All of us bike owners at some point of
time must have come across problems with our machines, some may have
been minor, some may have been a little serious, having ridden over
40,000 kilometres on my Apache 150, 2007, I figured my experiences
would be of great help to all you riders out there. I’ve put together
some of the most common problems that I and people that I have known
have faced and all its solutions.
As you may find out, some of it just
requires a little effort from your part and nothing more, the best
thing to do, though, would be to read your owner’s manual in your spare
time as this will help you get a better understanding of the machine on
the whole. Here we go…
Low Mileage
This is really what a lot of people
really complain about; it has quite a bit of reasons to why it happens,
I explain the most common reasons below.
Low pressure in tyres can greatly
reduce fuel efficiency, Tyres require air to stay in proper shape or
else all they will do is create rolling resistance, this makes it
harder for the wheels to move and hence decreases mileage. The first
thing to do is to check your check your tyre pressure, I do that by
kicking the tyres or by trying to push the rubber in using the thumb,
if it goes in, get it checked. The manual will have the recommended
tyre pressure ratings, you may also find a sticker on the swing arm or
on the tank with the same ratings as there was on my bike. You can find
air pumps at petrol pumps and at the nearest tyre works. Depending on
your riding, check pressure once every month or whenever you experience
sluggish engine response.
Dirty engine oil can also reduce
efficiency, dirty oil can become thick and resistive to movements of
parts in the engine, the most obvious sign of dirty oil is when the
gear shift lever becomes too hard or noisy during shifts. If you have a
bike that has been ridden for over 2,500 Km’s without an oil change or
if you notice smoke coming out of the tailpipes, check the engine oil,
you can do that by removing the oil gauge, which is basically the oil
cap. If the oil on the tip of the gauge is black in colour, it’s about
time you changed it, also remember, having good oil in the engine is
really important for the engine to last long without any troubles.
Servicing in recommended intervals is what you should always do. Check
the manual (usually the end) to find service information and intervals.
My bike had to be serviced at the first thousand Kilometers and after
that it was at every 2,500Km’s.
Carburettor tuning also needs to be
checked, carburettors basically have two screws, an engine idle RPM
screw and an Air/fuel mixture screw, the A/F screw adjusts the ratio of
air versus fuel going into the engine, so a more air and less fuel
means better efficiency but lower performance and vice versa. The trick
is, to find the right balance of both performance and efficiency. If
you have a new bike that hasn’t run 7,500 Km’s, I recommend that you
don’t do anything to the carburettor as this will be done by the
mechanics during service. If your bike happens to be fuel injected, you
can skip this part as the onboard ECU system automatically adjusts your
Air/Fuel Mixture settings. For all others, a proper, step by step guide
can be found on
this page.
If you are too lazy to do it, you can
head over to the service centre and ask them to tune the carburettor,
it’s just a 10 minute work.
Tight Brakes:
When the brakes are too tight, it can increase the effort needed by the
engine to turn the wheels, place the bike in neutral and on the centre
stand and manually rotate the wheels, they must be able to rotate
freely and without much effort, If the front or the rear tyres are hard
to rotate, loosen the brakes by a notch and try again, if it’s a disc
brake unit, take it to the company workshop to check them.
Driving styles can also affect
efficiency, It may seem silly to go on at 40Km/h or something but
that’s not what you should be doing unless it is indicated to do so,
travel at a speed where the engine sounds relaxed, somewhere at 5,000
Rpm would be fine and avoid late braking. If you see an obstacle in
front, brake early and slow down gently, also accelerate gently until
you reach the desired speed. These steps will help you be safer and
more efficient.
Carbon Deposits:
If you happen to own a bike that has been ridden for over 30,000 Km’s a
possible reason for low efficiency would be carbon deposits on the
piston and other components, I felt a decrease in performance and
efficiency after about 30,000 Km’s and got it in for service, the
mechanic advised that I do a decarbonisation of the engine, when the
engine was opened, I was shocked to see that the piston was coated with
a 5mm thick carbon layer, it was fully covered in it. He promptly
scrubbed it off and cleaned the engine. Later I noticed that the
performance and efficiency was back to what it was like in the early
days, It was awesome. The reason for this carbon deposition is the low
quality of fuel and although I had used premium fuels for about
10,000Km’s It hasn’t helped too much. Most people notice low
performance after 25,000 to 30,000 Km’s and decide to sell off the
machine; they could just follow these steps and continue using it for a
longer period.
Valve Setting:
If you have checked all of the above and have found no results, then
the last thing you can do is valve setting, this requires an
experienced mechanic and can be time consuming as the engine head will
have to be opened, this must be done only as a last resort after
checking all the above mentioned issues. There are two valves on most
machines in India apart from the TVS Flame (which has three) and the
R15 (which has four), there is an intake and an exhaust valve, and with
time, the valve clearance can become vary from the factory
recommendation, A mechanic would need to check the valves for clearance
and whether it is still the way it should be. This is done at periodic
services but you can request them to do so if you wish.
