Tech Tips

January

The Magic Bag List for Long Rides

Checklist: Tools & Bike supplies

On a long tour these are the basics that are called upon again and again. We keep the listed items--along with snacks and seasonal sundries--in a tail pack fondly called "The Magic Bag."

• Allen wrench set
• Box wrenches
• Bulbs
• Chain lube
• Cotter pins
• Crescent wrench
• Duct tape
• Flashlight
• Four to six feet of baling wire
• Impact driver
• Jumper cables
• Master link
• Nuts and bolts
• Pipe as extension and stand
• Pocket screwdriver
• Ratchet and appropriate sockets
• Six feet of electrical wire
• Small container of oil
• Small locking pliers
• Spare fuses
• Spark plugs
• Tire repair kit(s) with inflator
• Tire sealant
• Tow strap
• Waterless hand cleaner
• Wire cutters

This list should be tailored to your bike and requirements, but it has been refined by a lot of experience, mostly the kind where you wish you'd brought something but didn't.

February

Here are a few tire tips from Dunlop.

• On a regular basis, check your tires all the way around. Rotate both tires completely and make sure there are no nails, or other objects penetrating the tire. If you find anything, do not ride until you have your motorcycle dealer inspect the tire and replace it if necessary.
• Check the tire sidewalls for signs of cracking and never use sidewall treatments or dressings, which can actually accelerate tire cracking.
• Checking tire pressure is the most important tire maintenance you can perform. Maintaining the correct air pressure is crucial to the tires' rolling efficiency, steering, grip, wear and load-carrying capabilities—for every 4 psi a tire is underinflated, you could lose up to 80 pounds of load-carrying capacity.
• You're not only riding on your tires, you're also riding on the air within them, so check cold air pressure as often as possible with a high-quality air-pressure gauge, and have it calibrated at least once a year.
• If you're storing your motorcycle for the winter and/or storing spare tires, try to avoid frequent varied extremes of temperature. Do not keep tires next to radiators or sources of heat. Tires subjected to these conditions will age more quickly than those stored in a cool, constant environment.
• Do not store tires where electric motors are present; the high concentration of ozone will accelerate tire cracking.
• When buying new tires make sure you select tires that can carry your expected load, including the total weight of the motorcycle, the rider(s), luggage and any equipment. Always match front and rear tires.
• After installation of new tires, check to make sure the arrows on the sidewall are pointing in the correct direction of rotation, and that the balance dot on the tire is lined up with the valve stem.

March

Question:

Proper air filter maintenance

Answer:

Keeping your air filter properly oiled and maintained can protect and save your engine. Dirt ingestion can cause premature wear to bearings, rings, and valves. Come down to HYR Service Dept. for a demonstration on how to properly oil and maintain your air filter.

April

Question:

Why should I worry about chain maintenance?

Answer:

Motorcycle chain maintenance is a crucial part of safety to your motorcycle. The chain transfers power from the engine to the rear wheel, without proper inspection and maintenance it can fail or cripple the motorcycle. If a chain were to break it can become a dangerous object for other rider's or driver's. The chain should be inspected about every 500 miles. Bring your motorcycle into HYR for a FREE chain inspection and adjustment.

May

Battery Care

Did you know that you can prevent premature battery failure with an inexpensive

battery tender.

Batteries can loose up to 10% of their charge everyday they are not in use.

Batteries tend to last anywhere from 2-4 years if properly cared for.

Using the pigtail method is the best way to go, just plug it in and forget about it.

June

How to set up your Dirt Bike Suspension

Taking some time to learn about and set up your dirt bike suspension costs nothing, and can really improve your lap times.

The first thing to do when setting up your dirt bike suspension is to put the rebound and compression clickers for both the forks and rear shock in their standard position (check owners manual for how many clicks out is standard), if you don't have manual just set them halfway between hard and soft.

To set the static sag on the rear shock you first need to set the preload. Back off the locking ring and then you either tighten or loosen the main ring to increase or decrease the preload on the shock. Put the bike on a stand with the rear wheel off the ground and measure from the axle nut to a point roughly above it on the bike (say, a mounting bolt for the muffler or a part on the rear subframe), now take the bike off the stand and let it stand upright. With the bike off the stand now measure the distance between the axle bolt and the point on the bike itself. Subtract that measurement from the distance measured when the bike was on the stand, there should be about 25mm of sag, if there's more than that wind up the preload or if there's less then back it off. this measurement is called static sag.

