If you don't already own one, buy a torque wrench at harbor freight for $20, something like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=239Yes, you can do your own check-ups. If you get into any trouble, ask questions here. The people on this forum are very generous with their knowledge and experience. I just go slow. And yeah, we're going to make a mistake here and there, it's all part of the learning process. I've second guessed myself a few times with something as simple as "did I put the o-ring back?" after doing an oil change. Opened it back up and there it was. But hey, better to double check in front of the house than to find out on the road.
After losing a couple of bolts recently, one thing I've been doing on a regular basis is tightening nuts, bolts, screws etc., but most bolts can be easily snap, a torque wrench will help avoid that. I've snapped a few already.
I just went outside to check the oil after a 2 hour ride. Let the bike sit for around 20 minutes. Just for the heck of it, I checked the clutch case bolts, and almost all of them were loose. I went around the bike checking everything, and twisting what needed to be tightened. Takes 20 minutes and can save ourselves a bunch of grief.