Motorcycle Technical Articles
1157 and 1156 Light Bulb Comparison
1157 and 1156 Motorcycle Light Bulbs There are several motorcycle tail light and brake light bulb types which are interchangeable. Note that these are bulbs that have a low/high filament; i.e., one filament is “on” all the time as the running light, and the other filament comes on as the brake light. If your motorcycle …
Installing a Signal Dynamics LED Brake Light Bar: Triumph Thunderbird Sport
Installing a Signal Dynamics LED Brake Light Bar: Triumph Thunderbird Sport Information about the Signal Dynamics LED Brake Light Bar was covered in a previous webBikeWorld article “Improving Brake Light Visibility on a BMW K75“. This article addresses the installation of that same unit on a Triumph Thunderbird Sport. There were a few tricks to this …
LED Motorcycle Brake Lights
The Signal Dynamics LED Motorcycle Brake Light Bar Improving the brake light visibility of motorcycle brake lights is important. I recently installed a “Signal Dynamics” LED motorcycle brake light bar on my BMW K75. And I also added a pair of “Life Brite” LED motorcycle brake light flashers above the license plate at the rear. …
Motorcycle Fork Oil Change
Motorcycle Fork Oil Change I had some problems with my Triumph Thunderbird Sport motorcycle front suspension. These problems are described in “Part I” of this saga: “Motorcycle Front Tire Change – Triumph Thunderbird Sport“. To recap, I noticed that the front end of the motorcycle had a repetitive bouncing motion that I just couldn’t get rid …
Triumph Thunderbird Sport Oil and Filter Change
TBS Oil Change Notes I’ve changed the oil in may motorcycles, but the first oil change in the Triumph Thunderbird Sport was a real adventure! I felt like a rookie again. Changing the oil and filter in a motorcycle shouldn’t be this hard. Here are some observations and tips that may help owners of the …
Re-Spoke Motorcycle Wheels
Adventures in Motorcycle Wheel Re-Spoking With a Suzuki DRZ400S This is not intended as a complete “how to” article on re-spoking a motorcycle wheel. Instead, the intention is to relate the problems I encountered along the way when I recently re-spoked a set of wheels for a Suzuki DRZ400S. Perhaps some webBikeWorld readers will benefit …
Re-Building and Lacing Spoked Wheels
New Wheels, Just Like Magic Rebuilding spoke wheels is one of the rights of passage in the “custovation”* of an old bike. That convoluted three-dimensional puzzle with an alloy hub at the center of a spider web of steel, wrapped in a rubber donut, is not as intimidating as some think. I admit, my first …
Triumph Motorcycle Repair and Maintenance
Triumph: See the complete listing of all wBW Technical and Maintenance Articles | Visit the wBW Triumph Thunderbird Sport Page for more information and maintenance articles wBW Triumph and Thunderbird Sport Repair and Maintenance Articles Removing the plastic gas tank on a Triumph Tiger Triumph Tiger Chain Adjustment Raising the fork tubes changes the geometry of the motorcycle’s front end and can quicken the …
Battery Tender SAE Harness Installation
Installing a Battery Tender SAE Harness on a Motorcycle Installing a Battery Tender wiring harness on a motorcycle may seem like such a basic idea that it’s not even worth writing about. But, you never know…and new riders are coming in to the sport all the time (we hope), so why not post a quick …
Suzuki DR-Z400S Clock Repair
Repairing the Digital Clock – DR-Z400S The Suzuki DR-Z400S clock is part of the electronic dashboard display. Apparently, the clock can go bad while the rest of the display still functions. A completely new digital instrument cluster will cost plenty, but it’s possible to fix the clock. Here’s how I did it. Regular webBikeWorld visitors …
BMW Scooter Paint Protection
Adding Paint Protection Film to the BMW C 650 GT One of the advantages of a scooter is the open center section “step through” design. But I quickly noticed that the bottom of my right boot would rub against the paint if I wasn’t careful. 3M Scotchcal to the rescue! This paint protection film does …
BMW Scooter Coolant Level Check
Checking the Coolant Level on the BMW C 650 GT Here’s another quickie: checking the coolant level on the BMW scooters. The coolant level indicator is located on the lower right-hand side of the scooter, just below the right foot rest. It’s not easy to see without getting down on your hands and knees. The …
BMW Scooter Maintenance Schedule
BMW C-Series Scooter Maintenance Several readers have asked about the maintenance schedule for the new BMW scooters. So far, my only answer is “I wish I knew”. The BMW C-series scooter owner’s manual has next to nothing on this subject. Apparently, they want the dealership to do all the maintenance work. I don’t know for …
Ducati GT1000 Fuel Line Recall Fix and Fuel Filter Replacement
GT100 Fuel Filter Fix The Ducati GT1000 was recalled for a loose fuel line hose clamp. Here’s how to do it yourself. Like many other GT1000 owners, I received the official recall notice from Ducati last week. But also like many other Ducati owners, the closest “local” dealer is 30-odd miles away. I’m lucky actually; …
Ducati Limited Edition Paul Smart Print
July 12, 2006 – Ducati has announced the availability of a limited edition, fine art print of Paul Smart on a Ducati at Imola in 1972. Why Imola in 1972? This setting and date are engraved Ducati’s racing heritage. When Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari came first and second in the inaugural 200-mile race, the …
Triumph Thunderbird Sport Coolant Change
Coolant Change on the Thunderbird Sport It seems that the Thunderbird Sport is turning out to be a pretty easy bike to work on. Routine maintenance, so far, has been straightforward. The “nakedness” of the bike helps — you don’t have to peel off layers of fairing before you can start the task you set …
BMW Boxer Cup
UPDATE: BMW Announces End of Boxer Cup! Say it isn’t so…! More: 2003 BMW Boxer Cup race series to be re-broadcast on Speed Channel in the U.S.A. | wBW BMW Motorcycle Page August 17, 2004 – BMW Motorcycles announced today that 2004 will be the last season “for the time being” for the successful Brand Cup with the BMW …
Moto Guzzi V11 Bassa Fuel Filter Replacement
How to Replace the Fuel Filter on a Moto Guzzi V11 As noted by several others, changing the fuel filter on a Bassa (I expect on an V11EV or Jackal, too) is a bit of a PITA. So I thought I’d pass along several tips in the interest of minimizing the pain. Taking everything apart …
