Hey guys, i was looking at beat up bikes on ebay; etc. and i was wondering, since i have no experience with fixing bikes. How hard would it be to get a fix a broken bike? i understand it goes by the problem it has but would i be able to replace all the parts if need be bymyself? is there anywhere i can find a manual for repairing like a kawasaki zx-6r or 500r?

 

do you have the confidence to fix a bike ? do you have a general understanding on how a motorcycle works ? are you mechanically inclined ?

do some research on it, some people think they can and end up knee deep in it and realize there not cut out to do repairs or tear into a project that big.

so, can you ?

 

generally if you can do your own car repair work, then motorcycle maintenance will come pretty easy. Buying an owners service manual will be your best friend when working on your own bike. Also, having at least a decent set of tools is essential to get started. More specific bike equipment will also find it's way into your garage as you do more in depth maintenance and repairs.

I think ALMOST anybody can do their own work if they put in the effort, and educate themselves. One of the best general maintenance books you can buy is the "Haynes Motorcycle Maintenance Techbook". It covers almost any type of work you plan to do. The book is made for the newbie in mind, so everything is easy to understand even if you have never performed a certain repair job before. I would highly recommend buying it along with the service manual for which ever bike you're planning on buying.

 

in my experience, using a haynes manual and online forums and even asking specialist garages you can't generaly go wrong.
with no experience i pulled apart my 205gti's engine block, replaced the timing belt, valve stem oil seals, head gasket, rocker cover gasket all via the haynes manual, put it back together and it fixed the problem.
saved myself a fortune.