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Wrench Tip Wednesday: Clutch Problems How long a clutch will last depends on the rider and conditions. If you are hard on a clutch, you hopefully are already aware of that otherwise DNF’s could be in your future. When a clutch slips or is in need of replacement, peak performance is hard to come by, so get ahead of the game and preform maintenance. Sometimes, new clutch plates is not the issue, all components that make the clutch work should be checked. If the clutch lever feels harder when pulled, the cable might need replaced. A cable that is routed badly can also cause this. Make sure the cable is not getting hung up in the handlebars or even the handguards when turning. If it does, fix it, if you don’t chances of it breaking all the way through the line is high which can cause an avoidable DNF. A slipping clutch is annoying because it impacts the power the bike puts on the ground. If you are in a race situation, this feeling is even worse. It will still shift but the doesn’t want to go. You may even smell burnt oil. Generally, worn out clutch plates or pressure plates cause the clutch to slip. In order to figure out which or both is bad, the clutch will need disassembled. Then measure the thickness of both new and used plates using a micrometer. Wore out plates will have less thickness than new plates. The drive plate (steels or aluminum), pressure plate, and fibers all need checked. Sometimes, it is obvious without evening measuring. Look for burn marks on the steels and some bikes are equipped with aluminum plates which will wear quickly. We have even seen broken fibers. A worn-out clutch basket can cause poor disengagement. The power is affected greatly by this but instead of the gears slipping, the gears are sticky. The shift lever will have a delay when shifting through the gears. If this is happening to you, disassemble the clutch and check the fingers on the basket and make sure they are smooth. Over time, clutch plates wear grooves in the fingers of the basket which makes the clutch not disengage properly. Before pulling the basket, check the pressure plate wear, look for broken fibers, or warped steel plates because that is an indicator for clutch basket and hub wear. What does a clutch pack include? Clutch plates such as fibers and steel make up the pack. The basket, pressure plates, and cover gasket are not included. Some manufactures, such as Hinson, sell springs in their clutch packs. If you burn a clutch often, the springs definitely need to be replaced. Putting stiffer springs is also an option to lessen the wear or better yet avoid being so aggressive on the clutch. If you have an auto clutch, such as Rekluse, all above is the same. From our personal experiences, if a Rekluse auto clutch is set up correctly the clutch pack can last a long time. My race bike (2018 Beta 250) has 100 hours on it and is just now needing a clutch. Getting that much time on a clutch makes the price worth it! If a rider keeps up on oil changes the clutch will last longer than the rider who lets their oil get burnt before changing. Using good quality oil also makes a difference. For Beta we prefer, Motul Transoil and the Beta USA race team uses Motul 7100 10w-40 and it works out great in the 2t clutches. Sherco has a wet clutch so we use BelRay Thumper in it. Keep in mind, clutch issues can make or break you come race day so pay attention prior to race day how the clutch feels and what the oil looks like coming out of it. If you are hard on a clutch, own up to it and keep track of your hours. More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Installing an Air Filter Looks like we are finally getting in the drier and hotter part of the year which means it can and will get dusty. With that being said, I find it important to hit on proper insulation of an air filter. Did you know an air filter is one of the most important components on a dirt bike? The purpose of it is to capture dirt to prevent it from getting in the carb and sucked into the engine. So, it is kind of a SUPER BIG DEAL! A leaky air filter can cause premature wear, such as, top end components (piston and rings) wearing out sooner than they should. Before you even oil the filter up, make sure the air box is clean and has no plants growing inside. Having dirt in the air box can increase the chances of getting dirt inside the air box boot and then into the carb. If it is clean, you will not have to worry about this. One of the best things a person can purchase is the Twin Air Airbox Plug! This allows you to spray and scrub on the inside of the airbox without the fear of getting water or dirt in places you do not want to. Glove up and let’s install an air filter properly. The air filter must be clean. If you install a dirty clogged filter, it can reduce performance and make the bike sluggish. Not to mention the potential risk of dirt falling off the filter into the filter boot then into the carb. Take your clean filter and apply foam filter oil to it. Lots of good ones out there – PJ1, Motul, Bel Ray, etc. Most oils can be purchased in two different ways aerosol or pourable. It is personal preference but we prefer to use aerosol spray because it allows control of the amount of oil applied to the filter. It is important to insure coverage of the entire filter, sometimes kneading the oil in is necessary. The oil helps catch