February 2019

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Power or Torque it? Although, stopping to look up torque specs and grab a torque wrench can be a pain in the rear, it can save you money in the long run. Think about all the nuts and bolts you’ve stripped by over tightening. Or what about the sketchiness of under tightening sprocket bolts or axle nuts. A good rule of thumb, always use a torque wrench on all engine related matters or mechanically functioning bolts. Manufactures finely tune their bikes to specific torque values. With that being said, a Beta might have different torque specs than a Sherco. Always refer to the owner’s manual. Beta USA also has the torque specs on their website under the support page. It is also on our website under tech tips. Different parts of the bike might require a specific pattern to tighten each bolt, such as cylinder and head. Which is another reason to check out your manual. Sometimes, a torque wrench might not be available. That means, you need to be comfortable with hand tools… not power tools. You should be able to feel how tight the nut or bolt is as you tighten it down. A 2-inch cheater bar should not be used to tighten a small bolt. Use the proper size tools for the job, it is not a go big or go home game. A ¼ inch ratchet will get the job done. Don’t crank it down as tight as possible to the point of almost stripping because realistically 14 NM is not a lot on a rear brake rotor. Remember, use Loctite on anything that should not come apart on its own or never come apart but do not forget about anti-seize on everything else to help prevent stuck bolts and protect against corrosion. Get to torquing! More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Flushing the Cooling System Flushing the coolant out of your dirt bike should be a yearly maintenance deal or if you are changing brands. Different coolant brands should never be mixed. Chemical reactions can happen with lots of possibilities of damaging the bike. Automotive coolant can be used but may require more maintenance verse specific motorcycle/powersport coolant. Things to look for when looking at different brands; Propylene Glycol (biodegradable and non-toxic) and should not contain any silicate or phosphates. If the coolant does, it can break down, build a thick layer, and the engine could potentially overheat or it can eat the water pump seals. Engine Ice is one of the two popular brands we sell. It is Propylene Glycol, premixed with deionized water to eliminate impurities, and in a pinch water can be added. The other customer favorite is Evans, also Propylene Glycol with high boiling point, containing no water. The major downside to Evans is that it cannot be mixed with water or anything! NEVER change coolant on a hot bike. NEVER remove the radiator cap on a hot bike. When coolant is heated, it is under pressure and can potentially spray and burn your skin off. To drain the coolant, locate the drain plug bolt. Generally, it is found on the water pump housing. The bolt will have a copper washer on it, do not lose this. After the drain plug is removed, remove the radiator cap. Let it completely drain out. It can be messy trying to get the pan in the right spot to catch it all. Pro tip – if you change coolant regularly and use a non-corrosive formula you will most likely not need to flush unless you are changing brands. Put the drain plug back in. Pour water into the radiator. Install radiator cap. Start the dirt bike, run until operation temperature. Let it cool, then drain it out. Install new coolant and be sure to check for leaks. While in the cooling system, it is a good idea to go ahead and check the water pump for dirt or corrosion. If the impeller can be moved up or down, bearings and seals are needed and maybe a water pump shaft. Oil leaking into the water pump can also be sign of bearings and seals in need of being replaced. Winter is the perfect time to do this to help ensure the coolant won’t freeze and the bike will be ready for the upcoming riding/race season! More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Mixin’ Gas & Haulin’ A.. Chances are if you own a two stroke dirt bike, you have to mix gas. There are a few modern age bikes that come with oil injection such as 2015+ Beta Xtrainer 300 and 2017+ Beta 250/300 RR. The oil in the gas acts as a lubricant and burns off with fuel as you ride. This seals the piston and is critical. If you remove the lubricants from the gas, the viscosity of the mixture becomes lighter and more prone to vaporization. With a lean mixture there is less oil to seal the rings. The sealing of the rings has more to do with the performance of the engine than the possibility of having better-burning gas with an ultra-lean gas/oil ratio. What dictates oil usage? · Oil quality · Engine size – 125CC and below will use a higher oil to gas ratio (24:1 – 40:1) and 250CC + (32:1 – 70:1) will use less. · Engine usage – as in how hard it is being rode and how often the bike gets to “sing” The number one rule of thumb is to refer to the owner’s manual and see what the manufacture recommends. Be sure to inspect the spark plug regularly to see if it is overly oiled, black looking. If it is that means your bike is too rich (too much oil in the mixture). So, put less oil in the gas. Sometimes the jetting can be the cause of this and might need to be adjusted but we have not had to do that to any of our bikes. All of these things mentioned above need to be taken into account before mixing the gas. The mixture for my 2018 Beta 250 Race Edition varies depending on what oil I am using. I was using Motul 800 at 50:1 – 60:1 but felt like it was over oiling even oil clogged a spark arrestor! At the Beta USA dealer meeting, it was recommended for that particular oil to be mixing 70:1. I just recently switched back to it so I do not have a complete update on how that mixture is acting. The other oil I used was BelRay H1R and it works best 50:1 – 60:1. Both are very good oils. At the shop, AmsOil Dominator seems to be a popular pick. I have talked to a few people about what ratio they use and 50:1 seems to work well. A few oils out there say they can be mixed 100:1, I do not trust it but if it works for you, go for it. Time to mix the gas. Fill up the gas can, make sure you know how many gallons you put into it. Know what ratio you are going to mix it at. A Ratio Rite or any other brand of mixing cup makes pouring the correct amount of oil a breeze. Be sure the mixing cup is placed on a flat even surface for an accurate measurement. Depending on which style of cup you have depends on how to read the cup. Some cups will have the gallons or ounces at the top of the cup. Look for the one with the amount of gas you have. After that is found, know the ratio you are trying to mix and find it. Pour the oil to the correct line and then dump into fuel container. Shake very well. More Posts Back To Blog Page