~ Auto Buzz ~: Get Out of the Garage and Out Riding in Under a Month A garage bootcamp for your winter project.

There comes that awe-inspiring time in every rider’s life. A still moment in a quiet garage, where you peer deep into the inner workings of your machine and fully connect with the moment at hand; and then realize that you have no idea what you are doing. So if you’re garage-challenged, how can you get your bike back on the road after winter hibernation, start a project restoration, or revive a long-parked steed? Put simply, by asking the right people, getting organized, and working on one small problem at a time. We got some advice from Joe Tessitore. He’s the owner of Digital Directiv, and co-founder of Second Gear in Portland, OR. He’s progressed from his own personal projects, to turning motorcycle after motorcycle into nice running bikes and profit, and is the ideal individual for what it takes to get a basket case running properly. These lessons are both learned from Tessitore, and from personal failings during my own moto nightmares. One of my own highlights (lowlights?) was taking more than a year to take apart a running bike and putting it back together as a running bike. Here is your emergency plan for garage-project glory—a week at a time.

Week 1: Game Plan

A motorcycle project is just like any other, but with the added bonus of breaking your will, mocking your largest insecurities, and causing you to regress to throwing tantrums—I’m speaking from experience. However, here are basic tips on how to streamline and de-stress the process. Place: Get your garage or shop space organized immediately. Label what you can, and generally create a clutter-free working environment. Tip: Make a tape square on the floor, never let parts of the motorcycle leave this square unless you make a note of where they are going and what they are. Plan: Have all your tools, parts, and chemicals organized so you don’t have to go searching for them. Every time you start a project on the bike, from changing a tire, to rebuilding a motor, keep this in mind to speed efficiency. This is Motorcycle Mise en Place. Time: The next few weeks will be strenuous. Here are some tricks to keep you undistracted, and working:

Set a predetermined timeframe to work on the bike.
Set automatic replies on your cell phone for people texting you during this time to keep from getting distracted.
Print out instructions and materials instead of bringing your computer into the garage.

Tools: No need to bumrush the tool aisle, but you do need a mix of basic and specialized tools. Here are the bare minimums according to Tessitore:

A set of good quality screwdrivers (JIS instead of phillips is recommended)	Chain riveting tool, and a grunge brush
Basic set of box wrenches and sockets (metric for Japanese and European)	Wire stripper/cutter
Cordless or manual impact driver for seized screws and bolts	Tire pressure gauge
A variety of hammers including a deadblow (for hitting without damage)	Feeler gauges (for spark plugs, points, and valves)
Digital voltmeter	Allen wrench set
Basic plier set	Drill and drill bits
A few sizes of crescent wrenches

Weeks 1 to 2: Get it running

Where most projects fail, is that focus is spent on every facet of the bike in the beginning of the project, besides simply getting it running. This eats time, money, and patience. Getting a bike started is not witchcraft. It’s sorting out each element of combustion one step at a time: Air, Fuel, and Spark. AIR Carbs: Pull out or unscrew jets and spray with cleaner and compressed air. Then, blow out every hole you can find. Tip: Use brake cleaner instead of carb cleaner because it leaves no residue.

Air filter: Wash and re-oil if reusable or replace. Top tip: avoid pod filters if you haven’t got the bike running. Without everything finely tuned, pod filters will cause a bike to run like garbage. Add and tune once the bike is running.

FUEL Gas: Use fresh fuel. Replace fuel filters. Tip: Some older petcocks have a removable bowl with a screen that can be cleaned out. Fuel Lines: Make sure all fuel lines are clear, securely fastened, and don’t leak.

SPARK Spark plugs: If black or of an unknown age, replace, but don't forget to check the gaps. Battery: If fairly new, check fluid level (if fillable) and add distilled water to top off. Charge with an automatic charger. Disconnect when done and check voltage in a day or two. If it has dropped below 12v it may need to be replaced. Tip: Many shops and battery stores will change and test your battery for free. Wait until you near the end of your rebuild project to buy a new battery so that it’s fresh when you try to start it. Check Your Grounds: Tighten or clean all grounding points on the bike, it’s one of the leading causes of a bike not turning over.

Charging system: If the bike starts, attach a voltmeter to the battery terminals and rev the engine. Battery voltage will increase with RPMs to indicate the charging system is working. If there's no increase or it rises above 14.5v, your regulator/rectifier may need to be replaced. Spark: Using a new/good spark plug, stick it in the rubber boot and hold the threaded part against the metal head of the engine. Turn the ignition on and make sure the kill switch is in the run position. Push the starter button and you should see a small spark at the end of the plug. Repeat for each wire. Tip: Possible reasons for no spark could be bad wires, coils, condensers, points, or CDI depending on the what type of ignition system present. Wiring: Get a pointed test light and connect the clip to a good ground on the bike. This will allow you to systematically follow power from the battery, to the key switch, to the coils and so on just by stabbing the wire or touching a connector. Do this everywhere there should be power. Chances are you'll find a bad connector or broken wire that's stopping the flow and keeping it from starting. Always check the connections and contacts in the handlebar-kill switch as well. This is often an overlooked source of problems. Bike still not running? Take it to a professional. You could spend the next few weeks going down the rabbit hole, but we’re trying to get on the road not be the next great mechanic, yet.

Week 3 to 4: Customizing the Bike

The goal is to divide the bike into chunks and complete one area before starting another. In inventory terms this is “first in, first out” which is not the fastest system, but is the most efficient if it is your first project, or you’re terribly unorganized, or both. From the front, work your way back. Also, do not remove anything until you have all the parts necessary to complete the task. This ensures that you won’t, say, have a finished seat, but no fork on the bike (not that anyone would ever do such a thing). For example: The front wheel needs a new tire, so start there. Then, move to the fork, which may need servicing. Brakes after that. Handlebars not to your liking, change them, and so on and so on you march along the bike. Additionally, with such a short time frame, you should be prioritizing and minimizing scope. Now is the stage to outsource big projects (bored-out motor, chopped frame), and/or ditch things that aren’t as important to you (paint, fully custom aspects). The goal is to get the bike on the road with the majority of what you wanted to accomplish intact, the rest can come later. Unorthodox Advice: You may enter the project with wide-eyed bushy dreams—to fabricate, weld, and paint your way to glory. The honest truth is that each of those skills takes years to hone. However, that isn’t to say you shouldn’t go down that path. But instead of hammering on your main project, buy a parts bike and learn there. With the spare, you can get a motor running, and/or learn to chop and weld. This maximizes learning without having your main project sidelined. It is more expensive, but is well worth it for less stress, less risk, and more riding time.

Conclusion: Get Going This is your four-week boot camp to entering the spring on two wheels. May the odds be in your favor. Bonus Round: The Nuclear Option We are hardwired to not turn around once we get going, this is the sunk cost fallacy. In the woods, it causes death. In the garage, it eats sanity. Sometimes, we bite off more than we can chew. This could be a bent rod, bent frame, or just lack of time and funds. What is important, is always being objective and to cut your losses and learn from mistakes, then move forward. Do not get stuck in the twenty year project unless it is absolutely worth it. Remember, we have motorcycles to ride them, not take selfies in a garage.