Motorcycles

To promote self-expression and customization of its motorcycles, Harley-Davidson has introduced a catalog packed with custom parts. While recent Harley-Davidsons flaunt the company's new...

Better known as the Fatboy, Harley-Davidson's FLSTF softail cruiser has long been a popular choice for bikers who want a ride that's muscular yet comfortable. Regular maintenance is required to...

While the motor is considered the heart and soul of a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle, it relies heavily on the battery to keep that metal heart beating. Powering everything from the lights to...

As a required safety item for road-going motorcycles, the horn is designed to audibly alert other motorists of your presence. As difficult as it already is for drivers to visually detect a...

When riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a comfortable foot position is paramount to a satisfying ride. Changing out your foot pegs can alter where your feet sit, and offer a better position. In...

Over time, a clutch cable stretches and creates excess free play that can interfere with the operation of the clutch. Replacing your motorcycle's clutch cable can seem daunting, but armed with the...

Removing the clutch cable from your motorcycle, either for replacement or maintenance reasons, is a straightforward process. Although there are minor differences in location or arrangement between...

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are built to withstand the stress of long-distance riding. A proper maintenance routine, however, is the key to your motorcycle's continued performance. As with most...

For those of us who ride motorcycles, specifically the recent bikes, we know what a pain it is when you sit at a stoplight for 3 or 4 minutes with your left hand cramping. Most newer models...

Motorcycle transmissions are constant-mesh transmissions. The gear clusters are mounted on parallel shafts in the transmission housing. The shifter mechanism slides these clusters along the...

Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide clutch levers provide considerable mechanical advantage to the rider. Mounted on the left side of the handlebars, it is positioned to be used by the left hand, leaving...

Like most motorcycles, many Kawasaki motorcycles operate on a basic, cable-actuated system to engage and disengage the clutch. This cable system requires a minimum amount of maintenance to provide...

Yamaha's flagship super bike, the YZF-R1, has been tearing up the road and race track since its introduction in 1999. Featuring technology developed for Yamaha's premiere Moto GP race bike, the...

A vital tool in a motorcycle racer or mechanic's arsenal, T-Rex Racing's motorcycle stands are designed to lift the bike either partially or, when used in pairs, completely off of the ground to...

Alleviating the need for extra tools, a motorcycle's center stand allows riders to perform many of the necessary maintenance tasks, including tire changes on either wheel. The center stand once...

Although you may not reed to remove the seat often, many of your Honda Shadow's vital electrical components reside under the seat. Items that may need attention every now and then, such as your...

Harley-Davidson's flagship, the Ultra Classic, has the set the standard for touring motorcycles, providing comfortable ergonomics and protection from the elements with the Ultra Classic's...

Global Positioning System (GPS) units provide useful information to a motorcycle rider. Modern GPS units that are made for road travel come with road maps programmed into them. A series of...

Insurance companies sell wrecked motorcycles to either the brand manufacturer or to junkyards and salvage yards. The companies don't hold on to them to sell the bikes or parts themselves. The...

A motorcycle's headlight makes it visible to other drivers on the road. Also, the headlight enables the rider to see where he is going when traveling after dark. Because of the vulnerability a...

Repo motorcycles, as they're aptly referred to, are a great option for the price-conscious consumer looking to buy his first bike or add to his collection. These motorcycles have been repossessed...

Motorcycle ignition systems are exposed to very harsh operating conditions. Many components are exposed to the elements. High engine temperatures effect the components and cause insulation...

A motorcycle's exhaust system is usually one of the first components that needs to be replaced, with restrictive factory equipment being traded for performance-focused aftermarket parts....

Arai's high-performance motorcycle helmets, such as those in the race-oriented Corsair series, are used by many of the world's fastest racers. These helmets are designed not only with protection...

Providing excellent protection at reasonable prices, HJC has become one of the most popular names in the motorcycle helmet industry. But after many miles on the open road, even the best of helmets...

