General Mechanical
Tech Question & Answer
My dilemma is this, you buy a bike – it’s great – you’re a fairly competent rider – why are guys on lesser machines beating me down the trail? Why are they not struggling against their bike like I am? As I get older I realize that it’s not the $2000 in mods to get…
Read MoreSpring Season Preparation
As I write this, spring is in the air. Although the nights are still -2 below zero in our neck of the woods, it gets up to a balmy 10 degrees above during the day. So, I figured that it was high time I lifted the snow shovels off my bike and get her ready…
Read MoreTech Question & Answer
Hello John, in previous race prep article you wrote, you mentioned that machining the head on a four stroke engine doesn’t tighten the squish….. – Billy Rae Thank you Billy Rae for writing in. Let me expand a bit. A two stroke piston top is perfectly smooth and of course, an almost perfect circle. Its…
Read MoreTech Question & Answer
We have a few questions we can address this week. John, last fall I did a Turn 2 track day at Calabogie on my Street Triple. During the inspection, I mentioned to you that I found the bike turned too quick, almost “falling in”. You suggested I lower the forks (raise the front) a bit,…
Read MoreData Acquisition on a Motorcycle… What is it exactly and What is it used for? What things are being monitored?
Sean writes: What can you tell me about data acquisition on a WSB or Moto GP bike, what are they reading, how does that information benefit them? Data acquisition as the name applies is all about information gathering. Race Technicians and tuners have always had the challenge of trying to make educated changes on a…
Read MoreWhat is a Slipper Clutch?
We discuss how a basic Motorcycle clutch is assembled and how it operates. This is the first article before discussing Slipper Clutches I was recently asked about Slipper clutches, or back torque limiting clutches to be exact. The person asking was pondering the best location for his limited budget and trying to decide whether a…
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