Motorcycle Tech Articles

Motorcycle Tech Tips

Sport Rider’s Tech section showcases articles about motorcycle suspension tuning and geometry, motor oil, traction control, gearing, cam timing, ram air tests, motorcycle tire guide, dyno, carburetion and more.

Page 2: Sport Bike Technical Articles

Ask the Geek: Change Your Own Tires Ask the Geek: Change Your Own Tires
You can change your own tires with some basic tools and ingenuity... more
Oils Well That Ends Well, Part 1 Oils Well That Ends Well, Part 1
Editor's Note: This is Part One of a special Sport Rider comparison test, where we unlock the mysteries and debunk some of the myths of... more
Oils Well That Ends Well, Part 2 Oils Well That Ends Well, Part 2
In the first portion of Sport Rider's oil test ("Oils Well That Ends Well?" August 2003), we covered the overall makeup and functions of... more
Ask the Geek: Set Your Static Sag Ask the Geek: Set Your Static Sag
tech tip-how to set motorcycle suspension static sag more
Gearing-Hidden Speed Gearing-Hidden Speed
With all the money spent on engine performance items like exhausts, ECU fuel-mapping boxes, cams, pistons, etc., it's amazing that so many... more
Cam Timing: Lobe Centers Explained Cam Timing: Lobe Centers Explained
When you hear engine tuners bandying about numbers like "100-95" or "98-98," they are not talking about last night's game but rather... more
Ask the Geek: Questions and Answers On Various Topics Ask the Geek: Questions and Answers On Various Topics
Ask the Geek: Raise Your Rear Ride Height Ask the Geek: Raise Your Rear Ride Height
Dear Geek: How do I change ride height by using shims on the rear shock instead of moving the fork tubes in the triple clamp? Jim Jeffries,... more
Hands On: Change Your Motorcycle's Oil Hands On: Change Your Motorcycle's Oil
More than a little truth lies in the old saying, "The two most important things about motor oil are 1) the engine actually has oil in it... more
Technicalities: Suspension Damping Technicalities: Suspension Damping
Damping, damping and more damping. Whenever the subject is suspension theory, damping is always a major topic of discussion. The terms... more
Hands On-Fastener Removal and Thread Repair Hands On-Fastener Removal and Thread Repair
1 The removal of stuck, stripped or broken fasteners does not need to end in tragedy. There are procedures you can follow to attack this... more
October 2004 Slip-on Test Sound Clips October 2004 Slip-on Test Sound Clips
For each pipe, we recorded mp3 clips for the sound testing and dyno testing portions. In the sound test, the bike was started, run at idle... more
Hands On: Installing a Steering Damper Hands On: Installing a Steering Damper
1. A steering damper is one of the first performance hardware accessories many riders install on their sportbikes. The radical rake and... more
Hands on: Chain Adjustment Hands on: Chain Adjustment
Sometimes the easiest maintenance chores are the ones most frequently overlooked. Case in point: we frequently see some of the newest,... more
Free Horsepower For The Taking! Free Horsepower For The Taking!
There's much more to your bike's driveline than just delivering power to the rear wheel via a chain and a couple of sprockets; gearing... more
RAM AIR TEST RAM AIR TEST
The sales pitch has been long and heavy: "incredible volumetric efficiency"; "large volumes of high-pressure air...significant boost in... more
Ram Air Test: Part Deux Ram Air Test: Part Deux
It's crunchtime, ladies and gentlemen. After gathering hard information on the exact amount of airbox pressure present at speed in various... more
The Long And Short Of It - Lowering Your Bike Safely The Long And Short Of It - Lowering Your Bike Safely
Today's sportbikes are blessed with incredible cornering prowess, and much of that comes from their excellent ground clearance. Keeping... more
Technicalities: Compression Damping Technicalities: Compression Damping
In the March issue's "Technicalities," we started to delve into the "Witches' Brew" of suspension systems with damping. Specifically, we... more
Technicalities: Rebound Damping Technicalities: Rebound Damping
Onward and inward. The February '96 Technicalities article gave an overview of suspension forces and the different types of energy... more
Technicalities: Suspension Overview: Back to Basics Technicalities: Suspension Overview: Back to Basics
Rocket Science, voodoo, black art...suspension in general, and damping specifically, have been shrouded in mystery for years. Enhanced... more
Technicalities: Suspension Hardware Terms Technicalities: Suspension Hardware Terms
People often ask about the definitions of terms regarding suspension. We decided to compile a glossary of suspension terms to help clear... more
Motorcycle Suspension Guide Motorcycle Suspension Guide
Recommended motorcycle suspension settings from the Sport Rider staff more
Technicalities: Cartridge Forks Technicalities: Cartridge Forks
I am often asked the question, "Why cartridge forks? What's so great about them?" Riders know they're better but don't know why. Let's... more
Technicalities: Spring Rate and Preload Technicalities: Spring Rate and Preload
Commonly asked questions like, "What's the difference between spring rate and preload?" and "Can't I make the spring stiffer by cranking in... more
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