Yamaha V-Max and V-4 Valve Clearance
The Yamaha V-Max showed up in 1985 and ran for more than 20 years in its first generation form. Derivatives of this V-4 engine were also used in the Venture, Venture Royale and Royal Star models. The firing order of this engine is cylinder: #1 (0°), #3 (180°), #2 (430°), #4 (610°). There is a
Adventure Bike Shock Service
Adventure bikes rack up hard miles. The shocks on these bikes are especially prone to wear and deterioration by how they are used and their construction. We stopped in at Cogent Dynamics and learned about shock service and improvement from owner and suspension specialist Rick Tannenbaum. Our guinea pig is the KYB shock on the
Setting Up Customers’ Sport Bikes for Track Days
Sport bikes are so fast it is hard to enjoy them on the street without danger to life and license. Taking them to the race track allows the rider to enjoy the upper end of their performance envelop in a controlled environment free of slow cars, double yellow lines and speed limits.
Technical Training Opportunities
The end of winter is in sight. To be clear, I’m talking about spring coming not the international scientific consensus on human influenced climate change and record high temperatures this past season. Anyway, service business is going to be booming with the warmer weather. This is a great time for technicians to catch up on
Yamaha Dry Sump Maintenance Tips
Many Yamaha sport quads use a dry sump oil system. A dry sump system stores engine oil in a remote oil tank instead of a deep crankcase oil sump in a wet sump engine. This makes the crankcase smaller and allows for the engine to be mounted lower in the frame. The disadvantage is a
Harley-Davidson Spring Plate, AKA The ‘Grenade Plate’
A grenade plate sounds like a piece of military equipment used to upgrade the armor of a vehicle or fit a grenade launcher to a rifle. Unfortunately this has become the nickname for a component found in the clutch pack of some of the most popular motorcycles on the road. The spring plate in the
Mechanical and Hydraulic Linked Brakes
Linked braking systems on motorcycles and scooters have become more common over the years. Hydraulic systems use proportioning valves, delay valves, and multiple master cylinders to combine the activation of the front and rear brakes in a smooth and logical fashion. Mechanical brake systems use equalizer junctions to link up the cables for the front
Hydraulic Tappets
1. Hydraulic tappets are used to eliminate or reduce the need for valve clearance adjustment. An engine without hydraulic tappets must have a gap between the tappet and valve or tappet and camshaft to allow for the change in clearance as the engine components heat up. If this clearance is too small the valve may hang
Torque Specifications
1. Tightening fasteners correctly is key in mechanical work. Most folks are familiar with torque specifications as the common form of estimating fastener tension by how much force it takes to rotate the component. The fastener tension can vary at an identical torque spec under different conditions, and it is the tension that matters. 2. The
Dual Sport Maintenance
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]otorcyclists will take the road less traveled to find a compelling ride free of the four and 18-wheeled tortoises that clog the pavement. Dual sport riders know that dirt and gravel roads are often sparsely used and are a great way to make a journey more interesting. Dual sport motorcycles are as popular as ever.
Big News From Big Buck!
In early June, Yamaha assembled the media in South Carolina for the unveiling of its 2017 ATV/UTV product lines.
Valve Clearance Adjustment for Kawasaki Ninja Models
The Kawasaki Ninja bikes are reliable and easy to service, but there are some differences over the years.
