By Fred Rau
I’ve often heard many of my contemporaries (read: “old farts”) complain about the fact that today’s motorcycles are virtually maintenance-free, or “turnkey” vehicles. They pine for the good old days, when they could adjust their own valves, set their points, synch their carbs, etc. I think they’re either crazy, or bald-faced liars.
I began maintaining my own bikes back in 1971—not to achieve some sense of inner peace or accomplishment, and certainly not because I liked the look of grease under my fingernails. I did it because I was too poor to pay someone else to do it. Thank heavens those days are over. |
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By Shira Kamil
I just got off the phone with one of our dealer advertisers. He’s always got a great attitude, loves motorcycles (you really have to in order to own a motorcycle shop, ‘cause you’re not going to be riding all that often), and his shop has been around for a long time. We were discussing the state of the motorcycle industry today, and, although this Spring certainly put a damper (no pun intended) on the start of the season, we were both hoping for a strong summer comeback. |
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Story & Photos by GOMO
Normally when Father’s Day weekend rolls around, folks in the Northeast and beyond have either returned from Americade, Laconia Bike Week, or both; and writers normally follow with an article about one or the other event. Though I was at this year’s Americade and enjoyed myself (as usual) and haven’t ventured yet to Laconia, I wanted to cover a fairly “new” and fast-growing event that happens locally, tucked in-between these two rallies. |
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By Fred Rau
During my 30-plus years of testing motorcycling-related products, I have probably been offered about 200 different “miracle compounds” that promised to remove scratches from my motorcycle’s bodywork. Each one claimed to be “radical” or “miraculous,” and to contain some kind of “secret ingredient” that would fill in scratches, remove swirl marks and improve my love life. Yeah….right. Though some of them made some minor improvements when applied to relatively lightly-scratched areas, the bottom line was always one of disappointment. |
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| They tell me the route we rode from Knoxville, Tennessee, up to Cumberland Gap and Middlesboro, Kentucky, is one of the prettier motorcycle rides in this part of the country. I hope I can get back there someday and find out for myself, but on this particular day, though I rode it, I didn’t see hardly a bit of it. Later that day the radio would report that this had been the heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded in the area’s history. Just my luck. |
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By Fred Rau
For a vehicle that has been in existence for only two short years, the Can-Am Spyder has developed an impressive following of dedicated and enthusiastic owners. Though due in large part to the grass-roots development of both localized and national clubs and websites, the phenomenon has also been fueled by an almost-unprecedented level of customer support from the manufacturer, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). |
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The Congress has begun work in earnest on the reauthorization of the 6 year highway bill. This bill funds the federal highway system and all associated programs. Congress last passed the mammoth legislation in 2005 and the law (PL 109 59) expires at the end of September 2009.
Previous versions of the bill have affected motorcyclists directly in many profound ways. The 1996 version of the bill repealed the federal helmet law; the 2005 version contained the very first direct strict funding stream for motorcycle rider education and motorist/motorcycle awareness programs. This coming version should have some more money and better safety programs for motorcyclists. |
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| Selection and Use of Basic Hand Tools
By Stu Oltman
Last time, we talked about the mental tools necessary for a successful repair outcome. Now, lets explore the various hand tools we might like to have handy, and where to buy them. We’ll concentrate on hand wrenches this time, and then later go on to screwdrivers, socket wrenches, torque wrenches, precision measuring instruments, soldering tools, and test meters.
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