BikerThomas.com » How To Do Stuff

How to Install Kuryakyn ISO Grips

BikerThomas — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:06:02 +0000

Remember this post from spring 2009?

Here’s another guide on how to install the Kuryakin ISO grips.

How to Jump Start a Motorcycle Battery From a Car

BikerThomas — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:26:25 +0000

Red goes on red and black on black…

Manufacturers don’t recommend attempting to jump start a motorcycle battery from a car… but when in a pinch without alternatives here’s how to do it.

WARNING! I am NOT an expert. I mostly learn from reading online just like you. This is meant as a guideline only. Please do contact a certified motorcycle mechanic if you do not know what you’re doing…

Car batteries usually pack more power (ampere) than a motorcycle battery, so be careful! …and stomp out that cigarette before starting! On the bright side, newer 12-volt systems can usually be jump started with a 12-volt car battery without any help from the car’s engine with little risk of ruining your motorcycle or battery.

Take the keys out of both vehicles. Make sure the car does not touch the motorcycle. Leave the car turned off until you are finished jump starting the motorcycle and have disconnected the jumper cables. Failing to do so may result in an overload on the motorcycle’s electrical system.

Remove any protective caps that cover the battery terminals. Connect the RED jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead motorcycle battery. Keep the red jumpers away from any other area of your bike at all times (especially if you try to hook the red cables with the car battery first as this could send an electrical charge through your bike and do damage to the electrical components – which surely sucks bigtime!).

Connect the other end of the RED cable to the positive (+) terminal on the battery of the car.

All right, so now you got red on red right? Good! Now go ahead and connect the BLACK (negative) jumper to the negative (-) terminal of the car’s battery. Again, make sure you don’t fiddle around with the clamp and accidentally touch the positive clamp with it or something, you want to keep these apart at all times.

Now go ahead and connect the BLACK (negative) jumper to the motorcycle frame and away from the battery. (You don’t connect the negative jumper to the negative (-) terminal of your motorcycle battery because that increases the risk of damaging your battery).

Double check! red on red and black on black, right?

Leave the car off. Start the motorcycle.

HINT! If you at this point is actually hooking up your motorcycle battery to another motorcycle battery instead of a car battery, you should actually turn on the motorcycle with the good battery first and then turn on the motorcycle with the bad battery last.

If the battery’s not entirely flat, the motorcycle should now start. Leave the motor running for a few minutes to warm up the engine.

Disconnect the jumper cables in the reverse order you connected them.Make sure the clamps don’t touch metal in the process.

- Disconnect the negative lead (BLACK) from motorcycle
- Disconnect the other negative lead (BLACK) from the car battery
- Disconnect the positive clamp lead (RED) from the car battery
- Disconnect the other positive lead (RED) from the motorcycle battery

DO NOT turn off the motorcycle engine – or you’ll have to do the entire process all over again. Leave the motor running until you’re ready to drive home or to the mechanic to properly recharge or replace your battery. Ride your bike on high revs for the first few minutes.

That’s it! Pretty easy when you know what to do, huh?

Please do comment if you feel that the instructions are wrong or needs improvement in any way. Oh, and also, if you found these instructions helpful, please do tell your story in the comments field or sign my guestbook …or send me an email.

Sources:

How to Jump-Start a Motorcycle Using a Car Battery
http://www.ehow.com/how_7310322_jump_start-motorcycle-using-car-battery.html

How to Jump Start a Motorcycle
http://www.ehow.com/how_2221369_jump-start-motorcycle.html

Jump starting a motorcycle battery
http://www.cyclemaintenance.com/elec/jump_starting.htm

How to Jump Start a Motorcycle Battery From a Car
http://www.ehow.com/how_4842968_jump-start-motorcycle-battery-car.html

Wikipedia: Jump start (vehicle)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_start_(vehicle)

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Winter Storage

BikerThomas — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:11:45 +0000

I found an excellent guide on how to prepare your motorcycle for winter storage. Thanks to TotalMotorcycle.com for writing this guide!

Click here to read all about winter storage:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/maintenance/motorcyclewinterstorage.htm

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Motorcycle Maintenance Tips: Video Series

BikerThomas — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:52:46 +0000

Happy new year everybody! Even though it’s -10 to -40 degrees Celcius here in Norway and colder than it has been in many years motorcycle season is getting closer by the day – Amen!

I just stumbled upon some a great little video collection by Michael Levin from EverythingMotorcycles.com. They’re more like tiny little video clips really, but they all introduce you to motorcycle maintenance and are great for beginners like me!

Click here for all the 5 videos:
http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_10623_motorcycle-maintenance-tips.html

…or click the individual links below for a specific video:

1. Troubleshoot Motorcycle Starting Systems Issues
2. How to Make Motorcycle Mufflers Louder
3. Reviewing Motorcycle Engine Oil Filters
4. How to Clean Plexiglass Windshields on Motorcycles
5. Motorcycle Repair Tips

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How to change oil on Vulcan 900

BikerThomas — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:21:38 +0000

I found this great instruction video on YouTube on how to change the oil and oil filtre on a Kawasaki Vulcan 900. Enjoy!

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VN900 Trip meter check

BikerThomas — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:03:34 +0000

I checked the accuracy of the trip meter on my VN900 recently. I hooked up my Garmin Zumo 500 GPS to my bike and rode 100KM, at least that’s what the trip meter read. The GPS, on the other hand, said that I had only travelled 96KM. I decided to check this further and sure enough, when the trip meter read 200KM the GPS told me that I had only travelled 192KM.

I’m not an expert on this but I chose to trust my GPS more than my trip meter. Therefore my conclusion is that you can deduct approximately 4% from your trip meter or odometer to get a more accurate view of actual mileage.

Any thoughts on this? Please do add your comment! :)

Links:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/odometer.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odometer

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How to make a DIY $5 camera mount for motorcycle handlebars

BikerThomas — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:04:42 +0000

I just found an excellent video on how to assemble an inexpensive $5 do-it-yourself motorcycle handlebar mount for video and still cameras!

So now you can go out and record your best rides in high def.
Let me know if you make one for yourself, send me pictures! :)

Tools:
flat head screwdriver, drill and 1/4" drill bit, dremel or other cutting tool

Parts:
1" diameter PVC T connector threaded and threaded cap, 1/4" bolt with washer and wingnut, 2 hose clamps, pieces of rubber hose

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I changed my battery today, problem solved!

BikerThomas — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:08:28 +0000

I called my mechanic today about the problem with my engine not starting up despite my battery being fully charged. He told me that there are almost never anything wrong with the starter on Kawasaki motorcycles so it had to be something wrong with the battery. I changed to a new YUASA YTX12-BS battery and the engine fired up just fine! You should have seen the smile on my face hearing the engine starting :)

The new battery, YUASA YTX12-BS, same type as the old one.

There’s a set of tools under the seat, you’ll need a standard screwdriver.

Remove the old battery (negative/minus side removed first) then insert the new battery (positive/plus side connected first).

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