Interesting info. if you like to work on your own bike

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Neat mechanic's tricks
When you're working on your centerstand or sidestand, extend it and put coins in the spring. When you retract it, the spring will come right off. Leave it that way while you work on the stand and it'll be easy to put back on too. If you're putting on a new spring, bend it back and forth so you can put the coins in.


If you're adjusting the clearances on a bike with shim-under-bucket valves, zip-tie the camchain to the sprockets so you don't have to worry about retiming everything. Do just one cam at a time and be careful to not let the chain slip off the crank sprocket.


Brake master cylinder lid screw thread is M4x0.7 standard metric thread, at least for Japanese bikes.


H4 bulbs are the same as 9003 bulbs.


When working on your front suspension, loosen the top triple clamp, then loosen the fork caps before loosening the bottom triple clamp and completely removing the forks. This avoids the awkward struggle with loosening the fork caps later.


3/8" fuel tubing can be used for rear brake reservoir to master cylinder lines.


The most valuable special tool, especially on old bikes, is an impact driver. Don't strip those tired old soft metal Phillips heads. Never use it to tighten screws.


The parts microfiche and the genuine factory manual are "must haves". You can make do with a Hayne's or Clymer's in a pinch, but they are often incorrect in their procedures and torque values.


Monofilament fishing line is nice to clean carburetor passages w/o harming jets.


An easy way to get bubbles out of a caliper is to pump pistons as far out as possible, then squeeze them back in while holding the caliper so the hose union is at the highest point.


If you don't have the trick Lockhart master cylinder bolts with bleeders, crack the bolt to let trapped air out.


If the brake system is completely dry, you have to prime the master cylinder by taking the hose & union bolt completely off and using your thumb over the hole as a one-way air valve.


Tie the brake lever back to the bar with a bungee and let sit overnight to let gas escape.


If you can't tilt the master cylinder on the bars, mount it on a piece of pipe.


Tilex removes white chalky brake fluid residue from black-painted reservoirs.


If you're having problems with dragging brakes, make sure the tiny relief hole in the master cylinder isn't clogged.


Remember that the tiny brake lid screws and bleeder screws are lubricated with brake fluid. Don't overtighten them. There's no huge forces on them.


If an electrical connector is proving stubborn, use a model airplane C-clamp to hold the tab down. This frees your hands to wiggle it free gently.


When you're putting a tire on, put it in place and slide the axle through without any spacers, then pile up stuff to hold it at exactly that height. Now you can take the axle out and install all the pesky spacers and fragile speedometer drives without also struggling to hold it at the right position.


Methanol (AKA methyl alcohol or wood alcohol) will soften Loctite threadlocker compounds without the need for extreme heat and having to worry about warping the part. Ford windshield wiper fluid is nearly 100% methanol.


When vacuum-bleeding your brakes, dab petroleum jelly around the base of the bleeder threads to keep air from leaking in past the threads.


Due to its really high surface tension, DOT-3/DOT-4 brake fluid doesn't like to gravity-flow through anything smaller than 3/8ths-inch ID hose. Keep this in mind when making up anything to drip-fill your reservoir while you're bleeding your brakes.


When drilling aluminum, use alcohol to lube the drill bit and keep the metal from sticking.