Back in “the day” when I was just a skinny sixteen year old kid, I landed a summer job working as the Gofer in the local Harley-Davidson shop. The owner, a crusty old guy named George Moody, reluctantly took me on as a favor to my father who had earlier owned the franchise.
I was literally in Hog heaven, George was himself a local legend and I was getting to breathe the same air as the men whom I had seen sliding through the turns on the dirt track outside of town. Sometimes I even got to turn a wrench on a customer’s bike. George would hand me a tool and say something like, “Pull off them saddlebags” and I would be left to struggle through the task on my own.
Recently I spent a little over three nostalgic hours immersed in a video titled, “Fix My Hog – The Touring Edition”. This video is the latest brainchild of Dennis Santopietro, President of Fix My Hog, Inc. based in San Diego, California. I first became aware of this company and their line of Harley-Davidson maintenance videos upon receipt of some advance publicity in the fall of 2004.
They already had one DVD on the market that covered the Softail models and were planning to issue the Touring Edition DVD by mid-February, 2005. Since I currently ride and Electra-Glide Standard I was eager to take a look at this new DVD.
The two disc set arrived in late February. Since the run time for the set is three and a half hours it took a day or two to find time to view the entire production. The Touring Edition takes the viewer through nearly 30 different maintenance and repair procedures, showing both carbureted and fuel injected models. The topics covered range from simple procedures such as seat removal or the dismantling of the fairing to more technical issues like clutch repair, rebuilding, and adjustment. I was particularly interested in the demonstration showing the installation of the clutch fiber and steel plates into the clutch basket. This was something that I had first attempted under George Moody’s tutelage while getting my butt thoroughly chewed for my ineptitude.
The viewer gets to observe the expert mechanics as they perform normal service checks, drain and replace the crankcase oil, transmission fluids, and do the primary case fluid service. Primary chain maintenance and adjustment are covered, as are clutch and throttle cable adjustment and lubrication. Service and adjustment of the steering head bearings are also demonstrated along with front fork removal and reinstallation. Tire removal and replacement are shown.
The shop in which Bob and his assistant, Mark, perform these tasks is much cleaner, more brightly light, and better organized than George Moody’s old motorcycle garage. And unlike George, who was notoriously short tempered and often communicated in monosyllables, Bob , is an excellent instructor. “Practice does NOT make perfect,” he cautions. “You can do the same thing the wrong way multiple times and all you get is frustrated. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Bob tells the viewer in his soft spoken manner. “Work carefully. Don’t be afraid.” And with a sly poke at a certain popular reality show he offers, “Listen to you buddies suggestions. There is no need to get excited and yell at each other.”
If you have either the Softail or touring model Harley-Davidson motorcycle owning these DVDs is almost as good as having an expert mechanic waiting in your garage to help you fix your hog. You can order your copy online at www.fixmyhog.com for about forty dollars. You can get more information at info@fixmyhog.com or you can email Dennis at dennis@fixmyhog.com . You may also write to: Fix My Hog, Inc. 3853 Belmont Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116
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