Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Archives

Recall

Harley-Davidson Recalling 174,000 Motorcycles Because Owners Might Be Bad at Basic Bike Maintenance

By Jensen Beeler 02/07/2018 No Comments

Yup. You read that headline correctly, and thus here is our second recall notice of the day, and as you might expect, it is an interesting one.

Harley-Davidson is having to recall over 174,000 motorcycles because their brake components may form deposits internally if the brake fluid is not replaced after a prolonged period of time, i.e. beyond the two-year maintenance schedule specified by Harley-Davidson.

In total, 31 Harley-Davidson models are affected by this recall, namely the Touring, CVO Touring, and VSRC models that have ABS brakes equipped.

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News

Ride in Peace, Author Robert Pirsig

By Jensen Beeler 04/26/2017 5 Comments

I first heard of Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance shortly after I bought my first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F2. I was stuck in the middle of Dunsmuir, California with a bad rectifier/regulator (a common trouble-spot on that model bike), and a passerby recommended the title.

I think they referred the book out of naiveté its content, but obviously the novel, despite its title, would do little to help my immediate problem with my Honda, though it was a good read about some general philosophic ideas, which I could chew-on after I got my CBR bumped-started and back on the road again.

Undoubtedly, you have likely heard of Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as well (whether stranded on the side of the road or not), as the book has a bit of a cult-following amongst both motorcyclists and the general public, and its sales figures are well into the millions of copies.

Passing away on Monday, April 24th 2017, after a period of failing health, Pirsig will be remembered by motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists alike, for his work as a modern philosopher. He was 88-years-old at the time of his passing.

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News

Moto Guild Expands DIY Motorcycle Shop Network

By Jensen Beeler 05/23/2016 15 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Moto Guild yet, don’t worry, you soon will. The concept is pretty simple, motorcycle-friendly workshops where enthusiasts can work on their own machines with the standard and special tools that are readily available.

Moto Guild has been slowly expanding beyond its Californian borders (locations in San Francisco and San Jose) the past couple of years, opening first a new shop in Chicago, and today a new location in Philadelphia has been announced.

I will admit my own bias to this project, as I am friends with Moto Guild’s founders, and was a regular user of their San Francisco location when I lived in the SF Bay Area. Needless to say then, I am excited to see their concept expanding across the country.

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Banter

Video: Chennai to Pondicherry with Royal Enfield

By Jensen Beeler 01/24/2013 4 Comments

Somewhere on the A&R bucket list is riding Royal Enfields through India. Like blizting a German car down the autobahn, there is just something that feels right about taking the classic Indian-made motorcycle through its native terrain.

Now with India becoming the epicenter of growth for the motorcycle industry, a whole new definition of what is motorcycling is about to be written. Perhaps then, it is fitting that Royal Enfield has paired the visuals of this video with the words that Robert M. Pirsig wrote in his classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn’t any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it’s right. If it disturbs you it’s wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.” Could anyone have enivisioned better words to describe the shift we are seeing in the motorcycle industry to markets like India and Asia as a whole? Enjoy the video after the jump.

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