This month’s special is 15% off fork oil changes and fuel injector cleaning.  So I asked why is these particular maintenances are important?  My mechanics explained to me that your riding style determines what weight oil you need in your forks and why fuel injector cleaning is important.

Off the factory floor most all Harley’s have type E fork oil (eight weight).  Fork oil weight ranges from 5 to 50 weight.  Why such a wide range and what is the difference?  When you hit a bump in the road with lower rated weight fork oil you will feel more topping out which is when the shock recoils back to the original position.  When compression dampens properly your forks will recoil back out to the starting position.  The thicker the oil, the slower the recoil/rebound.  Jan said is it the difference of riding in a Pinto vs. a Cadillac (showing his age).  You can also compare it to bouncing a ball.  Bounce a ball with air and notice how quick it bounces back.  That is rebound (lighter weight fork oil).  Next, fill half the ball with water and bounce it thicker weight fork oil).  See how sluggishly it returns?  That’s compression.  

If you are an aggressive rider thicker viscosity is recommended.  It will give you a European car type ride.  Think BMW or Mercedes nice and tight.  On the other hand if you are touring cross country or like to put lots of miles on during a weekend, thinner viscosity is recommended.  The ride will be more loose and float like an American Lincoln or Cadillac.  In general we recommend 30 weight fork oil for our Missouri riders because of all the pot holes.  Our mechanics say you will feel the road more without feeling the suspension.  They feel that 30 weight brings about a more controlled and responsive ride.

So when should you change your fork oil and why?  A general rule of thumb is to change it every 20,000 miles or every 24 months.  Why?  Because the oil in your fork loses lubricity and gets dirty which can change the feel of the ride.  When changing the fork oil our mechanics will replace the wear rings as well as the dust and oil seals if needed.  

So on to fuel injector cleaning.  Why?  A clean injector provides properly atomized fuel allowing a proper burn which in turn optimizes the performance by keeping carbon levels down (want more technical info, ask my mechanic Sparky . . . I couldn’t write info down fast enough!).  If you paid to have your bike dyno tuned and you would like to keep it performing where it is at, you want to be sure to maintain the injectors.  Fuel that you put in your motorcycle has silicone and other additives (if you want more technical info, ask my mechanic Jan, I couldn’t keep up with what he was saying!).  These additives can clog the injector holes over time decreasing performance on your motorcycle.  When should you have injectors cleaned?  Injector cleaning is recommended every 20,000 or five years.  So there you have it.  Now that you have the why and when Chariots of Fire Customs LLC can take of the how.  How? By calling and making an appointment for fork oil change and/or an injector cleaning 636-775-1385.  Look forward to hearing from you!

Stay tuned for next month’s blog when I will ask my mechanics to expand on the subject of how to accommodate your motorcycle for your riding style with suspension work in mind. 

Peace Out,  Reine

And I am not talking about the COVID-19 mess.  What I am talking about is if you should leave baffles in your motorcycle exhaust or not.  Hanging around Jan & friends in the early years (I’m talking decades ago LOL!) I always heard them talk about taking the baffles out of the exhaust to make the pipes louder (and Jan thought I was just a pretty face).  Well, let me tell you, things have changed over the years and it is not that simple.

Baffles inside the exhaust are there to slow down the exhaust gases before they exit the exhaust and yes, it does quiet the motorcycle down.  However, it also creates what is referred to as “back pressure” inside the system.  The correct amount of back pressure will make a motorcycle run more efficiently, which in turn increases its power.  Put simply, too much or too little back pressure in the exhaust can cause the engine to lose power.  Put another way, removing the baffles will mess up the torque curve of the motor; usually losing power low and gaining a slight amount up top.

Making your exhaust flow correctly improves the performance of your motorcycle drastically. Removing the baffles disrupts this perfectly calculated flow. In other words, choosing specific exhaust systems that have the capability of improving your performance and sound of your ride is a much better option than simply removing the baffles from your current exhaust. We at Chariots not only have the specialized tools (Dynamometer) but years of experience from street usage to the drag strip to calculate a perfect flow in your bike’s exhaust. With that being said, we are offering 15% off anything that makes your bike rumble for the month of May (this includes exhaust, speakers and radios).

Thought I’d take this opportunity to express how much our motorcycle community means to our Chariots of Fire family.  We went from a time change, full moon, Friday the 13^th week the beginning of March to a full pandemic overnight!  It was with a heavy heart that we postponed our Customer Appreciation Day.  As the week of March 16^th continued to unfold, it was the right decision.  The safety of our staff and customers is of utmost importance.   As of the writing of this I’m still not sure when to schedule a new customer appreciation day.  I am hoping the end of April, we shall see . . .

Yes, we remain open for business with the CDC recommendations in mind.  We are not ignoring or taking lightly this pandemic.  Nor are we panicking.  Social distancing, cleaning diligently multiple times during the day, and washing our hands are all precautions in place.  No hugs from Reine!  No hand shakes from Jan!  We ask that you also follow CDC recommendations.  Please respect our staff by staying six feet back from counters; please stay home if you have any symptoms; we can ship items directly to your home – call us for details for this option.       Staying open means that we can continue to work on your motorcycle and get you ready for the riding season.  After all, the seasons change; spring is here; the road is calling us!

The motorcycle world is by nature a social world.  Asking us to practice social distancing is difficult, but achievable.  Social distancing when you are riding is easy with only one to two riders.  It is also a mental health break which we all can use during these stressful times.  However, much of our socializing includes getting together for fundraisers and rides that stop for beverages or food.  That is on hold for now.  Let’s be smart and help “flatten the curve”!  This means difficult choices for our upcoming events.

I was just informed that the Annual Run for the Wall has been canceled.  You can go to their website for more information.  They had to make that very hard choice with such a huge event early as it involves reservations and much planning.  Having just read Lincoln County Health departments “Stay at Home Order” for March 29 – April 6 we decided that canceling April’s Lincoln County Bike Night as best practice to help flatten the curve.  We are also canceling the April Fun Run event which was scheduled for Sunday, April 26.

It seems business as usual for us.  We still get up and come in and run our business.  I am here all day with the first half of the day working from “home” for my occupational therapy school based job.  I miss my students!  We are blessed to be able to continue to have the shop open.  We pray daily that COVID-19 stays at bay.  It is affecting our family members as I am sure it is affecting yours.  I choose light and love and peace.  I am keeping fear and anxiety at bay.  Prayers for all of you and your families.  Thank you for coming in and supporting us!  Thank you for understanding decisions to hold off on some events.  This year’s Customer Appreciation Day will have extra special meaning behind it!  I already have some cool items to hand out!  I already had a cake ordered!  I can’t wait to see all your smiling faces!         Peace Out, Reine