Racing

400 Tips & Tricks | Part 30

Key Advice Every Rider Should Know

By Pete Peterson and The Dirt Rider Staff

November 9, 2016

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!

Tips & Tricks | Part 30Dirt Rider

Store fuel in an unvented metal container and not for more than a month.
Set your steering resistance. Most mechanics advise the bar should stop due to friction from swinging all the way to the stop when given a tap (with the front wheel level and off the ground).
"Keep at least one foot on a peg during hill climbs—ideally the right foot to control the brake." —Kyle RedmonD
Don't change premix ratio to compensate for poor jetting. Fix the carburetor's jetting.
One of Gary Semics' tips is to grab the grip diagonally in your palm, like you would grab a doorknob. This naturally directs your elbows to the right position.
Wear earplugs. What?!
The stock rubber rim band is more than adequate. You're just trying to protect the tube from the back of the spoke.
When starting a four-stroke with a pumper carb (like a Keihin FCR), don't touch the throttle.
"A lot of people keep reusing the same thin tube for way too long and then get a flat and waste a $90 tire. Don't do that." —Brady Becker of Dunlop
Trainer Aldon Baker recommends stretching every day and says first thing in the morning is the best time.