Today's training tip is ride with a 50 pound pack on your back for 3 months. Then, go for a ride without the pack. You'll be amazed with how much faster you are.

Aligning motorcycle wheels when adjusting the chain is simpler than it sounds.  All you need is a string that is about three times longer than the wheelbase and two weights to hold the string tight.  In my case I've used two old cam belt bearings from my Impreza.  I have yet to see a swingarm that has accurate chain adjustment marks.  The wheel always ends up being skewed to one side.  The good thing about motorcycles is that even if the rear wheel is not perfectly in line with the front wheel, it'll still be rideable.  The difference having good alignment makes is longer tire life as well as a decreased tendency to exhibit head shake.  You may also notice on some bikes that you feel more comfortable making left turns than right turns or vice versa, and can't quit firgure out why.  It could be rear wheel alignment.  Left and right turns will "feel" different if the rear wheel is tracking off to one side. 

First, get the motorcycle to stand up as straight as it can.  Put spacers under the kickstand, or put it up on the center stand, or track stands.  Now, tie your weights to the end of the string.  Next, take your string and fold it in half to find the center point.  Tape it to the rear tire at a height that will allow it to clear everything under the motorcyle.. exhaust, saddle bags.. etc. when pulled directly forward towards the front tire.

I got a new WR450 so I decided to convert my still strong running DRZ400 into a supermoto machine. 

The Yamaha WRs of recent years have come fairly well corked up from the factory.  I rode the machine around for a few weeks during break in while it was corked up.  It's rideable in that configuration, however it feels like an air cooled XR250 with a really light flywheel.  And it feels like it only revs to 6 grand.  I couldn't wait to get it uncorked.  I wish Yamaha would see fit to release multi state versions so we wouldn't have to uncork them.  Plugging up the exhaust, limiting throttle travel and restricting airbox flow as well as including some kind of smog pump are measures Yamaha has taken to make this bike green sticker legal.  

Alrighty then.. let's release the hounds.

Ok.. motorcycling is dangerous.. You learn to ride at your own peril.  If you read this, do what I say, and get hurt.. that's your fault.  I'm only imparting what works for me. 

Now that you know how to work the clutch and are hopefully able to creep around the parking lot at a crawl, it's time to add a little adrenaline to the mix.  We'll cover accelerating, gear changes and braking. 

Ok.. motorcycling is dangerous.. You learn to ride at your own peril.  If you read this, do what I say, and get hurt.. that's your fault.  I'm only imparting what works for me.

So you still want to learn to ride. You've accepted the danger involved and want to give it a shot. You'll need some basic skills. The most important skill is stopping. But, you obviously can't stop till you get moving. So the first order of business is to get you moving. Things like this are best taught by a tutor on the spot, however, reading it here first will let you get the process in your mind and give you something to think about till you actually get in the saddle.

So you want to learn to ride? Do yourself a favor. Don't!!! What!? Yeah, don't learn.  Do yourself a favor and stay away from bikes.  Bikes are dangerous.  You'll fall and get hurt.  You may even get killed.  Those of us that ride and have ridden for a long time, know people that have crashed bad, been maimed or even killed from crashing.  So, ask yourself how bad you want to ride.  Are you prepared to be maimed, crippled for life or even die?  Can you live without?  Is the risk worth it to you?  Many people simply see a bike and see the people riding them and think it would be something cool to do.  Don't be one of them.  Think it through.  Imagine in your head what it would be like to live in a wheel chair, or worse be trapped inside a body that simply doesn't respond.  Imagine what those you leave behind will go through if you die. I use to urge and encourage everyone to ride.  Not any more.  Not only will operator error get you maimed or killed, but debris and other motorists may just as easily do you in. Oh, and you if you can't ride a bicycle.. don't try riding a motorcycle... seriously, ride a bicycle first. Yeah.. you laugh, but you'd be amazed.  Now.. still want to ride?  Read on then.

Suspension is obviously an important part of a motorcycle. It's an even more important part on an offroad machine. Proper setup can greatly increase your ability to control your machine. There are several basic concepts that should be understood before digging deeper into the mysteries of your suspension.

One of easiest ways to get power out a bike is to open up the restrictive stock exhaust and intake. The Honda Shadow 1100 is no exception. In fact Kerkers, a K&N and a jet kit will make this bike much more fun to ride and smooth out the throttle response so much that you'll think it's a new bike. 

The Suzuki SV650 is probably one of ths most fun machines you can buy. They are relatively cheap and the word entry level comes to mind. But they are much better than a normal "entry level" street machine that comes to mind when when using that term. They have an incredibley strong frame for their displacement, the engine is bullet proof and makes excellent power for a 650 vtwin.

The shop manual tells you to remove the fork legs to pack your steering head bearings. But what do they know? Ok Ok, they know a lot, but that doesn't mean you can't take a shortcut here and there. If you know your bearings are in decent shape, theres no reason to go through all the hassle of removing the fork legs. Simply start by removing the top triple clamp pinch bolts that hold the legs on.

First we'll have a little disclaimer. If you work on your own equipment, you are responsible for it. Don't come whining to me if you break something. If you aren't comfortable with your mechanical skills, then don't practice on your motorcycle... practice on somebody else's. (just kidding)

Superwool is a calcium-magnesium-silicate insulation material that is similar to fiberglass. Most fiberglass will melt at 700 degrees Celsius. Superwool is rated to 1300 degrees Celsius. Fiberglass also tends to shrink and become brittle at higher temperatures. Superwool is however not specifically designed for use in glass pack exhaust systems. Well, we'll see about that. I've decided to pack the exhaust can of my RC51 and see how it holds up. When working with superwool or even fiberglass it's a good idea to protect yourself from the fibers. They can scratch your eyes, and get embedded in the lining of your lungs. That can suck.