The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

Has your scoot been sitting in the garage all winter, just dying to be ridden? Or have you had the chance to only get her out a couple of times? If you answer yes to either of these questions, then this article will intrest you. This article lets you know what I do every year right before riding season starts.

Living in the lower midwest, there seems to be several chances to ride during the winter. Usually, a day here, and a day there. But for the most part the bike still sits on a pretty regular basis. Sitting, in and of itself doesn’t do any harm to your bike but some of the less durable stuff has a tendancy to break down even when sitting. Another thing, in order to help you have a safer and problem free season it’s just better to run the checks listed below.

• Fuel - Gas tends to break down as it ages. If you’ve ever smelt a gas can that been sitting for awhile you know what I mean. If my bikes been sitting for a over a month, I will drain the gas and put new fuel in it.
• Oil and Primary Drive Fluid - Now I don’t know if oil breaks down by just sitting, but every March 1st I do an oil change regardless of the milage since the last one. One of the things that was suggested to me was that by doing an oil change after the bike has sat for awhile helps get more of the stuff that gathers in oil out.
• Battery - Winters can be rough on batteries. I know some people who take theirs out during the winter and store it in a warmer place. I also know people who keep it on a battery charger all winter. I don’t know what works best, but I do know that a battery that has sat for awhile might not have all of the kick it really needs. Before you go out for the first time, give the battery a good check. Look for leaks or anything that looks unusal. If you’ve got a battery charger, give it a good charge before you go out. It might just help keep you on the road.
• Air Cleaner - During the winter the critters that live in your garage all scamper to find someplace to hide your air cleaner could be one of them. I pull out my air cleaner and clean it and oil it every year at the time that I do my winter oil change. By doing that I’m sure that my first ride will be a nicer day.
• Spark Plugs - To me it just seems to easy to not pull the plugs and give them a quick once over. Plugs in general can tell you a lot about how your motor is running. Why not check them and replace them now, instead of on the side of the road.
• Belts and Chains - Wheather you have belt drive, chain drive or shaft drive. Make sure all the parts appear in good order and everything that is supposed to be tight is tight.
• Tires and Wheels - Make sure your tires look ok. That they don’t have any cracks or worn spots and that tire pressure is good. (You should do this regularly). As for your wheels. If you have solid wheels or mags or anything other than spokes checking your wheels is pretty easy. You only have to check for any corrosion, or dings. If you have spokes, CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE TIGHT. Loose spokes can cause you to get a flat or even worse, have the spokes to break. Check them carfully.
• Cables- During the winter you can get quite a bit of condensation in your cables. This can cause all kinds of problems. These might include rusting the cable or weakening the cable. Check them and lubricate them if necessary.
• Lights - Make sure that all of your lights and other electrical components are in working order. Especially, at the beginning of the season, since the cagers aren’t used to seeing us out there.
• Chassis - Make sure that everything is tightened up. Some of us who ride bikes that have a tendancy to really loosen things up need to really check the bike over during this step.
• Rider Gear - Now that the bike is already to go make sure you are too. Check your eye protection, condition leathers, and protect your helmet with a new headwrap. Also don’t forget, you might still be wearing gloves so check those zipper pulls also.

All of these are important checks for starting out the season and during the riding season. You don’t have to be a great wrench to be able to do these checks and there are several books available that can help you with these basic maintenance tasks.

Jeff “Tools” Sinason is an avid biker who rides year round. He has been riding Harley Davidsons for most of his riding career. He has a full time and a full time passion which is his web site Bikerwares.com

Many advocates of dirt biking will tell you that half the fun of dirt biking is buying a slightly clapped out old 250 and doing it up with new and second hand dirt bike parts until you’ve got as much performance and speed out of it as possible. Obviously, the nature of the dirt biking beast is that you will suffer damage to your bike. A Motocross hurtling 30ft in the air and then crashing back down to earth will cause damage to most bikes. The advantage of dirt biking is that the vehicles themselves are quite simple and you can pick up good parts for little money.

Be safe.

As with any bike, you should always be careful when buying anything that you intend to trust with your life. Of course not all parts for your bike need to be about performance and the look of your pride and joy will probably be just as important to you as the performance.

