The annual SEMA (Special Equipment Market Association) industry trade show draws hundreds of thousands of auto dealers, specialty equipment distributors, installers, retailers and restoration shops to Las Vegas every November. Most appealing to me are smaller vendors who solve specific problems in new and creative ways—especially when it involves motorcycles. A prime example at this year’s SEMA show was ClampTite. Continue reading
If a preowned bike deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Bikes that have been sitting awhile may have hidden horrors. Continue reading
I wasn’t surprised to see Dave at MCN publish several Letters to the Editor about JIS screwdrivers, as I’d gotten half a dozen emails from people about the article as well. Here are the two that were published. Letters to Editor about JIS Screwdrivers. I WAS surprised to see that… Continue reading
Rather than taking my bike to a dealer for repairs I can’t handle myself, I prefer Oltman—he lets me help—stifling his snickers at my ignorance and ineptitude. This typically doubles or triples the time a repair would take at a real motorcycle repair shop. My last visit required some extensive disassembly. Unable to dislodge one rusted and corroded screw, I’d managed to strip a good part of its Phillips head. Oltman went to his tool box and came back with a different screwdriver saying, “try this.” This screwdriver fit snugly and the screw came right out. “That’s a JIS screwdriver,” Oltman told me… Continue reading