Now you’re here and wondering just what this mod is all about, right? Well, have you noticed that when you ride your VStar 1300 at slow speeds in first or second gear that you seem to be getting a lot of surging? That’s because Yamaha has the fuel mixture set excessively lean in order to pass the 2010 and 2012 emissions requirements. But, heck, it’s not 2010 yet, let alone 2012. So why should I have to suffer for years? Well, you don’t have to suffer. That’s what this mod is all about. Not only will it eliminate most or all of the surging but it will also allow you to ride in higher (numbered) gears at slower speeds before you have to down-shift.   OK, so dude5 originally came up with the idea and gave it to me. That means, of course, that I did not steal it as he claims. How could I steal it if he gave it to me? I promised John (dude5) that I would not tell anyone about this and asked him if he planned to market it or post it on the WIKI. He said he was making his own FMS Fuel Management System that would sell for $100.00. He posted some pictures of a small black plastic box mounted on his handlebars. It has a couple switches and a knob on the outside. He was trying to find connectors that mate to the oxygen sensor. In the interim he had to cut and splice the wires.

Never mind all that history. However, if you look at dude’s FMS now, you’ll see he has added the O2 connectors that I told him where to buy.

The O2 sensor is a so-called narrow band sensor – like the ones in most cars. A narrow band O2 sensor can only tell you precisely whether you are above or below 14.7:1 AF ratio. That is its only purpose. You cannot measure whether you are at 12:1 or 13:1 or any other variation but 14.7:1 or if the ratio is lower or higher.

This is a very fundamental issue. Some other solutions use so-called wide band sensors that measure ranges up to 10:1-18:1 in discrete increments.

Why is this important to this story you may ask?

It turns out 14.7:1 is the most efficient AF ratio for various engine designs based on fuel consumption and emissions – not so in terms of power. The best AF ratio for these types of engines is usually around 13:1 +- 0.2 up or down.

As said earlier the O2 sensor can only be used for the 14.7:1 identification.

Now let’s have a look at a typical Yamaha FI map (very much the same as all other motorcycle manufacturers). The map has various AF ratios built into it. While cruising (usually below 10-20% throttle or less and less than a specific RPM e.g. 5000), maximum fuel efficiency (sounds funny when said in the context of a VMax) is the target – among best possible emissions. This is where the engine is mapped to a ratio of 14.7:1. It is this range and this range only that the O2 sensor data is used by the ECU to correct the AF ratio as it goes.

The primary reason for that is because gasoline based fuels burn hotter when you go over 14.7:1, and the increase in exhaust gas temps is dramatic and can lead to serious engine damage within a short amount of time. Of course, the 1300 is water cooled so that pretty well mitigates the heat issue.

For all the other ranges (>20% throttle and higher RPM) the manufacturers are not bound to emissions as much and therefore tune the engine for maximum power – which happens to be around 13:1. This is the range where the Yamaha ECU operates in ‘open loop’ mode. It has a map built in, it uses various air and vacuum sensors to correct the map for altitude and temperature but that’s it.

In addition the Yamaha ECU (same for Stratoliner, Roadliner, Raider, and the sport bikes) can be operated without an O2 sensor. It goes back to a default mode without trying to optimize for the 14.7:1 ratio.

What the following mod does is to move the output of the O2 sensor to a slightly richer than 14.7:1 ratio. This cures the over-lean condition. The ECU “thinks” it’s running at a 14.7:1 ratio when, in reality, we have moved the ratio to a slightly lower value.

Now for the mod itself. As some of you have already figured out (and some of the units I did not seal with potting compound so an enterprising individual could easily open it and see what’s inside), the “circuit” is nothing but a single resistor. The resistor is in series with the ground lead of the oxygen sensor. The trick is the value of the resistor and exactly which wire to put it in. I chose to use resistors with a value tolerance of 1% but cheaper 5% tolerance resistors should work just fine.