Be frugal.

The parts for your dirt bike don’t need to cost you the earth, the advent of the Internet has brought with it masses of competition for all sorts of items and dirt bike parts are no exception. The problem with the advent of the internet has been the numerous sites that pertain to contain the information you want but are essentially banner farms leading to more banner farms. You should find yourself a trusted dealer, whether online or offline, and if they provide what you’re after then stick with them. Finding dealers you can rely on can be difficult but there are good and reliable sites you can keep using.

Seek help.

It is important that if you don’t fully understand what you are doing or exactly the parts you are looking for that you get someone with that knowledge to help you. Incorrectly fitting parts or fitting incorrect parts can lead to a bad accident. There is no substitute for safety or knowledge.

Summary.

A lot of the fun of dirt biking is in the buying and modification of the bike itself. Hunting down second hand parts in good condition and fitting them to your bike. Gaining those extra couple of horse power and then, of course, putting all your hard work to good use. However, you should always be careful when modifying your bike; if you don’t have the necessary knowledge consult someone who does to ensure safety. Dirt bike parts can be easy to come by, and shouldn’t cost you too much, but may make all the difference when you’re riding.

Dirt Bikes HQ, www.dirtbikeshq.com/, for lots of information about dirt biking.

For the most part motorcycling research can easily lead you to far too many scooter products, a good number of scooter portals will often have a ton of products, this may often be remarkably overwhelming, italian vespas, elderly scooters, so many items to choose from, it might then be difficult to select which product to purchase.

The scooter specialists will be able to offer you some prime niche info on issues such as getting the lowest price on led taillights and how to acquire the right merchandise guarantee while purchasing a scooter, such scooter assistance will surely make sure you order the best items for your needs.

A considerable number of scooter merchants should generally be decent and a small minority somewhat poor, if a person requires local motorcycling info it might very well be better to send any local sources of scooter knowledge a simple email, it should be as clear as you can and say something such as “I am searching for push scooters or scooter engines”, what is contained in your email will depend on what sort of scooter product you are interested in.

A varying range of scooter targeted searches may very well have led you to a scooter or motorcycling related internet merchant, searches like “find itailian vespas” or “articles on air suspension valves”, the real trick with any motorcycling portal is to go straight to the site menu, if you do this you should not be side tracked by scooter guides which are about an area of scooters that is not applicable .

If you are unable to get the motorcycling help you need from a scooter supplier then possibly you are regrettably looking in the inappropriate place, for instance, lets imagine for a moment your subject of interest was extreme scooters, it would possibly be best for you to try a particular motorcycling directory.

You will see that motorcycling listings are a relatively useful source of knowledge on numerous products such as gasoline scooter parts and handicapped scooters, these type of directories can be located all over the net.

If a person is buying something like a yamaha scooter it does not always mean buying directly from a scooter or motorcycling related portal, lets imagine for example you are located in Kentucky for instance, a scooter internet directory ought be able to supply the contact info of town scooter outlets who might be able to help you to order the scooter you need.

A wide range of scooter related searches might possibly have led you to a scooter or motorcycling targeted directory, queries like “deals on itailian vespas” or “guides on 50cc scooter parts”, the real trick with any motorcycling portal is to navigate directly to the website menu, if you take this advice you should hopefully not be side tracked by scooter reviews which are about an area of scooters that is not applicableIt is a fact that your town library can be an ideal place to obtain info on scooter items, advances like the web can cause us to neglect the many other motorcycling resources that are presently freely accessible to all of us, take advantage of such sources of free scooter data, good scooter product knowledge can very often be hard to locate.

A few scooters will not end up being so simple to acquire, lets say for instance you are wishing to buy jazzy scooters this means that you would have to order your products from a scooter manufacturer, even the biggest sites can’t immediately solve every scooter purchasers needs but most motorcycling items can be bought somehow.

Free Scooter Sales tips by Gustav Cronell the author can be located at : www.atozscooters.com

The ATV has gained huge popularity because of its versatility. It is included in many different outdoor activities like racing, hunting and camping. This has made way for many customizable features that you can add to your ATV.