Improper Break-In:
All single cylinder bikes need to be ridden well within a specified
speed and engine RPM, usually, it in the first 1000 Kilometers, it may
be hard to do so when you have already waited a while to get your hands
on the machine but if you want it to deliver the claimed mileage
figures, you must do so. Also avoid giving the bike to others during
this period as they may not be aware of this. If you have ridden it so
and do get low efficiency, try warming up the engine every time you
start the bike in the morning, preferably for about 5 minutes, then be
gentle with your riding styles. This can help you make up for lost
grounds and hopefully can help regain the efficiency.
Poor Performance
Another common complaint with bikes is
the poor performance of the machine, this can happen after a while of
ownership, there are several common reasons that you can look into as
mentioned below
Air Filter:
The air filter is cleaned every time the bike is taken in for service,
given the Indian riding conditions, it gets dirty after about a
1000Km’s, if you ride around the city or around dusty areas a lot, you
must clean the air filter if you notice poor performance. Consult your
owner’s manual as it will have step-by-step instructions on how to do
so.
Fuel Quality:
Poor quality of fuel can also be the reason for poor performance,
different pumps have different mixes that claims to deliver better
performance, rather than listening to recommendations, try filling up
from different petrol pumps to find the fuel that gives the best feel
and performance from your bike, the engine note may also change along
with the fuel quality but it’s up to you to find out what the bike
likes the most.
Lack of Warm Ups:
Warming up the engine in the morning starts is like how the gym
instructor makes you warm up before you get into the exercise. It’s
something that you must do every time, for an example, BMW’s have a rev
counter in which the red line RPM increases as the engine temperature
goes up, as the temperature reaches an optimum level, the red line RPM
will be at its maximum. This is what we must follow ourselves, when
properly warmed up in the morning, you will note that the engine feels
better and performs well for the whole day. It’s just the little thing
that you need to take care of. Also put the choke to good use in the
mornings.
Tyre Pressure:
As tyre pressure is low, the rolling resistance increases, this lowers
performance as well as efficiency, maintain it at the optimum levels at
all times, check it at least once every month and fill up as needed.
Low engine Oil:
Running an engine on low oil can lead to serious damage of the engine
components and in some cases can also be permanent, like seized pistons
and other parts, if there is by chance any leak, have it checked
immediately by a mechanic and if possible, tighten any bolts around the
area where it leaks. Check the oil level every 2,500 Kilometers and top
up if needed.
Chain Slack:
A slacking chain can make engine response feel poor and can also reduce
the acceleration. If you hear a lot of chain noise or noise from the
chain cover, its time you greased it up and tightened it.
Carburettor Tuning: Improper A/F setting can also be the reason for low performance, Click on
this link
to find out how you can adjust it yourself, also remember not to do
this if the bike is new or hasn’t run at least 7,500 Km’s as the
service mechanics would do this themselves during that period.
Carbon Build Up:
When my bike was 30,000 Kilometers old, it couldn’t win a drag with the
150cc Fazer, which was much heavier and was ridden by a less
experienced rider, this made me even think of selling it off. But then
I told this to the TVS mechanic who recommended that I do an engine
decarbonisation. This required me to leave the bike at the workshop for
a whole day so that the engine head had to be removed, when I saw the
piston, I was genuinely shocked, it was coated in a thick and dry
carbon layer, it was so hard that you needed a screw driver to even
scratch the surface, he told me that it was the reason why the bike
didn’t go as fast as it should. After the cleaning and valve setting, I
found that I could stay on par with the same Fazer. Performance was the
same as what it was in the early days and now the needle touches 80
without me even knowing it. Considering that this is a 40,000Km and
almost 3 year old machine, it is quite impressive.
Bad Brakes
Brakes are one of the most important
elements of a bike and it is even more important here in India as we
must be prepared to stop before the odd obstacles we may find every day.
Drum Brakes:
If you face poor braking on the drum brakes at the rear or front of the
bike, you must check for free play of the brake lever or pedal. If
there is too much of a free play, tighten the bolt as shown in the
picture, you must tighten it to a point where the wheels will be able
to rotate freely and you would be able to apply maximum pressure.
Another reason for poor drum brake
performance can be dirty brake pads and build up of brake dust. If you
have a bike that has been driven for over 20,000Km’s and if you
experience weak braking without the squeaking noise, you may have a
dirty brake pad. You can get it cleaned and serviced at your local
workshop. If you happen to notice the squeaking noise every time you
apply the brakes, it may be time to replace the pads.
