Floribama Riders

 

 

Motorcycle breakdowns happen to all motorcyclists but especially those of us who embark on long journeys and rack up the miles. This guide will help you anticipate the most common mishaps. For each type of breakdown, we show you:

 

 

Hopefully, this information will help you remain safer on the road. Keep the rubber side down!

 

 

Running out of petrol is the most preventable breakdown, and thankfully, the easiest one to fix. You'll probably notice the motor sputtering and stalling partially before it gives up entirely.

 

Note that running out of fuel will sometimes feel similar to a low battery situation. Check the level by opening the fuel cap and moving the bike from side to side. Even an "empty" fuel tank will retain some petrol, but you'll notice the lack of liquid and hollow sound of a low tank. Try starting the bike to see if it has enough of an electric charge to turn over forcefully.

 

Ideally, you will be carrying two cheap and small items that can save you a long walk to the petrol station: a vinyl tube and an empty water bottle. You'll use the tube to siphon fuel from the gas tank of a passerby or riding buddy.

 

Ensure one end of the tube is immersed in the fuel tank of the donor vehicle. Suck on the other end of the tube to start the siphoning process. Be prepared to move quickly because you'll probably get some fuel in your mouth. This tastes horrible and will give you cancer if you do it too often. Transfer the tube quickly into your bottle, and place the bottle lower than the fuel in the donor vehicle to facilitate the siphoning. After the bottle is full, pour it into your tank, and ride to a petrol station.

 

A six-foot length of clear vinyl hose measuring 3/8" outer diameter and 1/4" inner diameter will work best for motorcycling. The size is smaller than your pinky finger, definitely smaller than a garden hose, and you can find it at any hardware store. The hose fits in a neat circle in the bottom of your tank bag. You can also buy similar tubes specifically built for siphoning with a bulb in the middle. Squeeze the bulb to generate suction, rather than sucking petrol with your lips. This tool is a bargain at a cost of roughly $5 USD. Whether you go the tough-guy route or buy the bulb rig, practice siphoning at home with water. The real stuff is cancerous and will eat up your bike's paint if you spill it.

 

Some long distance riders will carry spare fuel on the bike and even hook a reserve tank into the main fuel system. Building a reserve tank is beyond the scope of this brochure, but if you carry spare fuel, ensure you use a container that's designed for the task. Fuel expands and contracts with heat, and it will leak out of a water bottle during a long day's ride.

 

 

If you ride on long tours for any length of time, you will experience a flat tire. Thankfully, modern radial tires typically fail with a slow leak, rather than a blowout. If your front tire goes flat, you will feel slow steering or a shimmy in the front end. When the rear tire loses air, the back of the bike squats a bit and moves side to side. If you feel a flat on the road, calmly signal and maneuver to a safe pull-off area. Brake smoothly using the brake on the remaining good tire.

 

Begin leaving the roadway as soon as you realize you have a flat. Many flats can be repaired at roadside, and riding on a flat can ruin the tire or even the wheel in the worst case.

 

Radial tires typically go flat due to:

 

The first case is the most common and the only one that's possible to fix. Repairing a radial tire on the road involves identifying the hole, removing the object that caused the puncture--if it's still in place--and then inserting some sort of plug. If you are using string plugs, you should clean out the hole using the "reaming" tool supplied with your kit.

 

If you ride a dirt bike or enduro, you might find that your bike uses tube type tires. Repairing a motorcycle tire with tubes is much the same as repairing a bicycle tire. You remove the tube, find the leak and repair it with a patch.

 

Opinions vary on the best type of plug. Some people prefer mushroom plugs, like those in a kit sold by Stop & Go. Others swear by the string plugs you see in automotive stores. If you go with string plugs, make sure you replace them with fresh ones every year or two. Before you leave on a tour, ensure the rubber cement that came with the plugs has not developed a leak and hardened. For inflation devices, you can use CO2 cartridges, a small electric pump that hooks into your bike's 12 volt battery or even a small bicycle pump.

 

The best way to prevent flat tires is to replace them when the tread gets low. Your chance of receiving a flat grows significantly when your tires have less tread depth. Also, if you pull off on the side of the road during your tour, watch carefully for glass and other sharp objects.