Racing ATVs look very different from conventional ATVs that you may see in rural areas. They are usually customized with different wheels, shocks and exhaust systems. The wheels on a racing ATV are narrower to give it more speed and turning ability. The wheels are also upgraded to a lighter and stiffer aluminum alloy the reduce weight and handle impact from jumps. The shocks are one of the most important upgrades because there are many jumps on a typical course. The shocks need to give enough to absorb impact with minimal speed loss. They also must be stiff enough to maintain the vehicles integrity on tight corners. Loose shocks could result in a rollover if the turn is too tight. Many riders are constantly tweaking their shocks to find the perfect combination to maximize their speed and safety. The exhaust is simply made up of a more free flowing muffler and intake to move air through the engine much quicker. This altered exhaust results in more noise output, but it can significantly raise the torque of an ATV.

ATVs for hunting and camping are very similar overall. They have wide tires for good off-road traction. Hunters will sometime use a stricter muffler, so that the ATV is not so loud. Both types of ATVs will have extra storage compartments and rails on the front and back to tie down their gear. A large capacity fuel tank is always a good option for extended trips. Extra gas cans are also a common on such ATVs. One of the best options to ensure that you do not get stuck in the wilderness is a front mounted winch. This is primarily for dragging the ATV out of deep mud or sand in case it gets stuck. The winch cable can be fastened around a nearby tree, and it will pull the vehicle toward the tree.

To find out more great information about ATVs, visit http://atv-rider.info

Most of the times, we travel with a companion. Obviously, this is because we want to share the thrill and the pleasure of riding with someone worth sharing it.

The rider should be pretty focused, right? So, if you are his co-rider, what will you do or contribute to make the ride more pleasurable and safe. Here are some tips that you can therefore follow.

Where must your eyes stare? We have this tendency every time we co-ride to take a good glance of the view around us. This happens all the time but circumstances might put us in a bad light and catch us off guard.

A skilled rider stays in focus to preclude unnecessary happening. To help him focus do nut disturb him by making him engage in a conversation. Another, you can also help by looking over his shoulder in the direction of a turn or curve. You can tilt your head away from the direction of the turn. Moreover, if you are turning right, tilt your body to the direction but your head must be vertical. This manner will keep you on the look out and will keep you updated of the direction.

Doing two things at the same time is not impossible but it can be too risky. Can you read a map while driving? Definitely, you can! But it may spell life or death. Too risky, right? Thus, spare a life. Why not help the rider by volunteering to focus on navigation while he focuses on riding.

Another vital thing to consider is the preparation. Check your motorcycle parts. Are they in good riding performance? In case of emergencies be sure to have an extra motorcycle part be it an OEM or an aftermarket motorcycle part, be sure that they are accessible anytime you need them. Is your motorcycle apparel complete? If you miss to check these indispensable stuffs, chances are you will regret it. Make a checklist of those things that are vital to riders and co-riders. Make sure that before you go out and enjoy a ride, your parts and in sound condition and your things are complete.

Planning plus extra effort to make the plans happen is crucial in order for riders to enjoy a good and satisfying adventure ride!

Please visit Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts site at www.aftermarketmotorcyclepartsnow.com for more information

Whether you will be making your inaugural trip to the 66th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, SD on Aug. 7th – 13th or you are a long time veteran of the event, this article will be a useful document providing a wealth of information including a brief history of the event, lodging information, schedule of events and safety tips and travel tips.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was organized by Clarence “Pappy” Hoel and members of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club. The first ever Sturgis Rally was held on Aug. 14, 1938 featuring the Black Hills Classic, an event which featured 9 participants and a few spectators. It was determined that the event would be held annually on the first week after the first full weekend in August to avoid conflicts with other nearby events. By 1961 it had expanded to include Hill Climb and Motocross races and in 1963 the event expanded to three days. The Sturgis rally continued to grow in leaps and bounds and by 1975 it included a seven day event and by the year 2000 the event was attracting over half a million visitors annually with the 2000 rally attracting in excess of 600,000 visitors.

