Archive for February, 2011

Motorcycle Won’t Start? Here’s One Thing You Don’t Want To Do!
by admin

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. You’re ready to ride, but your motorcycle won’t start. Before you call for help, consider performing a few simple steps on your own. Quite frequently, the cause and the remedy are both very simple.

First, try starting your motorcycle again, but this time pay careful attention to your starting procedure. Are you forgetting that the sidestand has to be up or that the motorcycle must be in neutral to start? Modern motorcycles are equipped with safety lockouts to prevent starting your bike in gear and riding away with the sidestand down. Starting routines become second nature and sometimes even these simple steps are overlooked.

Once you’ve checked the safety lockouts, determine if you are getting power to your starter. Turn your motorcycle on again and press the starter button. Does the starter turn? If yes, does it turn at its normal speed? A slow cranking starter means that the starter is getting power, just not enough to start your motorcycle. If all you get is a clicking noise, there isn’t enough power to activate the starter solenoid. Insure that your battery is fully charged and the cables are clean and tight. No matter how tempted, never jump start a motorcycle with a car! The excessive current can be devastating to a motorcycles’s sensitive electronics. For more information please see my article on motorcycle starting systems.

The next check should be fuel supply. Is there gas in the tank? I can’t count how many times I’ve “fixed” a motorcycle by filling the tank. Don’t just trust the gauge; check the level visually. For those of you with fuel petcocks make sure they are on. If your fuel petcocks are on reserve don’t assume that all of the fuel in the tank is usable. The bottom of the tank is where sediment and water collects. This often doesn’t cause a problem until the tank is almost empty.

If your starter turns normally and you have a full tank of gas your motorcycle should start, right? Not necessarily – so if your bike still doesn’t start, it might be time to call for a tow. Your motorcycle needs the fuel to enter the cylinders and be ignited by a spark at a precise instance for proper combustion. Components that might still be at fault are clogged carburetors or fuel injectors, an inoperable fuel pump, or ignition system. See “Advanced Diagnostics” to find out more.

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February 10th

6:20
Motorcycle Repair

Go Easy With a Motorcycle Tire Repair Kit
by admin

Driving a motorcycle is a passion for many of us. But in order to enjoy the unique feeling that riding a motorcycle provides, it’s important to keep your motorcycle in good condition.

If you own a bike it is important to get information about the technical functioning of it. Just as important as knowing rules and the safe ways to ride a motorcycle, it is to check it and maintain it in order. It’s a good idea to learn how to deal with some simple repairs. This will save you time and money. Having a motorcycle kit repair can help you on fixing some simple problems.

It’s easier to do some repairs on a new bike than it is on older models. It can be a little bit tricky to repair an old bike. If you notice some problems when starting the motorcycle or if you think that it is not riding smoothly, you should have it checked by a technician. A mechanic or a technician will check every part of your bike in depth.

However, some small problems could be easily repaired by you. Suppose your bike is parked in the parking area and when you come up to the bike you find the tires flat. This can be a very stressful situation, but you should calm down and take it to a mechanic or a safe place to change the tire. Today, new bikes have tubeless tires and you can check the reason of the flat tire. If the tire is flat by a nail or some object, you must be able to patch it. Cuts or sidewall damage of the tire are more difficult to fix and most likely you will need the help of a technician.

It is important to know the level of the damage of your tire. A motorcycle tire repair kit is a set of tools that is used to make some motorcycle maintenance easy and stress free. A motorcycle tire repair kit includes many tools such as cement, auger, CO2 cartridges, plugs and a big tool to hold the plug.

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February 10th

6:19
Motorcycle Repair

How to Find a Quality Motorcycle Repair Technician School
by admin

There are a bunch of motorcycle repair schools out there, so what’s the best way to sort through them all?

Well, when trying to decide on the best motorcycle repair school, you should try to look for a training facility that will give you the following:

Motorcycle Repair Hands-on Training
Most of us learn better by using our hands. It’s just a lot easier to learn to fix something by actually doing it. So make sure that the motorcycle training school you decide to join will provide you with plenty of hands-on training.

Up-to-Date Motorcycle Repair Training Courses
Along with hands-on training, make sure the motorcycle school offers up-to-date repair classes. As you know, it’s important to get trained on today’s motorcycle engines, so find out what kind of bikes you’ll be working on. And make sure the core classes include:

  • Motorcycle Suspension Systems
  • Brake Systems
  • Four Stroke Engines
  • Two Stroke Engines
  • Fundamentals of Electricity
  • Motorcycle Electrical Systems
  • Motorcycle Fuel Systems

Qualified Motorcycle Repair Instructors
Before choosing a motorcycle repair school, you need to make sure the school has qualified motorcycle repair instructors. Find out how many years of experience their instructors need to have. Also ask other students about the quality of the teachers. Find out if the teachers provide good instruction, or whether they don’t care much about the classes. You want to make sure you attend a motorcycle repair school with good instructors.Career Placement Help for Motorcycle Mechanics
It’s also extremely important to find a school that will help you find a job working on motorcycles after graduation. You need to feel confident that the school will not only train you properly, but will also help you with finding your new job.

