There are things we have all learned along the path down motorcycle ownership. Maintaining a bike always has some techniques and different approaches. Some of these things might sound simple or not very exciting but might be really helpful to someone struggling with a solution, method or special tool. Lets start something that Coffee can take and organize like the master parts list but focused on ownership / maintenance type stuff. This can be real simple, just thoughtfull random help tips and such. Then we (woodschick or Coffee or Tim or Joe or... ) can sort and organize them into a useful volume of info. Seem like a worth while thing? I'll start with a few things I have learned or use that have helped me. Chain press: Super simple little device. This makes putting o-ring chains on SOOO much Ezer. Get one. Spring puller: Again, cheap, simple and should be in everyone tool box. Stop smashing knuckles with vise grips. Small electric impact wrench: You will be amazed how fast you can strip a bike down. Note: not recommended for install unless has torque setting. Never start a bolt with a driven wrench. Bonus tip - If you have a semi big project a fanny pack is excellent to hold bolts and sockets as you go around the bike with the impact. I can strip a bike in minutes as I have all the sockets at hand and a place to dump the bolts. Works great. Forced air boot dryer: Pretty much mandatory in the NW if you ride through the winter. Cheap, works great. I wash my boots out with the hose so they are saturated. 2 hours later they are dry as a bone. Bending those fold over lock washers: You know those washers that go behind the nut and then you fold over. The simple way to fold them is with channel locks. Grab the nut with the bottom jaw and lip / top of the folding washer with the top jaw and rotate down. Simple, clean. I used to smash crap up with a screw driver and hammer til I learned this. Funny. __________________ Simple stuff like that... Bring it.
"Chain press" Also doubles as a trail side brake lever or shift lever tip if you have one in your pack... Spoke maintenance At every tire change I always clean the rim well and hit each spoke nipple with a shot of penetrating oil. Takes all of 5 minutes and ensures no frozen spokes in the future. I tend to hang on to my bikes for years so little things add up. I am sure I can come up with a few more next time I am messing around in the garage... Later,
Re spokes- I use a product called 'spoke set' from Threebond. One drop on each nipple about once a year or two. keeps your spokes free. The stuff wicks in and turns into a gummy texture, sealing the threads, keeping them from seizing.
Almost all oil seals have a spring that can be unwound and cut a few coils with a sharp pair of dykes to be screwed back together to make a tighter fitting seal,works great on worn wipers,learned this years ago on BMW shift shaft seals that leaked new.Pop the spring off a seal find the end and unwind it and see what I mean.billf
Thats just like mine but the rear towers are taller for boots and the front ones are for gloves and i taped them off for more flow to the boot towers. Works great.
Yep that one has the extensions for boots also, I don't use them because they made it tip over. I just put both of the vents into each boot. Later,
In addition to these store bought ones, for folks on a budget, a few pieces of 2"ABS and an old hair dryer works pretty good also. I should post a pic of mine.........
another version the Red Wing boots brand PEET drier, this is one I have, for our "WET" season.................don't you CAN, SE, NE and PNW guys laugh (actually anywhere other than our dez/scrub type environment) http://www.peetshoedryer.com/index.html Its a convection type deal, no noise, no fan deal, it's a good overnight drier (8-12 hour) As for the chain master link squeezer we make modified vise grips, and cut a groove in them to clear the link pins. You squeeze them down and it squishes the o/x rings then you can release and slip on the link clip. Also we always hi strength RTV the entire side of the link clip (yea it gets scraped off partially) But it keeps the clip,pins and face plate from working as much. We do the same to the output shaft, C/S sprocket and clip. 2 types of spring pullers in my box a snap-on looks like a screw driver type thing and the t-handle type with the little hook on the end, these tools are very important on my list. Sag gauge/slide ruler Motion Pro Brand (crucial)
I wear those dry-fit shirts and a lot of jersey's/pants are made of those fancy synthetics which can forever hold bacteria. For me they eventually get forever funky (i.e. I just washed it and as soon as I start to sweat in it, I can smell the funk). I torched my old gear and started using Penguin Sport-Wash after every ride and have yet to have the funk set in. I pull out my helmet lining/cheak pads after each ride and do the same. It's pretty expensive, but It's on sale right now: http://www.performancebike.com/bike...cse&utm_campaign=datafeed&CAWELAID=1009383619
A small hemostat is perfect for compressing the carberator slide spring while clamping onto the throttle cable making it much easier to reattach...perfect for changing the needle clip position trail-side. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_478861_478861?cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Google-_-Hand Tools>Vises Clamps-_-1501519
A spring puller is a handy tool for sure (I have one). But, if you don't have one a wire coat hanger works very well. Straighten it into one long piece, feed it through the spring hook, bend the coat hanger in half and pull. It works nicely. A mityvac brake bleeder is one of my favorite tools. No pumping the pedal or lever required. Just open the bleeder and it sucks the brake fluid through. Fill at other end, repeat, done. Bleeding your brakes often extends the life of the master cylinder seals plus keeps that solid feel in your brakes. I think you can get a mityvac at Sears for about $35.
Had one, for soaking wet boots (as in washed out with a garden hose) you really need the forced air ones if you want to ride anytime soon. I greatly prefer the one with the fan. plus I don't like leaving electronics and water together for that long unattended. Usually i can put them on the dryer and by the time i wash my bike, clean stuff up and futz around some they are pretty well done. While the quick dry is not good for leather I abuse my stuff so much and so often it doe not last long anyway. I go through several sets of gear a year.