Disc Brakes:
If you happen to face poor disc brake performance, don’t worry, it’s
nothing that can’t be fixed. Firstly check for brake fluid levels, and
whether it is filled up well. If there is enough fluid and if you still
have the problem, you can do something known as air bleeding,
sometimes, air gets into the tube between the pump and the callipers
and this can reduce the braking force. Even though it can be done by
you, it is recommended to take it to the bikes service centre. Air
bleeding can not only improve brake performance, it can also increase
the feel and sharpness of the brakes. Also try pumping the disc brakes,
that is, by applying the brake with full force and releasing, for about
10-20 times (while stationary), this can also provide a boost in
braking power.
Also, If you happen to notice weird metal scraping noises coming
from the disc brakes even when you have are not applying the brakes,
it’s about time to replace the brake pads, if you continue to ride for
over 500 Km’s in this condition, you may end up damaging the discs
which can cost quite a lot.
Electric Starter Fails
This is a useful feature that can save
us the embarrassment of causing a traffic jam after stalling the
engine. You may find it not working on some fine morning. Check for the
following signs:
Battery level:
The battery may have run out of acid which must have reduced its
efficiency, if you notice that the starter works once you start riding
for a long time, but doesn’t when you try in the morning, get the
battery acid levels checked. Your bike charges the battery as you ride
so just keep it filled up at the first signs of trouble.
Starter Relay:
This is part of the electric system that provides current to the
starter, sometimes a failure of this component can stop the starter
from working, if you hear just a “tick” noise from the starter every
time you press the starter button, it may be either because of a low
battery or a failing starter relay.
Things to Remember
Your bike needs a little bit of care
and attention if you would want it to last long just the way you like,
so here are a few tips that can help you keep the bike and eventually
yourself happy:
- Warm Ups: Warm up the engine well in the mornings
before you head out for a journey, this can help a lot in extending
engine life and performance.
- Check Tyre Pressure: Once a month, inspect the tires for signs of low pressure, keep them topped up for the best.
- Chains: If you notice chain noise or looseness, simply get the chain tightened, its just a matter of 10 minutes at the most.
- Periodic Service: Note that most bikes have a
service interval of around 2,500 Kilometers, be sure to visit the
service station in the specified intervals, check the manual to know
more about the intervals.
- Avoid Cheap Parts: If in case, a part does go bad,
avoid replacing it with cheap alternatives or quick fixes, all
manufacturers test parts for durability and quality and that is the way
you should be going.
So these are the simple points you
should keep in mind, I have mentioned the most common problems faced by
bike owners and their possible solutions, I know there are a lot more
than this, but I will be sure to cover even more areas in Part 2 of
this article. Meanwhile, if you own a bike and have come across
problems, please share with us, how you managed to solve it, do mention
the type of bike and the Kilometers it ran along with the comment.
So Until the next time, wish you a happy and trouble free journey.
NOTE:-NO COPYRIGHT VIOLATION
SOURCS:-
http://bikeadvice.in/
5. Engine: Again
regular servicing and tune-ups will keep the engine running like
clockwork and reduce your petrol bills. Pay special attention to
cleaning the carburettor and maintaining valve clearences. Don’t
neglect the spark plug, ensure it is clean, the gap is set correctly or
replace it if past its prime as it’s the most crucial link in proper
combustion. Most modern bikes require the choke to be used on cold
starts as they run lean to meet emission norms as well as fuel
efficiency requirements.
Motocross
racing seems to have had it origins in Europe, very possibly France
with these early motorcycles being raced through wooded trails or
racing to the top of a mountainous road for publicity. Many of these
early races were not races of speed but races against time where riders
simply competed against each other on an individual basis. Racing
expanded as did the production of motorcycles to include scrambles and
cross country events which excited and entertained spectators.
Incidentally, the word motocross was derived from the words motorcycle
and cross-country. The races would eventually be moved to a shorter,
closed track for easier viewing by the spectators and better monitoring
of the racers themselves. With the world at war and the Great
Depression, off-road motorcycles may not have been a priority concept
with people for many years but the interest in dirt racing wasn’t about
to go away. Then Soichiro Honda came along in 1946 with his idea to
produce cheap transportation for people after the second world war.
Helmet:
Good dealer advices and assures that your helmet fits properly on your
head. It should have good snug fitting. Helmets are available in
different sizes and you might find that you require trying different
ones for finding the one, which perfectly suits you. Again, you
shouldn’t buy second hand helmet. They do not work efficiently if they
are more than three years old or dropped from height over 2 feet.
Always take care of your visor and clean it with soft cotton clothes.
Avoid paper towels for their abrasive feel. Most riders like their
helmet to complement the bike. Whilst most popular color in helmet
black, buying bright colors might help others to notice you more.
Jacket:
Avoid bulky jackets (Ski type ones), as they’ll give no protection in
case of accidents and obscure the bike’s mirrors. You can even get
affected more by the wind when you’ve got them on. Bike jackets should
be either fabric or leather. Leather ones offer better protection,
whereas fabric tends to work well in every season.