Let’s look at dude’s version below. You’ll see he has a resistor with some shrink sleeving over it to prevent its being shorted to the bike’s frame. On the end of each lead is a crimp on connector. You simply find the sensor’s ground lead, cut it, and crimp the two connectors, one onto each lead that was cut. The pliers show how to crimp the connectors.   Since he was not going to publish or market the mod, I decided to tell everyone how to do it. Then I remembered my promise. That, and the fact that you have to cut and solder wires, made me decide to try and make some available myself. I built a prototype and sold it to kapu7 for what I thought might be a fair price, $30.00. Kapu suggested that $50.00 would be more appropriate so it didn’t look like a cheap something that doesn’t work. He even suggested I might want to ask even more than $50.00. That’s how the price came about.   My mod is shown below dude’s. Notice that it is plug and play. You do not have to void your warranty to install it. Besides, it is very simple to disconnect for those occasions when you want to be EPA legal.

O2 Mod

O2 Mod

That’s just great you say, but what’s the value of the resistor and which wire do I have to cut? Looking at the O2 sensor connector (the one attached to the sensor) you can see two black wires, a white wire, and a blue wire inside some black sleeving. The white wire is the one you want. It connects to a black and blue wire in the mating connector. You can cut and use either the white wire or the black/blue wire.    My resistors are 825K ohms, 1%, ¼ watt precision resistors. I have several left. If you’d like one, send me a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) and a dime (pre 1964 is preferred) and I’ll send you one. Yes, I’ll lose about five cents each but there are no 15 cent coins that I’m aware of.    Looking again at dude’s device, it looks like he has the connectors directly connected to resistor leads. I don’t think that’s a good idea. The resistor and its leads are too fragile. I mounted the resistor on a circuit board and soldered stranded wire leads to it. Then I put shrink sleeve over it and potted the whole thing. Of course, I used connectors that mate directly to the connectors on the bike so no cut or solder is necessary.   You could use a piece of a popsicle stick. Drill two holes in the stick 0.3” to 0.5” apart and pass the resistor leads through the holes. Then solder stranded wire leads (20, 22, or 24 gauge wire) to each resistor lead protruding from the stick. Finally, cover it with shrink sleeving or a good quality electrical tape to strengthen and protect it from shorting (dude, you can use this idea, too). Then either solder or use some of the “bullet” connectors to connect it.

This guide is for rear tire changes. Performing a change on the front tire is very similar but requires less detail than a rear tire (no chain). If you can figure out how to swap out the drive wheel then a front will be a piece of cake. Having the right equipment is important and there is a host of products on the market that can help make this job easier. However, in order to serve even the lowliest garage monkey, this is an example of a good, old-fashioned tire change that can be performed at home or on the trail. So good luck, and remember that it gets a little easier every time as you get familiar with the process.

Tire Change Steps:

Step 1: Remove the wheel
With the bike on a stand, remove the rear wheel and set aside the axle, axle spacers, wheel spacers and washers where they won’t get in the way. Keeping track of them is easiest by putting them all together on the axle and screwing on the lock nut.

2). Loosen the valve stem lock nut and then remove the valve stem core.

Step 2: Deflate the tube
Place the wheel on a hard, flat surface with the sprocket side down. Loosen the valve stem lock nut and then remove the valve stem core. Loosen the rim lock nut to the end of the threads but do not remove it. Use your fingers or a tire spoon to push the rim lock inwards so that you will be able to break the bead.

Step 3: Break the bead
Break the bead on both sides. Use your hands to break the bead by pushing downward on the sidewalls. If too difficult to perform by hand, try using a tire spoon to leverage downward. If that also fails, stand with one foot on each side of the tire and press down and inward with your bodyweight. Make sure to spread the weight as evenly as possible on opposite edges to avoid bending the sprocket or brake rotor. Flip the tire back to the sprocket-side-down position when both sides have been popped.

4). Start spooning opposite the rim lock, using multiple spoons to lift the edge.

Step 4: Spoon off the tire
Starting opposite of the rim lock, place three tire spoons roughly four inches apart under the tire edge. Pry the first one over and tuck it under the brake rotor followed by the next two. Remove the first and place it another four inches beyond the third and continue to work around the rim until the entire side is free.

Note: Larger spoons provide more leverage, but small, trail-sized spoons can be locked under the sprocket or brake rotor and act as a spare hand.

Step 5: Remove tube
Pull the tube out of the tire, replace the valve stem core. Inspect for signs of wear and set aside. Do not remove the rim lock or rubber strap

6). Pull the tire over the edge of the rim using a little elbow grease.

