Important Disclaimer
Advice given in this section may or may not be accurate, safe or wise. Always use common sense and when in doubt assume that any advice given herein is incorrect and liable to end in terminal engine or part failure and possible injury or death. www.ratbike.org and its contributors can accept no responsibility for anything, anywhere, regardless of cause.
Wire Loom Wrapping
I painstakingly cut an old mountain bike inner tube, spirally, about 25mm wide, and used it to wrap the wiring loom - Complete protection ! - finish ends with insulting tape. ALSO, on Austin rover use ribbed plastic sleeving on thier looms on the Maestro van, with a slit all... more
John - UK
Rust is Good!
Whenever you replace a nut, bolt, or fastener that isn't in a critical safety area i.e. suspension, brake, etc.... get the cheapest one from the local hardware store. This will ensure a rapid coat of rust, just like the factories use to attach the trim of cheap travel trailers.... more
Mike Worczak
Easy Hand grips
Need new hand grips? Get some steering wheel cover at the auto parts store, the thick vinyl stuff with holes in it, and glue to hanldle bars, sissy bars, etc.
Mark - USA
6 Volt Ignition Coil
If you've got an old 6v ignition system try a BMW 6v coil and the cheapest condensor in Halfords for
some kind of French car but I can't remember what. The condensor has bigger capacity than most standard
bike ones and when used with the BMW coil you will have great spark.... more
Rex @ Ironage Motorcycles - UK
Dropped a part inside your motor?
If a bolt or something falls into your open motor, drain the oil, turn the whole bike
upside down an shake a little. On my SR500 Yamaha the bolt didn't fall out but got so near to the open valve cover that
I could get it with a wire.
Philip - Germany
DIY Upswept Exhausts
To make an upswept exhaust, my mate used a petrol filler pipe (the bit that goes between the filler cap & the tank) from a car,
Ford Capri I think. It's just the right angle, & looks OK when painted black.
Mick - UK
DIY Hand Grips
Tubing from inside an old washing machine makes very good hand grips. The surface is smooth, but they give me enough friction. If you find them too smooth drill holes in them before you put them on, or use the discharge hose, which is usually 'ribbed?'(but... more
Peter
Chemical Metal
Chemical Metal - heat proof, oil/fuel/water proof. Sticks anything to something else. Sets under water, can be drilled, tapped, filed etc. Only stuff I found capable of repairing rusty 4 into 1 collector box on GS 550. Expensive, but well worth the cost. Also 'Miliput' 2 pack... more
Daz
Starter button broken?
Simply screw a doorbell push to your dash. costs around $2 and even lights up when you switch on the ignition! I've had one on my superdream for 6 months and it still works fine.
Scott
Ratbike Cruise Control
You can make up some 'cheap & dirty' cruise control (throttle lock) by jamming a loop of clothes line between the grip flange and the kill switch. Makes for easier high mile rides when you can rest one arm. It will pop out easily if need be, and then you can just yank it... more
Poodle Head Mikey
Automatic Chain Oiler
Automatic chain oiler, cheap and easy. At first I had a mustard bottle inserted through a hole drilled into the chain guard.
Now, I drilled a hole in a oil plug on the right side of the engine on my 78 CB750F. I tapped the hole for 1/8 in pipe thread and screwed in a valve... more
Mark
Home Made Gaskets
beer box cardboard makes for excellent replacement gaskets, just cut a piece off to size and put it on. drink more beer = more gaskets! recycling rules!
Jeromey
Low Amp Daytime Headlights
Want to run with your headlight on during daytime, but have an older bike where running with lights on all the time would flatten the battery? A small 20W Halogen bulb (as used in mini indicators, or running light in some VWs) can be fitted instead of the 5W headlamp pilot bulb... more
Stefn
Smaller Indicators
Want smaller indicators? Use Car side repeaters attached to meccano strips and pop rivetted to your frame/mudguard etc. Can be acquired from local scrapyards for free if you have big pockets!
Woody - UK
Stripped Thread Repair
Need to get a fastner into a bolt hole with stripped threads or one in sheet metal or plastic where a nut can't be used for some reason? For $2, you can get a *well nut* from Home Depot. You'll find them in the hardware isle in the little clear plastic bins. It's a rubber plug... more
Anonymous