The small town of Sturgis, SD has a population of less than 7,000 so it is understandable that an event attracting over half a million travelers would create logistical problems with lodging concerns. If you are planning to attend, it is wise to make reservations for accommodations well in advance of your trip to ensure you can secure a room close to the site. More information on lodging for the Rally can be found at the following web address: http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/lodging.html.

Camping is a popular option for those attending the rally. Nearby campgrounds include the following:

* Big Rig RV Park: - features wireless Internet access and spacious lots of 60’ and 100’ close to the rally site.

* Bulldog Campground: – features RV camping as well as cabins which accommodate 2-8 guests. This campground is located five miles from Sturgis and features nightly entertainment and happy hour as well as an onsite restaurant.

* Creekside Campground: – located 4 miles from Sturgis, this campground features RV camping, tent camping as well as cabins. Highlights of the campground include an onsite store selling food and beverages and easy highway access.

* Glencoe Camp Resort: – has been catering to Sturgis participants for over 20 years. This campground has over 160 acres of camping with ample shade. In 2006 they will unveil a 34 acre outdoor amphitheater which will feature live music all week long. A 24 hour restaurant is also onsite for the convenience of campers.

* Hog Heaven Campground: - with over 150 acres of camping, this campground situated in the Black Hills is an ideal location for Sturgis participants. The campground is open from July 31st through Aug. 13th this year and will host live bands providing entertainment for guests.

* Katmandu Campground: - features 250 RV sites, cabins and 50 acres of camping. Located just two miles from Sturgis, this location is convenient for participants. Highlighted amenities include laundry facilities and wireless Internet access.

* Sturgis View Campground: - located only 1.5 miles from downtown Sturgis. This campground is famous for its spectacular views. Other highlights include RV camping, cabins and ample acreage for tent camping.

A complete event schedule for this year’s event can be found at the following web address: http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/06Oeventschedule.pdf. This website provides the time, event name and location for each of the scheduled events. One way to fuel up for the extensive list of planned events is to partake in the daily pancake breakfast sponsored by the Marine Corps JROTC. They can be found daily serving breakfast from 6:00 am until 11:00 am in the Sturgis Brown High School. Most days also feature alternate breakfast events by other clubs, including Alcoholics Anonymous who also hosts meetings throughout the event, ensuring a variety of dining options for the most important meal of the day.

Once breakfast is out of the way, participants are ready to enjoy the rest of the festivities. Live music is one of the undeniable highlights of the event. Although there are a variety of talented musicians scheduled to perform at this year’s event, the Buffalo Chip Campground has a lineup of headline performers scheduled for 2006 including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, Alice in Chains and David Lee Roth.

There are also plenty of motorcycle related events to keep participants occupied. Boss Hoss demo rides are featured throughout the event. Burnout competitions are also popular with spectators and are offered a few times during the tournament at the Full Throttle Saloon. Another highlight is the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build Off featuring Detroit Bros. vs. Jason Kangas. In addition, there are demos and exhibits throughout the day each day of the event and shows featuring custom bikes from around the country. There are also going to be many vendors on hand offering everything from motorcycle related merchandise to tattoos as well as food and beverages.

An unfortunate aspect of Sturgis is the frequent occurrence of the disappearance of motorcycles during the event. Estimates indicate approximately $250,000 worth of motorcycles are stolen each year during the course of the event. Motorcycles on the higher end of the price spectrum as well as custom bikes and show models are those most likely to be stolen, but all participants should take precautions to avoid becoming a victim. Care should be taken to park in well lit, high traffic locations as opposed to dark areas with few passersby. Additionally, participants should avoid leaving valuables such as cameras, leathers and souvenirs on their bike. Those who will be attending the event should also invest in a high quality lock to secure their bike. Even higher quality locks are not fool-proof to experienced thieves but they are a definite deterrent. Lower quality locks are not considered adequate protection because they can easily be broken or cut.

Participants who will be traveling long distances to the event on their motorcycle should also be aware of safety issues while traveling. Even those experienced with long distance rides should take safety precautions to ensure a smooth trip. One precaution is to create a copy of your detailed itinerary to leave in the possession of a friend or relative who will not be traveling with you. Travelers are also warned against traveling alone. Whenever possible, travelers should have at least one other rider accompany them on their trip. Taking frequent stops to rest and retiring for the night before fatigue sets in is also advisable.

