Motorcycle How-To Tech Articles
The more maintenance and repair work you do yourself, the less you have to pay someone else. Although parts continue to go up in price (along with shop rates), your time and labor remains the same.
The following articles were written for the mechanically inclined person who owns or has access to a fair amount of tools, has some mechanical background, and is willing to learn new skills. Although there are numerous ways to approach any given problem, these methods have proven to be practical, reliable, and economical, while still providing a quality outcome.
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Harley Big-Twin Service and Maintenance
DIY 3 Hole Oil Change
Read: Remove and Install Primary Cover Harley Twin-Cam
How To Check Harley Twin Cam Chain Tensioners
Road King Handlebar Adjustment
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Metal Polishing
Polishing aluminum can be done by hand, but a buffing wheel is a lot faster.
How To Polish Motorcycle Forks
How To Polish Aluminum Engine Parts
I've polished a lot of aluminum motorcycle parts, but quickly learned that polishing stainless steel is much more time consuming.
Renew Stainless Steel Motorcycle Fender
Polishing crankshaft journals by hand is also very time consuming, but the results are worth the effort.
Crankshaft Journal Polishing By Hand
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Carburetor Overhaul
Bendix Carburetor Rebuild
Linkert DC Carburetor Overhaul
Tuning The S&S Super B
Gas Tank Prep
Before painting and installing a new motorcycle gas tank, it should be trial-fitted, tested for leaks, and cleaned inside and outside.
Prep Motorcycle Gas Tank
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Replace Fork Seals
Most dealerships charge around $300 to $400 to replace a pair of fork seals, which is an hour or two of their labor plus the price of the seals and fork oil. And if you have a 30+ year-old bike, is not uncommon for a shop to decline the work.
Replace Harley Fork Seals 35mm
Hydra Glide Fork Seal Replacement
Replace Fork Seals BMW R-Series (Telelever)
Norton Commando Front Forks Overhaul
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Motorcycle Electrical
Basic Motorcycle Wiring
Wiring A Motorcycle From Scratch
Wiring Through Handlebars
Electrical Wiring For Motorcycles
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CAUTION
If you work on your motorcycle's engine and are unsuccessful, your bike doesn't run. If you work on your motorcycle's brakes and are unsuccessful, your bike doesn't stop.
Working on brake systems is not something to be taken lightly.
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Rebuild Harley Brake Calipers
We all know that one front caliper with one big rotor will out-brake two front calipers with two small rotors. But back in the seventies, they were the best brakes Harley had, and they sure looked cool.
Rebuild Harley Dual Disc Calipers
This article explains how to rebuild 1977 through 1983 Harley dual front calipers.
Click here for Rebuilding 1973 through 1977 Harley single front calipers.
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Harley Brake Master Cylinder
A master cylinder rebuild will involve removing, disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling with new seals.
Rebuild Harley Master Cylinder
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Remove Stuck Brake Piston
When a motorcycle sits for a long time, all kinds of bad things can happen.
Remove Stuck Brake Piston
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Brake Drum and Shoes
Hydra Glide Brake Drum and Shoes Installation
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Norton Commando Caliper Overhaul
This article includes information on how to remove frozen pistons from dual piston calipers.
Commando Brake Caliper Overhaul
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Cylinder Boring and Honing
For the DIYer, boring motorcycle cylinders with a $200 hand-held tool will take much longer than a $5,000 shop machine can do it in. But, whether cylinder boring is done in your home garage or at a machine shop, the results will be as good as the operator.
DIY Motorcycle Cylinder Boring
DIY Motorcycle Cylinder Honing
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Cylinder Head Cleaning and Repair
As an alternative to vapor blasting, cleaning cylinder heads with degreaser and a brass brush will guarantee every inch of the head is gone over. It will take longer than newer, modern methods, but it's cheaper and gets the same results.
Clean Carbon Off Cylinder Heads
How To Measure Valve Guide Wear
If you need valve guides, aftermarket ones are available for most classic bikes. Worn guides are usually pressed out and new ones pressed in.
Remove Valve Guides
Install Valve Guides
How To Lap Valves
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Repair Stripped Threads In Aluminum
There's not too many 50 year-old motorcycle engine cases that don't have a stripped thread or two.
Repair Stripped Threads In Aluminum
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Harley Ironhead and Shovelhead
Remove Harley Sprocket Shaft Bearing
Engine Crankcase Lapping
Lapping the main bearing race in Harley engine cases assures precise alignment of flywheel shafts, allowing maximum power and engine life.
Harley Crankcase Lapping Tool and Usage
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Kawasaki KZ650
Valve clearance, or valve lash, is the distance between the bottom of a cam lobe and the top of the valve followers (commonly called cam buckets on DOHC engines).
Kawasaki KZ650 Check Valve Clearance
Read: KZ650 Adjust Valve Clearance
KZ650 Remove and Install Carburetors
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Welding Projects
For those with welding skills, or if you can drill and cut metal and know someone who can weld it up for you:
Motorcycle Engine Stand
This article shows how to build a Harley Big-Twin/Flathead engine stand.
DIY Harley Engine Stand
Flywheel Truing Stand
A truing stand is a nice luxury, but homemade units work just as well.
DIY Flywheel Truing Stand
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Cracked Cooling Fin Repair
The success of a cooling fin repair will depend on selecting the correct width and grade of metal, cutting and shaping the fin patch to fit, properly welded it in, and then final trimming.
Repair Cracked Cooling Fins
Repair Cracked Engine Cases
Aluminum engine cases can be repaired and made as good as new, provided the repair is done right.
Repair Cracked Cases
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DISCLAIMER: If you're in doubt as to your abilities, consider bringing your bike to a shop or dealership. A well-intentioned DIYer can not only cause harm to the bike, but themselves and others.
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