 

As a final note, both radials and tube type tires can develop slow leaks that only surface when keep tabs on your tire pressure. Check your pressure frequently, and you will notice problems while they're still small.

 

 

If you hit your motorcycle's starter button and nothing happens, there's a good chance that a dead or weak battery is the culprit. If jumper cables are available, you can attempt to charge the battery by connecting it to another motorcycle. After you connect the cables properly (positive to positive, negative to negative), you might choose to start the bike with the good battery and rev its motor to provide more juice. You can also use a car battery to jump start a motorcycle, but do not start the car because its higher amperage may damage the bike's more delicate electrical system.

 

If you do not have access to jumper cables, you can push start a bike. Ideally, you will mount the bike at the top of a hill. Make sure the ignition and kill switches are set to the on position. Walk the bike forward in neutral until it gathers speed on the hill, and then pull the clutch lever and shift the bike into 2nd gear. Let out the clutch lever as quickly as possible without sliding the rear tire, and the motor should come to life. The bike might shudder to a halt if you do not have enough speed, so you might have to push the bike back up the hill and experiment with the clutch lever speed. With practice, a strong rider can push start a mid-sized 650cc bike on level ground.

 

Regardless of whether you start the bike with jumper cables or via push starting, you may not be able to install a new battery right away. Disable any accessories that might place unnecessary load on the electrical system, such as an electric vest. If you normally ride with a high beam during the day, switch to the low beam, or better yet, remove the fuse for the headlight.

 

If you buy a new battery for your bike, monitor its condition closely. If the new battery dies soon after installation, your bike might have a problem with its charging system, or you may be experiencing a short.

 

You can ride a carbureted bike with a dead battery for months, although its headlight will burn dimly at night. Fuel injected bikes require a more consistent charge for their fuel pumps and electronics, so make sure you replace their batteries right away.

 

Motorcycle batteries rarely fail suddenly. Keep an eye out for signs of a dying battery, like a dim headlight that only brightens when you rev the engine. Also, you may notice that the motor does not start immediately when your battery is weak.

 

Modern motorcycles have "maintenance free" batteries that do not require adding water or monitoring electrolyte levels. You should still check your battery periodically with a multimeter. Without the motor running, you should see a 13 volt charge. After starting the motor, look for 14 volts or more.

 

Immediately clean any corrosion on the terminals and connectors. If you will not ride the bike for a few weeks, place it on a battery charger that supplies a trickle charge but does not overcharge the battery.

 

 

If your motor begins to stutter and stall, you may have a problem with fuel delivery. Dirt or water can enter the fuel system and cause the bike to run harshly or even stall out altogether. If you suspect your motor is not receiving petrol, the first step is to open the fuel cap and ensure the tank contains enough petrol.

 

If your bike has carburetors, you can remove the float bowl drain screws to ensure fuel is present. Capture the drained fuel into a container and look for dirt or droplets of water. The fuel should appear to have one consistency. If you see water or dirt, drain the float bowls entirely and allow them to fill before starting the bike.

 

Next, locate any fuel filters and examine them. Depending on your bike's design, you may need to drain the tank or clamp some hoses to prevent petrol from spilling everywhere. If you can blow air freely through a fuel filter, then it's clean. If your filter is clogged, rinse it with fuel and blow air through it until you achieve normal flow. Some bikes have a filter or screen underneath the tank that's difficult to access. Ideally, you will know before a large tour the location of any filters in your system. Remember that sometimes an entire fuel line can become clogged.

 

If your bike has fuel injection, you will not have any float bowls to check, so your goal is to ensure the fuel pump is delivering petrol to the injectors. Remove the fuel line from the injector, and place the line in a container. When you turn the ignition key, the fuel pump should attempt to charge the system. If you do not see fuel spurting out of the injector line, you have a fuel delivery issue. Some bikes require turning over the motor for this to take place. You may encounter a problem with one injector but not others. If you see no fuel whatsoever, you may have a faulty fuel pump, or the electrical connections might need some tightening or cleaning.

 

To prevent fuel delivery problems, follow two pieces of advice. 1) Do not run your motorcycle until the fuel tank runs dry. Sediment sits at the bottom of the tank, and running the bike when it's low on fuel increases the chance of introducing dirt into the system. 2) If one does not already exist, install an aftermarket fuel filter on your bike. If you have fuel injection, ensure you purchase a filter that's designed to work on those high pressure lines. Take care when placing the filter. Look for a location that's easy to inspect visually but does not receive too much engine heat. Many home mechanics install a fuel filter, only to encounter problems when fuel boils inside the filter.

