Haynes has always been all about helping you, the home mechanic, to carry out your own repairs on your vehicles. That's the whole reason Haynes exists. So here, we celebrate those who use their spare time and Haynes Manuals to repair and improve their pride and joy.
DIY champion: Michael Bourke, New South Wales
Vehicle: 1978 Honda CB750F
Michael Bourke is a man who likes things old school. That’s why he owns a 1978 Honda CB750F. Michael Bourke is also a man who thinks old’s cool, which is the reason he decided to treat his Honda to a full restoration.
He’s known this bike for the bulk of his life, because it was bought new in 1978 by a friend’s dad. As you can see, when he got the CB750F, it was looking a touch world-weary. Some might say it was looking like it had spent most of its life sitting outside. In a lake. In fact, it had sat in a shed in NSW.
But Michael was undaunted, and below all the dirt and corrosion, he could see a motorcycle that was solid and which would look suitably showstopping as long as he spent the required time, effort and dollars on making it so.
So, using his Haynes/Clymer manual, Michael stripped down the bike to its constituent parts, then the frame and forks were repainted. The wheels were reconditioned, and the engine was rebuilt, and fitted with suitably shiny downpipes.
All the corrosion has been removed from the alloy parts of the bike, and Michael has replaced the footpeg rubbers. New tyres will help to keep everything shiny side up when Michael finishes the job.
To that end, he still has a few electrical jobs standing between him and the finish line, such as fitting the lights, and he tells us the engine has an annoying top-end tick that he’ll need to resolve before he can use the bike in anger. We can’t wait to see how the bike looks when his work is done.
We’d love you to show us what you’re working on and how you’re using Haynes to help you out.
Just send us a few details about yourself and your vehicle to yourrepairs@haynes.co.uk (our UK colleagues will be in touch).
Tell us about any issues you’ve encountered or any problems you foresee, plus a few pictures, and we’ll feature you on our website and social channels.
After all, fixing your car or motorcycle isn’t actually that difficult, and can bring confidence and delight. It will also save you a whole load of money, so let’s tell everyone about it.
