Since day one, Haynes has been all about helping you, the home mechanic, to carry out your own repairs on your vehicles. Here, we celebrate those who use their spare time and Haynes Manuals to repair and improve their pride and joy.
DIY champion: Malcolm Avery, London
Vehicle: Yamaha XS 1100 chopper
Malcolm Avery clearly has a soft centre. He’s the sort of man who doesn’t like to see things being abandoned, and would prefer to take something that’s been heartlessly discarded and nurture it back to full health.
Now, don’t go thinking that Malcolm has a house full of forlorn kittens and puppies. Oh no. His passion for abandoned things extends to entities that are a bit less… organic. And which usually have wheels.
So, when a friend of his brother abandoned a Yamaha XS1100 chopper in a barn, Malcolm was not the sort of fellow to stand by and watch as the prevailing climate gradually reduced it to a pile of rust, rubber and stickers.
What did he do? Well, he talked gently to it, gathered it up, placed it in his van and took it home. Once there, he put it in his own ICU (Intensive Conservation Unit) department, aka his garage, and began the process to revive and revitalise the patient.
First step was to dig out his well-thumbed and suitably oily Yamaha XS1100 Haynes Manual, as well as his Haynes Manual on welding, before setting to work on a project that would bring him both joy and satisfaction (as well as the odd grazed knuckle, doubtless).
After that, it was a case of taking one step at a time as he rebuilt the engine and gearbox, completed a restoration of the carburettors, and then carried out a complete rewiring of the entire bike.
But it was all worth it when he connected the battery, pressed the start button and behold – life! The sense of satisfaction was strong. Another cool motorcycle saved from a lonely and dusty demise.
Was he bold? Oh yes. Foolish? No, not at all, because Malcolm is a motorcycle and automotive engineer by trade, and he attributes his entire career in the field to the interest and information he garnered through reading Haynes manuals when he was but a lad.
We at Haynes are thrilled and humbled by Malcolm’s tale, because all of us at Haynes enjoy sorting out our cars and motorcycles ourselves, and if we’ve helped to influence someone’s career, then all the better.
And that’s why we want to see how you get on, too. Lots of you enjoy twirling a few spanners (and the occasional hacksaw) while repairing and restoring your pride and joy, so we’d love you to follow in Malcolm’s footsteps by showing 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
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.
Let’s spread the word that fixing your car or motorcycle isn’t actually that difficult, and can bring enormous feelings of satisfaction and confidence.
