The Small Engine Shop

They should dress up a headless manikin and let it drive itself around the local town/community.

BMW is teaching this motorcycle to drive itself — so it can help save lives

What tools should you take with you on a long motorcycle trip? That depends on your motorcycle and the trip. Different tools might be needed for an off-road adventure than what's needed for a road trip. A Harley Davidson motorcycle tends to have more torx fasteners than a Kawasaki, so your particular motorcycle will also determine what tools you need. The length of your trip could also be a factor for tool selection. Also, I don't consider tools to be restricted to common hand tools, and can include a can of Fix-A-Flat or tubes of JB Weld. I would also include a towing service as a tool to get you out of trouble when your bike breaks down in the middle of Smallville, PickAState.

I'm not going to concentrate so much on specific hand tools in this post. Like I said, it depends on your trip and your motorcycle. I want to focus more on road trips and areas of the motorcycle more likely to cause problems, and things you can do to prevent problems, fix problems and protect yourself when they occur.

• Thoroughly inspect your motorcycle before a long trip. Have this professionally done if your not capable of doing it yourself. Check everything! Make sure everything is adjusted properly and to your liking, inspect all components for wear or damage and replace them if needed; make sure everything is tightened to their proper specifications. Make sure all maintenance is up to date. Doing a thorough job here will prevent break downs that should never happen on your trip.
• Join a motorcycle manufacturers owners group. Membership usually includes a free tow truck towing service that will pick you and your bike up and take you to the nearest dealership for repairs. I know Harley Davidson has the HOG, Harley Owners Group and Kawasaki has ROK, Riders of Kawasaki.
• Probably the most vulnerable area of your motorcycle during a trip are the tires. Tires can lose air from a small puncture or a major cut causing a blowout and leaving you with a flat tire. Take an air gauge with you and check your tires at least everyday during your trip. Doing this will help you notice small air leaks so you can have your tire repaired. Bring a tool to add air to your tires. If your motorcycle has a 12 volt accessory outlet, then you can use a small 12v electric air pump. A tire plug repair kit can repair many punctures and small cuts in tubeless tires. A can of Fix-A-Flat can  repair air leaks from small punctures in both tubeless and tube tires, and adding the contents of the can will air up your tire at the same time. Using a tire plug or can of Fix-A-Flat to repair air leaks is a temporary fix and you should have your tire repaired properly as soon as possible. Rather or not you want to bring hand tools to remove your motorcycles wheels to repair a flat tire really depends on you and your motorcycle. You probably won't be able to remove the wheels on an 800 pound Harley Davidson in the middle of nowhere, but you might be able to on a smaller motorcycle when its laid on its side or propped up on a boulder or log. Removing your motorcycle wheel usually requires a few wrench or sockets (depends on your bike), and removing the tire requires at least 2 tire irons. If your able to get your wheel and tire off a patch kit can be used to repair punctures in a tire or tube. A spare tube can be taken along is your tire uses tubes.
• The other vulnerable area of your motorcycle during a road trip is your battery. Usually there are signs a battery is starting to die, but not everyone notices the signs and the battery can quit at the worst possible time. Also a battery can go dead if a high enough current drain is placed on the battery for a short time period while the motorcycle is not running, or if the high current drain exceeds the output of of your motorcycles alternator. This can happen in cold weather riding when the rider and/or passenger is using electric heated clothing. The motorcycle inspection before your trip should include testing the battery and cleaning and tightening the battery terminals, but I would also take some tools with you just in case the battery goes dead for whatever reason. A good tool to have is a lithium battery jump starter. It can be used to jump start your motorcycle if your battery dies. It can also be used to charge electronic devices like your cell phone. Make sure you have the hand tools needed to get to your battery, and tighten or remove the battery terminals if needed. Getting to the battery usually involves removing your motorcycle seat, which can also involve removing other items like the side panels; it all depends on your motorcycle.
• If your worried about crashing you might want to bring a first aid kit
• Most motorcycles come with a tool kit and a place to store them on the motorcycle. The tools aren't the best quality, but they can be useful in a pinch.
• Take your cell phone.

You could spend all day discussing every motorcycle nut and bolt and every possible break-down scenario, and you would end up with a tool list that can fill a tool box. I think if you cover the points I mentioned in this post and do the necessary research for your motorcycle, then you will be in good shape if a break down does happen. I will include a link to a video below that talks more about other topics, hand tools and a very nice custom tool pouch for storing your tools. You can also use a towel to roll up your hand tools. Place the tools in the towel perpendicular to the towels length and fold the sides up and over the tools, then roll the tools up. Use a bungy cord to secure the tool roll. The towel can be used to wipe your hands after working on your motorcycle and the bungy cord can be used to secure other items in case of an emergency.


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ZCssKiAlMfs" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ZCssKiAlMfs</a>

A 2009 Kawasaki KLR 650 photo taken in Japan approximately one year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Truth? You decide.....

This is a 2009 Kawasaki KLR650 with 30,000 miles. I use the bike for short trips in town/city and I don't do much freeway riding. The bike is pretty close to stock and there are no engine modifications such as the Doo Hickey fix. I did change the final drive gear ratio and added a few things, which I will explain below.