Step 6: Pull the rim
We use the over-over technique which might seem counterintuitive at first, but with the sprocket side up, perform the same spooning action and pull the tire over the edge of the rim so that the wheel is completely inside the tire. Stand the wheel up and rotate it until the bead lock is at the bottom nearest the floor. Bounce the wheel to force the rim in to the tire cavity. This should create a gap at the top. Grab the rim and the tire above it and force it off the wheel. This will take a little muscle, but if the rim is deep enough into the tire it will flex and come about halfway off. This will allow you to pull the rim upwards and free of the tire.

Note: Setting the complete wheel and new tire in the sun for awhile before starting this process will help soften the rubber and make it more pliable.

Step 7: Inspection
Clean and check the rim, bead lock and rubber seal for wear or damage. Replace as needed.

8). Push the bolt of the rim lock to create space for the tire bead to fit between it and the wheel.

Step 8: Install new tire
Starting with the sprocket side down, spoon the new tire onto the rim. Start at the rim lock and push the bolt to create space for the tire bead to fit between. You should be able to force at least half of the tire on by hand before using the spoons.

Note: Use Windex to lubricate the rubber. Window cleaner is slick but evaporates quickly once the job is done. Use it liberally and don’t be afraid to give the tire an extra quirt if it starts to dry out. Soapy water works as well, or in a pinch (like on the trail) just water is better than nothing.

Step 9: Install tube
It’s a good rule of thumb to replace tubes whenever you change a tire, but if the original is still usable then it’s ok to re-install it. Locate the valve stem hole from the sprocket side. Insert a tire spoon as if you are going to pull the tire back off, fold it over and pin the spoon handle under the sprocket. This will create space for you to work in when trying to install the valve stem.

Flip the wheel over so that the brake rotor is up again. Place a foot in the middle of the wheel hub and squat down to provide pressure. Lift up on the tire sidewall with one hand and use the other hand to tuck the tube inside starting with the valve stem. Once the stem is through, use the lock nut to keep the stem from pulling back through the hole. Proceed around the rim making sure that the tube isn’t twisted or folded on itself. It helps to have a little air in the tube, but not enough to stretch the rubber. Once the tube is fully installed, adust it as necessary to make sure the valve stem isn’t crooked.

10). Anchor two tire spoons and use the third to move up the rim gradually.

Step 10: Finish spooning tire
Starting at the rim lock, place one spoon on either side and use your hand to push the rim lock bolt to create space for the tire. Spoon the tire into place and use the third spoon to move about halfway up the rim on either side in small increments. Make sure that the tire bead is pushed down into the rim well on both sides to allow the tire to spoon on with less resistance. If you find yourself fighting the tire excessively on the spoons, make sure the bead is pushed down. This can be the difference between a ripped bead, sweat and cursing or a simple installation. Don’t forget the Windex!

Step 11: Air the tire
Once the tire is completely on, check for any visual signs that the tube might be pinched. Once the coast is clear, add air until the tire bead pops on both sides. If stubborn, use some more Windex to help ease it on. Often pulling the valve stem core and completely flatting the tube once or twice helps if the tube is being extremely difficult. Once the bead is secure, adjust the tire to the proper inflation and tighten the rim lock and valve stem nuts.

Step 12: Install the wheel
Replace the wheel and make sure the axle is clean and has fresh grease. Adjust the chain as needed and go ride.

Bike courtesy of Oregon Motorcycle Adventures.

Paying some close attention to your control setup can help tailor a bikes ergonomics specifically to your own size and riding preferences. All this adds up to a bike that’s easier to ride and that means hopefully faster.

Handlebars - Your handlebars should be the first thing you consider for your control setup, as a starting point adjust your bars so that the grips are either horizontal or pointing down just a little. This will vary according to what discipline you’re racing, if you’re riding motocross or supercross then you’ll probably run your bars further forward than if you’re competing in an enduro or cross country event.

See if you can borrow a couple of different sets of bars to find out what manufacturer and particular bend suits you. You can also cut a small section off the length of the bars if they feel too wide (don’t do this to the pair of bars you borrow off your mate!).

