Engineering Magazines

A decade ago motorcycles had speed, looks, and style. They have certainly improved with each passing year. Year after year motorcycle manufacturers get more innovative, produce faster, lighter and more comfortable motorcycles, and learn what works and what doesn’t. What are the favorites from 2007?

- Yamaha V Star 1300 Tourer.

These motorcycles have a V2 engine with an electric starter and a liquid cooling system. The seat was 28.1 inches and the dry weight was 668 pounds. It was made with a double cradle frame and a telescopic fork front suspension with a swingarm rear suspension. These motorcycles had single disc rear brakes and double disc front brakes. They have a fuel capacity of 4.88 gallons.

- BMW R1200GS

These motorcycles have a two cylinder boxer engine. They also have an electronic fuel injection with an electric starter. These motorcycles had oil and air cooled engines and a 6-speed gearbox. At 438 pounds, they were meant for speed. These off road motorcycles came in desert yellow metallic, rock red metallic, ocean blue metallic, or granite gray metallic. Though the fuel capacity is a whopping 5.28 gallons, the consumption is 1.45 gallons for every 6.2 miles.

- Yamaha WR 450 F

These are also off road motorcycles. They have a single cylinder engine, with a liquid cooling system. At just 246 pounds, it is nearly two-thirds the weight of the BMW R1200GS motorcycles. The front suspension is a telescopic fork, the rear a swingarm. The fuel capacity on these motorcycles is a mere 2.10 gallons. These motorcycles had single disc brake systems for both front and rear.

- Yamaha FZ1 Fazer

These naked motorcycles had in line four engines with an electric starter. They also had a liquid cooling system, a final drive chain transmission, and digital ignition. Like the BMW R1200GS, these Yamaha motorcycles weighed 438 pounds. The frame was aluminum die cast and the front suspension was telescopic upside down forks. The rear a swingarm suspension. These motorcycles had double disc front brakes and single disc rear brakes. Fuel capacity on these motorcycles is 4.76 gallons.

- Harley Davidson VRSCX

These custom or cruiser motorcycles have a V2 engine. They have an electronic sequential port fuel injection system and liquid cooling system. The seat is a mere 27.1 inches high and the weight 637 pounds. These motorcycles are 5-speed with a final drive belt transmission. The front and rear brakes are both single disc four piston. These motorcycles came in two tone mirage orange pearl or brilliant silver pearl. It has a 5 gallon fuel capacity.

- Victory Vegas Jackpot

Like the Harley Davidson VRSCX, these motorcycles are also custom or cruiser motorcycles. With a V2 engine, an air cooling system, and final drive belt transmission, it has many of the same features as the Harley Davidson VRSCX motorcycles. It has an electronic fuel injection system and a 6-speed gearbox. These motorcycles had an even shorter seat at 25.7 inches high. Though the seat was lower, they were a bit heavier weighing 659 pounds. The fuel capacity was 4.5 gallons and colors included black, orange crush, or sunset red.

A very picky motorcycle collector might say: “never anything used for me!” But to others, Used Motorcycle Engines are actually not so bad, provided you know how to pick them and know what you’re doing when you’re assembling your motorcycle with the used parts. Some Used Motorcycle Engines are in quite acceptable (sometimes, even excellent) condition so you would be getting a good deal, under those circumstances.

It also depends a lot on how and where you get your Used Motorcycle Engines. A very scrupulous motorcycle assembly hobbyist might not be satisfied with the promises of online suppliers (who, after all can only back up their promises with pictures until the real thing arrives at the client’s mailing address.) Such a careful motorcycle assembly hobbyist might want to look at Used Motorcycle Engines in salvage yards instead, because then he can inspect a host of Used Motorcycle Engines at his leisure until he finds acceptable ones.