Now to set the laden sag (race sag). Take note of the measurement with the bike standing upright. Now with all your riding gear on sit on the bike in the attack position (head roughly over the crossbrace, elbows up and out and feet on the pegs), have someone hang onto the bike for you and take a measurement again. The amount of sag should be between 90mm and 110mm, again if its more or less then adjust the preload ect.

Your should be able to get it set up approximately to those figures, if it's way out on either then that can indicate that it either has different springs than standard (if you bought the bike secondhand) or that your're heavier or lighter than the model used by the bike manufacturers. They base their settings on a theoretical rider who is about 5'10" tall and about 180 lbs.

July

Motorcycle Cooling Systems

Motorcycles are not like cars and while someone can drive a car without knowing much about the engine it is recommended that anyone who owns or rides a motorcycle should have a basic understanding of the engine and how to perform minor and temporary repairs. The simple point behind this is that motorcycle engines will fail and being stuck on the side of the road is never much fun.

Motorcycles tend to break down more often than cars and most bikers will tinker with their engine anyway to make custom adjustments and install performance parts. Knowing the basics of your motorcycle engine can lead to a quick or temporary fix to get you moving ,Because of the job an exhaust does, there are a number of problems that can occur with the part and the entire exhaust system. Remember, the exhaust is basically the trash chute for your bike's reaction exhaust gasses and the insides and outsides of an exhaust can get extremely hot when riding. Your exhaust and drag pipes can experience a number of common problems including overheating which will cause a "bluing" effect on the tips of the pipes. Even with polished chrome finishes over time the heat will cause a bluish or black color on the pipes. Though this may appear to be only a cosmetic issue over time the excessive heat can cause parts to deteriorate which can lead to harmful gasses being released in every direction.

Since heat is your major concern consider the different ways you can maintain the temperature in the exhaust so it doesn't overheat and what you can do should the system suffer deterioration or even punctures from excessive heat. exterior. Another tip for preserving the exhaust on your motorcycle is to periodically rotate the pipes if you have twin pipes. Gas doesn't always distribute evenly and if you did a custom install with an aftermarket exhaust it is recommended that you rotate the exhaust pipes so if there is an excess of heat to one side you can moderate the effect it has on your pipes. You should check all motorcycle engine parts on a regular basis to achieve optimum performance but regulating the heat in the engine is your primary concern.

August

So I decided to write about this fuel issue we seem to be having with all our toys and power equipment. Life is busy and no time to be out draining fuel tanks and carb bowls, but I'm sorry to say you just have to do it. So I will give you just a couple tips that can save you time and money.

1. If you use a 5 gallon gas can, try using just a 1 gallon can so that the fuel is replenished more often. Premium fuel wouldn't hurt either
2. Add stabile or a gas treatment to the fuel tank or even the gas can. This will keep the gas fresh a little longer.
3. If you know you are not going to be using the unit for a long time, drain all fuel from carb area, most dirt and street bikes that have carbs are easy to drain with either a flat head screw driver or an allen wrench. Power equipment can be done most of the time with a 10mm socket or wrench to drain the float bowl. (make sure the fuel valve is off).
4. The best way to keep up on our off road toys and power equipment is to keep them running. Every couple of weeks pull them out, start them up and charge batteries as needed. This will hopfully prevent running problems and save a little money.

September

"Ride It"

I like to use the term "Ride It" letting your bike sit for a period of time can cause seals and gaskets to dry up, which then cause oil leaks. Fork seals will then start to crack causing oil to seep on the fork tube and front brake pads. It's not cheap these days to have fork seals replaced. The drive chain is very important to keep up on, dry and weather damaged chains can be a safety hazard to other vehicles on the road if the chain were to break or fly off. Your fuel system is also something to be aware of; a lot of people think that just because they have a fuel injected bike that it's ok just to let it sit "wrong". I have seen many fuel injectors clogged up and it tends to be more expensive than just having the carb rebuilt. The more you just "Ride It" the more you will think about the importance of maintaining your motorcycle.

