CHAIN ADJUSTMENTS

Maintain proper chain adjustment. Running a chain too loose can cause damage to frame or engine cases if it rubs. Running it too tight can cause pre-mature failure of engine, transmission or wheel bearings. Improper adjustment either way will shorten the life of your chain and/or sprockets.

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HANDGRIP INSTALLATION

Use Griplock when installing new handgrips. A handgrip pulling off during hard acceleration can have catastrophic results. We sell THREEBOND grip lock.

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FENDER INSTALLATION

Install your fenders before you paint them. That way you will have all the holes drilled, brackets mounted, etc. Then take it back off and paint it. There's much less of a chance ruining new paint that way.

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REAR CHAIN REPLACEMENT

Here's a quick easy way to change your rear drive chain. First loosen the axle nut, brake stay, and both chain adjusters, then slide the whole rear wheel assembly as far forward as possible. Next turn the wheel until the master link is located at about 3:00 o clock (9:00 o'clock on Sportsters) remove the master link and let the bottom side of the chain drop, put the master link back into the top half of the old chain that is still draped over the top of the sprocket, hook the new chain onto the other side of the master link, put the bike in neutral, then using the bottom part of the old chain, simply pull the new chain through. Replace the master link. Remember, the open end of the clip goes away from the direction of travel. Re-adjust the chain tension and your set to go. Don't forget to re-tighten the axle nut and brake stay.
 

SOLDERING

Solder all connections. It really does make a difference. Even if you use crimp connectors (we don't recommend), solder them after crimping. Better yet, go to radio shack, buy a bag of solder connectors. Sears sells good solder guns. Make sure you buy ELECTRICAL solder.

 

WHEEL LACING

If you are planning to lace your wheels yourself, make end view drawing of the wheels and hub, then measure and record the offset of each side of the wheel BEFORE you dismantle it. Also set the wheel up in the frame and make sure it is right before you make your measurements.

TIRES/TUBES/WHEELS

When replacing tires on your motorcycle, try not to fall into the "bigger is better" line of thinking, it is not necessarily so.. This is especially true when it comes to putting 16" wheels on the back of British Bikes. There is not enough room for a 130/90-16 tire... No matter how many times you have seen it done or who tells you that it can be done, there is no way to do it right.. There simply is not enough room for the big tire between the center line of the drive sprockets and the edge of the tire.. If you offset the wheel to the right so the tire clears the chain, the front and rear wheel will no longer be in line with each other and the bike will not track right...If you offset the rim to the right, the same thing will happen... If you space the sprocket to the left the front and rear sprockets will be out of line and the chain will bind... If you feel that you have to have a larger tire on the back, play it safe and do not use a tire any larger than what will fit without modifying the original rim spacing or wheel spacing....If you are running a 16" rear, use an Avon MKII Speedmaster....They look massive, but are actually narrow enough to clear the chain on a wheel with the stock offset...

While on the subject of wheel alignment, a quick easy way to check wheel alignment is to use an 8foot fluorescent light bulb....With the bike standing straight up, and the wheel pointed straight ahead, lay the bulb so one end contacts the rear tire at 5:00 O'clock and 7:00 O'clock and the other end of the bulb passes by the front wheel....Measure the gap at the same points on the front wheel between the tire and the bulb.....
Move to the other side of the bike and do the same thing...A bike that is properly aligned will measure the same at all four points on the front wheel....This will also immediately show a wheel that is not spaced right or has been trued off center...When re-truing or re-centering a wheel, avoid the temptation to do it with the tire still mounted... A half turn or so on a couple of nipples may not hurt, but if you have to change the rim to hub offset or are trying to correct a badly out of true wheel, you should remove the tire so that you can grind down any part of the spoke that protrudes through the nipple on the inside of the rim...Failure to do so could result in a punctured tube... If you can't get a rim strip, duct tape will work as an emergency measure, but try not to get any folds or creases in it when you put it on, and by all means replace it with a new rim strip as soon as possible.. Be careful when using heavy bulky aftermarket valve caps..  Make sure that there is more than enough clearance between the valve cap and all fixed components.. The weight of the valve cap when combined with centrifugal force created by the spinning wheel will result in the valve stem moving toward the outside of the rim at speed... A minimal amount of clearance while sitting still may result in a valve stem getting sheared off at high speed when the valve stem moves and the valve cap contacts the chain or a caliper bracket or something similar..
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