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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.
Motorcycle Troubleshooting
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Cars and Motorcycle are both primary transport vehicles. However, having a motorcycle is more than just owning a motorcycle. most people who have their own motorcycle will also do their own maintenance and repairs.
After 10 years a car is mostly considered old and it is often time for a new one. with a motorcycle this is a different issue. Motorcycles never loose their appearance and a motorcycle is seldom considered as old. However, because most motorcycles are older than 10 years, they also need a lot of maintenance and repairs. If you have to bring your motorcycle to the garage every time something is wrong, that can cost you a lot of money.
That is probably the case why most owners do their own repairs and maintenance. Especially with the older motorcycles, doing the repairs is mostly considered as a hobby. If your doing your own repairs you really need to have the official owners manual and the repair manual of your motorcycle. Buying a repair manual is quite expensive and the disadvantage of it is that it could become dirty when you are busy doing the repairs and turning the pages.
because of this, most owners have an extra digital repair manual. the advantage of this is that you can print out the pages you need and keep them close to you when you are busy doing repairs or maintenance. No matter if they get dirty, because you can print them out whenever you like.
Although a digital repair manual should never replace a paper manual, it is a great addition when you want to do your own repairs to your motorcycle.
Motorcycle Repair Manuals – Doing Your Own Repairs
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Rising incidence of bike accidents throughout the world has made it imperative for all motorcyclists to carry a motor insurance policy. It provides financial and liability protection in the event of a motorbike accident. a person, who is found at fault for causing an accident, need not have to worry about paying for the financial damages and also medical expenses incurred in treating the physical injuries inflicted on the opposing party if he has got his motor insured. There are different insurance laws in different states. While some states make it mandatory for people to have minimum liability cover, getting motorcycle insured is optional in a few states.
It is essential for bike riders to be well-informed about the laws and jurisdictions prevalent in their respective states in order to ensure that they comply with all the required norms when getting their motor insured. Motorists have the choice to either opt for the most basic coverage for bodily harm and property damage or go for the comprehensive and collision coverage in order to ensure that the plan entail all the costs, including medical bills and motorbike repairing charges of the injured person. Getting underinsured motorist coverage is also a wise idea for people who want to make payment for their physical injuries and financial damages that far exceed the liability limits of the ‘at-fault’ insured individual.
After determining the type of motor insurance cover you need to secure financial liability protection in the event of a motorbike accident, another important task is to shop around for the right policy. Bikers need not have to spend a great deal of time and money in getting their motorcycle insured as there are several insurance agents, who offer good coverage at affordable premium rates. The best way to bring down the expense incurred in getting an insurance done for your motor car is to seek competitive quotes from different insurance companies. Securing cheap quotes from more than three or four policy providers will help a person compare the rates and make a wise policy purchasing decision.
However, the premium rates should not be the only consideration when buying a motor insurance cover. also ensure that you get a policy with adequate cover to suit your needs. Assess the benefits offered by different policies and compare the rates in order to determine which motorbike insurance would be best for you. It is best to get a policy done from a reputed company so as to make sure that your claims are addressed at the time of the need.
Motor Insurance – An Essential Safety Cover For Motorcyclists