So it’s been a few weeks since you got out on the Bike. You’ve been busy at work, family life takes over – we know the drill. When you finally get a moment to fire up the dirt bike and head out for a day’s trail ride, there’s a tendency to just splash in the unleaded, get your kit on and set off.
But hang on just a second! It’s worth just running through a few checks on your scoot before heading out – it might ensure that your day isn’t wrecked thanks to poor preparation. We know – we’ve been that guy!
So we’ve prepared a little list of ten things to check before you head out – basic stuff but easy to forget. It’s probably worth doing them midweek if you are planning a trail ride at the weekend, that way if something needs replacing, you’ve got time to buy it and fit it before Saturday …
#1-BRAKE TIME
OK this sounds so obvious, but it’s easy to forget that last time you were out your brakes were not up to scratch. But that didn’t stop you slinging the bike into the garage, locking it up and promising to sort it later.
So, lets give them a quick once over. At the front, that means giving them a quick squeeze to check the lever movement and action is all good, having a look at the Fluid level and topping up as necessary with fluid from a relatively fresh bottle of fluid, not one that’s been open for a year. Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it draws in water, so if it’s old that means the fluid will bubble up when hot as the water vaporises.
At the rear, checking the fluid level can be a tad harder, but still needs doing occasionally. You can also lubricate the pivot points and clevis block with a squirt of WD40.
Then for both ends, check over the hoses, look at the condition of the brake pins and last but not least – is there any friction material left on the pads? You might just need some …
#2-Oily RAg
OK so if your bike isn’t smoking or dripping oil then it isn’t using any – right? Er no – that’s not right. So checking the oil level and oil condition is a good idea every now and then, even if you have a maintenance averse stroker!
Whether this is from a dip stick, observation window or fill-level bolt will vary between bikes, but they all need oil and they need the right amount. Colour wise we should be in the real ale / fresh honey range rather than the Guinness or Marmite end of the spectrum. Oh and if it sparkles that’s definitely not good.
If in doubt, a quick oil change won’t hurt, but check the manual as to whether this process should be done hot or cold. Don’t ask people on the internet for advice on this, rely on what the people who made the bike recommend.
And similarly with the oil – asking what oil is best on an FB group will not help …
#3-COOL BEANS
No matter if it’s hot or cold, if you bike has a radiator then it needs fluid to properly cool your engine. The level should stay the same if you haven’t had it boil over or suffered any leaks, but as checking it takes just seconds on most bikes, then it’s worth doing.
Checking can sometimes be through undoing the radiator cap, or perhaps through the level in the overflow tank for bigger bikes. If it’s low, top it up with proper coolant not water, especially if you are running waterless coolants like Evans, or Engine Ice. While you are there, check over the hoses and hose clips – those bad boys keep the scalding fluid where it should be. Sorted.
#4-AIR HEAD
When was the last time you checked your air filter? Just because it wasn’t dusty last time out, doesn’t mean it’s not dirty now, and setting out on a trail ride with a clogged filter isn’t going to help you or the bike.
Snap off the side panel, or unbolt / unlock the seat or unclip the filter cover and check the condition of the filter, and that the filter is correctly seated. If in doubt, either swap it over for one you prepared earlier, or take it off and clean it now.
Once dry and re-oiled, don’t run the bike until the solvents in the filter oil are dried out – your motor will not like them.
#5-BEARING UP
Now as we’ve had a fair few sets of wheel bearing fail on the trusty KTM EXC250, this is one that we have too much experience of. Before you plan on setting out on a trail ride, take you bike of the stand and try to wobble the wheels from side to side. If they move a lot or clunk, it’s time to replace those Bearings, and if it’s at the rear, it might be the swingarm bearings too!
This job is vastly easily when done in the garage rather than on the side of a trail! Look after your bearings people …
#6-LIGHT FANTASTIC
On the basis that your lights are going to help you see and other people see you, then checking them before you go out makes sense. OK if you ride a KTM then the light either lights up the mudguard or the sky, but it’s still good if they work!
Check your front and rear lights, front and rear brake lights and indicators if you have them. Maybe give your horn a toot too!
#7-STEERING COMMITTEE
We tend to take our steering for granted, but with so many more impacts per ride than a road bike, dirt bikes steering bearings take a hell of a beating on a trail ride. Manufacturers also have a happy knack of not adding that much grease to the bearings when they put them together, which doesn’t help.
Thus checking the bearings every now and again can identify issues before they get too bad. You can do this by either tugging up on the bars to see if there is movement detectable. A more more reliable method is by putting the bike on a stand with the front wheel off the ground, and then sitting in front of the wheel. Grab the fork legs at the base and see if there is movement when you try to rock them back and forward.
You may be able to lose some of the play by tightening the top nut on the stem, but don’t make it so tight you lose steering control. Changing the steering head bearings is easier than on road bikes and the bearings themselves are not that expensive, so if it needs doing – get it done.
#8-PRESSURE PRINCIPLE
Now obvioiusly this is for those guys who are still running tubes or Tu Bliss rather than those that have gone over to mousses. Although you may be happy with running really low tyre pressures on the trail, chances are that there’s some road work to get between the trails. So it’s best to dig out the pressure gauge to see that there is actually some air in those hoops before you start …
#9-BATTERY BOY
Chances are that your dirt bike has a battery under the seat, and increasingly commonly, no kick start! If that’s the case then having some charge in that unit might be a good thing!
So you can solve the issue by either putting the bike on a full charge overnight, or maybe as we do – having a trickle charger keeping the battery topped up when not in use. That way when you press the button, something happens …
#10-CHAIN GANG
Last up here and one that so often gets overlooked. Every time you ride your chain will stretch a bit, and the harder you ride and the more powerful your bike, the more it happens. So you need to check the tension before you go out – every time!
Your handbook will will you the recommended slack, but the longer you ride the more you can do it from experience – we normally reckon on three and a half fingers on the top of the swing arm when the bike is on a centre stand, but yours may be different!
For newbies, then the recently released Chain Monkey could be the answer to your chain indecision. But be warned, if your chain is knackered, no amount of adjustment will change that!
So that’s the checklist done for you, but if your a bloke reading this, chances are you’ll forget five of the ten on the list. So to help, here’s the list that you can screenshot and print for the garage wall
PRE-RIDE CHECK LIST
#1 BRAKES
#2 oil
#3 COOLANT
#4 AIR FILTER
#5 WHEEL BEARINGS
#6 LIGHTS
#7 STEERING
#8 TYRE PRESSURE
#9 BATTERY
#10 CHAIN
This post first appeared on Cambodia Motorcycle Tours | Ride Cambodia, please read the originial post: here
