When I first got the idea about this article for Cycle Source and now Bikernet, I thought I could easily do 10 tips in so many words. After writing the article, I thought it would be better to go into more detail and show more pictures. So the 10 tips will now come in Part A & B. I know there are several more than 10, but these are the ones I have seen lately coming into the shop.

So here I go with Part A.

1. Check your tire pressure. Just a couple of pounds can get you better performance and handling. Always check it regularly because tires will lose pressure. I always adjust my tire pressures depending on roads and riding conditions. A lot depends on the weight of the bike, load changes from passenger or bags loaded and what kind of tire you are riding on.

I recently had a guy who wanted the same tires he had on his Road King already. He complained of the mileage he got out of them, but he said he liked the looks of them. The tires on the bike were a very cheap brand and the max. load rating on the tire would only cover the weight of his bike with him and nothing else. He always had his girlfriend on the bike and a bunch of crap in his bags which would easily have the bike way over the load rating of that tire.

Nothing worse than having a tire blow on a motorcycle! Check your tires for your against the motorcycle and passenger weight. Also, make sure it is the right size for the bike and rim. Tire companies will spec what size rims the tire will fit on and also a preferred size. (See Chart Below)

2. It amazes me on how many bikes come into the shop with engine performance problems stemming from the spark plugs. Not just old plugs, but the wrong plug type or wrong plug gap. It is very important that the heat range, thread length, tip/electrode design and electrode material (Chart Below & Pic) are correct for your make/model and year of your engine. Then check the plug gaps for the engine/year also; they don’t come pre-gapped for your engine.

Also, some deep plugs have no business in some engines and can interfere with the valves or pistons. Some guys change the gap when they install them by banging the electrode. Be careful and check twice.

Recently, a bike came to the shop that had a bad miss. The customer said he had it tuned up, but now had a miss/ backfire problem. I removed the plugs and found out they were replaced, with lawn mower engine plugs. Not only was the heat range wrong, but the plug thread length was a 1/4” shorter than the proper plugs for his engine.

3. Check your drivetrain. Check the chain, transmission and hub sprocket for wear and proper adjustment and make sure the chain is properly lubricated. It seems since o-ring chains proper maintenance has been forgotten. O-ring chains still need lubrication. Use chain lube; WD40 is not chain lube. If you have an o-ring chain, make sure the lube you are using says it is suitable for o-ring chains (See Chart Below).

4. Check your air cleaner. I prefer using K&N filters because they are reusable and will last forever. That doesn’t mean they don’t need proper cleaning and proper filter oil applied. If you have a paper element, don’t try blowing it out or hitting it on the floor to clean it. Throw it away and buy a new one. Paper is not reusable.

5. Check your battery connections for proper bolt tightness and corrosion on the fittings. Also, check your engine and frame grounds for looseness and corrosion. Ground wires are notorious. If your bike quits, won't start or the battery isn't chargine, check the grounds first.

I had a custom build roll into the shop with an erratic running engine. Sometimes it wouldn’t run at all. I found the ground wire fastened to a bolt welded to the frame. When that frame was powdercoated, the bolt and nut weren’t masked, so no connection and no circuit.

6. Change your fuel filter. After time they do reduce flow. Make sure the filter is installed with the fuel flow going in the right direction. Check the embossed arrow on the filter; flow goes the direction of the arrow. A guy brought a bike into the shop last year and said he got it cheap and that if the throttle was held wide open, after a while the bike would start missing.

The previous owner said he was tired of fooling with it and sold it, “as is.” I disconnected the carb gas line and checked the flow, which was very slow. I then checked the filter and found it was installed backwards. I installed it heading the right direction. Also, some petcocks have a screen filter either on the bowl on the petcock or protruding into the fuel tank. Check it once in a while. One bad tank of gas can fuck with the way the bike runs.

Always check your fuel lines for dryness, cracks and make sure they are installed without kinking the tubing or up against cylinder fins. At least a couple times a year I also add some fuel Drygas, but only add the recommended amount specified on the bottle! This will remove moisture from the fuel system which will help with proper running and prevent tank rust.

7. Intake manifolds and Silicone Gasket Sealer. Have you or someone who works on your bike used silicone gasket sealer? Excess gasket sealer can cause loss of power from carb/ manifold/port flow turbulence or obstruction. Also this can cause severe oil flow/return problems which can result permanent damage to engine parts.

Too much is a bad thing!! Check with the gasket company who made them. Check your manifold and carb gaskets for port obstruction. You don’t want excess gasket material intruding into the port area.

In this shot you can see the lighter inner ring which is the excess gasket material that was intruding into the intake port causing restriction and turbulence in fuel mixture delivery. Careful trimming is worth the effort. Also, make sure when tightening manifold and carbs you get the best alignment for smooth port transitions between them.

You can see how the manifold and port don’t match up. The same manifold can be moved over to match up as you can see.

By shaving the gasket and aligning the ports you will be surprised how much better it runs.

9. Have you ever checked your wheel alignment? How? The alignment marks for the rear axle are not always correct and I’ve seen in some cases not even close at all. Have the bike sitting level and use a couple of straight bars and hold them against the rear wheel. Check to see how they align up to the front wheel. The measurement from the straight bar to the front wheel should be taken and be the same on both sides.

This is best done with a buddy. Recheck your belt/chain alignment again after doing this, making sure they are also in line.

10. Make sure your throttle cable is opening your carb or throttle body to full open. You can see in the picture of this carb venturi that the carb slide is not going to a full open condition. Cables can stretched, get out of adjustment, or in some cases are the wrong length to allow for a true full throttle.

It amazes me how many bikes I have seen that this hasn’t been checked, and needs adjustment for wide open throttle. By taking some time and working on your bike, you will be amazed on how much performance can be achieved and maintained.

We appreciate Brew's input. Here's more about the man and one of his too cool rides. There's more coming in the near future from the Brew Dude and Cycle Source Magazine. You can check out more from Brew at his web site: www.brewracingframes.com