2006-05-20 Cheaper than a workshop bill

I bought this book to guide me through a fork overhaul on my XJ600N. What can I say other than that after a few hours' work, the forks are good as new.

The bike itself is pretty conventional, with nothing really clever in it, and this book guides you through virtually every aspect of it - I've only found one section (engine valve overhaul) where it suggests you take the bike into a workshop. Even then, it guides you through most of the job, so you can take only the problem parts to the shop.

All the jobs it describes are graded by spanners - 1 spanner for an easy job, up to 5 spanners for a hard job. The book glosses over the harder jobs a little, which could be a problem. It doesn't skip anything, but it doesn't hold your hand as much as on the easier jobs. I presume this is because they expect you to know what you're doing mechanically before working on anything dangerous, which is not unreasonable. On the other hand, simple tasks like bleeding brakes and replacing a clutch cable (for example) are very clearly explained, giving you a great deal of confidence to move to larger tasks at your own pace.

Included in the book are your normal maintenance and servicing jobs (and intervals), renovation and repair tasks, troubleshooting, MOT tests you can perform at home, and sometimes handy hints to avoid you buying a bunch of Yamaha-specific tools. It also gives you a quick reference to types and quantities of fluids required, tyre sizes, and all of the torque settings for all of the critical bolts on the machine - very useful indeed. There's even a handy section in the back of the book with tips for (for example) removing stuck screws and bolts. This could easily prove a lifesaver if (like me) you turn a bolt to have the head tear off and the shaft stay in place...

As long as you're sensible and know your limits, this book can save you a lot of money. As you feel more confident with tinkering, you can buy more varied tools, and tackle more challenging tasks. A good idea is to read through every aspect of a task before you attempt it - if you don't feel happy, seek advice. This will also help you to determine what tools and parts you'll need - my XJ600N sat in parts for two weeks as I waited for replacement seals...

Great book if you just want to keep your bike in top condition (a couple of adjustable spanners will see you through a surprising amount) right up to a strip-down and rebuild. My only mistake is that I underestimated the cost of tools that I'd need, which pushed me over what the garage would have charged, but at least I'll have them all for the next job. I'd recommend a torque wrench (20-70Nm will do), a Metrinch socket set (some of the bolts are pretty soft alloy), a decent set of Allen keys, and if you want to work on the front end you'll be glad of a trolley jack. Add some screwdrivers, time and patience, and you're ready to go.

Good luck!