Let’s say it one more time: YouTube is amazing, and Kevin Kelly and Tyler Cowen are right to describe it as the world’s preeminent educational platform. It seems to be generally true that the narrower the niche, the better the videos (in the absence of obvious competition after a quick Google, let’s call this Patience’s First Law of YouTube).
Today’s post is a tribute to Mini Motor Man, who I came across while up to my elbows in my motorbike-rebuild side project. As a rank amateur mechanic I’ve been eyeing the clutch of my bike with trepidation, wondering if it will turn out to be the bit where I learn at last that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. MMM has changed that.
I’ve watched a lot of motorbike maintenance repair videos, mostly in Indonesian (this multilingual richness is another reason that YouTube is amazing). Many have been very good, but Mini Motor Man tops them all in terms of sheer practical-insights-per-minute and explanatory power. I really feel like I get what’s going on in this engine, and am making better progress as a result.
So if you ever wanted to know how a motorbike clutch works (in this case an exceptionally well designed clutch that performs four distinct functions in one small package and was part of the machine that revolutionised transport in Asia), this is the time.
Thanks, Mini Motor Man.*
*Last seen on YouTube three years ago.