If you live in a major city, there are probably motorcycle workshop classes near you. But what if you can?t get to a class?or prefer to figure things out in your own garage or shed" This new series on motorcycle building is designed to help you.
Every couple of weeks, we?ll have a how-to article on the skills, tools or techniques you need to build a bike to the lofty standards you see on these pages. Even if you have zero base knowledge, you?ll have the information to get started.
Your guide is Matt McLeod, who has been riding and tinkering with motorcycles since his late teens. He started Krank Engineering to help keen amateurs build bikes to pro level, with engineering design, machining, fabrication and welding services. His education is in mechanical engineering, and he’s also qualified in TIG welding. To kick off, Matt?s picked out 11 books he considers essential for the workshop. They may not be pretty enough for the coffee table, but knowledge is power?and these are the books he himself refers to more than any others.

Fitting and Machining by Ron Culley Possibly my most used reference book in the workshop. I bought mine for shop classes we took when I was studying mechanical engineering in the early 1990s. It is written and published in Australia, and its intended audience is metalworking students. It explains concepts clearly, with drawings on virtually every page. I love this large format hardcover book: It covers both hand and machine tools and ass...