By M. Stasiewicz sponsored by www.vdkcstore.com/ . Von Dutch Kustom Cycles store sells all things Von Dutch including apparel, accessories, diecasts, barstools, custom choppers and more. Please link to this site when using this article.

One of the key parts of motorcycling is making your ride unique to your taste. Motorcycling is all about the shared passion and individual style. Motorcycle customization has become big business driven by this need to take a showroom stock motorcycle and “Pimp” it out if you will. The demand for aftermarket parts has created a huge startup with ma and pa stores. Small time fabricators are designing custom pieces for their favorite motorcycles and offering them to the masses.

This is not to say that the major motorcycle corporations have not taken notice. Honda offers their very popular VTX motorcycle models in 13 different customization styles. You can mix and match to your heart is content. Victory motorcycle has also jumped into the customization game by offering customer a Custom Order Program. Victory basically lets the customer build the bike online the way the customer wants it by picking from the various custom options. Victory started this program back in 2004 and have been running it ever since. Most notibly with the Victory Hammer and now the extreme custom Victory Jackpot model. With the Ness team providing
styling input for the Victory line, the customer ends up being the real winner here.

Victory is a breath of fresh air on the popular V-Twin cruiser market. They offer sharp stylish looking machines that actually are well built and perform really well. Harley-Davidson needs to take note. While Harley-Davidson business model has switched to making dealerships have multi-acre showrooms selling nothing but clothing, Victory came in under the radar and listened to their customers and provided them what they want — a stylish reliable high performance machine. Harley Davidson owners are quickly trading in their motorcycles for Victory Hammers, Vegas, Jackpots, and Kingpins. You will find it very difficult to find many Victory motorcycles on the showroom. No it is not that they are now just selling clothing like Harley dealers, but that they cannot keep the Victory motorcycles in stock.

The beauty of Victory is that they offer a diverse styling package for their bikes so that they do not just produce a cookie-cutter clone bike like Harley Davidson did with their 100th Anniversary edition bikes. How boring. Everyone bought one thinking it would be unique only to find out that Harley had way overproduced these bikes and forced them down the throats of the dealerships. Now everyone and their mother own one. No unique styling. No with the popularity of the Victory motorcycle growing more each year we are starting to see more shops start to produce quality aftermarket parts and accessories for your beloved Victory. The best way that I have found to keep informed of the latest products and upgrades is to monitor the various Victory motorcycle enthusiasts sites like the Victory Kingpin Cruisers site at http://www.kingpincruisers.net — This site is Victory Kingpin-centric but it also discusses all late-model Victory motorcycles and touches on customization tips, products, and maintenance tips and articles. The manufacturers also monitor these sites to get an idea of what their customers are saying. It is a great way to keep informed and benefits everyone.

So now you have your new Victory Kingpin sitting in your garage, you receive heaps of compliments and love to ride the machine. But after awhile you start thinking about upgrades and customizations. Maybe these came to you in your sleep or by looking at someone else’s motorcycle or by reading the aforementioned Kingpin Cruisers website. So what types of upgrades are out there you ask. At first it is best to do the cosmetic upgrades. Bolt on chrome pieces, custom mirrors, swap out the stock turn signals for chrome LED turn signals, upgrade to some PIAA driving lights for better night visibility. You could also get some stock pieces chromed. This takes lots of time and money and in my experience it is far more cost effective to just buy the piece new already chromed from the manufacturer. Again, the best places to find what is out there is to browse your favorite Victory enthusiasts site. The main reason to focus on the cosmetic bolt-on pieces at first is that you do not want to be making performance modifications while your new shiny Victory Kingpin is still under warranty. Any such modification may void your warranty. Now having said that, the first major scheduled service for Victory motorcycles is at 20,000 miles while Harley Davidson motorcycles is at 2,000. Yes I said two thousand. Ouch, give me a Victory any day.

