PAYFER Engine & Motorcycle Repair Videos.
1 year follow up to this "I'm new to dirtbiking how do I learn about the mechanical stuff" thread:
My 12 year old has been keeping busy after school tearing a bicycle apart. She is patiently awaiting the go ahead to rip apart the "real" bikes....apparently more interested in ripping them apart than riding them right now. Our first tasks are the easy stuff: teaching her to change the oil, clean the air filters, tighten spokes...checking the chain slack, etc. Oh and some slightly more interesting stuff: cleaning the jets on one bike, jetting another for summer riding. Then we'll move up to destroying an actual engine. I mean, dissecting one.
Unfortunately, with the fun stuff comes the harder parent teaching your kid part...Getting her to focus on keeping things in order and putting them back together. She disappeared for several hours and hands were coated in black, so, the interest is definitely there...It is just a matter of finding the right approach.
The manuals (bicycle and motorcycle) I tossed in her direction have so far been ignored. The books don't grab her interest either. She's going to be willful
and not educated. Argh. Not good for the mom, by any stretch. I'm no Parent Magician!! However, today I stumbled on a couple of videos that may be useful in keeping the parent-child will-clashing to a minimum if we watch them together. I'd like to add them to the above list of references for beginners trying to get past nodding stupidly at the natives to understanding what it is they are saying.
The first is a website which has several somewhat comprehensive beginner's courses in engines.
http://www.cambridgeol.com/id/10694/Small_Engines.htm
You can buy a single video out of any series or the entire series.
Very pricey as they are marketed toward educators. They are very short. I ordered two for starters- to check out the quality and "hold my 12- year olds interest level". (Mechanical Science & Engine Disassembly) Mostly I'm just hoping to jump through the "you need to be organized and conscientious" hoop. For me, worth the dollars. Maybe not for you. Like I said,
These are not cheap. There is also a way cool 3 part cd-rom where you fool around with an engine displacement calculator and compression ratio calculator...And multiple choice tests for those who are so driven to be empirically scored and validated. Could be fun....again... mid-range
pricey.
Two much better values (if we are talking $ per minute) are two motorcycle videos produced by Motopowervideo Productions LLC.
Basic Maintenance I DVD for all Motorcycles
http://www.createspace.com/Store/ShowEStore.jsp?id=215545
and
keihin carb tuning
http://www.createspace.com/Store/ShowEStore.jsp?id=215036
(They even have one on installing your rekluse clutch.)
I'll let you know if she can sit still for them & how the quality is. She seems to prefer the tried and true get your hands dirty and get in there approach. But, we'll see. She can sit still for the history channel, so this can't be any worse. :whoa: Can it?
Thanks again for the tips. The book and other reading selections have been excellent. I've added quite a few others to my library since 1 year ago. It's a slow moving ship, but it is moving, and on course. :cool: The kid is primed. Keep your fingers crossed I don't wreck it for her. :)