Motorcycles Second Edition by the Editors of Motorcyclist™ Magazine with Darwin Holmstrom A Pearson Education Company Copyright © 2002 by Primedia Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys- tem, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is as- sumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, ad- dress Alpha Books, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290. THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO and design are trademarks of Pearson Education, Inc. Motorcyclist™magazine and contents ™ and © Primedia Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos in Appendix A courtesy Motorcyclist™magazine. In Appendix B, photos of the Honda NX650, XL600V Transalp, CB700SC Nighthawk, and VF500F Interceptor courtesy of Honda. Photo of the NT 650 Hawk GT © 1998 Brian J. Nelson. Photo of the Yamaha Seca © 1998 Darwin Holmstrom. International Standard Book Number: 0-02-864258-9 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: Available upon request. 04 03 02 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of num- bers is the year of the book’s printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the book’s printing. For example, a printing code of 02-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2002. Printed in the United States of America Note:This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering profes- sional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a com- petent professional should be consulted. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indi- rectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Publisher Marie Butler-Knight Product Manager Phil Kitchel Managing Editor Jennifer Chisholm Acquisitions Editor Mike Sanders Production Editor Billy Fields Copy Editor Heather Stith Illustrator Chris Sabatino Cover Designers Mike Freeland Kevin Spear Book Designers Scott Cook and Amy Adams of DesignLab Indexer Amy Lawrence Layout/Proofreading Angela Calvert Svetlana Dominguez Mark Walchle Contents at a Glance Part 1: Biker Basics 1 1 The Motorcycle Mystique 3 Why people are fascinated by motorcycles, and why Marlon Brando looked so good on a bike. 2 A Brief History of Bikes 13 How we got here from there. 3 Street Squid or Dirt Donk? Types of Motorcycles 27 A beginner’s guide to the dizzying array of available mo- torcycles. Part 2: So You Want to Buy a Bike? 43 4 Choosing the Right Bike 45 Learn what you want and what you need and why the two don’t always go together. 5 Anatomy of a Motorcycle 57 Dissecting a motorcycle. 6 Start Your Engines 73 Why the design of the engine shapes the character of the bike. 7 Buying Your First Bike 85 How to buy a bike without getting taken for a ride. 8 Insider Tips on Buying a Bike 99 The hidden costs of riding. 9 Getting the Gear 107 All the accessories you’ll ever need and a few you’ll just want. Part 3: On the Road 127 10 Preparing to Hit the Road 129 How to get your bike (and yourself) ready to ride. 11 Learning to Ride 141 The basics of riding a motorcycle. 12 Rules of the Road 155 What you need to know to stay out of trouble. 13 Street Survivors: Steering Through Sticky Situations 169 How to deal with the unexpected. 14 Staying Alive: Special Situations and Emergencies 185 Extreme survival tips. 15 Doing It in the Dirt: Riding Off-Road 199 What to do when the pavement ends. Part 4: Living with a Motorcycle 211 16 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 213 The care and nurturing of your motorcycle. 17 Rx: Repair 229 What to do when your bike needs help. 18 Creative Customizing and Collecting 243 Make your motorcycle more distinctive or collect distinctive motorcycles. Part 5: The Motorcycling Community 257 19 Join the Club: Motorcycle Clubs 259 What motorcycle clubs have to offer you. Sometimes so- cializing is half the fun. 20 The Open Road: Touring and Rallies 271 Where to go and how to get there. 21 Speed Racer: Motorcycle Road Racing 287 Discover the most exciting sport on the planet. 22 How to Become a Motorcycle Road Racer 301 What you need to know to go racing. Appendixes A Biker’s Buying Guide to New Bikes 311 B Biker’s Buying Guide to Used Bikes 375 C Resources 383 D Cycle Babble Glossary 403 Index 411 Contents Part 1: Biker Basics 1 1 The Motorcycle Mystique 3 The Thrill of the Open Road................................................4 Bikes Are Beautiful................................................................4 The Tao of Two Wheels........................................................6 Biker Chic..............................................................................7 The Art of Motorcycles ........................................................8 From a Wild One to an Easy Rider........................................9 Easy Rider: The Convenience of Bikes ..............................11 2 A Brief History of Bikes 13 Humble Beginnings............................................................13 The Wild Ones: The Outlaws’ Conveyance ......................15 The Japanese Invasion........................................................16 You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda ..............................17 The Japanese Hit the Big Time............................................20 Baby Boomers on (Two) Wheels..........................................21 The Boomer Boom ..............................................................21 The Bust ............................................................................22 The Risen Hog: The Resurrected Motorcycle Market ........23 3 Street Squid or Dirt Donk? Types of Motorcycles 27 Split Personalities: Dual Sports ..........................................28 Cruisers: The American Bikes ............................................30 Power Cruisers....................................................................32 Sportbikes............................................................................33 Pure-Dirt..............................................................................35 Street Standards: A Renaissance ........................................36 The Ultimate Behemoths: Touring Bikes ..........................38 Part 2: So You Want to Buy a Bike? 43 4 Choosing the Right Bike 45 What Do You Want to Do?................................................46 Choosing a Versatile Motorcycle..........................................47 Getting a Good Fit..............................................................47 Starting Out Small..............................................................48 Starting Out Slow................................................................50 Best Bets for New Bikers ....................................................50 New or Used?......................................................................51 