Finding cheap upgrades for a Ducati 848 isn't easy, but recently I found a modification that turned out to be a lot of bang for the money I paid.

For starters, I installed a smaller front sprocket that seemed to cure my ailing sixth gear woes. For less than 1,000 Baht, I completely regained used of top gear. Instead of twisting the throttle only to be greeted by a bogging engine followed by a downshift, now at highways speeds I'm right in the hotspot on the rev range. I didn't notice too much of a difference in the other gears, but I'm needing to make more fuel stops. Overall, it's been a great modification for very little money. I wasn't able to replace the rear sprocket simply because I didn't have the right tool.

Another quick and easy modification for not to much money was a set of frame plugs that look trick and went on in just a few minutes.

Accidents happen. Obviously, it's very unpleasant to crunch up a beloved motorcycle, but when the inevitable does occur, there are two options: bitch and complain while the motorcycle wreck collects dust and rust in the corner of the garage, or get to rebuilding it into the proper motorcycle it once was.

One motorcycle owner who contacted us opted for the later, and what started as a mission to simply get his trashed Suzuki GSX-R1000 rolling again evolved into building a motorcycle suitable for the leader in the performance section.

John explained his motivation, 'I'm really into MotoGP bikes and the race look, and replacing the broken parts with high-end race stuff made sense for the overall theme I wanted. There isn't much chrome or stuff like that because everyone is doing that. I wanted something that would make me stand out while sticking with the race theme.'

Top-shelf performance parts have a way of announcing themselves without the need to be dressed in chrome or wild paint, and it's that performance presence that was capitalized on in the build. John ordered most of its race performance parts direct from the Internet, but still some parts where sourced in shops around Bangkok.

A front wheel installed wrong can wreck havoc on your front suspension and its performance. There is a proper sequence to tightening the front axle to ensure there is no bind in the fork tubes.

Put your wheel on by first sliding it into position with the disc between the brake pads and slide the axle in. Use a thin layer of grease on the axle.

Use the proper socket to tighten the axle not; stripping it out is not cool. Tighten until it's snug or the axle spins. Don't tighten down anything else yet. Proper stance and rubber gloves help.

Powder coating the metal parts on your motorcycle is a great way of protecting them from the elements – but it can be time consuming, especially if you intend to doing the frame, swingarm or subframe. The most obvious problem is that you have to completely strip the motorcycle – which means you'll have to know how to put it all back together again too.

For smaller items, it's radically easier. Items like rearsets, wheels, brake calipers and the sidestand can all be done with relatively little inconvenience (beyond immobilizing your motorcycle).

It's important to choose the right coater too. Your local industrial estate hero might be great at gates and benches, but do you really want him powder coating your motorcycle part? We'd recommend you look for a power coating company which has some experience with motorcycle or automotive parts. You will have less chance that your stuff comes back with bits of blasting grit in the coat, threads full of powder, or crucial holes and bearing seats coated.

The first step in activating a motorcycle battery is readying the instruction sheet. Next, put the battery in a plastic tray on your workbench. The tray is there as a precaution against any accidental spill. After peeling a metallic strip off the top of the battery and removing the sealing strip from the six bottles in the acid pack, firmly push the acid pack onto the top of the battery.

A plastic prong inside each cell punctures the seal on the corresponding containers of acid, so the six side-by-side containers of acid can fill the six cells of the battery.

When all the acid is in the battery, cover the top of the battery with a clean shop rag to keep dust and dirt out of it. Then wait for the acid (actually electrolyte) to be fully absorbed into the glass mat in each cell. Once this is completed, switch on your battery charger to the 2-amp charging rate in the maintenance-free mode and connect it to the new motorcycle battery. The tag on the top of the battery indicated that the charge should be 1.9 amps for five to 10 hours. The ammeter built into the charger read slightly less than 2 amps.

I'm really loving the Yamaha FZ1 – far more than I expected to, if I'm honest. With the mods I've made so far, it new feels like 'my' motorcycle, instead of 'a' motorcycle, and it perfectly reflects what I use it for. As a long haul commuter, capable of weekend blasts and back-road scratching, it's perfect.

I'm currently using Michelin Pilot Road 2s, I really do have to revisit them. They're continuing to seriously impress me, and no amount of use in any variety of weather conditions has fazed them yet. I was using them during the rain season, I had them on with 34c degree on all sort of road conditions. The Dunlop Pilot Road 2s just get on with it though. Very impressive tires.

While I'm at it, I'm gonna mention another mod that's still really floating in my mind on every ride. The Yoshimura Tri-Cone is barking mad – literally. The sound is addictive, especially on when hard on the throttle, or completely off it. It barks like a supermoto, and crackles and pops on the overrun like an old rally car.

Most of us with smaller motorcycles have the same problem as I have, we all have an old motorcycle or scooter which we use for riding around our neighborhood. The value and age of the motorcycle let you think twice about buying a new exhaust pipe, but rust on your exhaust pipe is in full swing and probably sooner than later your exhaust pipe is corroded beyond repair.

You did think about spray painting the pipes, but the spray paint at the local Do-It-Yourself store is not able to resist heat over 200 degree Celsius and after a week or two you back to where you started with the spray paint being burned off the exhaust pipe.

Your motorcycle can be a lethal machine. Taking five minutes to look over your motorcycle before a ride can save you time, money and a lot of suffering. Everyone is a little guilty of wanting to get out and ride your machine destination horizon, so all they do is check the gas and go.

This get-there-and-go mentality means critical things like oil and coolant could be low, spokes or, worse yet, an axle nut or a grip may be loose. It really only takes a few minutes to do a once-over, then all you have to do once out riding is worry about the road and ride safely.

Tire pressure is super-important and often over-looked. Just a change of one PSI can make a difference in how your motorcycle performs. We've gone out and hated the way a motorcycle feels only to discover there was not enough pressure in the tires. A good gauge is key to constant readings, never trust the pressure gauge at a petrol station.

Check your radiator and coolant levels. It only takes a second, and if you are low on coolant and get an overheated engine, you're going to feel like a loser because you didn't take the 15 seconds to look at the cooling system.

Carburetor rebuilds stemming from late-model gasohol turning to stinky varnish are a weekly occurrence in many of the Thai motorcycle service departments, at least in the area I live. The ethanol in the gasohol fuel dissolves materials like rubber, plastic and fiberglass. Left to sit long enough, the varnish turns to tar and no amount of soaking jets in carburetor cleaner will unplug them.

But in a pinch, if you have a bench grinder with a wire wheel at one end, pull a strand of wire out with pliers and it's the perfect size for poking through the tiny hoe of pilot or idling jets. Then again, a bass player buddy of mine swears by guitar string for brass jet reaming.

Firstly, devour many articles on the subject of motorcycle suspension and scour online forums. You'll read of static sag, unsprung weight, rebound damping and preload. Eager to get fiddling, you'll convince yourself you understand it all.

You will need few and simple tools, which naturally equates to a job easily done. You have decided on more front-end compression damping and begin to turn things with a screwdriver. A little at a time, yes, that's what people say. But you should have set off ten minutes ago to fetch family dinner, so you adjust by considerable amounts. This will save time.

The ride to the food place and back will have been rather unnerving and many more such rides will follow over the next week. After two weeks you will realize that you are embroiled in a puzzle of brain-numbing complexity. At this stage it is best to avoid group rides with friends, because your confidence will have been shattered by riding what has essentially become a heavily out-of-balance motorcycle, with a suspension feeling if the tires are soft.