Author: blogger

How to install throw over saddlebags on your motorcycle

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This article specifically for Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycles it also applies other motorcycles

We sell a great line of quality bargain priced motorcycle saddlebags in various styles that fit a huge number bikes. About once a day I get an email asking about fitting the bags on a specific bike.

Before we start let’s make sure they will fit:

Let’s assume you are interested in some of my great leather throw-overs that measure: 14″ WIDE X 7″ THICK X 11″ TALL

This means that each bag is 14 inches long (measured horizontally), seven inches thick and 11 inches tall (measured vertically)

First Measure from the top of your pipes or chain (if the chain is unguarded), whichever is higher, to the bottom of your seat. You need 12 inches, if the dimension is any less don’t buy the bags they are too tall. Don’t worry about the shocks. Throw overs go over the shocks.

INSTALLING YOUR SADDLEBAGS

1. Remove your seat. Most Sportster motorcycle seats are removed by unscrewing the Philips head screw located at the rear of the seat. Slide the seat forward while lifting up slightly to detach the keyhole bracket from the seat post. Then slide the seat to the rear to detach the seat tongue from the rear tank bracket. The process is the same for solo and two-up seats.

2. The yoke is the part of the bags that fits under the seat. Unlace the yoke, position both bags in the location you want them to stay. Overlap one side of the yoke over the other. Using a marker, mark where the yoke lays over any obstructing hardware and the outline of outer edge of the upper yoke where it overlaps the lower wing of the yoke. Note: The saddlebags typically lay over the shocks. Some saddlebags are supplied with an additional yoke extender to be used with extra -wide bikes. This is typically not needed.

3. Lay the bags out flat, place the yoke over a piece of wood, telephone book or something similar. Line the marks up that you made in step 2. The existing holes work for the vast majority of motorcycles.

If the holes don’t line up, use an awl, ice pick or drill and make about six holes through both pieces of the yoke. Use the piece of leather strip to lace them together.

NOTE: On most motorcycles it is not necessary to make new holes. Some combination of the existing holes should fit.

4. Place the saddlebags on your bike. Reinstall the seat. Use the lower tie downs to secure the bottom of the bags.

5. Give your bike a final safety check. Make sure the seat and saddlebags are secure and the bags cannot come in contact with your wheel, spokes, belt or chain.

As always don’t stab, slice, fold, spindle or mutilate yourself while using sharp instruments!

Auto Electrical Repair Keep Current In The New Year!

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For many people, the New Year continues to present financial challenges and you may need to hold onto your older car another year. Don’t overlook the responsibilities as a vehicle owner that will keep you safely on the road, including auto electrical repair. Accurate diagnosis is one of the most difficult challenges to be found when working on today’s automobiles. Considering the large number of systems that use electricity in order to operate, being able to quickly diagnose problems with starters and alternators to perform the correct auto electrical repair can be a real asset.

Consider these three resolutions for the New Year:
>Resolution No. 1 — Keep up with fluid and filter changes. Checking on your vehicle’s fluids and filters are important to the longevity of your car and interior comfort. Circle a day on your calendar each month to check all of your fluids and make sure they are at the correct levels. Remember to schedule an oil change, or any other fluid change as recommended by your vehicle’s manual. Don’t hesitate to ask your professional auto mechanic for the appropriate interval for fluid and filter changes.
>Resolution No. 2 — Schedule two vehicle checkups during the year. You will need the help of a professional to perform an auto electrical service to pinpoint any problems that may be happening with your electrical system. A well-trained mechanic can spot potential problems before they happen, especially with alternators. Preventative maintenance is cheap insurance for a reliable vehicle.
>Resolution No. 3 — Take care of small problems early. Unfortunately, cars can’t fix themselves. Putting off minor maintenance or easy repair work can result in larger problems and costly repair bills overall. Don’t procrastinate; repair what’s wrong; have the appropriate services at the correct intervals, and your car will last a lot longer.

Do you have questions about starters and alternators? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Price’s Precision auto repair shop today by calling (406) 248-2838, or go on-line to www.pricesprecisionauto.com for more information about auto electrical repair. Our Tech-Net professional auto repair shop in Billings, MT, also serves vehicle owners in the areas of Shepherd and Laurel, MT.

Automotive Navigation Heads Into The Cloud

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According to the market research firm iSuppli Corp., automotive navigation systems increasingly are transitioning from standalone devices to connected systems capable of accessing up-to-date map data and other information from the cloud.

About 20 percent of in-vehicle navigation systems sold in 2010 will include connectivity, either through an embedded modem or a tethered mobile device, amounting to 1.8 million units. This will rise to 90 percent in 2017, amounting to 27 million units.

Cloud-sourced navigation is an evolution of connected navigation systemsa trend that started several years ago. Traditional car navigation systems use databases stored on the device itself but future navigation systems will rely on information that is stored in the cloud. Maps, points of interest, traffic and weather are examples of cloud-sourced content that is enabled through connectivity.

Rising sales of navigation systems with two-way connectivity are being fueled by the advantages of connecting to the cloud, said Phil Magney, Vice President (Automotive Research) at iSuppli. By connecting to the cloud, navigation systems give motorists access to the most up-to-date databases in the world. Traffic, weather, and points of interest change constantly, so access to the cloud is vital.

Static databases will become a thing of the past in automotive navigation during the next 10 years, said Egil Juliussen, Principal Analyst & Fellow (Automotive Research) at iSuppli. Connectivity means motorists will have multiple options in terms of on-board and off-board navigation resources.

On-board connected navigation systems that store maps on the device will refresh periodically to reflect changes and updates. In contrast, off-board navigation systemswhich access a server for map datawill need constant connectivity. Both employ cloud-based data access.

