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directional signals and low beam not working

by katie
(pennsylvannia)

i have a 1995 honda shadow 1100 american classic. the turn signals and low beam are not working i know the bulbs are good how can i fix this

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Jun 27, 2012

lights
by: Turtle

The first thing to check for might be a blown fuse. See if this won't solve the problem

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bike will not run without a jump

my bikes been storage for about 3 months...wont start.if you jump it it will fire right up and stay running but as soon as you turn it off it will not restart without another jump.help please its a 2001 11cc yamaha motorcycle

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Dec 28, 2012

not starting
by: Anonymous

if i need a car to start ur bike, make sure CAR IS OFF! i had to do this a few times. been ripped off for 3 batteries too. by mechanics...
now i know i can buy one and install it myself!
sorry to say this, but it does happen. this was in a span of one month!one was the seller sold me a crap battery.

Jun 28, 2012

Get a charger and (probably) a new battery
by: TammyT

Bike batteries only last a few years and cost under a hundred dollars if you shop around. Autozone has good prices on motorcycle batteries. Just have the employee help you look up which one you need. A battery tender (charger) is a great idea. If the bike sits for a month without riding, use the tender the night before to get the battery topped up before a ride. If you haven't read your bike's owner manual cover to cover, do it now, so you'll know how to maintain your bike. It would be a drag to get out there on the road and not know how to take care of a simple fix. Keep on ridin' girl!!

Jun 28, 2012

How old is your battery?
by: VStarSam

They are only good for 5-7 years on average. Might just be time for a new one.

Jun 25, 2012

Charge It!
by: Gypsy Spirit

If your bike has been sitting a couple of months without a battery tender, it's a pretty good bet that the battery needs to be charged. Put it on a charger until it is fully charged.

Motorcycles are not like cars, they do not have alternators and do not recharge a discharged battery in the same manner. Running a bike with a low battery hoping to charge it can result in a damaged stator (lots of money).

If you do jump your bike from a car, make sure the car is NOT running, or as anonymous said, you can damage your electrical system that way also. Only do that as a fail safe to get home ... or to a shop for a new battery and/or charger.

Good Luck!

Jun 25, 2012

Be careful
by: Anonymous

Hi there - be careful about jumping your bike. If you are using a car to jump-start your bike, a surge of too much power can cause electrical problems with your bike, and that could be a lot more expensive than the alternative: Try getting a trickle charger instead and leaving it on for a few days to give your battery some power.

If you are jump-starting your bike, are you taking it out for a decent ride once you get it going, or just shutting her off and trying to restart? You need to drive it for a while to get the battery to charge itself.

Hope this helps!

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hard to reach valve stems

by Helga
(Springfield, OH, USA)

I have a Piaggio MP3 500 and I find the rear tire valve to be hard to reach if not next to impossible without cursing. Apparently this is a problem for motorcycles and scooters. Can anyone recommend a tire gauge or attachment that can make this a heck of a lot easier?

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Jun 21, 2012

cking tire pressure
by: Lynn - FL

You can buy different tire pressure gauges to help with the problem. Also, when you have the tires replaced, make sure they install the valve stems with a bend built-in. That will help a lot.

Since installing my hardbags, I think I have to almost stand on my head to check the rear tire pressure. All part of the fun I guess.

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oil and petrol

my husband has a honda 50cc made 1976 so it's a 2 stroke and has to have oil and petrol mixed together could any one tell me the right amount of each please

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Jun 28, 2012

Pre-mixing on 2 strokes
by: Judy

Hi there,

What EXACT model is your bike? Many, many Japanese 2 stroke (street bikes) had gear-driven oil pumps which meant they no longer needed oil to be pre-mixed into the fuel tank.

The manufacturers started coming out with automatic injectors (oil pumps from the 2 stroke oil tank) with lines going from the pump to the carbs or other parts of the intakes as early as the mid to late '60s.

Don't automatically assume you must pre-mix until you find out exactly which model you have. Now, if it's a non street legal dirt bike it probably DOES require pre-mixing. There is not necessarily a "standard" ratio, but many bikes were mixed at a ratio of 32-1 (32 parts gas to 1 part oil) which would be 4 ounces of oil to one gallon of gas. I'm not sure how specifically to convert that ratio to metric measurements.

