by Lee Meyer |
|
When
M.M.M. approached me about writing a tech column for their
new newspaper, I thought it would be a great way to get some
basic and some not so basic service and technical info to
the riding public. Considering the large number of riders in
this part of the country and how the bikes that come into my
shop generally look, I knew there was a need. So here we are
at issue No. 1. Let's start with
who I am. My name is Lee Meyer, and I live in South
Minneapolis. I trained as an automotive driveline tech. I
became sick to death of working on cars about four and a
half years ago, so I decided to do what I like to do for a
living--play with motorcycles all day. I am a horsepower
junkie and an acceleration freak. I've never been able to
stay away from the dragstrip very long. The results of my
summer adventures there will be the topic of many articles
to come. Even though I have considerable experience behind
the wheel of a car at the strip, I'm pretty much an amateur
dragging a bike. This summer I will be taking my own
personal test mule, a 1993 Kawasaki ZX-11D, to the strip to
see what Mr. Ordinary can do against the pros. Along the way
(if we are lucky), I may be able to convince my friend to
pull his 200+ horsepower GS 1150ES Suzuki out of his garage
for a few torture runs. I would like to
cover many other topics in the coming issues from small tech
tips to major projects. I will include tips for sport bikes,
cruisers, standards and even a classic Norton or T-140. This
month let's talk about a couple of small things that are not
so small in importance. I can't believe
how often motorcyclists neglect chain adjustment. There are
two things to look at here: sprocket alignment and
tension. The alignment
marks on the adjusters should only be used as a rough guide.
These things are not micrometer accurate. Even Kawasaki's
cool adjusters on my ZX-11 are a notch off. Check the
alignment with the bike on the center stand and the chain
guard removed. With the transmission in neutral, spin the
rear tire by hand. Stop the tire, and notice where the chain
is riding on the sprocket teeth. Those teeth should be
riding right in the middle of that chain. Adjust one side or
the other and spin the tire after each adjustment, until you
get it right. Now you can adjust
the tension. Set the tension by turning both adjusters
equally one-quarter or one-half turn. Check for slack in the
middle of the bottom half of the chain. Three-quarters to
one inch of slack is about right when the bike is on the
ground. Check your bike's manual, as different makes and
models vary slightly. Make a final check with the bike on
the ground and you sitting on it. Reach down with a long
screwdriver or the like to make sure the chain didn't
tighten up too much with your weight on it. If you are
uncomfortable doing this for fear of falling over, have a
friend check it while you sit. Now that it is
finally summer, everyone wants to buy a bike. Do yourself a
favor, and have the bike checked out by a reputable shop
BEFORE you buy. A minimal cost of twenty to fifty dollars
could save you hundreds in potential repair costs. NEVER buy
a non-running bike that "just needs a battery and a
tune-up." That bike probably needs $1,000 worth of work and
parts. OUCH! If it does not run, but you insist on giving
yourself a first-class skull ache, don't pay more than scrap
price for it. Your wallet will recover much quicker if the
thing can be junked for close to what you paid for
it. That will do it
for this month. Next month, I'll be going over some pipe and
jet kit info that might help you make the right choice for
your machine. If you have a particular problem that has been
tying your undies in a knot, drop me a line, and I will do
my best to get you the information you need to solve it.
Until next month, the Doctor is in. -Doc M.M.M.
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