These are tips people had told me about or I have read in various magazines over the years, I will be adding tips here for the next fiew weeks so be sure to stop back in. If you have any questions, comments or tech tips to add send them to me

Tip 1. Top pros want the best, most vibration-free ride they can get. One of their secret hot setups is to use a tube of silicone seal to fill the inside of the handlebars.This cuts way down on any vibration getting to your hands through the bars. It also works on any set of hollow aftermarket handlebars.

Tip 2.The Piston

Some unfortunate guys do more damage replacing the piston than the actual wear on the piston! Remove the circlips with a small
needle-nose pliers and throw them away. It is a common mistake to reuse circlips, but the cheap spring-steel wire clips will fatigue
and break if you install them for a second time.

After removing the circlips, you have to remove the piston pin. Never use a hammer and punch to remove the pin. That will
damage the connecting rod and needle bearings. Instead, use one of the pin-extractor tools available from your local franchised
motorcycle shop. You can also grasp the piston with one hand and use a 3/8-inch socket extension to push the pin out with your
other hand.

Too many people replace their pistons too often. The exact service interval for your bike depends on how hard the bike was run, for
how many hours, the quality of the lubrication, and the amount of dirt or other debris in the intake air. Bikes that are run hard
with dirty air filters may wear out pistons in only 6 hours, while bikes that are ridden easy with clean filters and adequate fuel
octane may last 60 hours.

Measuring the Piston

The best thing to do is measure the piston with a caliper. Digital calipers cost about $100 at industrial tool companies such as Enco or Harbor Freight. A digital caliper is easy to use and gives accurate measurements on the piston diameter and cylinder bore. Measure the widths of the piston (front to back) just above the intake cutaway because this is the widest point of the piston. Check the maximum wear specs in your service manual. Check the piston for detonation marks in the crown, cracks in the skirt, or seizure
marks. Look at the underside of the piston crown for a large black spot. The spot is burnt oil deposits that adhered to the piston
because the piston crown temperature was too hot. This is an indication that the carb’s main jet needs to be richer.

Tip3. Measuring the Ring Gap

The best way to know if the rings are worn is to measure the ring end gap. Put the ring in the cylinder and use the piston to push it
down about 1/2 inch from the top evenly spaced. Now use a feeler gauge to measure the width of the ring gap. Normally, the
maximum gap is 0.018–0.025 inch, but check your factory service manual for the exact wear limits.