So you now have your motorcycle all covered in expensive chrome pieces. You have had your bike and the warranty is about to expire. So now you should start looking into some performance modifications. Performance modifications are great if you enjoy wrenching on your motorcycle and doing all of the work yourself. If you buy these upgrades and have the dealership service department do all of the work, you will find that you will quickly go broke. Think of it this way, if you do your own wrenching, the money you save in labor can be used to buy more goodies for your beloved Victory. Now you may ask, what if I do not know how to install a certain component. Well, to keep the theme going, I suggest you consult your Victory enthusiasts web site. The Kingpin Cruisers (www.KingpinCruisers.net) offers free membership and has a volunteer certified Victory Technician there to answer questions and write technical articles on your Victory motorcycle. Plus there are heaps of others on this site that most likely have done the modification you are about to attempt.

Let us discuss a little more about performance modifications. When your Victory motorcycle is assembled and shipped to the dealership, it is tuned to run on the lean side. What does this mean? Well to satisfy EPA standard, manufacturers lean out their motorcycles so they run hotter and by controlling the air/fuel mixture. In this case a lean condition has more air in the mixture than fuel. This will cause your bike to backfire and rob you of a few horsepower. Related to this lean running condition is the design of the stock air box. On the Victory it is shaped like a coffin and does not allow for direct airflow into the throttle bodies for maximum performance. Instead the air has to go through a couple ninety-degree turns, through some velocity tubes and take another ninety-degree turn downward into the throttle bodies. Not too efficient. So you ask, what can I do to optimize this airflow? The following is a list of options:

1 - Upgrade your Victory to a Stage-I kit. This provides you with performance slip on exhaust, a K&N air filter with a vented air box cover. Victory also re-maps your ECU EFI computer to handle the new performance modifications.

2 - Once you have the Stage-I, you can drill 1″ diameter holes in the front of the stock air box in the direct line of the airflow. This provides a nice ram-air effect forcing more air into the throttle bodies. Before I forget, be sure to clean the soot off your throttle bodies at every oil change. The little maintenance you do here will make your Victory motorcycle run like new.

3 - Upgrade your stock air box to an aftermarket custom air box. One of the best upgrades that you could do is to install the Eaglecat Custom Victory Air box. This custom air box for Victory motorcycles both looks great and provides a lot more air flow into your engine. This is very high on the upgrade list for Victory motorcycles.

4 - Instead of being at the mercy of the Victory dealership, you can install a custom fuel-control module. The best one on the market is the Lloydz Victory Control Module (VFC). This little control module comes with plugs that connect right into your Victory’s ECU computer. Then you have some dials on the unit to better control the air/flow mixture. This modification works best if you have at least the Stage-I upgrade kit installed. Also suggest you install the Eaglecat Victory air box for maximum gains.

Once you have spent your money and installed these parts, I strongly suggest you have your motorcycle fine-tuned on a dyno. Most service shops have a dyno machine and charge from $40 on up for tuning. You may possibly see an additional 11 horsepower gain with these modifications. Not too bad for a Victory cruiser.

The performance modifications mentioned above are a very cost-effective solution for increasing the performance and horsepower of your motorcycle. There are more expensive routes that are available. These include: Upgrading to a Stage II performance kit and upgrading your exhaust system.

The final performance modification I suggest for the Victory motorcycles, especially the 2004 models with the 5-speed transmission, is the Overdrive drive sprocket pulley by TurboTec. For the 2004 5-speed transmission Victory motorcycles, this will make it so you will not have to down shift as much at highway cruising speeds. Giving you lower RPMS at speed and thus a smoother ride. The pulley is slightly larger than the stock pulley, which is why the shifting pattern changes for the better at speed. For standing start bursts, this overdrive pulley will shed some of that initially blast, but the benefit is smoother highway shifting. This is an inexpensive performance modification that you can install yourself. And if you have doubts about the installation, be sure to read and post questions on your Victory Kingpin enthusiast’s site (www.kingpincruisers.net).

In summary, I hope this article has given you some sense of the various cosmetic and performance upgrades available to the consumer. I am very pleased with the products that Victory is producing and think they are going to continue to become more popular each year. So stay tuned for more articles on upgrades to make your Victory motorcycle unique.