Salvage yards are also better sometimes than online suppliers because they might have mechanics who can install your Used Motorcycle Engines on the motorcycle being assembled for you, and inspect the whole motorcycle for any safety issues or quality problems – sure, you may have to pay for this service (aside from the purchase price of the Used Motorcycle Engines) but at least you know you’re getting expert advice from very experienced mechanics. Hobbyists might not have as much experience as full-time mechanics (though, if you feel really confident about your assembly skills, go right ahead and assemble your own motorcycle yourself and see the results of your work.) You can always return to the salvage yard if things don’t work out.

Can Used Motorcycle Engines originally made by one motorcycle manufacturer be installed on the same motorcycle with parts from other motorcycle manufacturers? Some hobbyists would probably try this out at some time. But generally, mechanics would probably caution you against doing that, because each manufacturer has their own way of making motorcycles so you might come up with a working prototype, but the question then is: how long would that prototype function? You might have put a lot of effort making something that will last only for the short term. It is best to use Used Motorcycle Engines from one motorcycle manufacturer with parts from the same manufacturer to get consistent results.

Some salvage yards work in cohesion with one another, rather than against one another. This is great, because it means if you need a part that one salvage yard lacks, they can contact salvage yards friendly to them for assistance. Where on salvage yard is deficient, another salvage yard could be strong. It is like a marriage of convenience, with perks going to you (the customer) as well.

One downside of salvage yards is that they may have higher overhead than online suppliers. So do examine the price difference and see if it is worth it. Also, salvage yards may be limited by how far they can ship the goods you bought from them, unlike online suppliers who often have a global market. So ask if the salvage yard can ship the goods for you to your mailing address or if you have to handle that yourself.

Lots of people like motorcycles and riding motorcycles is one of an adrenaline junkie’s biggest thrills in life. Unfortunately though, motorcycles (like automobiles) may break down under constant use and then need to be repaired. If you are thrifty and want a good deal on the spare parts you need, you may need to contact Motorcycle Salvage Companies.

The Motorcycle Salvage companies you contact should be scrupulous about providing the best Motorcycle Salvage parts you can get for the price you pay. The Motorcycle Salvage companies should also be diligent about inspecting the Motorcycle Salvage parts they intend to offer and sell to you to make sure each of the Motorcycle Salvage parts meet quality standards and have absolutely no defects. It would also help if the Motorcycle Salvage companies offered some kind of guarantee or warranty to make sure you are getting value for your money.

Among the main motorcycle manufacturers whose bike parts Motorcycle Salvage companies might keep in stock are Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Honda. Each of these have their own respective bike models that they turn out regularly, so be sure you specify which bike model you need Motorcycle Salvage parts for. The year of the model is also very important to specify. Some of the other motorcycle manufacturers whose bike parts Motorcycle Salvage companies might have an inventory of are: Buell, Harley Davidson, BMW, Aprilla, Triumph, and Ducati.

Usually, you might have a choice between the large Motorcycle Salvage companies (who might have vast salvage yards where they take apart and stock Motorcycle Salvage parts) and the smaller Motorcycle Salvage companies. The difference might be that the larger Motorcycle Salvage companies have a much wider array of Motorcycle Salvage parts to offer you while the smaller Motorcycle Salvage companies emphasize service more. It differs from company to company so you need to feel your way.

If you like to take apart motorcycles in your spare time and then put them together (and they actually work afterwards, and beautifully at that), then maybe you should be in the Motorcycle Salvage business yourself. That is how some owners and staff of Motorcycle Salvage companies managed to get into the Motorcycle Salvage business actually. It starts out as a hobby, then when the hobbyist finds himself so proficient at this that he can be considered an expert, he puts up his own company. Of course, to have a salvage yard of any use, you may have to buy land of your own and put up Motorcycle Salvage parts storage facilities. And for that, you are delving into the business side of a Motorcycle Salvage company. Some people do well at balancing the craft of motorcycle mechanics with the business side while some do not, so you may have to decide whether you should focus on one side and hire someone for the other part, or be a jack of all trades in the Motorcycle Salvage business (if you can.)