New member/old roots

Hello to all,were I grew up every cool badass had a z,I've een lurking and trying to learn mechanical tips from everyone here.damn ..Alot of you guys know your stuff!!! My carpentry skills are mad,you need a 5000' sq ft house framed, I got ya !! but taking off an engine part intimidates me like nothing else..my current bike 1980 Ltd 100O b ,I bought 2 yrs ago.10000 miles ..on it runs strong .the mods I'm lookin at are swingarm,swap,,and change the front forks ,wheel ..swap out with newer.better..one,,what do ineed to consider (type of front end,,swingarm off of wat bike is least amount of deep technical knowledge that will work, ect.) I' just don't know where to start,I know I want bike to have cafe look with a few upgraded components .can anyone steer me towards an engine builder within 250 miles of mid Maryland.. I guy here who I know is great as quoted me 6000..bore it ,new crank,welded,34 mm carbs ported polished,Vance Hines clutch.I almost passed out..is he crazy or am I?,thanks for any and all input,,you guys are a wealth of knowledge. And have some sweet rides..thanks. Pat

Tirefire Pat wrote: Hello to all,were I grew up every cool badass had a z,I've een lurking and trying to learn mechanical tips from everyone here.damn ..Alot of you guys know your stuff!!! My carpentry skills are mad,you need a 5000' sq ft house framed, I got ya !! but taking off an engine part intimidates me like nothing else... ...thanks for any and all input,,you guys are a wealth of knowledge. And have some sweet rides..thanks. Pat

Welcome!
You'll find a lot of guys here are more wood centric than machine centric but that does not stop them from trying :whistle:

Like the saying goes: Funny how when all you got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail! :laugh:

I don't know what quality machinists & mechanics cost in your neck of the woods but if the quotes cause you grief then think about how many tools & mech.eng. classes you can buy for less.
Besides there's quite a few awesome machinists here helping others out.. why not jump in and get a few oil stains added to your sawdusty jeans? I'm sure of one thing: you'll have a bigger smile on your face if you do vs the teeth clenching to pull out your wallet to pay up a $6k invoice...
Enjoy the ride brother. It usually starts in your garage

Thanks WM. I do want to give it hell man working on the bike I mean ,I just don't want to end up way over my head with a pile of parts or end up under a dumptruck because I didn't know I needed a bushing,,bearing or something that I simply didnt know... But I hear ya..I'm not afraid to try I'm just scared...ha ...I'm on here to learn...thx again

I started out on a 350 Honda. I've been a machinist, line welder, carpenter/ joiner, it goes on and on. Always worked on my own bikes, cars and trucks. Even ran two service bays for bikes. :whistle:
You and I both know, what can be done, can be undone. Just another project to be completed with "grace, skill and finesse." Carl said that.
I say there's a certain satisfaction in knowing what's going on between your legs. Have at it. :woohoo:
Steve

Thanks Steve.. I always read ANTHING you have to say..and I'm all about what goes on between my legs..haa thanks brother...

Double edged coin. Joke/reality. You're welcome.
Steve

Yea I got ya loud n clear.EVERY MEMBER of my family ,father,mother and brother have been in serious kz Kawasaki motorcycle crashes. I know serious ...lmao

Tirefire Pat wrote: Thanks WM. I do want to give it hell man working on the bike I mean ,I just don't want to end up way over my head with a pile of parts or end up under a dumptruck because I didn't know I needed a bushing,,bearing or something that I simply didnt know... But I hear ya..I'm not afraid to try I'm just scared...ha ...I'm on here to learn...thx again

Yup. I know that feeling too man - overwhelmed and a perhaps weeee bit under skilled :ohmy: at some points as you stare blankly at an engine's internals, now spread out all over the place. Thankfully, that's where this forum works out so great. Most of the guys here have been really helpful and able to advise you of pitfalls to watch out for before you find yourself knee deep in it.
The search function helps a ton too. Even if the search results aren't always clear - which has been my biggest problem - getting the exact verbiage to match what I mean and not just any matching word I have said.

I think, the thing I've come to understand about this is: every job, no matter how intimidating it may seem, is just a series of smaller tasks. Kinda' helps my old brain not to become overwhelmed if I can see just "the next step" instead of the massive, exploded view of a motorcycle.
This used to be my biggest fear:

Thanks. WM..I see you do get it....

Like I always use to tell my helpers. One thing at a time, by the end of the day see how far you've come.
Steve

Welcome!
Yes... doing your own work may seem intimidating, but as previously said... it's better to focus on one piece at a time!


:lol:

Tirefire Pat wrote: Thanks WM. I do want to give it hell man working on the bike I mean ,I just don't want to end up way over my head with a pile of parts or end up under a dumptruck because I didn't know I needed a bushing,,bearing or something that I simply didnt know... But I hear ya..I'm not afraid to try I'm just scared...ha ...I'm on here to learn...thx again

Smart! A previous member here decided that Step - 1 on cleaning up a bike that was running fine was to totally disassemble it so he could clean up all the parts and then re-assemble. Guess how far he got before he gave up? (see image below for his finished product ). Ed