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A Guide to Motor Scooters
Motor scooters are vehicles with small wheels and a low-powered gasoline engine geared to the rear wheel. The first patents for “foot powered” scooters date back to 1921. Up to that time there were no motors attached to the scooter. They were...
Honda Dirt Bikes - Everyone Wants A Honda
There are dirt bikes, and then there are Honda dirt bikes. A
Honda represents speed, power and maneuverability (making it
obvious why they are the top-sellers). Quality is its ultimate
trademark, however, and a Honda dirt bike never fails to...
Inventor Comes Up With Dream Product
While his natural curiosity has often led inventor Frank Miller of Ponte Vedra Beach to research and development, his diagnosis of prostate cancer six years ago added another kind of R&D to his repertoire -- resolve and determination.
"I had...
Spark Plugs for your Motorcycles
If you want to keep up with your motorcycling quite extensively, just get the hang of it and you’re in to managing your own motorcycles for yourself. Some riders and bikers who have pushed moderately spending their time with their bikes would often...
Tips On Shipping Your Motorcycle
There are quite a few differences between car and motorcycle
shipping. While a car has a reliable handbrake and four wheels
for extra stability a motorcycle is quite different by design
having only two wheels amd nothing to keep the bike...
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The Cooling System
The purpose of the engine's cooling system is to remove excess heat from the engine, to keep the engine operating at its most efficient temperature, and to get the engine up to the correct temperature as soon as possible after starting. Ideally, the cooling system keeps the engine running at its most efficient temperature no matter what the operating conditions are. As fuel is burned in the engine, about one-third of the energy in the fuel is converted into power. Another third goes out the exhaust pipe unused, and the remaining third becomes heat energy. A cooling system of some kind is necessary in any internal combustion engine. If no cooling system were provided, parts would melt from the heat of the burning fuel, and the pistons would expand so much they could not move in the cylinders (called "seize"). The cooling system of a water-cooled engine consists of: the engine's water jacket, a thermostat, a water pump, a radiator and radiator cap, a cooling fan (electric or belt-driven), hoses, the heater core, and usually an expansion (overflow) tank. Fuel burning engines produce enormous amounts of heat; temperatures can reach up to 4,000 degrees F when the air-fuel mixture burns. However, normal operating temperature is about 2,000 degrees F. The cooling system removes about one-third of the heat produced in the combustion chamber. The exhaust system takes away much of the heat, but parts of the engine, such as the cylinder walls, pistons, and cylinder head, absorb large amounts of the heat. If a part of the engine gets too hot, the oil film fails to protect it. This lack of lubrication can ruin the engine. On the other hand, if an engine runs at too low a temperature, it is inefficient, the oil gets dirty (adding wear and subtracting horsepower), deposits form, and fuel mileage is poor-- not to mention exhaust emissions! For these reasons, the cooling system is designed to stay out of the action until the engine is warmed up. There are two types of cooling systems; liquid cooling and air cooling. Most auto engines are cooled by the liquid type; air cooling is used more frequently for airplanes, motorcycles and lawnmowers. Liquid cooled engines have passages for the liquid, or coolant, through the cylinder block and head. The coolant has to have indirect contact with such engine parts as the combustion chamber, the cylinder walls, and the valve seats and guides. Running through the passages in the engine heats the coolant (it absorbs the heat from the engine parts), and going through the radiator cools it. After getting "cool" again in the radiator, the coolant comes back through the engine. This business continues as long as the engine is running, with the coolant absorbing and removing the engine's heat, and the radiator cooling the coolant. A cooling system pressure tester is used to check the pressure in the cooling system, which allows the mechanic to determine if the system has any slow leaks. The leak can then be found and fixed before it causes a major problem. The above information is
directly from the Auto Insight program which you can buy online from AutoEducation.com. Common Problems: Let's look at the common problems cars have with the cooling system. ·Broken hose. Hoses wear out and can leak. Once the coolant has left the system it can no longer cool the engine and it overheats. ·Broken fan belt. The water pump is driven by the engine through a belt. If the belt breaks the water pump can not turn and coolant will not be circulated through the engine. This will also lead to engine overheating. ·Faulty radiator cap. The radiator cap is designed to hold a certain pressure in the coolant system. Most caps hold 8 - 12 PSI. This pressure raises the point in which the coolant will boil and maintains a stable system. If your cap does not hold pressure, then the car could overheat on hot days since the system never becomes pressurized. ·Water pump failure. Most commonly you will hear a screeching noise and will be able to see coolant leaking from the front of the pump or under the car. Early signs are small spots of coolant under the car after being parked overnight and a strong coolant odor while driving. ·Head gasket... have large amounts of white smoke flowing out of your exhaust? Could be a head gasket. The head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block and also seals the coolant passages. When this gasket fails coolant can enter the cylinder and it will be turned to vapor as the engine fires. Head gaskets most often fail after the engine has experienced an overheating situation. When super hot, the cylinder head can warp and allow the gasket to fail. Preventive Maintenance: ·Check all belts and hoses regularly. (at oil change is a good time) ·Look out for coolant leaks underneath the car, they could be signs of trouble to come. ·Change your coolant every 2 - 3 years depending on the manufactorers recommendations. ·Inspect your radiator cap for deterioration of the rubber seal. Replace if you think it is worn. $5 - $10 is cheap insurance. ·Have your coolant system flushed every 5 years. It gets all the corrosion which has built up out of the system. What to discuss with your mechanic: ·Let your mechanic know when your overheating problems occur. Overheating when idling points to a different problem than overheating at highway speeds. ·Ask your mechanic if it's worth changing the timing belt or chain while he is replacing your water pump. Many times the timing belt turns the water pump so it has to be removed anyway to access the water pump. WARNING: Never open your radiator when the engine is hot. The pressure in the system can cause hot coolant to splash out and burn you.
