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Basic Tips For Setting Your Valves Tip #277 from the pages of The Total...
There’s no way to give a step-by-step method for every engine out there, so get your hands on a shop manual. But you’ll need surprisingly few tools for this job, and most of them are inexpensive: some...
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Tie Down Your Motorcycle The Right Way Tip #289 from the pages of The Total...
We bet as many motorcycles are damaged by bad tie-down jobs as are crashed on the road. It’s a tragedy that never needs to happen. Here’s all you need to know. STEP 1 Hook the tie-downs to the...
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Quick Bike Repairs When You’re On The Road Tip #285 from the pages of The...
Bodges. Band-Aid fixes. Field repairs. When your bike breaks and you’re out on the road (or trail) you might not have the tools, parts, or time to fix it correctly. You might just need something that...
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Park Your Streetbike The Right Way Tip #111 from the pages of The Total...
When parking your bike on the street, roll it into the parking space backward, so the rear tire touches the curb. Leave your bike in gear so it doesn’t roll. Doing so is especially important if you...
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3 Tips To Get The Holeshot Every Time Tip #142 from the pages of The Total...
Ever been to a motocross race? The riders line up 20 or more abreast, all waiting for the start gate to drop. At the end of the starting straightaway there’s only room for one rider at the first...
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Explore Baja On Your Bike Tip #210 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling...
A thousand miles (1,600 km) long, stretching from the California border down to Cabo San Lucas, Baja is an incredible place to ride. You can ride pavement down the entire length of the peninsula. But...
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Speed Up Your Pitstop Time Tip #178 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling...
Endurance racers and Baja riders both need to make pit stops in competition. A fast road racing pit stop (two tires, full tank of gas) can be right around ten seconds; a dirtbike pit can take a minute...
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What You Need To Know About Suspension Tip #69 from the pages of The Total...
The job of any suspension is to keep the bumps in the road or trail from upsetting the motorcycle’s chassis, and to keep the tires in contact with the surface. Here are some terms you’re likely to...
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Learn To Change The Jetting On Your Bike Tip #281from the pages of The Total...
Carburetors mix fuel and air in a precise ratio (by weight, about 14 parts air to one part gasoline). The problem comes because there’s less air (by volume) at higher elevations, and because some...
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Keep Warm Riding In The Winter Tip #59 from the pages of The Total...
Who says motorcycles don’t have heaters? Sure they do—as long as you have an electrical system. With the right gear, you don’t have to bundle up like the Michelin Man to keep ahead of Mother Nature....
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Things To Know When Picking A Cruiser Bike Tip #16 from the pages of The...
Be Elvis. Or Brando. Or the Fonz. Whether you’re embracing your inner Easy Rider or just want an easy-riding bike, cruisers are the most popular single class of motorcycles. ENGINE V-Twins are the...
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Gear Up With The Safest Road Armor Tip #37 from the pages of The Total...
Smart riders know the bike is just the start. At bare minimum you’ll also need the following items. HELMET Your head is your most important asset. Find more detail on what to look for in items #40–43....
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Become A Race Mechanic Tip #185 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling Manual
What could be better than exposing yourself to all sorts of poisonous chemicals, working insane hours, sleeping in bedbug-infested hotels while you're out criss-cross the country in the back of a...
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How To Survive Riding In A Crosswind Tip #114 from the pages of The Total...
Few things upset riders as much as riding in a crosswind that pushes them around in a lane. Short of staying home or panicking every time it happens, here’s what to do. HOLD YOUR SPEED It’s tempting...
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Spend A Night Outdoors Tip #130 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling Manual
Run out of gas, stamina, or luck? Here you are after dark, out in the open. Now what? We’ll assume using your cell phone to call for help is not in the cards. So the first thing you need to consider...
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How To Adjust A Spring Tip #246 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling Manual
You usually need to change your preload because you’re adding a passenger, carrying a lot of luggage, or have simply put on weight. If you use all your preload adjustments and still can’t get to the...
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Learn To Plug A Tire Tip #258 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling Manual
How should you repair a tubeless tire when you’re out on the road? First, if the nail or screw is still in the tire, and the leak is slow enough, the best solution may be to simply leave the offending...
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Have Fun Riding In The Snow Tip #115 from the pages of The Total Motorcycling...
Riding in snow is a lot like riding in the rain, at least until the snow really starts to build up. And while rain dampens every road surface, the real danger with snow is ice: It forms in corners...
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Warm Up Your Tires To The Right Temperature Tip #176 from the pages of The...
Motorcycle tires aren’t just rubber—they’re actually a chemically complex combination of materials designed to work best at specific temperatures. What temperatures? Typically around 165º F (74º C)....
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Pack The Right Gear For Your Road Trip Tip #188 from the pages of The Total...
Backpackers and motorcyclists soon learn that, as with so many things in life, less is more. The same goes double when it comes to packing for a trip. Some folks buy giant touring bikes, load them to...
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