Welcome to Motorcycles Guide
Motorcycle Tire Repair Kit Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Motorcycle Maintenance - A Basic Guide
from: By: James HunabanHere we have a few things you should check on your motorcycle on a regular basis. I assume you have a handbook with the specs for your bike, if not, go get one. You may be able to find some data for your particular motorcycle on the net. You can also pick up workshop manuals for various models on eBay in PDF or CD form for little money.
Whereas with a four wheeled vehicle you may get away with being lax with things like tire pressures etc, this is not the case with a motorcycle. You should not risk compromising the safety and stability of your motorcycle, for the sake of a bit of routine maintenance.
Pre-ride check
* Tires - check condition and for foreign objects in the tread.
* Tire pressures - it is vitally important to keep your motorcycles tire pressures either on spec or very close to it.
* Oil level - always check with the bike on level ground.
* Coolant level - only if your bike's liquid cooled, obviously.
* Chain - check the tension and make sure it's well lubed.
* Brakes - check they work and that they feel good.
* Lights - check all your lights, especially the brake light, you
don't want to get rear ended, do you?
* Visual inspection - self explanatory.
* All ok - hit the road.
Periodical checks
* Check battery - see that the connections are tight; I dropped a bike once because of a loose battery connection, strange but true. Also check the electrolyte level on some batteries, a lot of newer batteries are gel filled, sealed for life types, so no need with these.
*Carb balance - if your bike is multi carbed get yourself a Morgan carbtune or similar. It can be a little tricky the first time you balance them, but when you've done it once, the second time will be easy.
*Ignition timing - only necessary on some bikes, most newer models have electronic ignition which does not need touching, normally.
*Valve clearances - unless you're a good home mechanic, take it to a dealer.
*Wheel bearings - grab each wheel with it off the ground and see if there is any sideways play. There should be none or maybe a trace at most.
*Steering head bearings - with the front end off the ground, grab the forks and push and pull. There should be no play.
*Swinging arm bearings - with the back wheel off the ground, check for any sideways movement in the swingarm, there should be none.
*Brakes - check fluid levels, brake hoses for deterioration, and pads/shoes for thickness.
*Cables and levers - should operate smoothly. Get some grease on lever/pedal pivot points, and get some lube down the cables, if you can. A cable oiler is a handy tool.
*Nut and bolts - go all round the motorcycle with your spanners and check that all nuts/ bolts/screws are nice and tight.
Well, that's about it for some basic maintenance, obviously, unless you're a good home mechanic, any bigger jobs will have to go to a dealer. The problem can be finding a good one with skilled mechanics you can trust. I manage to keep my Yamaha Fazer 1000 running sweet just using the steps listed above. It does help that this model only needs the valve clearances checking every 26,000 miles.
About the author: James Hunaban is the owner of www.motorcycling-news.com/ a site full of Motorcycle information.
For more motorcycle articles visit: http://www.motorcycle-articles.com
Motorcycle Tire Repair Kit News
Stalled van involved in fatal crash - Pekin Daily Times
Stalled van involved in fatal crash Pekin Daily Times Baxter said a police accident reconstruction investigator has yet to file a report that could include, based on possible tire skid marks left, if Cassilean-Tabares had applied his motorcycle's brakes, how fast he was traveling when he struck the van. |
MonoTracer Charity Raises $450 at Atlanta - MotorcycleUSA.com
MonoTracer Charity Raises $450 at Atlanta MotorcycleUSA.com ... MonoTracer fully-enclosed motorcycle, would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the fans that took part in the MonoTracer Charity Ride-Along Program at last month's Triumph Big Kahuna Atlanta presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince. |
MonoTracer Rides At Triumph Big Kahuna Atlanta Raised $450 For Roadracing ... - RoadracingWorld.com
 RoadracingWorld.com | MonoTracer Rides At Triumph Big Kahuna Atlanta Raised $450 For Roadracing ... RoadracingWorld.com ... MonoTracer fully-enclosed motorcycle, would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the fans that took part in the MonoTracer Charity Ride-Along Program at last month's Triumph Big Kahuna Atlanta presented by Dunlop Tire and LeoVince. |
Fix It: Motorcycle mishap results in two-for-one assistance - Kenosha News (subscription)
 Kenosha News (subscription) | Fix It: Motorcycle mishap results in two-for-one assistance Kenosha News (subscription) Crews reportedly also raised the sensitivity of the loop to detect motorcycles and scooters. ( KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY KEVIN POIRIER ) BY BILL GUIDA When Fix It's front motorcycle tire unexpectedly got lodged in a slot cut into the concrete pavement ... |
DIY Motorcycle Repair Shop Lets Customer Work On Their Bikes In-Store - PSFK
 PSFK | DIY Motorcycle Repair Shop Lets Customer Work On Their Bikes In-Store PSFK By Tim Ryan on May 10, 2012 In preparation for the release of our upcoming Future Of Retail report, PSFK reached out to Motomethod, a new type of motorcycle repair shop located in Vancouver, Canada that invites riders in to work on their own bikes ... |
Tire fire producing massive plume of black smoke in Pittsburg - KTVU San Francisco
Tire fire producing massive plume of black smoke in Pittsburg KTVU San Francisco It didn't take long for the fire to reach four alarms, fueled in part by 300 tires. Robert Akolo has a business restoring classic cars and motorcycles near the tire shop. He said he repeatedly warned the owner about the hazards of employees using ... |
American Road Hog Cycles - Community Impact Newspaper
 Community Impact Newspaper | American Road Hog Cycles Community Impact Newspaper A motorcycle repair shop, American Road Hog Cycles provides services such as oil and tire changes, brake jobs, custom paint jobs, motor packages, engine work and restorations. “Customers feel like family when they come in here,” Antonelli said. |