 

 

Older motorcycles often feature carburetors and fuel petcocks. Like fuel filters and fuel lines, these can break and prevent petrol from reaching the motor. The easiest problem to resolve is not technically a broken part, but at some point, you will likely run the bike low on petrol when the fuel petcock is set to "on." The motor will begin to stutter and stall, and if you catch it soon enough, you can turn it to the "reserve" position without pulling to the side of the road. This will give you a few more miles to locate a petrol station.

 

If your bike is a classic, the petcock has likely endured many twists over its lifetime, and it may loosen in the fuel tank, causing a leak. This could drip fuel onto a hot motor, which is never desirable. If this occurs while on tour, empty the fuel tank and remove the petcock from the tank bottom. Then wrap Teflon tape around the threads of the petcock where it enters the tank. You can find Teflon tape at hardware and plumbing supply stores. A little Teflon wrap should snug up the fitting so you can continue your journey. When you arrive home, you'll want to examine the threads closely and consider a new petcock or re-tapping the threads in the tank, or both.

 

Fuel petcocks can also become clogged with dirt. The best solution is to remove the petcock, rinse it with petrol and move the lever until the fuel passage is clear. You might discover that the petcock no longer transmits fuel in the "on" position but will work in the "reserve" position, regardless of the fuel level.

 

If your bike includes a petcock, turn it off when parking for any time longer than a brief stop. This prevents fuel from leaking down into the carburetors and flooding the engine.

 

On tour, carburetors may exhibit problems due to:

 

Dirt

Dirt may make its way through the fuel line and fuel filter, only to become trapped in the small orifices inside your carbs. The motor may run low on power or exhibit surging. The best fix for dirty carbs is to pull them off the bike and clean them with carb cleaner. Careful use of compressed air can also open up a clogged passage. Carburetors include many small brass parts, so set up shop in a clean location where you can track and label parts as you remove them.

 

Improper Adjustment

Adjusting carbs is best done at home, with plenty of reference material, unless you have years of experience. A carburetor includes many components, each of which impact the engine at a different throttle opening. The pilot system affects the motor at idle, and the throttle valve affects the motor at 1/4 throttle. As you open the throttle, the needle jet, jet needle and main jet come into play. Complicating the system further is the fact that the components overlap in their effects. If your bike exhibits a flat spot at 1/2 throttle, you might have to adjust the main jet or the needle jet.

 

Many motorcyclists install aftermarket carb kits in an attempt to eke out more power from their motors. As a long distance tourer, you might want to avoid these customizations. Aftermarket carbs frequently use more petrol, which decreases the mileage you can travel on one tank. Also, motorcycle manufacturers build and configure stock carbs for a wide range of conditions, from low throttle to full throttle, from 0 to 12,000 feet. Aftermarket carbs can grow finicky when they travel outside their environment.

 

Of course, altitude can affect any carb, whether stock or aftermarket. A bike tuned to run well at sea level will run rich (with too much fuel) in the mountains because the air is less dense. By contrast, fuel injected bikes automatically adjust the air/fuel ratio for the conditions.

 

Motorcycle manufacturers also spend thousands of dollars on reliability testing, using resources not available to small companies that make aftermarket kits. A high performance carb kit might see faster wear to its jets and needles. If you are on tour when this issue becomes apparent, you cannot do much, other than buy replacement parts. In general, you're looking for round, not oval, holes that mate well with their needles.

 

To prevent petcock problems, inspect it for leaks and wear prior to any long trip. For carbs, a good rule of thumb is to adjust them well in advance of any tour and to perform plenty of test rides after adjustments. Address any flat spots or stuttering at home, not on the road.

 

 

If your bike runs out of oil, you will notice the motor runs roughly, and you will hear loud clicking and scraping noises if you're going slow enough. If you suspect oil loss, pull over immediately to avoid motor damage. Wait a few minutes for the oil to settle in the crankcase, and then check the level via the sight glass or dipstick. Remember to check oil level with the bike vertical and on a level surface.

