Repairs Archives - Page 2 of 2

How to Remove and Replace a Motorcycle Battery

May 9, 2018 by Margaret Filed Under: Maintenance, Repairs

Every motorcycle owner should learn some basic motorcycle maintenance. I think replacing a motorcycle battery is both an easy and important job to be able to do. Just like any other vehicle, a motorcycle will need a fresh battery at some point. Even using a battery tender we have to replace our batteries every two years. Being able to replace it yourself will save you time and money.

Removing a battery is a pretty simple process on a motorcycle, but it can vary from bike to bike so always check your service manual. [Read more…]

Drive Belt Replacement On A Harley Davidson Touring Model

September 17, 2017 by Margaret Filed Under: Maintenance, Repairs

A Tiny Rock and A Broken Belt

Who knew a tiny rock could lead to so much work! Last month Scott and I had his bike tore down to replace his rear tire, at that time he checked the rear sprocket and the drive belt. Everything looked fine. Fast forward one week and he notices his battery tender had gone out. He rides up to our local dealership to buy a new one and at some point, a rock gets between the rear sprocket and the drive-belt and caused a break in his drive belt. Thankfully the belt didn’t completely break on him!

Replacing the drive belt is a major job and the dealership charges a lot of labor for the repair. As with most maintenance and repair jobs, we decided to perform the work. It took us 10 hours to do the repair and record the process. I should note I record, take photos and assist as needed, Scott does all the actual mechanical work. As always, I learned a few things and got to take lots of pictures! This was the first time I got to see what the inside of the primary looked like! Scott knows how weird I am about that sort of thing so he paused during the work so I could take pictures.

Drive Belt Replacement On A Harley Davidson Touring Model

Scott broke the process up into several videos and placed them in the above playlist. You can find a tool and supply list along with detailed instructions over on his blog, Ride It Wrench It. Like I mentioned, this is a full day of work so plan on getting everything ready at least a day or two before you plan to do the work. Also, make sure you have the service manual for your motorcycle.

How To Lubricate Steering Head Bearings on a Harley Davidson

July 14, 2014 by Margaret Filed Under: Maintenance, Repairs, Safety

This weekend we decided not to take a ride. Scott and I both wanted to work on the Blue Ridge Parkway videos and pictures, work on our blog post, do some quick motorcycle maintenance and go to our HOG chapters skills day.

I decided that since the steering head bearing lubrication is quick and easy it would be a great place for me to start with my own set of maintenance videos. I do not have a background in mechanics so if I can do this you can do it!

I didn’t get a clip of us loading the grease gun because Scott had just finished using it on his. It isn’t hard to load but you can cause a gap in the line and have to pump some out each time you load it. The above picture is a close up of the grease.

The only two things you’re going to need for this maintenance procedure is a 14oz Grease Gun. You can purchase one from Amazon for less than $20. Auto repair shops and places like Nothern Tools also carry them. You won’t need any special adapters or extenders, the basic grease gun right out of the box works just fine. The other thing you’re going to need to get is the grease. Head to your local dealership’s parts counter and tell them what you’re doing. Harley has a special purpose grease that is formulated for higher temperatures before it liquefies. Using this grease is important because if you just pick up some bearing grease at Autozone the breakdown temperature may not be as high and if it’s hot outside and/or you’re doing a lot of maneuvers (skills day, competition, etc.) the grease could literally seep out of the bottom of the steering head and begin to leave the bearings without lubrication. It’s not expensive at the dealership and it’s approved by Harley for this purpose. I am sure that the same is true for other motorcycle manufactures. If in doubt check with your owners manual or ask at your dealership.

Once you have your grease gun and grease you are ready to. I hope you find the video helpful. Be sure to click the subscribe button!

Button Removal and Replacement on Leather

April 2, 2014 by Margaret Filed Under: DIY Projects, Gearing Up, Repairs

For the last month or so my husband has been having a problem with the snaps on the leather vest he wears while riding his motorcycle. In windy conditions the vest was often forced open because the inner spring inside the snap was no longer secure. Can you imagine riding down the road with a piece of leather flapping behind you, not enjoyable.

We considered a few different options including just replacing the vest but finally settled on replacing the snaps. I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to remove the old snaps but considering a dry cleaner charges $25 per snap I figured we should give it shot! Not to mention the fact that Scott’s vest is full of patches and most have meaning behind them. We knew we could remove the patches but once you do they don’t look right when placed on another item. The other reason was his vest is worn in and comfortable, something that doesn’t happen overnight with leather.

The first thing we had to do was locate the buttons. He has buffalo nickel buttons and he wanted to keep the same style. I found several places online to order them from including one that is local, Tandy Leather. We gave them a call and found out they keep those particular ones in stock, score! We also had to purchase a punch set tool and anvil.

Supplies and Tools Needed:

Snaps
Snap Tool and Anvil
3M Rubber Tape
Rubber Mallet
Drill with a metal drill bit

The video will show you how to to remove the old snap and then how to replace it with new ones. The steps are the same regardless of the snap style or what you are putting them on. If you are replacing them on light weight fabric you may find it easier to use the Dritz Heavy Duty Snap Fastener Plier Kit.

If you are unable to view the embedded video, you can click here to watch >> Replacing the Snaps on a Leather Vest << on YouTube.

Was replacing them the right choice? Well, the buttons were $3 each, we needed 4 and the punch tool and anvil was $6. For $18 dollars plus tax we were able to purchase everything needed, compare that to around $120-$200 for a new vest. It only took about 20 minutes for all 4 snaps and we learned something new. Oh, and Scott got to keep his broken in vest so yeah I would say it was worth it.

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