looking forward to meeting you on Tuesday

Fantastic, sounds like they'll get you to park in front of their office door, set back a little so should avoid the London pavement parking ban.

Looks like I've chosen a good day to have us go there, seems like a free bike/car wash will be included courtesy of the great British weather (no need to thank me  ) .
I've mustered 4 in the group booking, but none other than me know each other !!! Unless my neighbour bails on the idea of riding in the rain and we arrive in his car, there'll be at least two drowned rats on bikes   Somehow I don't think he will bail, he's a hardy Scot and spent quite a few years aboard a Paramedics bike in London.

See you Tuesday

Have fun Steve. Before and after close up pics would be nice

Pics? umm hadn't though of that. Will see what I can do.

Took the camera but no chance to take any pics - sorry.

Some feed back on the course. I met Owen (OhJay) and Paul (Hilts) at OMC, I managed to arrive 5 minutes late due to my neighbour being unable to get his fuel cap open and in the process bending the key, he’d decided after that not to go.

After the admin, course notes handed out and a ‘Elf and SafeTee note on what to do if the places catches fire we are ready to go. Course leader Matt did warn us that it might appear simple and we’d wonder why we were there, but to hang on – how right he was. Even in the seemingly obvious first section on the electrical system there were nuggets.

What’s there to know about tyres? Well an explanation on how to make the right tyre choice and why it’s so important; also the role of the humble dust cap not just to keep the crud out the valve and look pretty, can also keep air in for those ‘elevated’ speed moments where the valve spring could release air due to centrifugal forces. Also found out what Bibendum (the Michelin man) is doing on the tyres – to denote where the tyre wear markers are. Other brands may have a triangle or maybe the letters TWI (Tyre Wear Indicator).

Then onto the brakes, again more nuggets; I’ve found out I’ll need to go to the dark side and get some braided hoses; whilst not bad, mine are starting to bulge a little not to mention the discolouration of the brake fluid in a short period of time. Other topics covered were wheel, head race, and swing-arm bearings, chain and sprockets, forks and shocks and some servicing tips.

I picked up way more than I had expected, was well worth it. My motivation for going was more to see if I’d get on with using the facilities there and work on my bike (OMC’s primary product).
I hadn’t realised it’s the only one of it’s kind in Europe. In essence it works a little like a Laundromat, (although you do need to pre-book) – everything tool and lubrication wise is there or take your own. However the wishy washy analogy stops there, there isn’t a case of trying to find someone to help with change or get a stubborn washer to work – on the contrary.

Some may know, I have a spark plug which won’t come out. At best I think I’m in for a re-thread at worst would be engine out and head off and some engineering work. Also the engine runs rough at lower rev’s and in-spite my mechanic having cleaned and balanced the carbs it is still not right, I’m not convinced everything is clean. I’ve had this problem on and off as long as I’ve had the bike and it’s the primary reason I’ve never been happy with it.  I am hoping that working on the bike myself, with guidance from the OMC staff, I’ll regain confidence / trust in the bike.

thunderstu600 wrote:Have fun Steve. Before and after close up pics would be nice

I thought you were talking about the maint course - you were referring to the All Year Biker treatment weren't you?  

Decided now not to do the All Year Biker - he couldn't come to me and I don't feel like traipsing to where he is in mid December. Going to do it myself.

I didn't take any before pics - there are some who have a bad reaction to seeing a dirty bike.  

Some pics of the clean, dry, acf treatment and an after pic