Riding out louds tips for Assessing a Used Motorcycle #2
Last time we talked about the walk around, this is just a general over view of the condition of the motorcycle. Now we are going to begin to look closer.
I always start a mental checklist of what will need to be done and what it will cost. I also note if the repairs are things that I can do or will I need to pay a mechanic.
Some of the things you find will tip you off to other repairs that will be needed I.E. rust in the tank means the tank will need to be cleaned and the carburetors will need to be cleaned or rebuilt.
used motorcycle
It's easy to put more money into an old bike than it's worth. This is fine if it's a classic and you just want it back on the road but I have ran into many sellers who try to justify a way too high price with "all the money they paid a mechanic to get the motorcycle running again."
Ok With that said let's get to the list.
1 Do the lights work (all of them including brake light and turn signals)?
2 Horn working?
3 do all of the switches work are they the correct switch?
4 Does the throttle work, are the levers straight or broken?
5 cables work smoothly?
next time we'll get into inspecting running gear.
Jim
Riding Out Loud”s Tips for Assessing A Used Motorcycle#1
This is the first in a series of short articles on how to assess a used motorcycle.
Anyone that has read this blog understands that I am a big proponent of buying used motorcycles. When buying used motorcycles it pays to know what you are buying.
I try to find a forum on the internet that covers the make and model that I am considereing buying. This is a great place to find out about problems this model might be prone to and how difficult it might be to fix that problem. In short there is a wealth of information and help in these forums.
When you go out to inspect the bike here are a few general things to check on the first walk around.
1 Is the bike complete?
2 is it in running condition?
3 Is it a rider?
4 Do the serial numbers on the engine and frame match (some vintage bikes have won't have matching numbers. Members of the forum can advise you if this is normal).
5 Does the seller have clear title?
6 What is the general appearance of the bike. Are repairs cosmetic or are they more serious.
In the next article we will take a closer look.
Jim
Drifter motorcycle jacket review
Recently I had been looking for a motorcycle jacket that I could wear when my mesh jacket was too cool and I didn't want to wear my 3/4 length touring jacket. I discovered the Fieldshear Drifter jacket.
This jacket has the style and attitude of a leather motorcycle jacket combined with the functionality of a textile jacket. It has a full sleeved zip out quilted liner. Five pockets including a cellphone pocket and a map pocket. If it rains on your ride this jacket has a 100% rainproof liner making it a great choice for fall riding. Oh yeah it also has CE approved foam in the elbows, shoulders and back.
Its a great jacket and good deal at it's retail of $149.00 But one of our sponsors is selling this jacket for 1/2 retail though the link below. If your looking for a deal on a new jacket check this out now. Just to be clear I bought one of these jackets with my own money and wear it all the time. Check out the Closeouts at Motorcycle Superstore!
How to Find An Oil Leak in your motorcycle
Just a quick tip. This is a neat trick if you have an oil leak that you are having trouble locating. First clean your motorcycle engine. Then spray the area of the engine that you suspect contains the leak with foot powder. Next step go for a ride. When you get back the oil trail should be simple to trace.
2010 AMA Hill climb Championship The Devil’s Staircase
This past Sunday the small town of Oregonia Ohio thundered with the sound of motorcycles as it hosted the AMA hill climb Championship aka The Devils Staircase. The weather was perfect the crowd was huge and the racers were hellbent for the top of the hill. Best time was 8.31 seconds. That's flying!
This event takes place every October in Oregonia Ohio and is well worth the trip. Take a look at the video.
Getting Fork Oil Levels Right
One of the most popular upgrades to an older motorcycle is the suspension. Many owners add stiffer fork spring and/or cartridge emulators. These upgrades are easy to do and truly improve the handling of the bike.
How ever they may change the amount of oil that should be used in the fork. Following the directions that come with the emulators it may tell you to fill each fork tube to 8 inches (this will vary with your model of bike) of oil. Ok most of us are used to filling fork tubes with a set number of ounces or CCs of oil. What the heck does 8 inches mean. It would be a safe guess to think it means 8 inches of oil in the fork tube, hmmm you would be wrong. The inch measurement referers to the distance from the top of the fork tube to the surface of the oil.
The video below will show you how to make a cheap tool that makes getting the correct measurement easy.
It is important to remember the measurement will be unique to your make and model of motorcycle.
This is done without springs and with the fork leg collapsed.
later
J
Repairing your motorcycle fairing
Many a would be rider has purchased a used sport bike or touring bike with a cracked or broken fairing. The Idea you see, is to just buy a replacement part and viola! looks just like new. After all it's only plastic how much can that cost.
The truth is the ABS plastic that wraps modern motorcycles is very expensive. Many motorcycles have been totaled by the insurance company because of broken plastic. The top section of the fairing (not including the windshield or headlight) on my concours (see my earlier post on saving a windshield) cost almost a grand brand new and that's only one piece out of 7 plastic panels on that bike.
That's the bad news The good news is that ABS can be repaired . It requires the proper technique and supplies but if you are mildly handy with tools and sandpaper it is not out of the realm of the average rider. One of the best books on the subject is Kurt Lammon,s How to repair plastic body work.