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February 10th

6:18
Motorcycle Repair

Regular Maintenance of Your Bike With Motorcycle Tools Is Essential for a Smooth Ride
by admin

When planning any motorcycle road trip, it is always good to plan and take along a set of motorcycle tools that can come real handy. Take time to research different motorcycle repair shops that may come along your route. But it is even better if you research online and get hold of a list of basic motorcycle tools and an appropriate tool storage bag that can be carried along in your motorbike. Take as many tools that you might need for any minor repairs since most of the times it does happen that your vehicle shows technical failures when there are no repair shops for miles. A Phillips and standard screwdriver, a pair of needle nose pliers, some cable ties, a couple of combination wrenches that fit majority of the sizes on your motorcycle, and a repair manual should all be included in your tool kit.

Apart from carrying such repairing tools along with you while traveling; keeping a handy set of tools at your home garage is also feasible. A vehicle owner is mainly responsible for the wear and tear of their vehicles and similar is the case with bikes. It is one of the most essential and priced possessions that you have probably purchased with your hard earned money. With regular usage, some parts of your vehicle might become partially inefficient and that again might lead to affecting its overall functionality. Therefore, it is important to ensure regular maintenance of your motorbike. By possessing a set of motorcycle tools, you can regularly maintain your bike and perform small repairs from time to time to experience a comfortable and smooth journey.

Many of us are skeptical about the services of automotive shops that are widespread over the market. People are mostly worried about their authenticity and credibility and at times it does happen that for very small repair jobs an automobile repair company usually charges a hefty amount. But yes, for big repairs you will obviously need to go to a reliable and professional automotive repair shop. Without timely maintenance, any vehicle will become completely useless and cause numerous problems for the owner. Therefore it is always better to have tool storage kits with the necessary motorcycle tools.

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February 10th

6:18
Motorcycle Repair

Motorcycle Repair – Restoring Your Bike
by admin

Soaring fuel prices have made gas-guzzling cars very unpopular. Welcome to the resurgence of the motorcycle. Why? Because properly maintained motorcycles and motorcycle engines can get between 40 and 60 miles a gallon. Smaller scooters get upwards of 90 miles a gallon, pretty good for an economy with $4-per-gallon gasoline.

Because of this, bike sales have soared. Motorcycle repair, too, can come in handy. Do you have a bike in storage that you haven’t dusted off for awhile? There’s a good chance you can be among those restoring motorcycles so that you can ride your old road hog again.

Restoring your older motorcycle to working condition starts with some basic steps:

Check Fuel
If you didn’t use a fuel stabilizer before you put the bike into storage, drain your old fuel (including tank, fuel lines and carburetor as applicable) before you run the engine, and put new in. Lubricate spark plug ports with a little oil, too, before you start things up.

Check Oil
Change the oil and filter if you didn’t do so before you started. If you did, top levels off.

How Is Your Battery?
Make sure leads are not corroded and that the battery will fully charge and then hold a charge. If it doesn’t, replace the battery.

Inspect The Chain
Because your chain transfers power from the engine to the rear wheel, it is very important that it be in excellent shape. Look the chain over for the following:

– Is the chain the proper tension? You should be able to grasp it in the center and move it about one inch in either direction, up or down.

– Are front and wheel sprocket teeth in good condition? If the teeth have grooves or “waves” in them or they show other signs of wear, you probably need new sprockets (chain will probably show similar wear and need replacement).

– Check every single section of the chain for signs of wear and for proper tension. It should move about an inch when you pull on it. Tighten the chain if it’s loose, and loosen it if it’s tight. If the links themselves are too tight, you might need to replace the whole chain.

– Clean dirt off the chain with a clean towel or rag before you apply lubricant. Make sure you thoroughly lubricate all sprocket teeth and links.

– Lubricate the chain well. Remember that some solvents should not be used with rubber if your chain has rubber parts to it. Use a proper solvent and wipe off any excess lubricant with a clean rag.

– Set chain tension properly by moving your rear wheel and axle forward or backward. Both sides of the axle should be aligned properly before you tighten things up or the chain and sprockets might wear out quickly. Tighten the axle nuts and replace the cotter pin with a new one if needed.

Fluid Levels
Brake, clutch and coolant levels should be checked as necessary. Make sure you replace missing brake fluid with a new container of the same brand you used last time. Let your bike idle for a few minutes before you take off so that all fluids circulate properly.

Tires and Suspension
Inspect everything thoroughly before you take your first ride. If you kept your bike stored upright on a kickstand, make sure your tires aren’t cracked, marked, or flat. In addition, check to make sure tire wear and air levels are good.

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February 10th

6:17
Motorcycle Repair