Motorcycle Information

All rubber tires wear down over time, whether they're on a motorcycle or automobile. However, you want to watch out for uneven or excessive wear, both of which can cause serious problems for motorcycle riders. If you pay attention to the following causes of excessive and uneven wear, you will extend the life of your tires and keep yourself safe:

1. Improper Tire Pressure - We have all heard about the importance of maintaining proper tire pressure at all times. Improper air pressure in your tire is a big reason for many tire problems and failures. Be sure your tires have the recommended pressure in them at all times.

2. Humped Roads -- Most roads are "humped" slightly in the middle or banked away from the center to allow rain and water to drain off. However, this hump can have a dramatic effect on one side of your motorcycle's front tire because the side of the tire closer to the center of the road will wear faster. There's not much you can do about this, and it can become very visible if you ride a lot. So be aware of this phenomenon and check the left side of your front tire often.

3. Disproportionate Cupping -- Cupping is a normal phenomenon on rubber tires that occurs when the brakes are applied. However, excessive use of the front brake can produce disproportionate cupping, when one side of the tire is more cupped than the other. Using the front brake will naturally put more pressure and force on the front tire to make it stop, thereby using up more rubber.

4. Wheel Alignment - While this problem is not as common on motorcycles as it is on cars, it causes uneven tire wear. Any number of things can cause wheel misalignment on motorcycles, including getting into a fender bender, riding over potholes, jumping over sidewalks and curbs, etc. It is a good idea to have your wheel alignment checked out at least once a year to make sure that a misalignment isn't unevenly wearing your front tire.

5. Shock Absorbers -- A bad shock absorber can wreak havoc on the handling of your bike and promotes uneven front tire wear. So make sure your shocks are in good shape.

6. Improper Loading -- The final major problem to keep in mind is improper loading of your bike, which causes your front tire to wear unevenly. Proper weight distribution is essential to being able to handle and steer your bike safely. Loading down one side of your saddlebag with tools or equipment can keep you from riding as vertically as possible, creating uneven tire wear.

So check your tires frequently, and keep these causes in mind if you begin noticing excessive or uneven front tire wear. Having the knowledge and taking the proper precautions will not only make you a safer rider but will prolong the life of your bike's tires.

Jeff Sinason aka Tools - is the owner Bikerwares.com. Being an avid biker, he spends most of his time working on his web site and touring the country.

Many mini moto modifications will require you to remove the engine from the mini moto. This is why I have produced the following guide.

Firstly you will need to remove the mini moto's fairing.

Start with the seat fairing, unscrew the four seat screws and remove the seat. Unscrew the screw at the front end of the seat fairing and remove the petrol cap. The fairing can now be lifted from the mini moto. Replace the fuel tank petrol cap and remove the fuel tank by pulling the rubber tube of the nipple on the top of the carburettor. You may want to double the rubber fuel tube over and secure it in this position with a clothes peg. This is to stop fuel leaking out.

Remove the bottom fairing by unscrewing the holding bolts (two on each side), this frees the bottom fairing from the top. Unscrew the two bolts on the underside of the bottom fairing. The bottom fairing is now free. The top fairing is only now held on by one last bolt located in between the handle bars at the front of the mini moto.

Once you have removed the fairing, you will need to take the chain off the front sprocket. To do this loosen the back wheel nuts and the tensioning bolts. The back wheel can now be manoeuvred toward the front sprocket loosing the chain. When the chain is loose enough you can remove it from the front sprocket.

Remove the pull start from the engine by unscrewing the three holding screws. Once the pull start has been removed you will see the wire that comes from the stop switch. Unplug this.

The throttle cable can be removed from its fitting on the top of the carburettor. Pull the rubber seal up so that the locking nut can be unscrewed, the throttle can now be pulled from the carburettor along with the needle valve and spring.

The next step is to Remove the Exhaust. The exhaust is fixed to the mini motos frame by a bolt located just under the seat fairing toward the back of your mini moto. Undo this bolt with a spanner and an alan key. The exhaust is fixed to the underside of the engine by two bolts via a gasket. Remove the two bolts with an alan key making sure that you do not lose the gasket washer. The exhaust can now be slid out past the engine and removed form the mini moto.

The engine is free from its mechanical fittings, the engine then needs to be removed from the mini motos frame. The bolt at the top of the engine must be undone first using the alan key. The three screws located on the underside of the engine are the last fixings to be undone. The engine can now be completely removed from the mini moto.

Matt Tong has been importing and riding Mini Motos for two years. For expert advice and Mini Moto information please visit http://www.minimotosandmore.com

Mini Motos have been around in the UK for around ten years now. The first bikes we're cobbled together with parts that were already available. Small 2 stroke engines, mainly from garden machinery, were used. This type of engine is still used today for a few models and is referred to as an 'industrial' engine. But now the mini moto has been given an overhaul and has taken off in popularity.

Mini Motos are true miniatures of their larger Super bike cousins. All of the details that go into the high performance motorcycles of today are scaled down. The slick tires, the race replica bodywork and the "super bike" colours are all present. Although usually only 15 to 18 inches in height and weighing 35 to 55 pounds, it can be difficult to tell they're not full size when looking at them from a distance. The exactness of detail adds to their 'coolness' and is most certainly what has raised them to such heights of popularity.

Although beautiful, Mini Motos go well beyond being mere exquisite scale models. Advanced engineering has catapulted them to high-performance levels at only slightly outrageous prices. European companies like Blata and Polini sell units for