Again, find out exactly what model you have and you may find it doesn't need to be pre-mixed. If it doesn't, please keep in mind that 2 stroke bikes which don't require it will have a separate oil tank JUST for the fuel mixing; do NOT put 2 stroke oil into the bottom end engine case(transmission/clutch), which uses more conventional gear oil; conversely, do not use gear oil in a oil tank used in fuel mixing.

I wish I could get more info on what exactly you have.

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sputtering at low rpms on my yamaha 1100 midnight special

by dale k.
(cincinnati ohio usa)

bike ran great for first couple of years I had it and then started sputtering at low rpms if you pull the clutch handle and rev the engine it smoothes out I've cleaned the carbs and tank several times but it still does it. did I miss something or what else could it be I am at a loss I am close to selling the bike because of this any help would be greatful

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Jun 14, 2012

sputtering
by: Anonymous

Did you adjust the valves? After the initial break-in the valves on that engine requires an adjustment. afer the initial adjustment they should be good for quite some time.

another fix may be adjust the idle up a touch.

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New to motorcycles

by rich
(texas)

I want to buy a new bike for college, but most of the ones i have found are manual transmission. are there any automatic bikes?

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Jul 13, 2012

automatic motorcycles
by: JR.Ashley

Honda made a hondamatic (automatic) motorcycle. Sweet!! My husband is new to riding so I started looking for a hondamatic and found a Suzukimatic... Now I found out after the fact that it was altered to be an automatic, but it doesn't matter, it rides like a dream and he loves to ride with me.

We started with a scooter and it was so much harder to ride, I'll never regret the purchase... Craigslist can truly be your friend.

I hope that helps.

J

Jul 09, 2012

Auto Motorcycle
by: Skye

Honda made the DN-01, which was a sporty type motorcycle with an automatic transmission. If you're just lookin' to cruise around campus scooters are the best way to go. I see people all around here with them. Honda Ruckus is a nice scooter that has some storage space below the seat.

Jun 28, 2012

Scooters
by: TammyT

Check out scooters. There are some that are fast enough for the freeway and many are automatic.

Jun 27, 2012

automatic & electric
by: islanddeb

Zero motorcycle makes an automatic/electric bike. Range is short, 114 miles. Max speed 90 MPH so they say, VERY light. Eerie to ride as there is no sound whatsoever. Plugs into a regular electric outlet.

Jun 22, 2012

Automatic motorcycles
by: Tammy FL.

Ridley makes beautiful automatic cruisers.

Jun 21, 2012

.
by: Elaine

A scooter or a boss hoss

Jun 21, 2012

aprilia
by: lois

Try looking for an Aprilia Mana 850 its automatic transmission.

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stalls and won't keep running

by Paul Boudreau
(Litchfield, Maine Kenebec County)

I have a 2000 Roadking HD with electronic electronic egnition; while going down the road after a mile or so, it stalled out. Acted just like it ran out of fuel but has plenty. I'm thinking a fuel pump??? your thoughts?

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Jul 15, 2012

stalls and won't keep running
by: Angela

my 03 Sportster is having the same issues, check clutch cable to make sure it does not need replacing and might not be fully releasing, would love to know what you find out, mine is still in shop

Jul 03, 2012

stalls & won't keep running
by: Joie

could also check fuel FILTER!

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stalls and won't keep running

by Paul Boudreau
(Litchfield, Maine Kenebec County)

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Jun 18, 2012

Time
by: Anonymous

If you're not sure what's wrong then it's time to take it to North Country HD.

Jun 17, 2012

stalls
by: Turtle

Turn the ignition on listen for fuel pump, it should run for a brief period of time and shut off when it builds pressure if it continues to run would indicate it is not building pressure.

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repair

my 1979 suzuki gs 850 keeps shutting off and will not run unless i hold the throttle open but as soon as i put it into gear it shuts off, if i have the wheels up and no presure on it i can put it into gear but still have to hold the throttle open?

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Jun 20, 2012

Kick Stand Safety Switch
by: Gypsy Spirit

I know this is going to seem like a silly question ... but are you putting it gear before putting the kickstand up? My daughter's Suzuki Savage has a safety switch in the kickstand and the bike will stall if put in gear while the stand is down. If your stand is up and it's stalling, maybe the safety switch is bad and not recognizing the stand is up.

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