Hey Danny, I'm not a natural mechanic by any means,,, when I was younger, I definitely caused more harm than good working on my bikes. But the reality is for me in my area anyways,,, I could not afford it, and my bikes would be worse off, if I had all my work done at a dealer.
Old age may come with certain challenges,,, but the patience, wisdom and logical thinking I've gained over time, is paying huge dividends when it come to my mechanical prowess,,, especially working on my bikes. I'm a much better mechanic,,, and with the power of the internet,,, the answers are usually right there, if you look for them.
I've still got lots to learn about ECUs EFI etc, but in the big picture the guzzis are relatively simple to work on.
A multi meter really helps with electrical issues,,, as does devouring anything kiwiroy posts ;~)
Time, jungle juice atf/acetone, and heat will usually loosen just about any seized nut/bolt,,, youthful brute force will loosen things,, but usually in pieces,lol.
Sometimes,(many times) all that's needed is a bigger hammer.
Motorcycle metals,, especially Italian aluminum,,, is extremely fragile,,, I have 3 different torque wrenches and use them all the time,,, tighten on the light end of the spectrum and locktite everything,,, saves a lot of grief in the long run,,, you don't usually get that type of care at a dealer. jmho
The only thing I've had done at a dealer in the last few years,,, were 3 seperate tire and tube changes,,, 2 out of the 3 ended up flat because they pinched the tubes,,, so I bought a set of tire irons and learned how to use them,,, transferred this skill over to my lawn tractors and 8 wheeled argo,,, saving lots of money there,,lol.
Do your research, but it's really not rocket science,,, if you have questions,,, don't be afraid to ask,,, this forum can guide you through some pretty amazing jobs,,, I know the members here, gave me the knowledge and confidence to tackle stuff, I never would have before,,, there have been times I've made some pretty stupid mistakes,,, but the only damage was my pride,,, my bikes ultimately ended up running much better and more reliably due to my work and efforts.
good luck
Kelly