After a motorcyle battery has been jump-started, a motorcyclist needs to charge the battery to ensure that the bike will start for the next adventure. All this really requires is for the...

Motorcycle headlights are vulnerable to the bumps in the road everyday riding encounters. Adjusting your bike's headlights every time you change the oil will ensure that you are safe at all times....

Motorcycle brakes have evolved significantly over the last few decades. The drum brakes that once ruled the two-wheeled landscape have been replaced by powerful and efficient...

Have you ever noticed the string of numbers and letters printed on the side of your Honda CBR, Valkyrie, or Shadow and wondered what they meant? Likened to the DNA of the motorcycle, these...

Yamaha's YZF-R1 has been the marque's flagship superbike since its industry-shaking introduction in 1999. Powered by a 998cc inline-four cylinder motor packaged in a nimble frame, the "R1"...

Suzuki motorcycles play a variety of roles, from conquering racetracks to following trails. As the sun fades and the miles of highway lead home, you must tend to the motorcycle's needs. ...

Wear and tear is the motorcycle's worst enemy, affecting both large and small components. Brake pads and spark plugs are among the most commonly replaced wear and tear items, but over time the...

In the U.S., motorcycles are often viewed as recreational vehicles that are ridden on fair weather days. For the rest of the year, many of these two-wheeled steeds find themselves parked in a...

When you buy a used motorcycle, you cant always choose every detail that comes with the deal. But why pass up a great deal when you could easily fix the small detail that turned you away in the...

If you're wearing your motorcycle helmet too tight, you are inviting hair loss. Regularly wearing the helmet too tight can cause physical trauma to the scalp. Over time, the repeated rubbing of...

Honda's venerable Shadow cruiser lives for long stretches of highway but rolls out the factory ill-equipped when it comes to storage. The answer to this problem is found in an age-old solution...

KLR bikes are dual-purpose motorcycles created by Kawasaki to appeal to a wide variety of consumers interested in having a bike that can be used for both transportation and recreation. While...

If you are new to the world of motorcycles, overcoming the initial fear of riding such a small and vulnerable vehicle can be difficult. This is also often the case with experienced riders who have...

Motorcycle carburetor jets are tubes with a small orifice drilled through them. These orifices deliver precisely metered fuel to the carburetor. The jets are brass and do not rust, but rust in the...

Motorcycle engines rely on three different ingredients to create combustion: air, fuel and spark. If any of these factors are missing, combustion will not occur, leaving your motorcycle...

When your motorcycle breaks down, you might need to transport it upright in the bed of a pickup truck. To keep the bike from moving around and being damaged, you need to know how to strap it down....

Harley-Davidson has been making motorcycles for more than 100 years, and racing has been part of that heritage since 1905. Harley-Davidson's line of Screamin' Eagle (or Screaming Eagle) engine...

Helmets are required on young motorcycle riders in all states except Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A full-faced helmet offers the most...

Motorcycle cylinder honing is as much art as it is science. Subtle variations of the standard honing technique allow the mechanic to remove material from the cylinder bore to straighten or "true"...

After an accident on your Honda motorcycle, one of the most likely things to become dented or damaged is the gas tank. Removing the gas tank isn't as hard as it looks. The gas tank has a gas pump...

Over time the gas tank on your Harley-Davidson may become corroded or dirty, and you must disconnect and remove it in order to install a new tank or to have the old tank professionally cleaned. A...

Carburetor issues are one of the most common and vexing aspects of owning a motorcycle. All those tiny jets, needles and ports seem daunting from the outside. But once you bury your fingers in a...

When choosing a motorcycle helmet, safety should be one of your primary concerns. Half helmets are one option, but do not offer the safety and protection that a full-face helmet does in the event...

When it comes to removal, Harley-Davidson windshields fall into one of two categories: quick-release and permanent. While quick-release models allow riders to select the windshield best-suited for...

Modern Harley Davidson motorcycles rely on many components to provide the style and performance demanded by motorcyclists. While the big V-twin motors have no problem bringing the bike up to...