Tech Tips
This section describes the Tech Tips articles from previous issues. If you would like to order the
magazine in which an article appeared, please fill out
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February 2012 GPS Buyer's Guide
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are a boon to motorcyclists. By delivering spoken turn-by-turn directions, helping return you to your route if you stray, and providing traffic information and the location of the nearest gas station, a GPS can make your ride safer and more stress-free. Rather than hassle with huge paper maps or trying to read tiny written directions while riding, a GPS can display a moving map and advise how far it is until the next turn. It's also handy for providing average speed, ETA, distance remaining, and recording your route for sharing or future reference…
December 2011 DIY: Upgrading Your Bike's Suspension
High-quality motorcycle suspension components are expensive, and for the most part you can't see these costly internal bits when new bikes are displayed in the showroom. As a result, many manufacturers choose to save some money and cut costs on these important chassis items, including forks and rear shocks…
October 2011 Five Questions About Batteries, Engines, and Tires
1. Is it possible to jump start a bike from a car? If so, are there any special precautions?…
August 2011 Do It Yourself: Installing Powerlet's RAM Mount and Luggage Electrix Kit
Folks depend on outlets in their cars and homes to power a slew of electronic devices for their plugged-in lives. Yet most motorcycles aren't equipped to power up anything as they come from the factory. What to do? I decided to outfit my Kawasaki KLR650, which is set up as an adventure-touring machine, with some outlets and electronic devices. I chose Powerlet products because of the company's reputation for rugged well-engineered mobile electrical components designed for harsh conditions. Powerlet offers a line of power-outlet kits, power cables, connectors, fuse holders, mini-USB cable, fuse blocks, terminal connections mounting systems, tools, and other electrical devices engineered to work together…
July 2011 Keep Your Motor Humming with a Tune Up
Summer is prime riding time, but perhaps your beloved motorcycle isn't running its best or is simply due for a service. If you are feeling the pinch of the recession like so many of us, perhaps you'd like to save a few bucks but still make your engine purr like it used to. Depending on your do-it-yourself skills, you might take on the whole job or certain parts which are within your skill set and confidence level. If you're fortunate enough to have a friend who is a good mechanic, you may want to think of some kind of bribe—I mean incentive—that will encourage your buddy to come over and lend a hand…
June 2011 Ten More Technical Questions Answered
1. I am pretty new to working on my own bike. Are there certain areas of my bike I should leave to the pros until I get more experience?…
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