by Dave Schoonmaker
There are a large number of motorcycle riders who have the mechankal aptitude
to effect repairs on their bikes at home in the garage. Shop manuals are none too
hard to follow and most bikes aren't that complicated. Unfortunately, even the best
of mechanics tend to panic when the bike dies right underneath them on the road. Q
Most of us lack a reasonable procedure for emergency troubleshooting. The following ~
list is intended to be stuffed in the tool roll on your bike to help out when you're far m
from home and lonely and your bike bas quit.
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,------Whallo do when Your Scooler Won'l Scool------,:
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So your bike just died. Cheer up, it was Waldo's scooter last week. Don't abuse the
some I have forgotten, are intolerant of messing. They also will fail if subjected tol ~
kickstarter until you're blue in the face. Sit down. Think it out. Next, try following
normal tests. Look for loose wires. Other than that can produce fried transistors I <0
these steps, until your bike runs or you finish reading. At worst, you might relax.
and a rearranged nervous system.)
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1. Open the gas cap and see if there is anything in the tank.
- Ground the plug: Insert the removed spark plug into the cap with lead wire and I '"
- Was there a vacuum type sound (phtt) when you opened it? The vent in the cap
ground it on the cylinder head. Scrape the metal body of the plug (the threaded
might be plugged so try starting the engine sans gas cap.
part) against the head a little, to insure a good ground.
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