Traffic information is the leading cloud-sourced service for navigation systems, which is constantly refreshed to reflect the latest updates. Several more cloud-based navigation services are being employed including weather information, Point of Interest (POI) search, destination download, traffic camera visuals and map updates.

Worldwide sales of all types of navigation systems will exceed 100 million units in 2010, with smart phones and Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) accounting for the bulk of the units. Slightly more than 9 million in-vehicle navigation systems will be sold in 2010, dwarfed by the nearly 100 million PND and smart phone sales.

Smart phones will generate the growth in the navigation segment. PND shipments during the next decade are forecasted to be at about 40 million units. In comparison, 330 million smart phones with navigation will be sold in 2017.

Smartphone navigation increasingly is becoming free of charge and the use case is mostly in the autoalthough pedestrian navigation is beginning to emerge. By 2017, many of the smart phone-based navigation solutions will be integrated within the vehicle system where the display is shown on the head-unit and the voice guidance and voice input are through the vehicles Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Visit http://www.isuppli.com/Automotive-Infotainment-and-Telematics/Pages/Navigation-Telematics-and-Digital-Entertainment.aspx to know more about iSupplis Navigation, Telematics & Digital Entertainment services.

Build your garage’s reputation on the quality of your automotive lift service

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There are many procedures to follow and many different tools to use when inspecting or repairing an automobile. Doing a thorough job of inspecting and repairing a vehicle requires more than just looking under the hood. Of course, anyone who works in automotive repair knows this. And they know that providing an automotive lift service is one of the most important parts of servicing a vehicle. Incorporating an auto lift repair & service is the best way to ensure a vehicle is properly inspected and thoroughly restored.

If you want to build a reputation as providing the highest quality automotive repair, then you must have an auto lift repair and service that is second-to-none. The best way to ensure your mechanics are able to examine, diagnose, and repair vehicles in a safe and timely manner is to have an automotive lift service. The days of automotive repairman sliding under a vehicle with raggedy sliding boards are over. In the 21st century people want to see a repair service that uses state-of-the-art equipment.

To be sure, you may already offer an automotive lift service; but the question you must ask yourself is, is it good enough? Technological advances are being made all the time in the equipment used in an automotive lift service. You don’t want to be left behind. In order to remain competitive you need to have the tools and equipment that will allow you to enhance the value of your auto lift repair and service. This can only be done by investing in the best equipment available.

Indeed, it is important to remember that automotive lift service equipment is an investment just like any other you’ve made or plan on making to grow your business. Your auto repair service can only grow on the strength of its reputation and an increase in the number of new customers you attract. An automotive lift service may seem like a minor thing, but it can mean all the difference between a vehicle that has been properly looked at and repaired, with a full view of all the various parts, gears, and combinations under the vehicle, and one that has only been briefly scanned and not thoroughly serviced. A repair shop in which vehicles are fixed in the first instance tends to do much better than one in which drivers have to return again and again because of the same problem.

Fortunately, finding the best in equipment for an automotive lift service is not that difficult. And the place to begin your search is on the worldwide web. The web gives you the ability to bring many of the vendors selling this kind of equipment to you. This will give you to opportunity to compare the price and value of the many firms offering this kind of equipment. Using the web will also enable you to find out the reputation of a firm. The best predictor of future performance is past performance. And the firm with a proven record of delivering high customer satisfaction is the one most likely to meet your needs and expectations.

Automotive Locksmiths Dont Panic! If You Lost The Car Keys

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Summary:

When the security is the concern, then the locks should be given much importance. Locks are easy and effective way in order to avoid the burglary and theft. It is therefore; important that the locks should be obtained from some reliable and good source so that the house and automobile safety wouldnt be at risk.

Article Body:

It is better to understand first that who are automotive locksmiths and what are their peculiarities. Like other types of locksmiths, automotive locksmiths serve the people by providing them the keys of the locks and repair the defected locks of the car or any automobile. This is the most precious service since by virtue of that, people would find relief when they got tense in the environment of insecurity. People are still unaware about the various capabilities and abilities of automotive locksmiths that besides making the new keys, they can perform a lot of jobs.

Many of the incidences could happen in the life of a man when he would need immediate help. For instance; leaving the keys in the car may raise high concerns for security. A person cant leave his car in order to perform his work, since there could be more chances of stealing. Sometimes, by mistake a person leaves his car without carrying his kids with him. At these instances, the automotive locksmith would come promptly in order to resolve the issue.

People can even call to the dealers and manufacturers of the automobiles when they loss the car keys, however; in this way they have to pay more, even two to three times, as compared to the charges taken by automotive locksmiths. Another benefit of asking the services of automotive locksmiths is that they serve quick service and they remain available 24 hours a day. On the other hand the problem in calling the manufacturers is that they couldnt come as earlier as compared to the automotive locksmiths in order to repair the locks and keys.

The automotive locksmiths are provided with specialized and complex instruments with which it is not difficult for them to open the locked doors within minutes. They can make the car keys again and can install the new locks in the automobiles. These vehicle locksmiths are furnished with specialized maps for their effective and quick movement inside the city and the drivers are also well trained to reach at the destiny without wasting time.

The services of vehicle locksmith are also important and precious for those people who have little kids and who dont know how to open or close the car doors. Sometimes they close the doors and get locked inside with the car keys. At that moment in order to avoid any medical emergency, the opening of the car door is much important. Every person couldnt be expert in opening the car doors without the keys and hence at that moment the vehicle locksmiths could furnish marvelous service by opening the locked doors without the car keys.

If anybody desires to get the valuable services of automotive locksmiths of Las Vegas then he should know the real contact details.