Motorcycle Maintenance - Motorcycle Repair

Welcome to the wBW Motorcycle Maintenance and Motorcycle Repair page!  This page is a compilation of interesting articles to help you maintain your motorcycle. 

wBW Maintenance and Repair Articles:  Index of all wBW Repair and Maintenance Articles, with detailed information and photos on repairing BMW, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, and for articles on installing motorcycle LED lights, brake lights, modulators and more! 

More:  Motorcycle Tools page includes links to all of our motorcycle tool reviews  |  Motorcycle Nuts, Bolts & Fasteners page

Motorcycle Technology:  wBW Book Reviews  |  Honda now has a motorcycle technology "picture book" website with photos and information on some of their creations  |  BMW's ABS and Automatic Stability Control systems described in detail  |  New patented invention - counter-rotating front brake rotors claimed to reduce effort and tank slapping  |  Motorcycle Dynamics by Vittore Cossalter  |  Motorcycle Design and Technology by Gaetano Cocco  |  More books and information...  |  Learn motorcycle and engine technology at a motorcycle tech school 

Motorcycle Chains, Sprockets and Adjustment:  wBW tech articles -  Replacing a motorcycle chain and sprockets |  Triumph Tiger chain adjustment  |  Ducati GT1000 chain adjustment  |  Ducati Multistrada Chain Adjustment Tips  |  Article on how to adjust the chain on your bike  |  Gearing Commander is an interactive website where you can enter data about your bike and get gear ratios and lots of other information

Motorcycle Chain Cleaning:  wBW articles on cleaning a chain and motorcycle chain cleaning solvents  |  Critchfield Solutions patented chain cleaner requires chain removal but has the potential to do a thorough job

Motorcycle Chain Lubrication:  wBW Tech Articles on cleaning and lubricating motorcycle chains

Motorcycle Suspension Articles:  Now on the wBW Motorcycle Shocks - Motorcycle Suspension page!

Motorcycle Repair DVD:  wBW review of the Sportbike How-to Motorcycle Repair DVD set with 100 different maintenance and repair tasks described

Motorcycle Service Repair Shop Manuals:  Cyclepedia has a selection of motorcycle repair manuals for different makes and models available for download; they write the manuals themselves and take their own photos  |  Many different free service manuals at Ronin Cycle  |  Big database of free online service and shop manuals at Carl Salter's website

Motorcycle Repair:  Dan's Online Motorcycle Repair course has 45 parts covering all aspects of motorcycle repair and maintenance  |  Rebuild procedure for under-tank master cylinders on BMW motorcycles

Motorcycle Repair Advice:  Ask the volunteer experts at Allexperts

How to Make Carbon Fiber Motorcycle Parts:  wBW Tech Article by Vin Heron; it's easier than you think!

Breaking In New Engines:  Here's a good article on motorcycle engine break-in from Power News  |  Here's a reprint of an article from Motorcycle News on breaking in new engines  |  Engine timing disks available from Machinery Cleanery

Winterizing Motorcycles:  Article on how to winterize your motorcycle and engine

Cylinder Honing, Brushes and Flex-Honing:  The Brush Research Company site has information on different types of brushes and hones

Porting Cylinder Heads:  Head Porting for the Do-It-Yourselfer article on the Standard Abrasives site

Motorcycle Technical Articles:  We Ride on Sundays has articles on motorcycle repair and maintenance  |  An index of very intriguing but highly technical articles about motorcycle dynamics; from the engineering school at the University of Padova in Italy; most of them are beyond my comprehension; also see the article on shaking forces of twin cylinder motorcycles  (NOTE: The articles on this site have been unavailable for some time; if anyone knows where they went, please contact us with the links)  |  Marco Tozzini has a site that includes dyno charts for many makes and models of motorcycles  |  Connecting a rheostat (i.e., Gerbing's HeatTroller) to a set of heated handgrips to control heat output  |  How to build a sophisticated air/fuel gauge for tuning carburetors - by Mark "Duckman" Van der Kwaak in the Netherlands; nice page with plenty of info and graphics  |  Doug Lofgren has some web pages with technical articles, dyno tests, test reports and more, mostly for Ducatis and Moto Guzzis  |  Check out the MOTOfiche Microfiche site; it contains exploded drawings and details on all sorts of motorcycles  |  Motorcycle oil related technical articles on the wBW Motorcycle Oil page

