Kev250R
Well-known member
This is the route I chose when I bought my first vehicle. I also took some classes at a local college in Auto Repair which helped. Good troubleshooting is key, Using good-quality parts is a must and buying good tools is a given. Last winter I put a lift in my garage so I could easier work-on a couple of cars which sit too low for me to get under. No one who knows me was surprised LOL!Another option is to invest in becoming your own cobbler (or mechanic). Total cost of ownership of a Honda Trail once you get up there in the miles will be quite a bit if you were to bring it to the dealership for everything little thing and pay whatever $75+/hr rate they charge.
I own ten vehicles which go off-road. Some of them very far off-road (I spend a lot of my free time in the back-country of the Mojave, Northern Arizona and Utah) so I learned early-on that it would benefit me to know how to fix my stuff since sometimes things don't break-down in convenient places.
I do have a local shop I use for things which are more involved then I want to get into or will take more time then I want to spend. I like supporting local businesses and with limited free time sometimes it makes more sense to pay someone to fix something for me during the week so that I can go out and play that weekend.