400 Tips & Tricks | Part 10

The June 2016 issue marked Dirt Rider’s 400th issue, and to mark the milestone we put together 400 tips that might save the day, or just make the day go easier. We thought we’d show them to you again online, ten at a time, to help instill the wisdom into your brain so when the time comes you hear an expert bit of advice in your head.

Note: Tips that came from a specific source will have an attribute listed. Tips with no attribute have been pulled from Dirt Rider’s extensive library of content, including back issues of the magazine, dirtrider.com, and The Total Dirt Rider Manual. Enjoy!

91: Many riders wrap tape around their levers in cold weather to keep from touching the bare (cold) metal.
92: When bulldogging your bike, put your goggle on "backward" with the strap above the eyeport, rather than hanging the goggle from your handlebar.
93: Do your sleeves work up your forearm? Cut a hole in the cuff and stick your thumb through it.
94: Don't bump-start a four-stroke that is reluctant to start; the problem could be tight valves. Don't keep riding that bike. Adjust its valves back to spec.
95: When safety wiring grips, make the twist in an area where you don't contact the grip (in the back of the grip).
96: Many riders, when their chain and rear sprocket show wear, replace the chain and the rear sprocket but fail to realize that a worn front sprocket "inhibits chain pin movement and causes flat spots on the pins. This, in turn, wears the rear sprocket." —DJ Maughfling, Supersprox
97: If your two-stroke smokes excessively and you're losing transmission oil, you likely need to replace your right-side crank seal.
98: With the bike on a stand, pull up on the end of the swingarm to feel for swingarm pivot and shock linkage play, which can indicate a need for new bearings.
99: Keep your spare handlebar with a grip mounted on the left side.
100: "Check the top and bottom of your chain's plates for wear. A lot of times those will wear down and you can break a chain that way." —Brian Kranz, Eli Tomac's mechanic