tech tip

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Dirt Bike goes for a Swim This time of year, Missouri tends to be very wet. Really no way to avoid it, if you want to ride. Creeks can be misleading! Or the random holes filled with water. Not sure what is worse the shock to your body of the cold weather or letting the bike swim. If it is a quick submerge there is a chance the bike might still start. But a hot engine and cool water never mix. First, I would try to start it. If it does not start, pull the spark plug and flip the bike upside down. Kick the engine over. This helps push any water out of the top end. Flip it back over and install a sparkplug. If you do not have a spare with you, dry off the one you pulled out. Keep your fingers crossed that it starts otherwise you will be pushing the bike back. Be sure to change the air filter and oil once you get back. What if the bike does not start and needs to be pushed back? Load up and head home. The process is similar as above. Take the spark plug out, flip upside down, and turn the engine over. Drain the oil. Change the air filter. The float bowl could also be filled with water so check that. In extreme cases, it would not hurt to go ahead and replace the exhaust packing. With fresh oil, spark plug, and air filter installed go ahead and start the bike. Oh no! It still does not start, this could mean a complete engine rebuild may be needed. Don’t fret if your mechanic skills are not up to par, take it to a local shop and let them dig into it. A good rule of thumb, always be honest about what has happened to the bike even if it is embarrassing, not just referring to the bike going swimming any instant something mechanical fails, tell the story. It helps the mechanic understand what has happened and why it happened. More Posts Back To Blog Page

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

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Installing Graphics One of the easiest things a person can do to their bike to make it stand out from the rest is buy custom graphics. Easy & reserved or extravagant with a flare, a fresh set of decals is a fun way to show style. This is my least favorite job to do and for some reason takes hours for me to complete. When it comes to graphic time, for me choosing colors is the hardest part! Should I do red, white, and blue or neon yellow and red or maybe gray and blue. The possibilities are endless!! Once the kick butt decals are received it is time to install. Majority of the time, when I get new graphics I am in need of new plastics. So, I plan for that. Lay out all of the plastics, in a warm place. To be on the safe side wipe down with rubbing alcohol. This helps ensure the plastics are clean. New plastics are not necessary if the current ones are in good condition still. Get a heat gun and start heating up the current decals on the plastics. This will help make sure the glue does not stick to the plastics. A hair dryer will also work but I do not recommend using your mom’s/sister’s/wife’s/girlfriend’s favorite, most expensive one. Then remove all the plastics off of the bike. Now it is time to start scrubbing. The plastics need to be extremely clean. Use purple power and a scrub brush to get the residue and dirt off. Dry completely and wipe down with rubbing alcohol. If glue residue is there, use wax-n-grease remover to get it off. There are two methods of putting decals on, wet or dry with a heat gun. I have always done the wet method and have not tried anything else. Peel the decal from the backing. Then get the sticky part wet. I just use a sink. A spray water bottle can also be used. Getting the decal wet allows more freedom of sticking and pulling back off. I like to start with the easiest ones to install and work my way up to the harder ones. Once the decals are straight, press down and use a squeegee to get all the water out and ensure it is stuck. The squeegee is also used to get any bubbles out. Sometimes poking a hole in the decal is necessary to pop the bubble. I prefer to put my graphics on when the plastics are off the bike. So, when I am finished with the decals, I put the plastics back on my bike and admire the beauty. More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Repacking Silencers   Ever have someone ride by and their bike is super loud, like so loud you cover your ears? Chances are their silencer needs to be repacked. The exhaust packing from the bike’s engine exits the pipe in waves and travels through the silencer. Packing around the core lets the silencer control the waves as they leave the bike and also keeps sound levels down. It is obviously when a person’s silencer packing is no longer good. Unburned mixed gas leaving the cylinder or excessive heat wears on the packing. There are many benefits to repacking your silencer. You don’t loose your hearing (Reducing sound levels) Can improve the throttle response Can restore peak power (who doesn’t like power?)   First off, remove the silencer from the bike. If it has a spark arrestor remove it before proceeding. Remove the allen screws or rivets from the front of the silencer – do not remove the rear end cap. Hold the front end cap and begin working it out of the cannister. A rubber mallet might be needed to lightly tap the mount to get the front end cap to break loose. Slowly pull the core all the way out, exposing all the remains. Unwrap the old packing from the core and discard. Clean the core with a wire brush to ensure no clogs and remove all old material. Align new packing with the longest dimension to be the length the core. Wrap the core. Secure the packing with ½” masking tape near each end. The packing should be snug but not too tight. Apply a thin bead of high temp silicone to the front end cap where contact is made with the canister. Reassemble the silencer and wipe off any excess silicone. Now your bike might have more horsepower and your ears live to hear another day! More Posts Back To Blog Page

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Grips Grips are a wear item that should be replaced as needed. If you are gripping the bike more with your legs and less with your hands, the handlebar grips should last for what seems like forever! First off, choose what type of grip you want. I use to have a problem with twisting grips. They could be glued and wired on and it I would still twist them! A few years ago, I finally decided to try lock on grips, I no longer twist grips. I use ODI EMIG lock on, they are a little harder than most grips but don’t death grip them and its not a problem. These grips also come with a new throttle tube every time they are replaced. My dad likes the Risk Racing grips, they are a little bigger than the averaged size grip. My brother prefers the Renthal Kevlar grip, they are overall a softer, tackier type grip. If you go with grips that do not lock on, make sure you have grip glue and wire. It also helps to have safety wire pliers. Sometimes, the old grips come right off with ease once the wire is cut off. If it doesn’t, get a knife or a razor blade and start cutting the old ones off. Once the grips are off, clean the bar and throttle tube thoroughly with contact cleaner. It is also, a good time to inspect the throttle tube for excessive wear. If it is cracked or chipped go ahead and replace it. Get your fast hands and glue ready. Apply a small bead of glue on the inside of the grip and on the edge of the handlebars. Try to make putting the grip on in a smooth motion. Make sure the grips are in the desired position, if not you have to live with the way it is. Do not get any glue under the throttle tube. Some people prefer to not use grip glue and use spray paint. We have tried that and it seems to work about the same as the glue (still need wire). Pretty much just spray the paint on the bar and slide the grip on. Let the glue dry completely. Install the safety wire. I recommend at least two wraps of safety wire around the grip. I use to do three, inside, middle, and outside. Safety wire pliers make this job way easier. After twisting the wire together, cut it about a quarter of an inch away from the grip. Bend the cut end down and put it under the wrap of wire. Make sure it won’t catch on your hand when riding. Lock on grips make life EASY!! Remove the old grips by loosening the screw. New ones go on the same way except tighten. Because it comes with a new throttle tube, make sure you choose the correct cam for your bike. I just match the new ones up with what I had on already. This would also be a good time to spray Cable Life on the throttle cable. More Posts Back To Blog Page