Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/58270
Motorcycle Repair Class Meets Weekly by JIM JONES MARCH 9-18 • DAYTONA BIKE WEEK VISIT www.motorcycle-usa.com for more information. MARCH 17 • RUN FOR THE GREEN Just for fun poker run at Legends Pub. First bike out at noon. 867-2364. MARCH 24 • FREEDOM BIKER CHURCH WINTER SUCKS GARAGE PARTY at Hotrodz. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Pig pickin' with the fixin's. Band, door prizes, vendors, swap meet, dessert wars and more. Proceeds benefit wounded warriors. 624- 8166. APRIL 7 • CAPE FEAR HARLEY- DAVIDSON Annual Swap Meet. Come and set up in the parking lot and sell, swap or trade parts with your fellow bikers. This is a free event. www.capefearhd.com/calendar. APRIL 13-15 •GYPSY WOMEN SPRING FLING at Legends Pub. Pre-party on Friday, Scott Sather Memorial poker run on Saturday, bike show on Sunday. Proceeds benefit Tammy Sellers. For more information call 867-2364. APRIL 21 • 7TH ANNUAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS TORCH RUN CHARITY RIDE at the retired military association building parking lot in Fayetteville. Registration 8 a.m., kickstands up 9:30 a.m. $15 per rider (covers breakfast and lunch). For more information contact Sgt. Lowe at 677-5595. MAY 11-20 • MYRTLE BEACH BIKE WEEK SPRING RALLY. Visit www. myrtlebeachbikeweek.com for more information. MAY 18-20 • BIKERS FOR BIKERS FOUNDATION 2ND ANNUAL SPRING RALLY at Shakori Farm, Pittsboro, N.C. Features battle of the bands, winner takes all. Camping and music all weekend. All proceeds benefit injured bikers and needy children. Email roadkill28371@ bikersforbikdersfoundation.com. Since I was 20 years old, I've tried to learn something new each year. This educational idea has led me on some great adventures. Everything from rock climbing to SCUBA diving is on my resume of activities. Learning is a continual effort. It not only improves knowl- edge but also challenges us to stay relevant. It is also important to our spirit and self-worth — and it gives you a sense of completeness. I have never been mechanically inclined. I think the reason is be- cause I inherited my father's 1972 Toyota Corolla. I was 15, at the time, and he kept the car in pretty good running condition, so I was never under the hood having to do anything more than checking the oil. On the other hand, my friends had cars that constantly needed love and attention. I think this forced them into becoming mechanical, and they are far more versed in vehicle repair and maintenance than I ever will be. This has proved to be a handicap for me. I've determined that I'm an idiot Students learn the ins and outs of motorcycle repair and maintenance. when it comes to engines. I once stripped my car's engine trying to change the plugs, and it cost me a fortune to get fixed. Now I just pay to have it done right the first time and be done with it. A few years back when I took my motorcycling skills to a new level, there was something obviously missing from my brainiac knowledge center — I don't know anything about mechanics. To me, mechanics are some of the most fascinating people on Earth. They Run for the Green Rrty$0y FvXxEx @$& $(y 4624 BRAGG BLVD. CALLING ALL LOCAL BANDS Fayetteville wants to know you! So here's your opportunity. • E-mail Stephanie@upandcomingweekly. com for our Q&A. • Fill it out and e-mail it back to us. • Send a recent, high-resolution photo of your band. • Look for your article in an upcoming issue. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM make things work that shouldn't work. In the case of a motorcycle, they convert metal and rubber to a high-performance machine. In my attempt to learn more about motorcycles, I decided to take Fayetteville Technical Community College's Motorcycle Repair and Maintenance Course. The course is instructed by Miguel Flore, who teaches the class at his Moto-Tech Performance shop on 237 Tolar Street, Fayetteville. The class meets once a week. Here you will learn how to do basic (and some advanced) service work on motorcycles. You will learn proper terminology, how to diagnose problems, replace faulty parts and know if a shop is taking advantage of you. Instruction includes the theory and operation of fuel (including fuel injec- tion and carburetors), electrical, brakes, engine, suspension and drive train. There are few things that I have learned from Flore that I don't think I will ever forget. The first thing that he has planted in my brain is that a motorcycle is an airplane on land. If you have a malfunction and the bike locks up, you are going down. Second is "chrome kills." Miguel explains that all of the pretty aftermarket chrome work that people have done to their engines, wheels and brakes adds thickness to some things that are highly engineered pieces and parts. That addi- tional thickness of chrome is the difference in the brake working properly or not. One thing that most people don't think about is the camaraderie that you enjoy by listening to the other people in the class. They share their stories, and collec- tively the class has hundreds of years of riding experience there. I have learned that having the proper tools is the difference between a routine job and stripping a bolt or nut that can lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair the mistake that a cheap tool can cause. You will not get a certificate for this class. As of this writing, there is no written test. It is very much hands on. This is a beginner's class, and FTCC offers an in- termediate course as well, in which you dig a little deeper into the engine. I've also learned that the correct tools are expensive and require a significant investment. The class is for any motorcyclist or someone who is thinking about making motorcycle repair a career. Although I will never crack open my engine, I will at least understand the complexity of what is involved when I need service. I will understand if I'm being fed a line of bull or not which in the end will save me some money down the road. For more information call 678-4000. JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com MARCH 14-20, 2012 UCW 21