Mojo Garage Archives - Page 6 of 11

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Resurrecting a vintage bike is not for the faint of heart. Last year I acquired a 1980 Kawasaki KZ550A. It belonged to a friend who has a rather large collection of motorcycles. Although we’d...

Synchronizing Carburetors

Although carburetors have been replaced by more efficient fuel injection on modern motorcycles, there are still plenty of older, carburetted bikes out there. Carburetors require some periodic...

Compression Ratio

It can be a complicated process to determine a compression ratio. Power transfers to the rear wheel of a motorcycle by burning an air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of a cylinder, and the...

New to You

When looking for a used bike, a bit of research early on can alleviate future headaches and expenses. As winter begins to wind down, the time is ideal to look for a new bike with which to begin a new...

Fuel Solutions

It’s better to plan ahead to ensure you don’t get caught with an empty fuel tank. I’ve only ever once run out of gas on a motorcycle, and it happened on a 1986 BMW R80 G/S Paris-Dakar that had...

Thread Repair Inserts

Repairing a stripped thread can be a costly endeavour, but an insert can be an inexpensive and easy fix. There are few things that are as frustrating as removing a bolt and finding a little coil of...

Cameleon Chain Oiler Plus

Lubricating a drive chain can be a tedious task. It’s made easier if your bike is equipped with a centre stand, but if it’s not, you either have to prop up the bike so the rear wheel is in the...

Importance of Valve Adjustment

Most four-stroke motorcycle engines need occasional valve adjustment, or at least a valve-clearance check. Adjusting the valves means setting the appropriate clearance between the base circle of the...

Do It Right the First Time

I’ve been experiencing some bad-ish luck recently. I say bad-ish because the unexpected “extras” I’ve experienced while performing some recent repair jobs were not devastating. They were,...

Know Your Tires

A friend recently asked about tires for his vintage Japanese bike, since the original-size rear was no longer available. Having knowledge of tire markings, I suggested a suitable alternative. Most...

Upgrading Your Ride

Since that first motorcycle you ever bought, the urge to modify it was almost second nature. Whether you buy a brand-new bike and have the dealer tack accessories onto it before delivery, or you buy...

The Search for Horsepower

Motorcycle racing is exciting to watch, but even more exciting to me are the unseen efforts taken behind the scenes to make a machine competitive. A long-time friend of mine, Jean-Pascal Schroeder,...