December 8th, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Andrew Mercer
www.advrider.com is a site I have been following for years. On that site I recently found a thread called “Let’s see your Man Castle.” Here motorcycle enthusiasts from show photos of their garages. There are some that are absolutely amazing. My ‘Man Castle’ is a work in progress 
- Andrew
December 3rd, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Andrew Mercer
An argument has existed for decades as to which type of final drive is best. Shaft drives are quiet, but when they break down they do it in epic fashion and epic costs. Belts are quiet, cheap to replace, but are questionable offroad and in performance application. Chains are very reliable, low tech, and offer good performance, but they are noisy and require regular lubrication, tightening and replacement. You gotta love them all.
Considering there are more chain drive bikes out there than anything else, I figured I would do a chain maintenance video. I will be doing shaft and belt drive maintenance videos very soon. This video shows how to measure and adjust your motorcycle’s chain. The bike I am working on is a beautiful 1975 Honda CB750F – SOHC, 4-1 exhaust, front and rear disk brakes, a Ferrari exhaust note when ridden in anger…I could go on all day
- Andrew
This is the sound of the CB750F I am working on. It was a fairly calm ride, but there are times when you can hear that 4-1 pipe sing 
December 3rd, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
As you add bikes to your collection you are definitely going to have to deal with brake issues – this is not a problem. Much like carburetors, many people believe that there is strange voodoo going on in their brake systems – this is not true, brakes are not complicated. There is no reason to be afraid to tackle a brake job on your bike.
This video shows how to check the front brake fluid level on a typical hydraulic brake system – a Honda CB750. You will learn what to do with brownish old fluid and sediment in the brake reservoir. You will also see how to clean up the reservoir and add new fluid to the system. Nothing to it!!
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you work on your brakes:
November 30th, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
In this video tutorial I will show how to change the air filter on a 1991 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Police. You will need a 5/16th allen wrench and the proper new air filter for this DIY. This is a very simple task and I am sure you will be able to do this with your own motorcycle.
- Andrew
November 24th, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Andrew Mercer
I came across a great set of videos which follow the amazing Joey Dunlop. The videos give an authentic peek at his preparations and thoughts as he races in Ireland and the Isle of Mann.
It was interesting to hear him speak of how nervous he would get before a race. He says that he was sometimes so nervous he could hardly gather the strength to push start his bike.
- Andrew
November 22nd, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
www.bikeexif.com featured a bike today which started its life as a WWII Canadian military bike – James Roper-Caldbeck’s beautiful XXX750-WLC.
This bike has come a long way from its original drab green.
This past week I spotted a Indian 741 in the local classifieds.
Should a bike like this be left in restored condition or modified as a piece of art? This is a touchy subject for vintage motorcycle enthusiasts.
- Andrew
November 22nd, 2009 / 3 Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
There is a wealth of information on the Internets to help us with our motorcycle projects, but these is more misinformation than good information out there. Owners of SOHC Hondas are in luck.
Honda made many single overhead cam 4 cylinder bikes. Many of these engines were rock-solid and excellent performers. For these and other reasons, many of these bikes are still being ridden today. A few years ago I did a moderate restoration of a 1975 single overhead cam CB750F and relied heavily on the owners’ group www.SOHC4.net. This discussion website is absolutely excellent. There are numerous knowledgeable bike mechanics constantly trolling the discussions to assist owners with the simplest of questions. Whether you own a sohc bike or not it is worth your while to visit and bookmark this site.
- Andrew
November 22nd, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Andrew Mercer
The 1975 was first year of the CB750F Supersport. This bike was based on the CB750K with some small technical alterations and quite a different look.
- Andrew
November 22nd, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
The weather was beautiful here today – sunny and 4C. I decided to take out the RD400 for, what could probably be, the last ride of the season. I decided to take along a video camera to get some footage of our excellent Newfoundland coastal roads.
I had seen directions online on how to set up a mounting bracket to hold a camera on a bike. I decided to ignore this good advice and do it my own way. My low-tech solution was to sit on the folded tripod with the camera in front of my chest. Needless to say, it was not a comfortable ride. I took an older, cheap camera in case I was to drop it, but dropping it was not the problem. Like many cameras, the ‘go’ button is on the rear of the camera. Unknown to me, each time I accelerated the camera would bump my chest and switch off… sigh.
Tomorrow I will have a look at those mounting brackets that seem to work so well for other people 
It was a nice ride though. Sorry I have nothing to share with you.
- Andrew
November 22nd, 2009 / No Comments » / by Andrew Mercer
One of the most importance maintenance practices is to check your tire pressure regularly. It is so easy to neglect checking the tire pressure and nobody enjoys a blowout at 100kph
One motorcycle is not enough!
On a small budget, I have been able to build a nice little collection of bikes. This blog will explore how to start, build and maintain a motorcycle collection of your own.
Please feel free to make suggestions and ask questions.