This book covers everything from, is the part worth repairing, though various methods of joining plastic including proper glues and adhesives to plastic welding. Don't start your project without this book by your side.
Read more about this book in our new motorcycle book tab.
Harley davidson sells Blueprint and tooling to Japan
Thanks to the effort of Alfred Child, Harley Davidson has sold the license, blueprints,tooling and machines to the Japanese.
Yep it's true.
In 1935 while all of the other American motorcycle builders with the exception of Indian faded into history Harley Davidson was in a desperate search for a way to raise cash. Alfred Rich Child a harley enployee put together a package of blueprints, tools, dies and machinery and then licensed them to the Sanko Co, of Japan, bringing in a desperately needed load of cash. HD believed that japan was too far away to ever be serious competition.
The result of that sale was the Rikuo motorcycle. Rikuo roughly translating to Land King.
18000 Rikuo's were produced between 1937 and 1942 most going to the police and military of Japan. After the Second world war the remaining factories continued to produce the 750cc (45 cubic inch) RQ and the 1200cc (74 cubic inch) VLE model still using the old flathead total loss lube system. The 750cc gained the telescopic fork but the 1200 retained the springer fork.
So You guys on your sport bikes owe Harley Davidson a thank you.
And you Harley guys need to remember without your Japanese cousins your Harley may have gone the way of the Simplex.
Later
MotoMan
What is Hydrolock and How Do I Avoid It?
The word hydrolock strikes fear into the hearts of motorcycle owners. Some have never heard of it until their mechanic gives them the bad news and my friend it is BAD NEWS.
It is a insidious condition that happens when the bike isn't even running. The unobservant riders first clue will be a bike rattling CLUNK when the starter button is pushed. In that moment the piston will try to compress a cylinder full of liquid gasoline, and if you remember your basic physics you know liquids cannot be compressed. Something has to give and that something is the connecting rod under that piston. (Read that as Major Rebuild). It hardly seems fair.
There are clues that will help you avoid this sad event.
1 Strong odor of gasoline after the bike has set for a while;
2 Puddle of gasoline under the bike or dripping out of the airbox or carburetor.
Blow these signs off at your own peril.
You see there is a chain of failures that have to happen to cause hydolock.
First is a leaking petcock on your fuel tank. If yours bike has a vaccum petcock it can become clogged, fouled or it may have been left in the prime position. A manual petcock may have been left in the on position. This allows gasoline to leak to the carburetor filling the bowl.
Next is a clogged or partially clogged overflow this allows gasoline to overfill the carburetor.
The last thing is a stuck float or float needle. This will allow liquid gasoline to fill the cylinder instead of the mist of gas and air that your motor runs on.
These three things normally don't happen all at once, but as an example, the overflow hose gets kinked. The bike sits over the winter with gas in the float bowls and degrades and makes the needle stick. Then one day you park the bike and leave the petcock on and volia you have real trouble.
So how do You avoid this sad outcome?
1 If you have a manual petcock always shut it off when you park. A vaccum petcock shuts it's self off until it fails.
2 drain your float bowls when you put the bike up for the winter and use fuel stabilizer.
3 Be sure your overflow tube is clear and has no kinks in it.
If your bike has a puddle of gasoline under it after being parked don't try to start it.
Pull you spark plugs (take them off of the wires so they don't spark) then bump the starter. Be careful if a cylinder is full of gas it will spray out of the plug hole. This will give you a clue as to what you need to do next.
If you have a four cylinder and gas sprays out of # 2 then you know that you need to rebuild #2 carb. also check the overflow and find out what went on with the petcock.
Hope this saves you some heart ache
Motoman
Best buy on a motorcycle
Can you get into motorcycling if you don't have ten to twenty thousand dollars to spend?
The answer is a resounding Yes. If you are willing to ride a bike that's slightly out of style it is not hard to get on the road for under $1500.00 and I'm not talking about junkers but older bikes that for one reason or the other the owner has quit riding. There are thousands of motorcycles sitting in garages, sheds and barns waiting for the chance to hit the road again.
Some need as little as a battery charge, fresh oil and gas and your off. Many will need a little work some more than others. but the nice thing about older motorcycles is that they don't require a phd to work on them.
Ebay and Craig's list have made finding them easier than ever. Smart sellers link a short youtube video walk-around that allows you to see the bike in greater detail, hear it start and run. So even if the bike isn't just around the corner you have a better idea of it's condition before you take a drive to see it.
Replacement parts for older bikes can be an issue so I recommend once you find a bike that you are interested in, check to see if new parts are still being made, then check E bay to see if there are a lot of used parts listed.
I would also make sure that a Clymer's or Haynes repair guide is available.
Now go to google and search for an owners group for that model of motorcycle. Many of the most popular will have huge groups. These groups have a wealth of information and help. I think an internet owners group is a must. It's a good idea just to hang out on the forum and read the post. You may discover common problems with that model of bike to look out for. You may even find out that the problem that is causing an owner to sell a garage queen cheap is really an easy fix. In short do your research.
If this is your first bike, there is something to be said for learning to make low speed u turns on an 600.00 used bike instead of your brand new high dollar dream bike.
So there's a little food for thought.
Later
Motoman