I've always enjoyed working on my own motorcycles and this trait seems to be reflected on the other Canyon Chasers as well. I started, like I'm sure most of us, working on my own bike because I couldn't afford high-price shop rates. But after a couple really bad experiences with shops not performing at the quality that I expected I started bringing in more and more work into my own garage. One experience resulted in the front brake caliper dangling by the brake line while I buzzed down the highway and another experience that resulted in a lot of stress and a lot of time spent in the shop managers office trying to figure out how to replace a decimated set of wheels before our 10-day vacation was scheduled to start a few days later. Oi! I figure I could scratch my own wheels for free. The best part about doing all my own work, is that if I screw up, at least I'll be honest with myself and will do what it takes to make things right again.
Video
- How to Set Your Motorcycle Controls to Fit You
- How to Adjust a Motorcycle Chain
- How to Remove and Replace a Rear Wheel
- How to Remove and Replace a Front Wheel
General Projects
Should I work on my bike at all A few fundamental basics to working on your own bike.- Won't water hurt my bike? Guidelines for a sparkly, clean and happy motorcycle.
- Round and Round Some sound advice on tire selection.
- Chain maintenance A basic guide to final drive.
- Chain replacement A step by step to take the kinks out of the process.
- Flushing the radiator how to take care of this potentially hot topic.
- Distribution Block / Relay - So that all your accessories turn off when you turn off the key!
- Conventional heated hand grips - No bike should be without and it's quite easy!
- In-Bar heated grips - Everythings hidden, no wires exposed - but where to put that switch?
- Buell turn signal upgrade Installing the affordable signals and getting them to blink correctly.
- Turn signal eliminator kit Make your brake light work with your turn signals.
- Exhaust modification Get aftermarket sound with OEM appearance.
- Customized Corbin seat Dying the colored piping.
- Sigma bicycle computer putting a super accurate speedometer on your motorcycle.
Honda Hawk GT
- M4 Exhaust installation - Rated to increase horsepower more than the other pipes.
- Cush-Drive replacement - Replacing these critical but often overlooked rubber bits.
- Fox Shox or the CBR900 rear shock - suspension upgrade What's the better option?
- t595 rear hugger installation A Hugger on a Hawk? Apparently it can be done!
- General aesthetic changes All the little things I did to make my bike pretty.
- Clipon selection Getting a handle on the bars.
Suzuki SV650
- Military SV - We theme the SV after a WWII Willy's jeep - with better results than we imagined!
- ZX6R 636 Inverted Forks - Retrofitting superior suspenders onto the venerable little twin.
- Sunpro CP2012 Tachometer - Fitting a tachometer to the track bike - on a budget.
- 1/4 Turn Throttle - Tired of twisting, then twisting again? This $8 Mod is for you!
Triumph Triple 955i
- Triple valve adjustment guide - not a step by step, more of a "tips 'n tricks"
- Radiator grill - protect the radiator for destructive rocks, debris and other rubbish.
- Home-made fender eliminator Why buy when you can build it yourself?
- Rear Cowl - Inlet screens Finishing what Triumph left unfinished.
Suzuki TL1000S
- Ohlins rear damper Installation The biggest improvement you can make!