Product Description

Popular motorcycle journalist and author Mark Zimmerman brings a comfortable, conversational tone to his easy-to-understand explanations of how motorcycles work and how to maintain them and fix them when they don't. This practical tutorial covers all brands and styles of bikes, making it a perfect companion to the owner's service manual whether you need to use the step-by-step instructions for basic maintenance techniques to wrench on your bike yourself or just want to learn enough to become an informed customer at your local motorcycle service department. This book includes more than 500 color photos and a thorough index to make it an especially user-friendly reference for home motorcycle mechanics of all skill levels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37558 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781884313417
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"...lots of different motorcycle systems and the theories they're based on, explained by a pro..." -- American Iron magazine

"...we can all use the detailed tricks of the trade that Mark shares in this book..." -- RoadBike, June 2004

"I received [the book and]...changed my final drive oil. Quite a trick for a non-wrench like me." -- Bruce Hansen, author of Motorcycle Journeys Through the Northwest

"Required Reading...cover[s] everything you need to know...photos and illustrations to lead you through simple and complex tasks." -- Motorcyclist magazine, April 2004 issue

"This is a book to be treasured. A book for the ages." -- Keystone Motorcycle Press

About the Author
Mark Zimmerman has been completely enthralled by motorcycles for 40 of the last 49 years. After spending 20 years repairing them he began writing about them. Mark is a freelance author, specializing in the technical and historical aspects of motorcycling and is currently the Technical Editor of Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine. In addition to Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance he has written several books on motorcycle restoration, history, and repair as well as a buyers guide or two. Mark enjoys all aspects of motorcycling, particularly racing his vintage flat-trackers and riding off-road. On the street he prefers cruising, preferably to somewhere that has great barbecue. Other hobbies include collecting motorcycle memorabilia, particularly printed matter; fishing, and gardening. He lives in Connecticut with his wife Brenda, and their dog Hannah.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Troubleshooting the Charging System

Many, certainly the majority of us, are more than likely going to ride our motorcycles for a very long time without ever experiencing a catastrophic charging-system failure. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t run into the occasional dead battery or other charging system glitch. In most cases, some simple troubleshooting procedures and a little common sense will have you back in the saddle ASAP. Lots of charging system faults can be traced to either poor maintenance or bad electrical connections, including broken wires and bad grounds.

Frequently, the first sign of charging-circuit problems is hard starting. The bike may turn over slowly or not at all. Your first inclination may be to simply replace the battery at this point and hope for the best—don’t. First, check the charging voltage using a voltmeter. If the voltage is within specifications, remove the battery, service it, and charge it. If you find something obviously wrong, for instance, a dry cell or two, or a bad battery connection, it’s more than likely you’ve found your problem. If the charge rate is low, look for corrosion at the system-component connections. All of the connections need to be in good, clean condition. If they aren’t, make them so before reconnecting the component. Coat the terminals with a dielectric silicone grease to prevent any further problems. Use your wiring diagram to locate all of the connections and their grounds. Separate each connection and thoroughly clean the terminals. Likewise, remove each ground, clean the terminal, and clean its grounding point, usually the frame. Don’t be afraid to get a little aggressive here. A small file or piece of sandpaper should be used to reach bright, shiny metal. Use your brain. If the problem cropped up just after you installed some kind of high-zoot electrical accessory, disconnect the item to see if the problem goes away. Likewise, if the problem cropped up after you removed some component or bodywork for service, you may have inadvertently left a ground wire or connection loose.

Investigate. Some alternator connections are routed perilously close to drive chains, hot exhausts, or pinch points. If the charging indicator suddenly comes on, it may be due to a broken or melted wire. A quick charging-system check for bikes not normally equipped with a charging indicator is to simply watch the headlights at night. At idle many lights will dim slightly, especially if the turn signals or brake lights are applied. As you rev the engine up, the light should become slightly brighter. This is by no means an accurate test, but it does give you some indication that the charging system is functioning. If all else fails, and your charging system does go belly up, don’t be afraid to improvise. An ignition system can run for three or four hours on battery power alone. I’ve seen all types of bodges used to get the bike home: spare batteries strapped to the luggage rack or stuck in the saddlebags are popular. Once, two friends of mine were on tour when the rectifier in one bike packed it in. The nearest replacement was about a three-hour ride away. Since both bikes used a similar-sized battery, they rode halfway, swapped batteries from the bike that wouldn’t charge to the one that did, and rode the rest of the way to the dealership, where the new rectifier was installed.

Customer Reviews

indeed "essential" reading
wow where do i begin. first off im a student at mmi (motorcycle mechanics institute)which has campuses in both phoenix and orlando. i bought this book to supplement my education and honestly it was a great purchase. its very easy to read and understand the first time through whether or not you have previous motorcycle knowledge of which i had none or you are experienced in mechanics. the theory section is an absolute must and just as thorough as the notes i received at mmi. the photos are great much better than youd find in your average factory manual and if you have no mechanical experience forget about trying to read one of those. factory manuals are written for "seasoned" techs. mark zimmermans book is written for both the average joe biker or someone with plenty of experience. he even takes the time to put in tips such as "what to do when you strip a bolt", "how to torque a bolt" and much more. overall im very impressed i have yet to find a section that i felt was inadequate. other books i have found dance around the subjects and dont give you the information you need. this book hits the nail on the head everytime.....thanks mark

Great book for the DIY wannabe!
This book was well thought out and goes through a logical procession of maintenance/repair items. Some typo/grammatical errors dispersed throughout the book, but not enough to lead the reader astray. What I thought best were some of the items covered that I never would have thought of as needing maintenance, much less being VERY important (ie., steering head bearings) - and I have been riding for nearly 30 years! This book almost makes you WANT to get dirty and dive into repairing your bike. Even if you don't do your own maintenance, this book alerts you to issues that should be addressed by your mechanic, and allows you to be a much smarter motorcycle 'consumer'.

contagious enthusiasm
I've had no real initiative to understand how motors work until recently purchasing a bike. Part of this is born out of wanting to avoid overpaying local service people for work that truly may not be done well or completely. This book does a wonderful job at laying out the theories and the practicalities of every subdivision of motorcycle mechanics, w/ extremely helpful multi-color pictures everywhere, including many step by step photos.

I was able to change out my brake lines after I read the chapter on braking- I actually understood hydraulic brakes, and successfully did a job in an afternoon w/ hand tools that would've cost me hundreds.

The author's enthusiasm is contagious, and I'm finding that this book is part of a growing impulse to spend as much time as possible with my toolbox and my Ducati. Highly recommended for the novice or the expert!