Motorcycle Scan Tools:  Reset service lights and view diagnostic trouble codes with a TechnoResearch Vehicle Diagnostic Scan Tool, available in versions for multiple motorcycle brands or individual models

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wBW Motorcycle Tool Reviews:  Roadgear Motorcycle Tool Pouch Tool Roll  |  Doc Allen Versatool Versadriver  |  Stubby and Ratcheting Screwdriver Bit Sets  |  Harbor Freight Hex Key Set  |  Allen Wrench T-Handle Set  |  Vise-Grip Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper  |  Quick Look: Oil filter wrenches  |  Sears Extreme Grip Wrenches  |  Sears Motorcycle Lift  |  Nebo 13-in-1 Screwdriver & 7-in-1 Socket Wrench  |  Handy Motorcycle Tools  |  Alden Wrench Set  |  Motorcycle Rust Treatment  |  Quik Strip Wire Stripper  |  Temp Gun Digital Infrared Thermometers   |  Wiha Magic Ring Hex Wrench Set  |  Wiha  Screwdrivers  |  Brake Bleeder  |  Wiha Bit Driver 

wBW Torque Wrench Reviews:  Electronic Torque Wrench and Electronic Torque Screwdriver  |  Dial Torque Wrench  |  Precision Instruments Split Beam Torque Wrench  |  Crafstman Electronic Torque Meter

wBW GearWrench Tool Reviews:  GearRatchet Vortex Tool Set  |  GearWrench XL  |  GearWrench Stubby Flex Head Wrench Set  |  GearWrench Half Moon Box End Wrench Set  |  GearWrench Flex Head Wrenches  |  GearWrench Wrenches 

Motorcycle Wheel Alignment:  Here are some tips on how to align motorcycle wheels after adjusting the chain  |  The OnTrack is the world's first portable motorcycle laser alignment system!  |  GMD Computrack has several sites around the U.S. for frame straightening and more  |  Motomorphic does wheel and frame straightening, modifications and fabrication  |  A brief but good article on using a simplified string wheel alignment method for aligning motorcycle wheels  |  Motorcycle wheel alignment by Rob Tuluie

Carburetor Synchronizing:  Here's an article on building your own $4.00 carburetor synchronizer  |  How to make a dual manifold vacuum gauge  |  The Venturers website contains many other tech articles that may be useful to various motorcycle makes and models, including synchronizing carburetors using a manometer or vacuum gauge (looks like you now need to join their club to access the tech articles)

Adjusting - Balancing Motorcycle Carburetors:  Motorcycle Carburetor Theory 101 gives some good background info on how carburetors work  |  Jetting 101 has information on carburetor theory and jetting motorcycle carburetors  |  Using the Color Tune tool to adjust carburetors  |  Balancing carburetors - a short article on using a manometer to balance multiple carburetors  |  Another fairly detailed article on adjusting and balancing carburetors

Motorcycle Fuel and Gasoline:  "Bad Gasoline" article covering octane, ethanol and fuel information for motorcycles

Internal Combustion Engines:  Here's a link to a neat site that explains how engines work and has nice animations of the process  |  Check out this very cool website with animations illustrating the combustion processes in many different types of engines

Motorcycle Tools:  Now on the wBW Motorcycle Tools page

Aprilia Technical Articles:  Ken Lawas has a very nice site focused on the Aprilia SL 1000 Falco; it has technical articles related to the Falco and just about everything else you need to know about this bike 

Electrical Wire Soldering For Beginners:  Article by Randy Glass on the BMW Airheads site is an excellent tutorial on why you should solder and how to do it; includes excellent photographs to guide you through the process  |  Big Al's Soldering for Beginners (.pdf file)  |  Basic Electronics Soldering Guide  

Fuel Injection:  The Fuel Injected Motorcycles site has all sorts of information on fuel injection; downloadable fuel injection maps for various motorcycles; UltiMap fuel injection diagnostic software and more

The Four-Stroke Cycle: Illustration from 1931:  Check this out -- a high-efficiency "T" head engine from the 1920's; I scanned this illustration from Chapter V, "The Otto Cycle In Practice", Internal Combustion Engines; Their Principles and Application to Automobile, Aircraft and Marine Purposes, by the Officers of the Department of engineering and Aeronautics, The United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland, Copyright 1925, 1929, 1931.