Bar widths should be between 790mm (31.1in.) and 820mm (32.2in.) for a full size bike.

Bar grips should be glued on. I personally don’t glue mine, I spray the inside of the grip with contact cleaner and slide it onto the bar end, once the contact cleaner has evaporated I then tie wire the grip in the middle and at each end.

Lever setup - Lever positioning is an important part of your control setup. The clutch lever and brake lever should be angled down slightly so that when you’re in the attack position on the bike, your forearms should be in a straight line with the levers.

When you’re forward in the attack position you have greater control over the handlebars and also your body will weight the front wheel giving better traction for cornering and braking.

Position your levers so that when they’re pulled in the ball on the end is in past the end of your bars. This way in the event of a crash the lever will push into the handlebars instead of snapping off. Also tighten your perch bolts just enough that they hold firm but have them loose enough so that in a crash they’ll spin on the bars and not break.

If you find that your clutch pull feels too heavy you can fit a longer lever which increases your leverage or fit a different perch and lever setup which gives a lighter pull. Works Connection make aftermarket perch and lever combinations or a Honda CR item is supposed to be quite good too, spending a few bucks on your control setup will pay big dividends when you get on your bike.

There should be about 3-5mm of freeplay in your clutch lever. Adjust this and also the take up point (friction point) to suit yourself. After a bike has done some work you may find that the levers will wear and start to flop around in the perch. You can fix this by fitting a thin shim washer to the pivot point between the lever and perch.

Always keep your cables and perches well lubricated. You can use one of those nifty little cable lubricators that clamp to the end of the outer sheath of the cable, you then poke the plastic nozzle tube of your lubricant spray to the lubricator and force the lube in that way. If you don’t have one of those then you can just jam the nozzle tube in to the end of the outer sheath. Keep your perch pivot point lubricated with a good waterproof grease.

Check your throttle cable for play. They can stretch over time and you may not be getting full throttle when you twist it on.

Your gear lever and rear brake lever should be about level with the footpegs. Faster riders may run their brake lever slightly higher because they’re up on the pegs a lot and also so they can drag the rear brake slightly over rough terrain to improve stability. I used to run my rear brake lever a little lower when I was riding KTM’s because everyone I had (5 in all!) had a super touchy rear brake.

The first thing to do when setting up your dirt bike suspension is to put the rebound and compression clickers for both the forks and rear shock in their standard position (your owners manual should tell you how many clicks out is standard), if you don’t have the manual just set them halfway between hard and soft.

If possible find out what the standard rear spring was for your bike and make sure that’s what is in it now. If you’ve bought your bike secondhand and the rider who owned it before you was heavier or lighter than you or was particularly fast then they may have put a different spring in it which can make dirt bike suspension tuning difficult, this can be the case for the forks as well.

To set the static sag on the rear shock you first need to set the preload.
Back off the locking ring and then you either tighten or loosen the main ring to increase or decrease the preload on the shock.
Put the bike on a stand with the rear wheel off the ground and measure from the axle nut to a point roughly above it on the bike (say, a mounting bolt for the muffler or a part on the rear subframe), now take the bike off the stand and let it stand upright.

With the bike off the stand now measure the distance between the axle bolt and the point on the bike itself.
Subtract that measurement from the distance measured when the bike was on the stand, there should be about 25mm of sag, if there’s more than that wind up the preload or if there’s less then back it off. This measurement is called static sag.

Now to set the laden sag (race sag). Take note of the measurement with the bike standing upright. Now with all your riding gear on sit on the bike in the attack position (head roughly over the crossbrace, elbows up and out and feet up on the pegs), have someone hang onto the bike for you and take a measurement again. The amount of sag should be between 90mm and 110mm, again if it’s more or less then adjust the preload etc.

You should be able to get it set up approximately to those figures, if it’s way out on either then that can indicate that it either has different springs than standard (if you bought the bike secondhand) or that you’re heavier or lighter than the model used by the bike manufacturers. They base their settings on a theoretical rider who is about 5’10″ tall and about 85kg.

These are just rough figures, read your owners manual for the bike, the japanese manufacturers have a decent section in their manuals on dirt bike suspension.

