Maintain Your Dirt Bike

Investing in a dirt bike brings you hours and hours of high-octane fun and excitement to your adventurous life. You can spend your weekends hitting the trails, learning tricks and getting your adrenaline flowing. However, every hour that you spend racing up and down hills, flying into the air and crashing back down to earth, your bike goes through some serious stress. Because of this, a dirt bike needs a bit more tender loving care than your average vehicle. 4-stroke motocross bikes pretty much require constant maintenance. So, you know how to perform the perfect ‘kiss of death,' but don’t know your sprocket from your spoke? If you don’t know where to begin when it comes to dirt bike DIY, help is at hand! In this article, your local AMSOIL Dealer - James Martin has a great guide to routine bike maintenance, to keep yours in top racing condition.

Start with a Clean Bike

Every time you get back from a ride covered in mud and water, you jump in the shower and chuck your clothes in the washer. Well, your bike deserves that same kind of attention. If dirt and mud build up on cables or pipes, this can cause rust and corrosion, which can make these components wear out more quickly. Use a high-quality cleaner such as the Miracle Wash spray offered by your local AMSOIL Dealer - James Martin to clean and protect your bike quickly and efficiently. Call today at (717) 776-4040) to find out more about their great range of cleaning and maintenance products, specifically designed for dirt bikes. You should pay special attention to the cables as these represent the communication between yourself and most of the controls of your bike. After every ride, carefully disconnect each one at a time, clean and lubricate before re-connecting.

Take a Look at your Chains and Sprockets

If you let these components dry out, they can snap under the pressure of an intense ride. However, if you keep them nicely maintained and lubricated, they will reward you with a long, problem-free life. Another important point to consider is if your chain is correctly adjusted - too loose, it falls off, you lose power and risk an accident. Too tight, it snaps and it’s pretty much the same deal, except now you need a new chain.

Check your Spokes

First of all, if you don’t have a spoke wrench at home and you’ve got a dirt bike, you’d better invest in one. You should check your spokes after every ride. Ensure that they are nice and snug, but make sure not to over-tighten as this can cause excess pressure and breakage.

Care for Your Carburetor

Without a doubt, the most likely cause of expensive, serious issues with your dirt bike is the carburetor. What this clever piece of kit does is make sure that the correct amount of air and fuel is delivered to your engine to maximize fuel efficiency. This is even more important for racers, because if your carburetor isn’t working optimally, it doesn’t matter what a great rider you are, you’ll be losing out on power. Check your carburetor by taking a look at the spark plugs. If they’re clean, you’re good to go. However, if they’re dirty, you’re going to need to undertake some maintenance. If you can see a black residue, then too much fuel is being siphoned into your engine. If the residue is white, not enough is going through. Take your bike to a mechanic and have them show you how to jet your carburetor. It’s a slightly tricky process, but once you’ve seen someone do it once, you should be able to do it yourself at home.

Synthetic Oil Change in Newville

Upgrade your oil. Your motor cannot function properly without engine oil. This greasy liquid reduces friction, displaces heat and protects your motor from wear and damage. In the engine of a family saloon car that idles along at 30 mph per hour for a couple of hours a day, the quality of the engine oil may not be that important. But, if you’re powering up and down hills and reaching top speeds of over 100 mph, you’re going to need to give your engine the best protection that you can. Synthetic motor oils are scientifically developed to work at the extremely high temperatures that your dirt bike engine regularly reaches. Call your local AMSOIL Dealer - James Martin today at(717) 776-4040) to find out more about the many benefits of synthetic motor oil.