Bearings:  Bearing Tech, Inc. manufacturers precision bearings for motorcycles from ceramic and other materials

Spline Lubes:  See the wBW Motorcycle Oil and Lubrication Page 

Forks and Springs:  See the wBW article on changing fork oil  |  Tips on installing forks and springs (.pdf file)  |  Spring rate conversion chart

How to Anodize Aluminum Parts:  Anodizing 101 by Ron Newman; includes info on purchasing his book on how to anodize aluminum  |  Anodizing Aluminum by Ron Newman  |  BTW, here's a source for anodizing - R&J Metal Finishing, 273 Gould Ave., Depew, NY (Near Buffalo), 716-683-2838, Diane Willis Owner, $ 35.00 min charge; UPS daily; many many colors ( black, red, yellow, pink, purple, blue, green, brown) she can turn parts around the same day most of the time  |  Lots of links about anodizing aluminum on the "Anodizing Aluminum" page, aka "Anodizing Aluminium"  

Cleaning and Re-finishing Aluminum Parts and Engine Cases:  Here's a basic but good article on the do's and don'ts of cleaning engine cases (s)  |  Cleaning aluminum engine cases article  |  Alumin-nu is a product that some users claim can really help restore aluminum engine cases; one caution though: this product contains hydrofluoric acid, which is highly toxic -- use all precautions and read the label!  |  BrightWorks, Inc. has all sorts of polishing and buffing tools; they also have an instructional video on re-finishing  |  Short article with photos on aluminum polishing (s)  |  Other polishing secrets - use at your own risk! Try Orange Pumice Gojo; reported to work on chrome and other metals - but remember that after the pumice it's still unpolished. Plus, the bare metal is now exposed to air and can discolor quickly. Try Wenol, Simichrome (no website, here's a source), or Mother's metal polish to give it a final finish  |  More information on aluminum and metal polishes in the Motorcycle Polish section of the wBW Motorcycle Products and Accessories page  

Motorcycle Painting:  Cycle Color has some information on painting, blending and other painting techniques  

Clear-Coating of Aluminum Parts:  You can do it yourself; here's how it was done on aluminum wheels; you can also clear powdercoat aluminum parts | The wBW Motorcycle Products and Accessories page has links to clearcoat paint you can purchase online

Doctorate of Motorcycling Theory and Technology:  Ah, if only I was young (and smart) again... No, you don't get this from riding Deal's Gap in <10 minutes; The University of Padua is the only place in the world that offers this degree; see their library of highly technical articles about motorcycle dynamics - if you can understand these, you don't need the degree after all! YES!! This site is back in operation!! Definitely check it out! (NOTE: This site seems to go up and down; if it's not up, try again some other time, it's worth it!)

Tony Foale Designs:  Tony Foale has written many articles on motorcycle design, especially in the area of chassis design; visit his website; it has links to other technical articles and information; it also contains some of his articles available for viewing and information on his book  

English to Metric Horsepower and Torque Calculator:  Check it out! An online calculator that converts HP to KW; cubic inches to cc's; Foot Pounds to Newton Meters; miles to kilometers; etc. by "Duckman" Van der Kwaak  |  Also here's one by the Duckman that converts cubic centimeters to cubic inches  |  Here's another online calculator that converts all sorts of things to all sorts of other things  |  Another short and simple calculator to convert NM to Foot Pounds and/or Inch Pounds  |  "Convert" is a small but powerful freeware executable application that easily performs all sorts of conversions; very handy, especially if you're not online and need to do a conversion 

