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Motorcycle Electrical Systems: Troubleshooting and Repair (Motorbooks Workshop) |  | Author: Tracy Martin
Publisher: Motorbooks
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $17.79
as of 11/21/2009 14:31 EST details
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Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 134100
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Pages: 160
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 8.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0760327165
Dewey Decimal Number: 629.27
EAN: 9780760327166
ASIN: 0760327165
Publication Date: February 15, 2007
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Product Description
A motorcycle’s electrical system can be daunting to even the most adept home mechanic. And yet, the more complex these systems become—and the more important to a motorcycle’s function—the more useful, even critical, it will be to know something about them. That’s where this book comes in with a user-friendly guide to understanding, diagnosing, and fixing the electrical systems and components that make a bike run . . . or falter. Veteran technician Tracy Martin explains the principles behind motorcycle electrical systems and how they work. He details the various tools, such as multimeters and test lights, that can be used to evaluate and troubleshoot any vehicle's electrical problem. And in several hands-on projects, he takes readers on a guided tour of their vehicle’s electrical system, along the way giving clear, step-by-step instructions for diagnosing specific problems. Book DescriptionA user-friendly guide to understanding, diagnosing, and fixing the electrical systems and components that make a bike run—or falter—this book explains the principles behind motorcycle electrical systems, details the various tools, such as multimeters and test lights, that can be used to evaluate and troubleshoot their failures, and offers several hands-on projects that demonstrate fixes for specific problems. |
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
 excellent resource September 22, 2009
Steve
Excellent resource that covers the material specifically as claimed. Teaches in a conversational and enjoyable to read style. Takes someone who is not an electrical engineer through the necessary basics of electrical process specifically as it applies to motorcycle systems. Just enough theory for required understanding without extraneous complicated equations. It does cover with significant detail all material needed to allow the motorcycle owner to become fully versed with how electricity travels through the motorcycle. It clearly describes how to troubleshoot problems and then fix them. It includes lots of large, helpful diagrams and photos. After reading this book I have a profound confidence that the mystery of wiring diagrams and unseen electrical gremlins can be discovered, understood and fixed using this book and some inexpensive and readily available tools and materials. Great book by a talented author. I will look for other books he has written because I know I will likely enjoy those as well.
 Maybe I'm Stupid January 9, 2009
trajan (toronto,on)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Okay so I'm an idiot. I read the other reviews and I'm wondering if we're talking about the same book. Some of these reviewers already know something about motorcycle electricals and they seem to be happy. I can understand that because they already know what they're reading and may not see the flaws, the many many flaws, trust me. Then there are those who are virgins like myself for the most part and seem to be content. I worry about them because there are huge gaps in explanations and terrible editing. So, if you already are knowledgeable you don't need this book and if you know nothing you will still know nothing after you read this book though you may think you know something. Well, maybe not nothing but don't expect to be doing much work on your bike after reading. Oh, and there are indeed straight sales pitches within. For certain some sections read like they've been taken directly from product literature.
Motorcycle Electrical Systems: Troubleshooting and Repair December 14, 2008
Peter G. Haskell (new paltz ny)
This book is great! I am building a motorcycle from the ground up with limited amount of off the shelf chopper parts, so I needed a book that could teach me the ins and outs of how a motorcycle electrical system works and this book delivers. I never did any electrical work on my motorcycle before but now i have the confidence to work it out. The author builds upon concepts through each chapter in a logical manner. Explains how to use a voltmeter and other testing tools. The price of this book could save you hundreds of dollars spent on parts when often it is a bad connection that is causing the problem. The author describes various ways to check systems and pin point problems. Get this book if you want to know motorcycle electrical systems.
 A good instruction manual with only a few faults July 30, 2008
JRC1515 (St. Paul, MN)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The book is straightforward and easy-to-read. It covers various aspects of critical test instruments, electronic components, troubleshooting techniques, and shortcuts. It has a chapter with practice problems designed to improve the reader's ability to use circuit diagrams. In particular, the sections on testing by voltage drop and using wiring diagrams are particularly useful.
The book is a bit marred by a few (not too many) mistakes and weak explanations. The author gets the relationship between dwell angle and point gap backwards, and at one point he describes a test method as "place the red lead here, and the red lead here". He clearly meant one of the leads to be the ground (black) but it could prove confusing to the target audience. He gives short shrift to CD ignitions and magnetos. His states his coil testing procedures will work on all coils, without clarifying if that includes capacitive coils as well as inductive types (CD coils are a special case, as they do not have 12 volt primaries). His stator testing heuristic -wattage divided by four equals output AC voltage- is useful but given without information as to why the rule-of-thumb holds true.
These lapses are not indicative of a lack of knowledge on the author's part, but point toward a need for a better review of the draft manuscript prior to publication.
Even with faults, I give the book a "B+". It is worth reading, with the caveat that a reader may have to crosscheck a topic with another source if it just doesn't seem right.
It goes without saying the best use of the book is to read and study it *before* the information is needed. Absorbing the knowledge during an emergency repair situation is difficult at best, impossible at worst.
Well-written and authoritative...a pleasant surprise. July 30, 2008
Book (FL, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm a motorcycle mechanic, a motorcycle enthusiast, and a degreed Mechanical Engineer. I collect and read books that deal with motorcycle maintenance, repair, improvement, and design. MOST of the books that I read are filled with popular misconceptions and misguided "shop knowledge" based on the "experience" of a poorly trained or poorly educated author. This particular book is well-researched, reasonably well-edited, well-formatted, and pretty easy to understand. It contains accurate technical information and is certainly capable of giving the reader a solid foundation in understanding and troubleshooting motorcycle electrical systems.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
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