 

If oil does not appear anywhere on the dipstick or in the sight glass, add more oil to the system, keeping track of how much you add. Add some oil, wait a few minutes, and check the level again. If you have to add more than a quart of oil, you have a problem. Motorcycles typically carry between 2.5 and 4 quarts, depending on engine size, and running a quart low can cause engine parts to exceed their acceptable heat range. Hot engine components expand, and they will wear down when running without enough of an oil barrier.

 

In rare cases, you may experience the symptoms of a low oil situation, but the oil level looks fine. It's possible that you experienced an oil pump failure. The outcome is the same as an extreme low oil situation--there is no roadside fix. Stop the bike immediately, and tow it to a place where you can repair it.

 

Many factors can cause a bike to lose oil, but overheating is the most common. Also, check the oil filter and drain bolt screw for tightness. Regular oil and filter changes are the best way to prevent oil problems. Synthetic oil tends to last longer than "dino" oil. On any long distance tour, carry spare oil. Carrying your own oil will encourage you to top off when necessary, rather than delaying until you find the same weight and brand that's in your motor. Avoid car oils that are labeled high efficiency because they will damage a wet clutch. Use motorcycle-specific oils, or else carefully research the chemical composition when substituting car or diesel truck oils.

 

 

Motorcycles rarely overheat if the bike is moving, but sitting in traffic on a hot day can easily cause problems. Depending on your bike, you'll first notice overheating via a warning light, a temperature gauge or coolant steaming out of your radiator. Of course, the last symptom only occurs on water cooled bikes. Identifying an overheating situation on an air cooled bike without temperature indicators is tricky, but you have to know your bike to a certain extent. It's a safe guess that if you're moving slowly on an air cooled bike in extreme heat, and the motor starts to act up, you may be overheating.

 

If you continue to run the motor when it's in an overheated state, you run the risk of burning oil and causing catastrophic engine damage. If the bike has just begun to overheat, speeding up and increasing the airflow past the cylinder head will cool down the motor. If traffic or other conditions prevent you from running above 20 MPH, pull over and wait for the motor to cool down.

 

If your bike is water cooled, you should be able to check the coolant level in the overflow catch tank. When the bike is hot, the coolant should appear near the high or hot line. If you're by the roadside and do not see any coolant in the tank, wait for the bike to cool down fully. Carefully remove the pressure cap from the radiator, using rags and possibly your riding gloves to avoid scalding your hand. Turn your face in the other direction when removing this cap because coolant can spurt out quickly. If the radiator is not full, add water there first, and then fill the coolant tank with water.

 

Water cooled bikes frequently have a fan to force air through the radiator when the bike is close to overheating. Whenever your bike gets hot, listen for the sound of the fan switching on, and be aware if it fails to start on a hot day in traffic. The fuse for the fan is a common point of failure, and often you can cure an overheating situation with a fuse replacement.

 

You can prevent your bike from overheating by ensuring all the motor's surfaces are as clean as possible. If your bike is air cooled, the cylinder fins work most efficiently when they are clean. For a water cooled bike, ensure your radiator is clean of bugs and debris. Also, change coolant annually under normal use.

 

 

A blown fuse can cause your bike to stop running, or it can cause an accessory to stop functioning. If you suspect a bad fuse, locate the fuse box, typically under the seat, near the battery. Most modern motorcycles will label each fuse's purpose on the fuse box cover. You'll find separate fuses with different amperages with functions like:

 

 

Within this list, only the first three fuses would cause a bike to stall immediately. Pull each relevant fuse and examine it, ensuring you see a continuous path of metal through the fuse window. If the fuse is broken, replace it with a part of the exact same amperage. Don't replace a 10 amp fuse with a 20 amp part. Any long distance rider should carry spares for each fuse's amperage on his bike. Many bikes offer an extra slot or two for spares inside the fuse box itself.

 

Fuses occasionally wear out on their own, but if the same fuse burns out continually, ensure you fix the root cause, not the symptom. Complex electrical diagnosis is beyond the scope of this brochure, but a good first step is to check the ground wire leading from your battery to the bike's frame. Ensure it is not dirty or loose. Other common causes of electrical gremlins are the kickstand cutout switch and the switch on the clutch lever. These connections can get dirty or corroded, preventing the bike from starting.

