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Normally there's no need to bring any kind of proof of insurance because insurance has absolutely nothing to do with buying the bike. Neither is it the dealer's responsibility if you ride it home uninsured. If a cop stops you, he's going to ticket you, not the dealer. Insurance is needed to...

Are you a competent mechanic? Or are you married to one? If not, do you have a mattress stuffed full of cash? If not, I'd steer clear of a Ducati because adjusting the desmodromic valve lash is very tedious and exacting. One guy told me that he could figure on a $600 bill every time his...

Before you tear into the carbs, install new spark plugs and see if that helps. If not, then consider the carbs. Just know that lots of carb problems have been fixed by working on the ignition.

After fabrication but before installation at the factory, normally the ring and pinion gears are run in to achieve perfect (or near perfect) meshing of the front side of the teeth. Because of that, they are considered a matched set. On decelleration, the backsides of the teeth are loaded...

As long as they're from a '79 or later with electronic ignition, they'll work fine. I wouldn't use one from a '78 or earlier points ignition because the primary winding has a higher resistance value. Points coils are around 4 ohms while the electronic ignition coils are around 1.7 ohms. Use...

As long as they're from a '79 or later with electronic ignition, they'll work fine. I wouldn't use one from a '78 or earlier points ignition because the primary winding has a higher resistance value. Points coils are around 4 ohms while the electronic ignition coils are around 1.7 ohms. Use...

You might charge the battery up and while it's doing that, remove the spark plugs. If they're wet or cruddy, clean them up good and replace them. Once the battery is fully charged, try starting it again. If the battery went dead after only a few cranks, then it may have been nearly dead to...

You might charge the battery up and while it's doing that, remove the spark plugs. If they're wet or cruddy, clean them up good and replace them. Once the battery is fully charged, try starting it again. If the battery went dead after only a few cranks, then it may have been nearly dead to...

I'm not familiar with the engine on your machine as to whether it's 2 or 4 stroke or air or water cooled, so I'll make some generalities. As to the oil leak, well, it leaks. You'll have to find where it's coming from before anyone can tell you how to fix it. First, wash the engine down good...

First off, you've lost me. At first you say no matter how much it cranks, it won't start but then you mention having it running but it'll only run for 10-15 minutes. Which is it? Did it not start at first but it's now running? If so, what did you do if anything? As to the ignition coils...

Which bearing? There's several.

How do you know 133 km/h is its top speed? If that's the manufacturers claim, then know they always exaggerate horsepower or top speed figures. They don't lie, they just use the figures from perfectly tuned machines running at sea level under optimum temperature and humidity conditions. The...

When cruising at 60 mph, I'm guessing it will be turning around 4500 rpm, maybe a bit more or less.

It's normal for the reservoir level to go up when the engine is good and hot compared to dead cold. That's why the overflow tanks usually have a full/cold and a full/hot level. If the coolant is foamy and bubbly, that's usually the sign of a leaking head gasket.

I ride (older) Kawasakis, but my wrenching skills are on par with any of the old guys and probably better than many. Several years ago my bike was overheating in 110+F temps and I needed to get more air into the radiator. I made a shroud to funnel more air in by using the motel's 3 ring...

I don't doubt what Command said, but keep in mind that the 883 isn't slow, it's just slow compared to other 900cc bikes. Or even 600cc sport bikes, but it's not meant to be a sport bike. Engines being "disposable"? I don't care if a bona fide HD mechanic said that, I find that very hard to...

I think everyone else has jumped to the most obvious conclusion, which is most likely wrong. Most Japanese factory exhaust systems have dual wall pipes on the headers to keep the pipes from getting hot and discoloring the chrome, turning it blue or gold. Many other manufactuers use singlewall...

On older bikes, a charcoal cannister to catch gasoline fumes from the gas tank and carbs was the only difference between California and 49 state models. Later it sometimes included catalytic converters that were inside of the exhaust system. You might go talk to a Kawasaki dealer to find out...

How do you know 133 km/h is its top speed? If that's the manufacturers claim, then know they always exaggerate horsepower or top speed figures. They don't lie, they just use the figures from perfectly tuned machines running at sea level under optimum temperature and humidity conditions. The...

When cruising at 60 mph, I'm guessing it will be turning around 4500 rpm, maybe a bit more or less.