I originally put this on Tiger-Explorer.com where I am small-business-forum-sponsor. I have written service manuals for the T800 and T1200, and have been asked if I'd run maintenance courses on those bikes (in North Wales, UK), so in the interests of casting my net a little wider... I’m keen to see what interest there might be across the forum, and to learn from any suggestions you may have to make the sessions more useful. My initial thoughts are to run a series of one day sessions for up to 4 people at a time 1: Basic Servicing – 1 day course covering: Oil & filter change Air filter change Final drive oil change Cleaning brake calipers 2: Advanced Servicing – 1 day course covering: Valve clearance check Replacing spark plugs 3: Suspension Service – 1 day course covering: Fork oil change Remove yokes & grease steering bearings Strip and lubricate rear suspension linkage Each day would run as a self contained training session and anyone could sign up for one or more, without needing to have done any of the others first. The sort of format I have in mind would be very much a hands-on training day, with all of us getting involved in the servicing work. One at a time, everyone attending would do one of the servicing tasks on their own bike with everyone else watching on. I’d be supervising and getting as involved as necessary, but I think there would be a greater benefit in me offering guidance and everyone attending doing as much as possible of their own work. I have all the tools necessary, and can buy in the consumables beforehand. All you’d need to do is turn up on the day. Things that still need thinking through – please let me know your thoughts… It’s been a long time since I’ve done the valves on an Explorer, having moved on to other bikes, and I’m not exactly sure how long it would take – I’m confident it would be less than a day start to finish, but it would be a long day, especially with the need to let the engine cool fully before measuring the clearances. I haven’t fully worked out the costs yet but it will be significantly less than the cost of having Triumph do the work. Initially I’m thinking of £100 per person, with oil, parts & consumables charged additionally. Personally I’m happy with known-brand (non-Triumph) filters, but I’ll buy whatever you prefer and charge them on at cost. I wouldn’t charge for grease, degreaser, WD40, and other incidentals. At the end of this year I’m moving to Anglesey and could run one day courses from my workshop there, starting around April. I should have space for three or four bikes to be worked on at a time. It’s not the most accessible location (but the roads to and from are wonderful) so I’d consider doing the course somewhere in the midlands, travelling with all the tools in my car, if we can find a suitable venue. I’ll have a decent size garden and am happy for anyone to travel over the previous day and camp there overnight. If there are any takers I’ll do a barbeque in the evening. Hanging space to dry out wet riding kit shouldn’t be a problem. If this idea is popular we could consider meeting in Snowdonia on the previous afternoon and have a ride out first to make a weekend of it. This would also give the benefit of being able to remove the bodywork on the evening before doing the valve clearances. I can buy a shim kit so we’ll be able to set the valve clearances, but if there are three or four on the course I’d baulk at the price of buying three or four shim kits at the start. Being practical about it, it may end up with all of us working on one or two bikes the first time the valve servicing course runs. Whilst we can have several bikes on the centrestand with the rear suspension stripped at a time, I’ll only have one hoist to pick up the front to remove the forks & yokes. We could work around this by doing a set of forks whilst also doing the swingarm linkage on another bike in the morning, then swapping round in the afternoon to do two sets of forks, headrace bearings & swingarm linkages in a day. All of the skills we’d focus on would be transferrable to any bike – if you want to bring something else to work on that’s fine – we’d just need to find out the valve clearances & torque settings beforehand. A mate has suggested a course on prep for overlanding. Example content could be changing tyres and adding electrical accessories. There’s room to add a few more items to this if you have any suggestions. Finally, if anyone wants to come and use my tools & facilities to do their own work at another time I’m sure we can work something out. Feedback please… All the best, Mark
Thanks for the positive feedback. Still keen to get some more points of view, but its looking likely to go ahead in the New Year. I'll update you as things progress. Cheers, Mark
I like it. Seems like a sensible, well thought out plan. A bit too far away for me to be able to take advantage of but it deserves to succeed. I would certainly have used a scheme like this in my younger days. Good luck with it Mark.
As DD says, it’s a great idea and a service that should be helpful and advantageous to lots of folks who regularly get fleeced by dealers because of their lack of experience or knowledge Good luck with getting it up and running.
I think this is a brilliant idea and it deserves to do well....if there were a 'mailing list' for upcoming courses /dates etc...i would be very happy to be on it! I think that there are a great many people "like me" who really want to get stuck in but do not have the confidence to give it a go....it isn't beyond them to be shown and learn how to do it...but the value of someone being there and walking us through it can not be underestimated. Asking your local garage often feels like you have asked to see "behind the Wizard of Oz's curtain"... Please, do keep me posted... I am a long way from North Wales...but would happily find a reason to go! (but feel free to bring it to Abingdon)!
We had one of these at my "local" Triumph dealer. So I drove 40miles each way. I DID get fed for free. I'll give them that. But when it comes down to the bottom line, all it was, was a pitch to sell products and services. Douglas Triumph, are you REALLY that desperate ? If so, leave me out of it ! ...J.D.
Clive Wood already does courses fot t300 and street triples. There was one last weekend. On Nov 12th he is doing another course covering Single Sided Swing Arm (SSSA) maintainance.
I'd also be interested in this type of thing and think it's a great idea. I want to do more with the bike (StreetTwin) myself (especially once the warranty expires) but lack the confidence to do too much in case I screw it up. Having a guiding pair of eyes whilst doing these things the first time round would be awesome. If you do setup a mailing list together with course dates, stick me on it.
Thanks for all the feedback so far. In January I'll start a mailing list, for now it would be good to carry on getting expressions of interest so that I don't miss out anyone who wants to be included. All the best Mark
After a couple false starts due to Covid, the Service school is very much up and running now from my workshop on Anglesey. All courses are 1:1, and course content is very much driven by whatever you want to include. I offer three basic packages to which we can add or subtract content however you wish: Minor service - One day including: Removing front & rear wheels, cleaning brake calipers, oil & filter change, final drive oil change / inspect or replace chain & sprockets, electrical health check, brake fluid change, reset service indicator. Major service - One and a half days including: Checking & setting cam timing & valve clearances, replace spark plugs, replace air filter, oil & filter change, electrical health check, reset service indicator. Suspension service - One day including: Remove forks & yokes, change fork oil, check & regrease steering head bearings, strip & regrease rear suspension linkage, electrical health check, reset service indicator. Courses are very much hands on – you will service your own bike with me offering help and guidance as required. You can change the course content however you want – I have run combined courses including all of the above and can include fitting accessories or major engine & chassis work to your requirements. For courses running over more than one day, I can drive you to a local B&B at the end of the day and collect you the following morning. £140 per day plus consumables at cost. Includes lunch and my ‘Motorcycle Service & Maintenance Manual’. Priced so that the course, your fuel and overnight accommodation is about the same as a main dealer service, but this way you get 1:1 training and you can enjoy North Wales while you travel. Please contact me by PM or visit www.marksmotorcycleparts.co.uk for further details. Thanks, Mark
That sounds like a really sweet deal. It's a pity (for me) that you're so far away but that shouldn't be a deal breaker and, as you rightly say, it could be a good excuse to enjoy travelling to, through and from Wales.