The Costs of Cycling..........................................................53 Insurance Costs..................................................................54 Maintenance Costs..............................................................54 5 Anatomy of a Motorcycle 57 The Nature of the Beast......................................................58 Meeting the Motor..............................................................58 The Belly of the Beast: The Bottom End..............................59 The Transmission................................................................59 Valve Clatter: The Top End ................................................61 To Inject or Not to Inject? Induction Systems ......................63 The Clutch..........................................................................64 Rotating the Rubber: Drive Systems ..................................65 In Chains............................................................................65 Getting the Shaft ................................................................66 Belt It Out..........................................................................66 Putting It All Together: Frame, Suspension, Wheels, and Tires..............................................................68 It’s Electric ..........................................................................69 Bodywork............................................................................70 6 Start Your Engines 73 Engineering ........................................................................74 The Four Stroke..................................................................74 The Single ..........................................................................75 The V-Twin........................................................................76 The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles, Second Edition The Boxer ..........................................................................77 Edward Turner’s Speed Twin................................................78 The British Triple................................................................79 Honda CB750: A Four for the Masses..................................79 The Inline Six ....................................................................80 The V-Fours........................................................................81 The Gold Wing ..................................................................81 The L-Twin ........................................................................82 The Two Stroke ..................................................................82 The Stroker Age: The Japanese Two Strokes..........................83 7 Buying Your First Bike 85 Where to Buy Your Bike ....................................................85 Dealerships ........................................................................86 Choosing a Dealer..............................................................86 How’s Their Service Department?........................................88 The Classified Ads..............................................................88 Bulletin Boards ..................................................................90 Motorcycle Clubs ................................................................90 Garages..............................................................................91 What to Look For................................................................92 Critical: Condition..............................................................92 Completeness......................................................................94 What’s It Worth?................................................................95 Making the Deal ................................................................96 8 Insider Tips on Buying a Bike 99 Minimizing Maintenance Costs ......................................100 Getting Shafted ................................................................100 Getting Centered: The Benefits of a Centerstand................100 Hydraulically Adjusted Valves ..........................................101 Getting the Best Deal........................................................102 To Your Credit: Financing................................................102 Getting Insured ................................................................103 Trading Bikes....................................................................104 viii Contents 9 Getting the Gear 107 Helmets: Home Is Where Your Head Is............................107 How Helmets Are Made....................................................108 Choosing the Right Helmet................................................109 Safety First........................................................................110 Getting a Good Fit............................................................110 In Style: What to Wear ....................................................111 Looking Good in Leather ..................................................112 Synthetic Riding Suits: Ties Optional ................................113 Gloves: How Much Blood Can You Lose Through the Palm of Your Hand?..................................................114 Fancy Footwear ................................................................115 Extreme Riding Gear........................................................116 Rain Gear ........................................................................116 Freezing to Death: Beating the Cold..................................118 Baked, Boiled, or Fried: Beating the Heat ..........................119 Accessories: All the Extras................................................121 Windshields......................................................................122 Saddlebags........................................................................122 Tankbags..........................................................................123 Magazines........................................................................124 Where to Buy Accessories..................................................124 Part 3: On the Road 127 10 Preparing to Hit the Road 129 Getting in Your Right Mind: Mental Motorcycling ........130 Getting Licensed ..............................................................130 Getting Your Learner’s Permit............................................131 Getting Your Endorsement ................................................131 The Motorcycle Safety Foundation..................................132 Control Freaks: How to Ride a Motorcycle......................132 Primary Controls..............................................................133 Secondary Controls............................................................134 ix