Tips and Insights

Fancy yourself a proper motorbike rider? Good on ya, mate. That’s why your trackday screamer has electronic suspension dialed in by Flamenco B. Crouch. Carbon bodywork. A quickshifter. Traction control, wheelie control, and 10 power modes. Tire warmers. And datalogging that streams to Facebook via smartphone from Brass Balls Raceway. Well, this New Zealand-built 1962 Norton Manx replica can’t boast any of that. It has one archaic air-cooled cylinder. Granddad’s drum brakes instead of...

We all know there's nothing like open air on the open road, but bad things happen to good bikes. When your motorcycle encounters mechanical or other troubles that prevent you from riding, having some good bike tools on hand can make all the difference between being stranded or continuing to eat up mile after gorgeous mile.   On a motorcycle, you don't have the advantage of a car's trunk to store a slew of tools. You might be lucky enough to have saddle bags or hard cases, or maybe you only...

Washing your car is simple—you just clean the glass and paint. Washing your bike? There’s a lot more to contend with. Dirt bikes don’t need much more than a blast with the powerwasher. They lead a rough life, and who’ll notice a dull finish? A high-priced streetbike needs a little more attention. At every step, of this process, gravity is your friend. Washing, drying, detailing—work from the top towards the bottom. STEP 1 Treat painted surfaces (gas tank, fairings, fenders) gently—use mild...

I haven’t made an exhaust pipe in years. The process began with the application—for example, a rider wanting a set of cross-over pipes for a TZ350 Yamaha two-stroke road racer. Before the coming of high-arched “banana” swingarms, the big problem was how to fit the fat part of a two-stroke pipe on the chain side of the bike. By making the front part of the two pipes look like a person’s crossed arms, extra length was used up ahead of the engine, thereby pulling the fat part of the left pipe...

Well, if you want to know how you win then maybe you shouldn’t ask me because on this day, I didn't win. I’ve tried my hand at professional racing, track days on motorcycles and cars, schooling on and off the track, and still one of my favorite things in the world is a good motorcycle game.   How does it work? Easy, last rider to cross the finish line wins. Put your foot down, and you’re out. Leave the designated area, and you’re out. It's tournament style elimination.   We heard about...

Adjust and Check Controls Check and adjust the controls way ahead of time. You will distract yourself fiddling with the buttons if you’re not familiar with them before leaving. Don't do that! Make a mental note of the following: Is the choke still on? Where's the starter button? It’s important to know everything about the bike, mostly controls on the bars like the lights, turn signals and horn. Clutch Control Two fingers on the clutch and two on the front brake are for normal riding, but...

Naked Bike Costs The economics alone should make you consider owning a naked, but purchase prices can be appealing, especially to new riders - that aforementioned CB300F will retail for just under $4000, the Yamaha FZ-07 lists at $6990, and you can pick up a Ducati Monster 696 for just over $9,000. (Of course, if you feel like dropping money on a naked, the BMW R Nine T will set you back about $14,900.) And less stuff on the bike means fewer things to fix or replace. (Looking at you,...

Physically, wheelies are the result of acceleration combined with a short wheelbase and a relatively high center of gravity. Off-road, a wheelie is useful in letting you hit troublesome terrain with the back wheel, rather than have the bars yanked out of your hands by hitting that log or boulder with the front. Years ago, I was impressed to see the rider of a 650 Triumph drag bike lift the front a couple of inches off the line and then hold it there through first gear. That’s a power...

Just in case some of you aren’t sure how two-stroke engines work, here is some review. In a four-stroke engine, each of the four essential steps of the power-producing cycle is given its own piston stroke: 1) Compression 2) Power 3) Exhaust 4) Intake A two-stroke performs all the same steps, but in just two piston strokes. The simplest two-strokes do this by using the crankcase and the underside of the moving piston as a fresh charge pump.  Such engines carry the official name...

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again. When I first got into riding, I was on an unpaved gravel road and grabbed too much front brake. The bike was instantly unhappy and I fell over. I was only going 5mph, but the experience was fairly mortifying as it happened at a biker gathering. Everyone saw me. Besides my pride being seriously sprained, I also developed a fear of gravel. I hated being afraid. I hated feeling as if in the right moment, I might lose control of my bike ......