October

Setting the correct tire pressure is probably one of the most overlooked—not to mention cheapest and easiest maintenance tasks you can do to improve your bike's handling. It just takes a few minutes to check and adjust your tire pressure.

How important is it to check/set the correct tire pressure?

The tires not only provide traction, they are also part of the suspension of the bike. It is very important to check for proper inflation before every ride. It is best to check pressures when tires are cold.

Should the front and rear always be set to the same pressure?

No, there are normally small differences we suggest on front and rear pressure. A good baseline pressure for each is 12 psi in the front, and 13 psi in the rear.

That will work in most conditions.

If the area we're riding in goes through big temperature changes, how often throughout the day should tire pressure be checked?

Air expands when it gets hotter. Think of a hot air balloon. The pressure goes up as the tire is run and gets hotter, or if the tire is sitting in the hot sun.

If the tire is sitting for a while after have ridden, you should check the pressure, and if necessary, set it back to the safe margins of 12 psi front and 13 psi rear.

If the bike sits for a few hours or temperature drops significantly it should be set again. This is especially important when racing at night, when it is warm in the day and then cools at night during the heats/main events. The temperature can drop by as much as 20 degrees at times.

What pressures do you recommend for common racing conditions, such as hard pack, sand, loamy dirt, etc?

Here's a quick general guideline:

Hard pack: 11.5 psi front, 11 psi rear. This would be for normal supercross-type conditions with no rocks or large square edged bumps.

Intermediate: 12 psi front, 13 psi rear.

Sand/Mud: 12 psi front, 10 psi rear. The lower pressure will help get a bite in the sand and slippery wet conditions.

If it is rocky and muddy we would not suggest 10 psi in the rear.

Do these recommendations apply to motocross tracks and trail riding, or would they differ?

Motocross is a more controlled environment. It is easier to run lower pressures when there are clearly no rocks or large square edged bumps.

For off road we normally suggest a little higher pressure to reduce the chance of a flat.

For off road or trail riding suggested pressure would be 13 psi front, and 13.5-14 psi rear. If it is high speed desert terrain with many rocks we would use up to 18 psi on the rear.

No more excuses. Next time you go riding, be sure to bring a proper pressure gauge and tire pump with you.

November

Motocross braking techniques

Concentrating on your braking techniques can allow you to make up lots of ground on the rider in front of you.

Good braking techniques and cornering skills will help you make up positions during a motorcross race, but so many riders are not confident using their brakes to their full potenial. The front brake on a motorcross bike provides about 70% of your stopping power but riders get nervous about the front end washing out. The rear brake doesn't provide as much stopping power but is effective in keeping the bike stable whilst braking.

When braking you should be in the attach position gripping the bike with your knees, particularly when the braking area is rough, to allow you to keep control and take some strain off your arms and shoulders.

When approaching a smooth corner under brakes your weight should be back on the bike to stop the rear wheel from lifting. If the corner has large braking bumps (usually the case on sandy motorcross tracks) then centralise your weight to allow the bike to rock underneath you over the bumps. If the corner is off camber, move your weight forward to weight the front wheel to prevent it from washing out.

December

10 Things To Do To Your Bike

• Bleed your brakes. Your bike can be the fastest thing on earth, but if it can't stop when you need it to, you end up becoming a heap of broken parts.
• Put on new grips. Unless your grips are almost brand-new, new ones will make a big difference.
• Dial in your suspension. You can spend thousands of dollars in engine mods and go-fast parts for your bike to get that factory-bike look and feel
• Check your spokes. When was the last time you checked them? Loose or bent spokes can result in flat tires, bent rims and a bad day on the trail or at the track.
• Change your suspension fluids. The most neglected parts of your bike are often the most crucial.
• Care for your cables. Stiff or sticky cables are difficult to pull and can fatigue you more than you realize.
• Grease the moving parts. Grease is totally your bike's friend.
• Wash your bike.
• Bleed the air from the forks. Actually do this now and each time you ride.
• Consider spending to save.Some expenditures now can save big bucks in the long term.