Contributing author to Cycle Solutions
http://www.cyclesolutions.net

Technical research for this article was performed on the Victory Kingpin Cruisers site. http://www.kingpincruisers.net

When troubleshooting a motorcycle, first start with the basics. These simple tests can work for any small engine. All engines need three basic things to run fuel, spark and air. These simple things can cause your motorbike to not start up or run poorly. First start off with the fuel remove the hose off the tank and make sure the fuel is flowing properly. Some bikes will have to turn the fuel selector to prime, not on, or fuel will not flow. Take a flashlight and look down into the tank, is the fuel varnished or is there dirt in the tank? Older motorbikes had a problem with tanks rusting inside and would plug the screen up inside the tank. Fuel delivery may still be a problem but we will come back to that later.

Next remove the spark plugs, you may need to remove the tank to reach them. Inspect every spark plug as you take them out. All the spark plugs should look the same. If a plug looks white colored, that cylinder may be (lean) and not getting enough fuel. If you have a plug that looks wet and black, that cylinder may getting too much fuel (rich) or not sparking good. Remove all the spark plugs and snap the plugs back into their wires. Set the spark plugs on the engine so that they can ground themselves. Crank the bike over and watch the plugs for sparks, preferably somewhere dark. Make sure you look at all the plugs to make sure they are all sparking. If one spark looks weak check the wire and plug, if old or worn replace them. If their is no spark the coil may be bad.

If you have any test equipment such as an ohm meter, you can find out what the resistance reading should be for your bikes coils. This way you will know for sure if the coils are o.k. If the ignition system looks fine move on to the carburetors. First, if the bike has not been maintained recently (a problem in itself) make sure the carbs are synchronized. To do this you need a vacuum gauge made for this. Remove the small rubber plug located between the carbs and the cylinder. Attach the gauge and take the readings from each cylinder. Replace the caps when not measuring or it won’t run right. Adjust the throttle screw or linkage for that carb until they all read close to one another.

Refer back to inspecting the spark plugs. If one cylinder looked lean or rich check all hoses for cracks and air leaks. If the motorcycle has not been run in awhile the carbs may be (gummed up). Remove the float bowl off the bottom of the carb. Look in the bowl for dark varnish looking gas. If the fuel looks dark you will probably have to remove the pilot and main jets and carefully run a wire through the center hole to clean them out. Be careful to not bend the float as the height needs to be correct to run well also. Check that the small needle attached to the float between the pivot point, is moving up and down. If it doesn’t move smoothly the carb will not fill up with gas or will run low as your driving down the road.

Make sure you check the battery also, if they become weak the ignition system won’t have enough power to keep the bike running smoothly. If you still haven’t found anything make sure you valve lash has been checked at the correct mileage intervals. If not this can cause many problems with the way it runs. Also you can screw a compression gauge into the spark plug holes and check that they are within 5-10% of each other. If one is way down you have a serious problem either with the pistons, bore or valves. This should be a good start to finding a general problem with your motorbike.

Jerry Lemke is the owner of http://www.freeengineinfo.com
A site commited to repair and information of all types of vehicles.

One of the most important parts of any vehicle is its tires. Not only are the tires subject to a large amount of wear and tear, but also their durability depends largely upon how you maintain them. But before we go into the details of motorcycle tires maintenance, let us first understand how you should determine which tires are best for you.

One of the most trusted sources to which you can speak about the kind of tires that would suit your needs the best should be the dealer from whom you purchased your bike or your bike repair mechanic. Since both these parties do not have any interest in giving you wrong information, they make a good starting point.

Besides your dealer and mechanic, you can also look up for information on motorcycle tires in: tire guides, magazine reviews, manufacturer official sites and a few serious forums on the Net. This will help you to re-affirm the information that you have gained from your bike dealer / mechanic.

One of the simplest ways of determining the correct brand for tire choice is to look at the tires which are being utilized by other motorcyclists in a competition. If any particular brand strikes you to be most commonly used, it might do you good to check out that particular brand first.

It’s VERY IMPORTANT that you also check for what your user’s manual recommend. You don’t want to end up messing up with the performance of your motorcycle because you chose motorcycle tires that do not fit the requirements for your bike and kind of riding.

