Friday, June 4, 2010

Is this the wheel?


You may be wondering whether any of us know anything about motorcycles. Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, as liberal arts graduates we are lifelong learners and excellent problem solvers. So we talked to everyone we could find who knew anything about motorcycles and mechanics, and eventually made a trip to Peninsula Harley-Davidson!















At PHD Andrea, John and the rest of the guys in the shop showed us around. Starting from the basics we took a look at tools, different kinds of bikes, and different products used to keep bikes maintained.

First off, we saw the workbench:















These tools are all pretty standard, and the M shop will probably need at least some of them. Luckily most are hand tools and require no electricity, which suits our purposes well. Not only that, but it turns out that a whole lot of motorcycle repair is just using your head to find a solution, even if you might not have exactly the right tool. For example, this bike seemed to need a screw driven into it, so Andrew and John make it happen (Note: I'm pretty sure you wouldn't actually want to do this):















We also learned that regular preventative care might be the single most important service the shop can provide. To that end, PHD even had some donations for the M shop. You can never have too much cable lube! Thanks guys!






2 comments:

  1. Sara, David and Jesse,

    Keep doing what you are doing. I know how hard you guys worked on this project and I know that you will make us all even more proud.

    I hope your having fun in China (all this hard work requires a little fun) and I can't wait to read more about what you are doing.

    Keep up the good work guys!

    -Rainier

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  2. WOW! I'm so impressed and really excited about your project, but particularly that i can follow it on the blog. Looking forward to watching your progress. Much luck and many blessings on your journey to promote peace and motorcycle maintenance!!

    Amy

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