 

Another way to prevent electrical problems is to make aftermarket modifications to your electrical system correctly. Do not run a battery wire directly to a new accessory, and ensure each accessory is covered by a fuse with the proper amperage. If you do not want to dig into the fuse box, you can wire a fuse on the positive wire to the accessory.

 

 

Throttle and clutch cables commonly break on long tours. Cables can fray over time or snap suddenly. If a cable frays, you might notice that the affected control becomes less precise or binds. Even if a cable breaks completely, an experienced motorcyclist can ride with a broken clutch or throttle cable in an emergency.

 

When a clutch cable breaks, the lever will move without any resistance, and the clutch will not disengage. If the clutch cable breaks at the lever, you may have the option of wrapping the cable around a finger on your left hand. You can also move the clutch by attaching Vise-Grip locking pliers onto the clutch actuator arm, near your left foot on most bikes. Move the pliers when you would normally grab the clutch lever to shift.

 

That said, motorcycle transmissions are much sturdier than those of automobiles. You can shift from 1st through 6th gear and down again without using the clutch. The technique requires practice, and it's not great for the bike, but this can get you home or to a repair shop.

 

The challenge comes when starting the bike from a stop. Use the starter button to start the bike as usual, but with a broken clutch cable, the bike will leap forward. Keep your thumb on the starter button until the bike runs in gear. Avoid stopping if possible, but if you must stop the bike, downshift through the gears to 1st, and then hit the kill switch. The bike will stop abruptly. Obviously avoid riding in traffic or in areas that require frequent stops.

 

Many modern motorcycles feature a hydraulic clutch. Typically, hydraulic lines fail with a slow leak of fluid, rather than a sudden cable failure. If your hydraulic clutch fails completely, you can shift gears without using the clutch following the above technique.

 

Modern bikes typically have two throttle cables, a primary and a return. The primary opens the throttle butterflies, and the return cable exists mainly to close the throttle if the primary becomes stuck.

 

The primary maintains most of the tension and snaps more frequently. If your primary throttle cable snaps suddenly, you will no longer be able to give your motorcycle any fuel. In a pinch, you can switch your return cable over to the primary side and continue riding. Use this as a temporary fix because you will no longer have the safety of a return to save you from a stuck cable.

 

The best way to prevent a broken cable is frequent lubrication and inspection. If your bike has more than 20,000 miles, consider replacing the cables and keeping the old, slightly stretched but still functional cables underneath your seat as spares.

 

 

Modern motorcycle chains rarely break, but when they do, your trip can come to an abrupt halt. Your bike will either lose power and coast to a stop, or the chain may wad up in the countershaft or rear wheel, causing a dangerous skid. If the bike just loses power, try to remain calm and signal to nearby vehicles that you plan to exit the roadway. If you lock your real wheel due to a broken chain, you will have your hands full keeping the bike upright. Pulling in the clutch lever has no effect.

 

Chains won't give much warning before they let go, but you might hear a growling sound or feel it through the handlebars, as if your drivetrain is chewing on rocks. Pull over as soon as you can.

 

Chains commonly last 15,000 miles with normal street use before requiring replacement, but lack of maintenance can cause a chain to fail before its time. Inspect your chain before any long ride, and lubricate it with chain lube about every 300 miles. Inspect the master link. Use a rivet type link if possible because they are more secure than clip type links. If you must use a clip type link, ensure the closed end of the clip faces forward on the top run of the chain. For insurance on a long ride, carry two extra clips and one spare master link.

 

Check the chain's adjustment with the bike on a center stand, if available, or a rear stand. With the engine off and the bike in neutral, slowly rotate the rear wheel, and check the play periodically. Watch carefully for any frozen or rusted links that do not move as freely as their neighbors. Tighten a chain according to the manufacturer's specifications, but remember that overtightening is one of the most common causes of damage.

 

Roadside chain repair is only possible if you have brought the correct tools. Assuming your master link broke, you will need a spare link. For a clip type link, you can install it most of it by hand. Slide the clip into the grooves on the master link pins on using a pair of pliers. Make sure the closed end of the clip faces the front of the bike when the link sits on the top run of the chain.

 

For a rivet type link, you will need a chain tool. Place the master link plate on the master link pins, and compress the plate into the chain. Once the plate is in place, use the tool to spread the soft rivets over the surface of the plate, locking it in place.