Problems and changes I've made to the bike:

• The voltage regulator/rectifier stopped working around 20,000 miles and I replaced it. DO NOT go to the Kawasaki dealership to get a replacement voltage regulator/rectifier because they are $269.03. No, that is not a typo! Save your money and buy it on ebay for around $30. The $30 replacement from ebay looked identical to the original regulator/rectifier. It looked like they were both from the same casting or form. It wouldn't surprise me if they came from the same factory.
• The rear sub-frame support bracket came loose one time and I simply tightened it back up and it hasn't come loose since.
• Had a problem with the key and ignition lock binding when turning the ignition lock ON. This is an indication of wear and having a new key duplicated from the new and unused original key fixed the problem. If you don't have a new key to duplicate from, then you can have a new key cut from your bikes key code. The key code for a KLR is not written or stamped on the bikes locks, but it is included on a tag that comes with the original key. You should always write the code down in the owners manual in case you lose the key code tag.
• I've replaced the low beam and high beam bulbs several times. You don't need the Kawasaki dealership for replacement bulbs and you can find them at your local auto parts or even Walmart stores.
• I'm now on my forth set of final drive sprockets and chain. Every time I replaced the sprockets and chain I always used a different ratio to improve freeway riding, but I'm now back to using a front sprocket that is one tooth larger than the stock sprocket and a stock rear sprocket.
• I've replaced the battery several times and you can get a replacement battery at Walmart.
• I don't know how many times I've replaced the front and rear tire. I have ordered tires online before, but I prefer to get the stock tires from the Kawasaki dealership because they always have them in stock and there is no wait. However, the stock tires do wear pretty quick. If you live in a state that requires vehicle inspections every year and you ride your KLR often, then plan on replacing the rear stock tire every year.
• I replaced the front and rear brake pads one time. At around 20,000 and approximately 6 or more years of riding year round through snow and rain, the front and rear brake calipers started sticking and caused the bike to not roll freely. I was ab;e to take the front and rear brake caliper completely apart and clean and lube everything. The ends of the caliper pistons get corroded and it causes them to not move back into the housing far enough to completely release all pressure on the brake pads. This causes the resistance you feel when rolling the bike back and forth. It can get so bad that you feel the resistance while riding. Also the two pin hangers in each caliper get corroded so you should clean them and put high temp anti seize lubricant on them before installing them back into the caliper.
• I always use Kawasaki oil filters and either Valvoline or Mobil full synthetic motorcycle motor oil.
• I added metal guards for both side panels and they have been very good for protecting the panels and attaching bungy cords to, but if I had to do it over again I would get crash guards for the radiator, engine and plastic shrouds. Some guy backed into the bike when it was parked and broke the left plastic shroud. Each shroud is $206.83 to replace and they are vulnerable anytime the bike goes down.
• I think Kawasaki had problems with 2008 KLR's using motor oil, but it was fixed in later models. I do have to periodically add motor oil to the bike, but its not so often that its a hassle. However, the bike does seem to use more oil than other motorcycles I have owned.
• At one point I added the Kawasaki soft top case, tank bag and saddle bags, and I recommend all three. I removed the saddle bags and continue to use the soft top case and tank bag. I just don't need the extra room provided by the saddle bags and I did tear one saddle bag when I crashed. The soft top case has been a great help when using the KLR for grocery shopping.

Best KLR 650 feature:

• I would have to say the 6 gallon gas tank is the best feature and sets the KLR 650 apart from other dual sport motorcycles in its class. The small fairing is right up there with the large gas tank. The fairing does a good job at keeping air off your chest during freeway riding, and several companies offer replacement wind screens of various sizes.

Worst KLR 650 feature:

• The worst feature is the popping and sputtering when you decelerate. Kawasaki jets the KLR 650 very lean to pass EPA standards and this causes the popping and sputtering. The good news is its very easy to fix. I would also have to say the low amp alternator is another downside to the KLR. If you power several heated accessories during winter riding you will probably want to upgrade the stock KLR 650 alternator.

The bottom line is the 2009 KLR 650 was well worth what I paid for it. If it blew up tomorrow I would have no regrets and would consider getting another one. Its been a very durable and reliable motorcycle, and I like the tall seat height, long travel suspension and big gas tank. Its very easy to work on and there are more accessories for it than you will ever need. The large number of parts and accessories for this motorcycle makes it very easy to improve the KLR to perform better at whatever type of riding you prefer. I believe the KLR 650 was voted the best motorcycle to have during the Apocalypse by Motorcyclist magazine and I often hear people describe the KLR as not being great at anything, but being able to do everything; being able to ride on dirt, street, around town or across country makes the KLR a great motorcycle.

If I think of anything else in the next few weeks I will add it to this post.

The Motorcycle Mechanic Institute restructured their motorcycle repair training program and lowered tuition cost by 33% (not sure of the exact number). I think the cost savings came from shortening the core program from 36 weeks to 18 weeks. Also, the Honda (HonTech) elective was shortened from 24 weeks to 12 weeks. HonTech may still be 24 weeks in Orlando, but it is 12 weeks in Phoenix. The Performance and Drivability section, which includes learning to use a dynamometer is now an elective and optional.

I think this is a big improvement for the school.

I don't understand how the Catholic church can justify allowing priests to be LGBT activists. Is it any wonder the Catholic church has problems with homosexuality (pedophilia)? If I had kids I would be very concerned about them attending a Catholic church because I think the homosexual problem is far worse than it appears. I'm sure there are good priests, but how do you know who is good and who is a predator?

I remember listening to Father Malachi Martin on Artbell back in the late 1990's and he said "Lucifer is in the Vatican." At the time I didn't really understand his comment, but now it is crystal clear.

Concerned Catholics’ Group Petitions Archbishop to Remove LGBT-Activist Priests from Ministry

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/gn--7GTffn8" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/gn--7GTffn8</a>