Metric Nuts, Bolts, Screws, Hardware, Thread Identification:  There seem to be very few online retailers who sell nuts and bolts directly, much less in small lot sizes  |  The Bolt Depot has a decent selection of metric fasteners and small quantities can be purchased online  |  Metric titanium nuts and bolts available through Aerotec Special Fasteners  |  Fastenal used to sell small lots of metric and inch fasteners, but their website seems to be down, are they still in business?  |  Here's a nice site at Maryland Metrics with complete information on how to identify metric threads of all types  |  Metric Specialties has a huge assortment of metric nuts, bolts and fastener hardware; unfortunately, the lot size for orders is $20.00, but their site is a good resource for learning what types of metric fasteners are (or should be) available at your local hardware store  |  Coburn-Myers has a nice listing of specifications for nuts, bolts and washers; a good metric section also  |  Desmoparts has a selection of stainless steel hardware parts for Aprilia, BMW, Ducati and more  |  Nylon and plastic nuts and bolts at Plastic Nuts and Bolts

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gasoline:  A four-part article written in FAQ style with scads of info on gasoline. Try Part 3 for starters

Horns:  See the wBW Motorcycle Horns page

Transporting Motorcycles:  See the wBW Motorcycle Trailers page; also includes information on how to tie down motorcycles for transport

Motorcycle Oil:  See the wBW Motorcycle Oil page for more information  |  The Internet BMW Riders website article - Is This The Right Oil For My Bike?  |  Chris Longhurst's "Engine Oil Bible"  |  Mobil 1 motorcycle oil page with tech sheets  |  Castol's page called "All About Motor Oil"  |  wBW Technical Article - Oil changing problems on a 1999 Triumph Thunderbird Sport

Oil Filters:  Oil Filters Exposed site by Toby Creek; Toby ripped apart many oil filters to see what's inside

Motorcycle Spark Plugs:  Now on the wBW Motorcycle Spark Plugs Page

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Water Wetter:  Read Redline's technical article on Water Wetter; but remember, Water Wetter is no miracle cure - used in recommended dosages with a 50/50 water/glycol mix, it only reduces temperatures about 8 degrees F - according to the back of the bottle! Be careful reading Redline's technical writeup on the product - it's difficult to tell the amount of Water Wetter they are using when they are comparing it to straight water or water/glycol 

Motorcycle Coolant - Waterless Coolants:  Evans Cooling Systems makes non-aqueous Propylene Glycol (NPG) cooling systems that are used by the military, long-haul truckers and motorcycle racers; no silicates, lifetime coolant claimed to go 1,000,000 miles, non-toxic, no corrosion, compatible with magnesium and more  |  Water Wetter is designed to provide improved flow of cooling fluid over metal when added to plain water or a glycol coolant; claimed reductions in coolant temperatures with use  |  Engine Ice is a propylene glycol based coolant designed for motorcycles  |  Dan's Motorcycle; interesting article on how water cooling works in motorcycles

Batteries:  See the wBW Motorcycle Battery - Battery Charger page 

Motorcycle Electrics - Electricity:  wBW book review of "Haynes Motorcycle Systems Techbook"  |  "Electricity Hopefully Made Understandable" by Stu Oltman, Technical Editor, Wing World Magazine

Wiring Diagrams:  Wiring diagram for 1978 BMW R60/7; R80/7; R100/7; R100S and other BMW motorcycle models  |  Wiring diagrams for vintage BMW motorcycles 

Helmets:  See the wBW Motorcycle Helmet page  |  Motorcycle Consumer News article - Product Comparison - Premium Helmets  |  Also see the wBW Safety Page  

Repairing ABS Bags:  Here are some tips on how to repair ABS motorcycle saddlebags and top boxes

Why Do Lightweight Wheels Make a Difference?:  TAW explains the difference that unsprung weight can make for motorcycle wheels over varied conditions

Lemon Laws:  Some states exclude motorcycles from their lemon laws; check the Lemon Law Statutes at Car Lemon

Motorcycle Painting:  Here's a three-part article on painting motorcycles by Bob Wark of the Wark Shop

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