
It's hard to pick the right line when your teeth are chattering. Any warm body—including yours—loses heat through five mechanisms: radiation, respiration, conduction, convection, and perspiration. Here's how to combat them. STAY DRY Water conducts heat about 200 times better than dry air; ergo,...
There are few things worse than coming out of your home in the morning keys in hand, ready to ride and seeing...nothing. Motorcycle theft is all too common, but you can thwart those evil bastards. Here's how, in six easy steps. Keep it Out of Sight If a thief can't see your bike, he can't decide...
Motorcycle give up the ghost while you're out with your friends? Or maybe you just ran out of gas a couple of miles before the fuel stop? First, get 12 feet to 20 feet (4 to 6 m) of rope, tie-downs hooked together, a bit of fence wire or phone cable, or best of all, a one inch (2.5 cm) wide flat...
Those same five heat-loss mechanisms you may remember from TIP #54 (radiation, respiration, conduction, convection, and perspiration) can also work to cool you down in hot weather. STAY COVERED Ever seen a picture of a Touareg tribesman in the Sahara? He's covered from head to foot. Only...
Adjusting your bike's chain won't make it any faster, but it's critical if you want your chain to last. It's fast, easy, and next to checking your own tire pressure it's one of the first things any home mechanic should learn. Too tight is as bad as too loose, but it'll only take minutes to get...
Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the lack of centerstands on today's bikes is a plot to make you take it to a dealer for service. In reality it's for cost savings, weight reduction, and increased ground clearance. If you do have one, here's how to use it. Start by standing to the left of...
Kids are the future of motorcycling. Get them started early, and you're ensuring the future of the sport. Better still, riding is good, clean fun. Riding a motorcycle is all about personal responsibility, and the sooner a kid learns about that concept, the happier he or she will be. If you have...