Originally Posted by
GoldWingrGreg
Sometime people need a video to help them get over their fear of trying ... seeing it done on a video can give them courage. While at other times, a video may show how to do something in practical steps, and a Service Manual will always give the correct step ... but they are not practicle. For example, the steps in a Service Manual says to remove the lower center cowl to replace the oil filter. The engineers that write those steps also say to torque the oil filter to 19ft/lbs. The lower cowl is removed for torque wrench access. However, most don't torque an oil filter, and know that removal of the lower center cowl is not needed when replacing the oil filter.
However, eventually you will discover that all your answers are either found in an Owner's Manual, or factory Service Manual. The more both are studied, the easier it is to find your answers. Using the index of either is often the fastest way to begin your search. Basically an Owner's Manual covers operation, storage, basic maintenance, and "how to care for your Wing," type of topics. If you follow my posts, you will often see me post, in a nice way, that "your answer is found in your Owner's Manual." In other word .... read the *ucking Owner's Manual.
I've seen some of the videos, and anyone with a strong mechanical background would agree that the skill level of the ones making them are amateur in nature. Sometimes they give advise on how to fix things that an educated mechanic would never give. To me it is obvious that none of the people making them ever spent 2-4 years in a mechanical trade school of any sort, or apprenticed for years under a journeymen mechanic. As an example, they'd probably advise people to lube their side panel grommets for easier installation. Someone who's been to a trade school would probably never give such advice. They'd probably say something like "before installing the panel, make sure all the grommets are there, and to inspect them for wear. In spite of sometimes offering poor advise, for some they are invaluable.
If any of the grommets are worn, damaged, missing or incorrect, they need to be replaced. If one finds it difficult to install a side panel, learn how by carefully watching what you are doing and the pattern one is doing it in. The pattern of which boss goes into which grommet first may need changed." After a few tries of learning how to do it, learning how to do it quickly and easily will become a learned skill. Never, ever, lube such rubber parts ... doing such can cause rubber to deform and swell.
For Honda, much of that basic advice is covered in their Common Service Manual. It's the manual one would study if they went to a Honda trade school. Usually most need help with removing/reinstalling the shelter, and learning how to remove such stuff is readily available on youtube.
Once a person learns how to remove and re-fit a shelter correctly, using a Honda Service Manual then becomes more straight forward.
When doing something for the first time, some get real confused with what bolt goes in what hole. If you step back and ask yourself some simple questions, you will soon realize why. Such questions are; why would this fastener have a longer or shorter shoulder then another, or why some are black while most are aluminum in color, or why is there 2 of these but 4 of those ??? I guess what I'm trying to say is this. Put all your fasteners in one bucket and think through putting them back in place. However, separate them at first. For example, keep all your seat bolts together. Do the same with your meter panel fasteners, and the same with your shelter fasteners. In almost all cases, there is only one correct fastener for each hole. Sometimes a parts fishe is helpful.
Also, you can always call me. I get calls from all over the world, from DIYs to other shops, and even Honda shops needing advise for free. My number is listed on JustWings.com.
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Do it yourself and save yourself a lot of aggravation when its done wrong by the untrained tech.
