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Article of the Day - Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Tread Life is the Only Life

Story and Photos by J. Joshua Placa

These are hard times. Feels more like we skipped recession and went straight to depression, except prices are high and still climbing. Inasmuch as they should be, motorcyclists are not exempt from the same economic forces that punish and torment ordinary citizens. read more...

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Article of the Day - Thursday, March 11, 2010

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2010 Easyriders Charlotte Bike Show Tour Part 2

Story and Photos by Jack Cofano

(continued from Monday)

Included again this year were loads of custom cars, which for me is a plus because I enjoy checking out the four-wheel customs just as much as the two-wheel variety. Another return engagement of the Purrfect Angelz was as entertaining and as easy on the eyes as ever. A couple of new additions to the show included the booth oh-so-erotically showcasing the lovely Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director. Huh, an adult film star at a biker show ―who’da thunk? read more...

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Article of the Day - Thursday, February 4, 2010

Heat Rating and Heat Flow Path of Spark Plugs

You can learn a lot about what’s going on inside your motor by simply taking a look at your plugs. Tip temperature will determine whether your plug is good, fouled or overheated. The happy spot between fouling and optimum operating temperature is called the spark plug self-cleaning temperature and this is where accumulated carbon and combustion deposits are burned off. Too high of a temp and the plug itself will burn, too low and it will foul and reduce efficiency.

Modern Quest for Fire NGK Traditional Tip

Modern Quest for Fire NGK Fine Wire Electrode

(left) The traditional center electrode is a copper/nickel alloy and generally 2.0 to 2.5mm across. Standard in most V-twins, they are efficient, durable and inexpensive to make.

(right) The use of a fine wire center electrode in the 0.7mm to 1.1mm range lowers the voltage necessary for an efficient spark. Electricity will seek the path of least resistance and the smaller the center electrode, the smaller the path the electrical charge will have before it jumps to the ground electrode. The result is reduced misfires and higher horsepower.

The Modern Quest for Fire

Story by David Zemla

Surging from zero to 40,000 volts in under 100 microseconds, electrons stack up on the center wire before arcing to ground and igniting a volatile mixture of air and fuel into an explosive release of energy. Sounds like some sort of science fiction weaponry, but if you ride a bike, this process occurs thousands of times per minute inches from your crotch. Yes, we speak of the venerable sparkplug and the perilous task it must complete in the name of internal combustion.

From the beginning, sparkplugs have been a bit of a puzzle. Their origin is even a little fuzzy, although most sources credit Robert Bosch and company with the first successful production over a century ago (Bosch owns the first sparkplug patent from 1902). During the preceding 100+ years, the basic concept has remained the same, while the technology surrounding it has become increasingly complex. The need for maximum efficiency and longevity has turned a simple electrical short into a modern quest for fire.

To better understand what a sparkplug does, one must first realize what it does not do. No matter the marketing hype, a plug cannot generate more voltage or a hotter spark. This is the function of the coil. Neither does a plug produce heat, when in fact it does just the opposite. These and other myths have caused more then their fair share of confusion. The very nomenclature used to classify sparkplugs (hot or cold) is in part to blame for some of the mystery. In reality, a plug must operate at a set temperature of approximately 900 ~ 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, weather it is in a stock bike, a race bike or your lawnmower. Hot or cold in this case is actually a reference to the plugs ability to transfer heat from its firing end into the cylinder head surrounding it and has absolutely nothing to do with the spark temperature. read more...

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Article of the Day - Friday, March 12, 2010

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Logan Jones Rides The Devil Out of Oklahoma

Story by Wendy Manning
Photos by Frank Rangel

This Shovelhead belongs to Army Sergeant Logan Jones, one of the wildest guys to ever come out of Mannford, Oklahoma, except for maybe his brother and build partner, Boomer Jones. I’ve gotta say that speaking with Logan certainly started my morning off with a bang.

The bike is named Devil and it belongs to Logan now, but it’s been in his family for 15 years, belonging first to his uncle and then rebuilt for Logan as a race bike. read more...

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