When I first got the idea about this article for Cycle Source and now Bikernet, I thought I couldeasily do 10 tips in so manywords. After writing the article, I thought it would be better to go intomore detail and show more pictures. Sothe 10 tips will now come in Part A &B. I know there are several more than10, but these are the ones I have seenlately coming into the shop.
So here I go with Part A.
1. Check your tire pressure. Just acouple of pounds can get you betterperformance and handling. Alwayscheck it regularly because tires will losepressure. I always adjust my tirepressures depending on roads andriding conditions. A lot depends on theweight of the bike, load changes frompassenger or bags loaded and what kindof tire you are riding on.
I recently hada guy who wanted the same tires he hadon his Road King already. Hecomplained of the mileage he got out ofthem, but he said he liked the looks ofthem. The tires on the bike were a verycheap brand and the max. load rating onthe tire would only cover the weight ofhis bike with him and nothing else. Healways had his girlfriend on the bike anda bunch of crap in his bags which wouldeasily have the bike way over the loadrating of that tire.
Nothing worsethan having a tire blow on a motorcycle!Check your tires for your against the motorcycle and passenger weight. Also, make sure it is the right sizefor the bike and rim. Tire companieswill spec what size rims the tire will fiton and also a preferred size. (See ChartBelow)
2. It amazes me on how many bikescome into the shop with engineperformance problems stemming from thespark plugs. Not just old plugs, but thewrong plug type or wrong plug gap. It isvery important that the heat range, threadlength, tip/electrode design and electrodematerial (Chart Below & Pic)are correct for your make/model and yearof your engine. Then check the plug gapsfor the engine/year also; they don’t comepre-gapped for your engine.
Also, some deep plugs have no business in some engines and can interfere with the valves or pistons. Some guys change the gap when they install them by banging the electrode. Be careful and check twice.
Recently, a bike came to the shopthat had a bad miss. The customer saidhe had it tuned up, but now had a miss/backfire problem. I removed the plugsand found out they were replaced, with lawn mower engine plugs. Notonly was the heat range wrong, but theplug thread length was a 1/4” shorterthan the proper plugs for his engine.
3. Check your drivetrain. Check thechain, transmission and hub sprocketfor wear and proper adjustment andmake sure the chain is properlylubricated. It seems since o-ring chains propermaintenance has been forgotten.O-ring chains still need lubrication.Use chain lube; WD40 is not chainlube. If you have an o-ring chain, makesure the lube you are using says it issuitable for o-ring chains (See ChartBelow).
4. Check your air cleaner. I preferusing K&N filters because they arereusable and will last forever. Thatdoesn’t mean they don’t need propercleaning and proper filter oil applied.If you have a paper element, don’t tryblowing it out or hitting it on the floorto clean it. Throw it away and buy anew one. Paper is not reusable.
5. Check your battery connections forproper bolt tightness and corrosion on thefittings. Also, check your engine and framegrounds for looseness and corrosion. Ground wires are notorious. If your bike quits, won't start or the battery isn't chargine, check the grounds first.
I had acustom build roll into the shop with an erratic running engine.Sometimes it wouldn’t run at all. I found theground wire fastened to a bolt welded to theframe. When that frame was powdercoated,the bolt and nut weren’t masked, so no connection and no circuit.
6. Change your fuel filter. After time theydo reduce flow. Make sure thefilter is installed with the fuel flow going inthe right direction. Check the embossedarrow on the filter; flow goes thedirection of the arrow. A guy brought abike into the shop last year and said he got itcheap and that if the throttle was held wideopen, after a while the bike would startmissing.
The previous owner said he wastired of fooling with it and sold it, “as is.” Idisconnected the carb gas line andchecked the flow, which was very slow. Ithen checked the filter and found it wasinstalled backwards. I installed it heading the right direction. Also,some petcocks have a screen filter either onthe bowl on the petcock or protruding intothe fuel tank. Check it once in a while. One bad tank of gas can fuck with the way the bike runs.
Always check your fuel linesfor dryness, cracks and make sure they areinstalled without kinking the tubing or up against cylinder fins. At leasta couple times a year I also add some fuelDrygas, but only add the recommendedamount specified on the bottle! This willremove moisture from the fuel system whichwill help with proper running and preventtank rust.
7. Intake manifolds and Silicone Gasket Sealer. Have you or someone who works on yourbike used silicone gasket sealer? Excess gasketsealer can cause loss of power from carb/manifold/port flow turbulence or obstruction. Also this can cause severe oilflow/return problems which can resultpermanent damage to engine parts.
Too much is a bad thing!! Check with thegasket company who made them. Check yourmanifold andcarb gasketsfor portobstruction. You don’twant excessgasket materialintruding intothe port area.
In this shotyou can seethe lighter inner ring which is the excessgasket material that was intruding into theintake port causing restriction andturbulence in fuel mixture delivery. Carefultrimming is worth the effort. Also, makesure whentighteningmanifold andcarbs you getthe bestalignment forsmooth porttransitionsbetween them.
You can seehow the manifold and port don’t matchup. The same manifold can be moved overto matchup as you cansee.
By shaving the gasket and aligning the ports you willbe surprisedhow much better it runs.
9. Have you ever checked your wheelalignment? How? The alignment marks forthe rear axle are not always correct andI’ve seen in some cases not even close atall. Have the bike sitting level and use acouple of straight bars and hold them against therear wheel. Check to see how they align upto the front wheel. The measurement fromthe straight bar to the front wheel shouldbe taken and be the same on both sides.
This is best done with abuddy. Recheck your belt/chain alignmentagain after doing this, making sure they arealso in line.
10. Make sure your throttle cable isopening your carb or throttle body to fullopen. You cansee in the picture of thiscarb venturi that thecarb slide is not going to afull opencondition.Cables canstretched,get out of adjustment, or insome casesare the wronglength to allow for a true full throttle.
Itamazes me how many bikes I have seenthat this hasn’t been checked, and needsadjustment for wide open throttle. By taking some time and workingon your bike, you will be amazed on howmuch performance can be achieved andmaintained.
We appreciate Brew's input. Here's more about the man and one of his too cool rides. There's more coming in the near future from the Brew Dude and Cycle Source Magazine.You can check out more from Brew at his web site: www.brewracingframes.com