the dirt so having too much is always better than not enough. If you choose to use aerosol, take the time to ensure the proper amount of oil is applied. Now that the air filter is all oiled up install your filter cage. Once the cage is in place, the most vital step that is often forgot; apply an ULTRA THICK BEAD OF GREASE around the rim. If this step is skipped you will guarantee yourself a leaky filter and premature engine failure. We recommend a good water resistant one that has stability under high temperatures such as Lucas Red “N” Tacky Grease or Bel Ray Waterproof Grease. Now it is time to install the air filter. Make sure it lines up with the filter box, to insure its 100% sealed. Now you are ready to ride! Pro Tip: Outerwears Pre-Filter is universal and can slip over the air filter. If you know it is going to be awful dusty, put it over your air filter. It will save the air filter and keep it clean. This is very handy for events that are two days. We stock all products discussed and can be purchased on our online store!! Remember, a dusty face means a dirty filter! More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: OEM or Aftermarket In a world full of different manufactures producing parts for dirt bikes it is difficult to decide if a person should stick to OEM or go for aftermarket parts. A lot of times OEM is more costly but better quality. Aftermarket is always a good option as it is generally cheaper but it may vary compared to an OEM part. Over the years, more aftermarket parts have become available for Beta but there are many parts that a customer is required to go through a dealer. For Sherco, not many aftermarket parts are out there yet but any good dealer has lots of parts on hand! In a small business perspective, Beta and Sherco making parts mainly available to dealer helps all parties involved and keeps the small dealers around. Key engine components such as gaskets, crank bearings, top end, bottom end, etc.. OEM is always a good rule of thumb. There is nothing wrong with aftermarket engine parts but the manufacture has set a standard in their factory so why wouldn’t you put OEM back in? When it comes to plastics, I personally prefer OEM. The OEM plastic seems to be less fragile and hold up better than aftermarket plastics. There is quite a price difference between the two. I look at it as if I can get double the amount of time with OEM plastics compared to the aftermarket, it is definitely worth the price difference to use OEM. Exhausts is a personal preference item. On my Beta 250, the OEM setup is ok but I prefer the FMF Fatty. It gives the bike a spunkier feel. So, unless you ride a Sherco 300 SEF Factory or Cross Country, it is common to upgrade to an aftermarket setup. Oh, for those of you who do not know, the Sherco models listed above come with a high dollar Akrabovic exhaust system! Next up, the clutch. If you are a clutch abuser that is kind of a bummer. I tend to be pretty easy on my clutch. I run a Rekluse in both my 250s with no issues just common wear and tear. I just recently bought a 125 so we will see how the OEM clutch stands up to me. Most of the time OEM clutches hold up well. There are lots of really good aftermarket clutch systems that are better than OEM but can be very costly. Using an aftermarket can be considered an upgrade on a bike. Sometimes after upgrading the plates it might also need the clutch basket, pressure plate and hub upgraded to make it all work better together. So, in this example, my opinion is both aftermarket and OEM are good options. Further research on brands and personal preference is recommended. These are just a few examples of different parts or “upgrades” out there. If it is for a Beta or a Sherco we have a lot of them stocked on our shelves! We take pride in carrying lots of OEM and aftermarket accessories for the brands we sell and always willing to give our opinion based off of our experiences. When deciding aftermarket or OEM keep in mind, price difference, quality, and longevity. More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Hour Meters How many legitimate hours are on your bike? The only accurate way to know is to use a hour meter vs mentally keeping track. The problem with mentally keeping track is, did you really ride for 2 hours or was it really 30 minutes ride time and talk for the rest. Hour meters do not lie. There are two types of hour meters: Wireless, which runs off engine vibration. When transporting a bike, sometimes a meter can vibrate and add hours to it. Now, PC Racing makes a meter that can be locked when not riding. Wired, the wire attaches to the coil or spark plug Most of our bikes have wireless ones on but we do still have a few wired ones on and no complaints on either. Most new bikes come with a speedometer on it and is capable of tracking hours. If we keep it on our bikes, we always put an hour meter on just for a back up and peace of mind. A rider should keep track of the hours because it helps a ton with maintenance intervals. It will also accurately let a person know how many hours they are getting on a top end or a clutch. So, instead of breaking down during a race, pay attention to the hours and write down what you have replaced along with when (hours and date) and why. Keep the bike manufactures workshop manual handy. Most have set hours and recommendations of parts to replace or check. More Posts Back To Blog Page