While choosing your motorcycle tires, you must categorize tires according to their performance level, their wet grip ability, durability and mileage, load carrying capacity etc.

Of course, price is a critical factor as well, but always make a considered choice while deciding upon your tires. Nowadays, there are several financing options available which you can lighten the burden on your shoulders.

Assuming that you have purchased your tires and are happy with them, let us now checkout some of the ways in which you can make your tires last longer.

Tires are constantly being subject to a lot of dust, scuffing, and abrasions, mud etc. Thus, it is crucial to keep them in optimal condition in order to get the most out of them. Here are some great motorcycle tire maintenance tips for you:

MOTORCYCLE TIRES MAINTENANCE TIPS

-> Use a mild detergent to clean your tires.

-> Rinse the tires properly and do not use harsh chemical washes onto them. This will lead to faster corrosion of the wheels.

-> It is also important that you wash and wax your wheels on a weekly basis. If you have a aluminum wheel, then use a corrosion protector as well in order to make it look nice and shiny all the time.

-> Please bear in mind to always check your tires every time that you get on it for air pressure.

-> Regularly check for any cracks, stuck debris or loose nuts and bolts.

Enjoy the ride!

Daniel Levy

Daniel Levy is the owner and contributing writer of http://www.Japanese-Motorcycles-Only.com . He loves motorcycles, Web development and Marketing. For more great info on motorcycle tires visit http://www.japanese-motorcycles-only.com/motorcycle-tires.html .

Everyone likes getting a great deal, but when it comes to motorcycle helmets, saving a few dollars shouldn’t be more important than ensuring the purchase is a sound one. Safety helmets for motorcycle users are the law in many states, optional in others. Discount motorcycle helmets are a good option for those that need to save cash, but it’s important to make sure the purchase is sound.

Motorcycle helmets are meant to protect the head, and in the case of those with visors, the eyes as well. This is particularly important since the head and eyes are very vulnerable on people who ride motorcycles. There are myths that exist that say helmets can break necks, block vision and impair the hearing of the wearer, but these are simply myths. Especially so if the helmet is rated for safety and is properly fit to the wearer.

A good helmet, no matter the price, will protect a rider’s head and in conjunction with educational courses, can save a life, too. Helmets work for a number of reasons with the four standard components coming together to provide maximum protection. The typical helmet has the following parts:

* Outer shell. This is the visible part of the helmet.

* Impact-absorbing liner. This is located inside the shell and offers cushions to absorb shocks instead of your head.

* Comfort padding. This is the visible foam/cloth layer that rests on the head. It helps make the helmet more comfortable and also provides a more snug fit, or should.

* Retention. This is the chin strap. This is important because it keeps the helmet in place in the event of a crash.

Choosing a good helmet, discount or otherwise, should be a careful process. Although the outer appearance will no doubt catch attention, what’s inside is the most important. Protection should be the first consideration.

When looking at helmets, there are a few different options. They include:

* Solid face coverage. This type of helmet has a full-face visor that offers the most protection for the face. The shield is generally moveable and provides good coverage for the eyes as well.

* Three-quarter. This type of helmet is considered an “open face” helmet. It doesn’t offer the chin and face the protection of a total coverage model. Open-face helmets can come with snap-on shields or some riders opt to go with goggles to protect their eyes. Eye protection is not only important for obvious reasons, but also because road hazards such as stones or even bugs can cause visibility issues and even injury and accidents.

* Half-helmets. These protect almost none of the head and have a tendency to come off in a crash.

Helmets that provide the best protection are rated for doing so. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Snell Memorial Foundation both test helmets and give their seals of approval to those that meet a few test requirements. Look for these endorsements.

Once you’ve checked out helmets and made sure they have DOT or Snell ratings, or both, it’s important to make sure a helmet fits correctly. Make sure what you buy not only offers protection, but is comfortable and doesn’t block vision.

Using a helmet is not only the law in a number of states, it’s a smart way to go. Motorcycling can be fun, but there are a few dangers that go along with it. Helmets can reduce at least a few of the dangers.

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