5 Cheap motorcycle tricks you will thank us for
Modern motorcycles are so luxurious, you hardly need any cheap motorcycle tricks. At least, that’s what you’d think. But some common problems and annoyances still haven’t been solved by the manufacturers of those modern motorcycles. We give you 5 cheap motorcycle tricks that will work on almost any bike. You can thank us later.
Not everything can be solved by adding fancy electronics. Sometimes you need simple solutions that require hardware. And most of those common annoyances and problems don’t just appear on modern day motorcycles. They arise when owning any kind of motorcycle. Luckily, some can be solved with just a simple trick, that often cost you less than 10 euros. Let us help you out.
5 CHEAP MOTORCYCLE TRICKS
YOU WILL THANK US FOR
Some solutions to annoyances in your life on two’s cost lots of money. But luckily, others don’t. Here are 5 cheap motorcycle tricks that will improve your life on two wheels.
Table of contents:
1. The mechanic emergency kit that you can store anywhere
2. Hide a sidestand puck under your seat with velcro
3. Create a mini screwdriver with spare hardware
4. Battery terminal nut hack
5. O-ring fork travel indicator
#1. THE MECHANIC EMERGENCY KIT
THAT YOU CAN STORE ANYWHERE
First up in our 5 cheap motorcycle tricks list: the emergency kit. It is amazing how many mechanic failures can be solved with some zip ties, a bit of wire, a little tape and / or some hose. Especially if you’ve got a thing for classic motorcycles like we do. Modern day electronic issues might not get fixed with some tape or wire, but the problem of a lost bolt and nut still gets solved with a zip tie for the time being.
Here is what to get for this ‘mechanic emergency kit’:
– A hose (at least 30 cm)
– Stiff wire (a cut up coat hanger will do)
– Two (or more) zip ties
– Some insulated electrical wire with stripped ends
– Electrical tape
You can put all of this in a little bag and stuff it in a backpack or pannier. Or you can fold the stiff wire in half and stuff it into the hose. Stuff the zip ties and electrical wire with it. Wrap some electrical tape around one end or both ends. You can stuff this little package anywhere in or on your motorcycle. The wire will help the hose to hold its shape. Maybe secure the package with some tape.
#2. HIDE A SIDESTAND PUCK
UNDER YOUR SEAT WITH VELCRO
It can happen to all of us. And probably already have happend to most of us. Your motorcycle tips over because the side stand was resting on soggy grass or soft earth. Your cheeks go red of embarrassment, while it’s actually not such a big deal. And like we said, it can happen to all of us. Luckily, an annoyance like this can easily be prevented by bringing a side stand puck. But where to put it? In your pocket at all times? You bet you will forget the thing.
So you velcro the sidestand puck under your seat. Most modern motorcycles lack storage space underneath the seat. And when you ride dressed in leather you really don’t want too much things stuffed in that inner pocket. So you get yourself a sidestand puck and a piece of heavy-duty adhesive velcro.
Find the spot that’s best suited for your motorcycle. Sticking the velcro and puck somewhere should not make the seat close with extra effort. When you find the perfect spot, you stick the fuzzy side of the velcro under your seat. Put the other side on the puck and voila.
#3. CREATE A MINI SCREWDRIVER
WITH SPARE HARDWARE
We all know someone who is blessed (or rather cursed) with screws or fasteners that come loose all the time. I used to have a few on my Suzuki GSX-R. I just had to tighten them every now and then. No space to take an actual screwdriver with you? Then create a miniature one with spare parts, which you can hide literally everywhere. It’s one of our favourites in this list of 5 cheap motorcycle tricks.
What to get:
– Two bits (for example; a flat head one and a phillips-head)
– Two washers
– A bolt and nut
Of course you can also use different bits. Just whatever you need to fasten screws or fasteners on your bike. The bolt and nut clamp the bits between the washers. This way, you create a miniature screwdriver. You can hide it anywhere in your bike, or even in a pocket.
#4. BATTERY TERMINAL NUT HACK
WE'RE NOT NUTS
nuts in place while tightening the bolts, when you get yourself a new motorcycle battery. Why struggle if the solution is super simple? Cut two short pieces of drain hose, like 1 cm long. Then push them onto the battery’s terminals. After doing so, you slide the nuts in above the little pieces of hose.
The hose will keep the nut in place, so they won’t move out of position when tightening the bolts. Just make sure the hose isn’t preventing the bolts from fully tightening.
#5. O-RING FORK TRAVEL INDICATOR
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO
Want to get more insight in suspension settings? And fork travel? Then add an O-ring fork travel indicator on one of the forks. Whenever you brake and the fork presses down, the O-ring tells you about the current fork travel. This can help to make decisions about suspension adjustments.
You can add a special O-ring fork travel indicator, which basically just is a rubber ring which you can add to your fork. This is most easily done with right-side-up forks. You can add one to an inverted fork as well, it just requires a bit more disassembly work.
Choose an O-ring that’s slightly smaller than the fork diameter. It should slide up and down easily. Slip it on and push it all the way down to the fork seal.
No O-ring at hand? You can also use a zip tie, which saves you the trouble of disassembling. Just keep in mind that zip ties can collect debris, so keep it clean. We use zip ties as fork travel indicators on our track bikes all the time. It has never given any problems. Just keep it in mind in case you want to add it to a street bike.
CONCLUSION
Those are our 5 cheap motorcycle tricks! Sometimes, solutions to annoyances don’t have to be expensive. Do you have some cheap motorcycle tricks to share with us and fellow motorcyclists? We’d love to hear about them! Send them to info@redridingboots.com and we will add them to this list.