About the Author
Kevin Schappell maintains http://www.carbuyersclub.com where he gives advice on buying, selling, insurance, and financing. A mechanical engineer and car guy, Kevin has decided to spend his online time helping others learn about automobiles. To learn more about how your car works, Kevin has createdhttp://www.mycarwizard.com
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Honda Motorcycles |
Official site of Honda motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and personal watercraft. |
powersports.honda.com |
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Honda Motorcycles - Motocross, Cruiser, Touring, Off-Road Motorcycle |
Honda Motorcycles - Honda's motorcycle line-up is here—and it's waiting for you! Check out awesome all-new models like the race-ready CBR1000RR, ... |
powersports.honda.com |
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American Suzuki Motorcycle & ATV Division |
The official website of American Suzuki's Motorcycle & ATV Division. |
www.suzukicycles.com |
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Motorcycle.com |
Online motorcycling publication featuring new model introductions, motorcycle news, classifieds and online discussion forums. |
www.motorcycle.com |
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Motorcycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Motorcycles are one of the cheapest and most widespread forms of motorised ... The construction of modern motorcycles has mostly standardized on the ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Motorcycles Home Page |
THE starting place for exploring Motorcycles. The front page of this site is also a motorcycle blog. The site contains motorcycle articles, forums, ... |
motorcycles.about.com |
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Triumph Motorcycles Limited |
Official site offering information about the company and their range of products. Includes accessories, clothing, dealer locator, and news. |
www.triumph.co.uk |
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Motorcycle USA - Motorcycles and Bike Tests |
Motorcycle USA features motorcycle tests, motorcycle racing and motorcycle news. |
www.motorcycle-usa.com |
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Buell Motorcycles | Country Selector |
Official site of this American made cycle featuring pictures of newest models, dealer locator, upcoming events, products, questions and answers with Erik ... |
www.buell.com |
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Victory : The New American Motorcycle |
All-Terrain Vehicles · Snowmobiles · Polaris RANGER · Victory Motorcycles · Polaris Defense. Buying Tools. Current Offers · Brochures · Financial Services ... |
www.polarisindustries.com |
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Kawasaki Motorcycles, ATV, Jet Ski Watercraft, Utility Vehicles |
Kawasaki Motors Corp, manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles and personal watercraft, with premier powersport industry products like the Ninja ... |
www.kawasaki.com |
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BMW Motorcycles: Home |
Introducing new motorcycle concepts with an even higher level of emotion, BMW Motorrad is proudly presenting the new Megamoto: Based on the BMW HP2 Enduro, ... |
www.bmwmotorcycles.com |
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eBay - Motorcycles: Harley-Davidson, Honda, BMW - buy and sell now ... |
Buy and sell motorcycles including Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda, Harley-Davidson, and other motorcycles on eBay's online auction. |
pages.ebay.com |
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Big Dog Motorcycles |
Big Dog Motorcycles is the leading producer of custom, American V-twin motorcycles. Five models, each powered by a 117 cubic inch engine, set a new standard ... |
www.bdm.com |
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Discover Today's Motorcycling |
Discover Today's Motorcycling (DTM), the media and consumer outreach program of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), is a source of information about ... |
motorcycles.org |
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Motorcycle and ATV reviews, specifications, prices, used ... |
Motorcycle e-zine catering to the many facets of the motorcycling community. |
www.powersportsnetwork.com |
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Cruisers, Custom Motorcycles & Choppers | Motorcycle Accessories ... |
Motorcycle Cruiser magazine features cruisers, custom Motorcycles and choppers, motorcycle news, road tests, motorcycle accessories and gear reviews, ... |
www.motorcyclecruiser.com |
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Motorcycles in the Yahoo! Directory |
Find a collection of selected sites about motorcycles, including makes and models, clubs and organizations, off-road motorcycling, scooters, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Motorcycles at Epinions.com |
Epinions has the best comparison shopping information on Motorcycles. Compare prices from across the web and read reviews from other consumers on ... |
www.epinions.com |
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Confederate Motorcycles |
The official website for Confederate Motorcycles Hellcat and Wraith. |
www.confederate.com |
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