r/MotorcycleMechanics

I have a 2023 Husqvarna Vitpilen 401. Unfortunately, the left stanchion got dinged in a move and started leaking fork oil. I asked an authorized Husqvarna repair shop how much the replacement part would and they said the I would have to get the whole fork assembly for $1200 + $600 in labor.

I know some things should be left to professionals, but I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for how to go about this. Is there a simple fix? If not, I have a strong mechanical background so I feel like I could figure it out. I have found decent looking standalone fork tubes on EBay that I could make scavenge the stanchion from. I have also found the entire front fork assembly for around $500. Any help is much appreciated!

The bike idles but chokes out under steady acceleration. any ideas how many gremlins are hiding in this bike? I'm competent with electronics but still learning motorcycle mechanics, does this look like a good project or a money pit?

I've been riding a gn250 but it struggles a bit on highway, I'd really love this bike.

Cheers

Hey there guys!

‘22 Kawasaki Z400.

I live up a mountain and it’s pitch black with very few lights and retro reflectors, and the high beams on my Z400 don’t cut it.

I’ve picked up a pair of cheap 20w spotlights to bolt on - just wanted to ask for advice with the wiring. I’ve got an inline fuse, a toggle switch that mounts to the bars, and I was planning on just running it to the battery.

How’s the polarity work? I’m sure it matters the order I wire this up in, but I’m thinking it’s battery to the fuse (it’s got a 10A in there now, but I’ll swap it for a 2 or 3? 24/36w from the battery?), to the switch on the bars, to the light, then back to the negative thermal on the battery, with all the red wires being… upstream of all their respective parts and the black ones being downstream.

The electrical physics and wiring part of my physics class in high school was a *long* time ago.

Also, the switch has two on positions, for low beams and high beams - if I just connect both of them to the positive cable on the light, that’ll just mean I can flip it either way, I’m imagining.

Cheers for the help!

I have a 1982 Suzuki gs650g the old clutches were pretty burnt and slipping, so I went ahead and had a buddy replace them (he’s done a lot when it comes to bikes)+ diesel mechanic)) he replaced all the disc and the plates, how ever he did not replace the springs, I also got a new clutch cable, after everything got installed and he had left, it’s still slipping and not the kind where you can adjust it by the handle or the basket, it’s like bad. Any advice would help!!!!

Every other one of these broke loose without issue. I even went out and bought JIS screwdrivers specifically for this job to avoid exactly this problem… how the hell do I get this screw outta there??

I just bought a bike from fb. A 2012 street triple 675r and not sure if the sound is okay, it do have a hard start but once it’s running it starts no problem looking into fuel lines.

I was ridding and felt kinda of a loss of power, so I stopped on the side of the road too check didn’t see nothing dripping .. had really a hard time to restarting it (pushing , getting towed by friends) finally get it running but after that the motor light was on and a lot of sound was getting out of it kind of thingling sound and so we tooked the motor off it but now we don’t know what’s the problem we looking the chain, and everything what do you think may cause this sound?

Street Tripple 675 2013

Can I use the carb cleaner to clean the chain, wipe it dry and then use the cable lube to lube it? I’d like to use what I already have if possible. This is to clean my first bikes chain for the first time and I just realize I am 500 miles overdue for that 😬

It’s a ‘75 CL360 so I am 95% sure that the chain is too old to have o, d, or z rings.

Hi all, recently decided to change my exhaust on my motorcycle, a 2011 Yamaha XJ6. The original exhaust was severely corroded to the point where the nuts were unrecognisable.

So after several days of fighting them, some persuasion from a MAP torch and brute force from a hammer and chisel, I managed to remove everything, leaving just the studs behind.

Now, I tried the vice grip and heat method to no avail, the grips just slid around the stud, so.. I did some research and apparently welding a nut on is the holy grail.

First time I’ve ever used a welder, so today I borrowed my friends MIG gasless welder, a Clarke Weld 90E, set it up to run at the correct polarity, fed in some gasless 0.9mm wire and attempted to weld a nut onto a stud.

It worked, kind of, the nut felt pretty sturdy on the stud. But as soon you put a socket on and begin to apply any amount of torque, the nut snaps off the stud and spins around it.

I’ve tried for hours, burning through a dozen or so nuts to no avail. I tried doing a washer first, but the welder just decimated it immediately.

Any ideas please folk?

Im looking at potentially buying a 2003 Sportster 883 10th Anniversary but when I went to check it out the batter was dead, then we got it jumped and the carb must be gunked up because it won't idle with choke closed. I noticed the oil was too low to even hit the dipstick, then noticed what looked like a build up of oil as pictured. Bike sounded fine when running besides bogging down when given gas. Would this be a costly repair for the oil leak? I can swap carb and battery myself but never dealt with an oil leak. Guy was showing it for his Aunt so he didn't know why it would be leaking ...Any help much appreciated I really want the bike but unsure if it's a wise choice. Thank you

I cannot figure out what it is, my very first bike that I’ve ever bought I bought it to practice hoping i could ride the first day I got it but now it’s and it’s not starting, if anybody can help me out I’d very much appreciate it. 2023 Vader 123

My recently purchased kawasaki seems to be steaming from radiator area. The bike has been running for about 15-20mins and started steaming oddly. Am I up for a replacement rad?