Getting hands on is the best way to learn. I think you should buy an old honda that needs a bit of work, then read up as much as you can on how to fix it, and then fix it. A mechanical problem forces you to learn how to fix it if you do it yourself. I learned more researching and doing my headswap that I could have ever learned just by reading about it. With that said, I still think researching and reading is still extremely important.