Taking some time to learn about and set up your dirt bike suspension costs nothing and can really improve your lap times.

Keeping a modern dirt bike in absolutely perfect mechanical condition can be a pretty daunting task. While most of us love the riding part of dirt bikes, only a lucky smaller percentage enjoys working on the bike, too. But even if you get a massive grin at the idea of wrenching, chances are your bike can still benefit from the 10 points covered here. Whether our personal bike, a test bike or even the odd privateer race bike, they all need care that often gets ignored until problems become obvious. None of these 10 steps will break the bank, especially if you do the work, and taking care of these potential problem areas will all but guarantee a fun and trouble-free ride. So hit the garage!

01 Bleed your brakes. Your bike can be the fastest thing on earth, but if it can’t stop when you need it to, you end up becoming a heap of broken parts. Most riders neglect the brakes; they just change the pads when they’re worn but never look to see if the fluid condition or level is OK. If you think the brakes are starting to fade, check the fluid immediately! You have a problem if the fluid is dark or low in the reservoir. Fresh brake fluid is fairly heat stable, but water isn’t, and brake fluid will absorb water over time. That’s a major reason that brake fluid deteriorates. Anytime the brake system has been used hard and heated, you should bleed the brakes. To bleed the brakes, you must clean the reservoir and remove the cap. Fill it with clean fluid to keep it from running dry. Pump and hold the brake pedal or lever, then quickly open the bleeder fitting with a wrench and immediately close it back up without releasing the brake lever. Pump up the brake, hold it and bleed it again. Do this three or four times, or until you no longer see any air bubbles coming out with the fluid. Use a length of clear tubing over the bleeder fitting to avoid a mess and to prevent brake fluid from getting on the rotor and brake pads. If the fluid appears dark or burned, just keep filling the reservoir and bleeding the system until clean fluid comes out. Use a good fluid brand, but know that the high-temp products generally absorb water easier than regular brake fluid. Be sure to use the type of fluid that’s specified for your bike. Remember, you can’t go fast if you can’t stop.

02 Put on new grips. Unless your grips are almost brand-new, new ones will make a big difference. Grips have traction edges molded in that offer glove traction just like a tire, so give your hands a fresh knobby. And just don’t throw on any grip or the one the local fast guy runs. Some people have “their” grip that they will only use, but for people who don’t know, there’s an ocean of grips from which to choose. If you have small hands, there are no-waffle, small-diameter grips, and for large hands, there are full-waffle and even vibration-damping grips. There are also different compounds: soft, medium, hard, gel, foam and the multidensity gels. Just try them out one at a time and see which one is your glass slipper. Generally, if you have large hands, try a grip with a larger outside diameter. Conversely, if you have a smaller hand, try a smoother, smaller-diameter grip, perhaps in a softer compound. If you blister easily, go with a soft compound but be aware that they wear quickly. If you prefer traction to come from your gloves instead of your grips, try a firmer compound. Most riders run a soft-to-medium grip. Even if you don’t replace the grips, safety-wire them. Use at least one wrap at each end of the grip. Wire as close as possible to the flange end of the grip to keep water from getting under the grip and making it slip. Finally, don’t decide to install new grips right before a ride. You might find damage to the throttle tube or handlebar that needs attention. Some throttle tubes have the grip bonded on, and getting those off is a pain. Plus, the glue needs time to cure, especially with soft grips. Use the manufacturer’s glue if it makes some; soft grips have a habit of falling apart with aggressive glues or other chemicals.

03 Dial in your suspension. You can spend thousands of dollars in engine mods and go-fast parts for your bike to get that factory-bike look and feel. But the crucial element is your suspension. Manufacturers spend huge sums on suspension testing and tuning, and you can capitalize on their time and effort by using the adjusters and setting the race sag to accommodate your size and riding style. Learning to properly set suspension isn’t easy. You must spend time testing the different settings (it can be hard to force yourself to use a riding day on setup when you don’t get many opportunities to ride), but the work is definitely worth it. Suspension tuning with the external adjusters your bike came with is free. You can’t find a better performance-enhancing bargain than that.

Begin by digging out the manual to see what adjustments are available and what the stock settings are. Then set the rear suspension’s race sag. Different models vary in the actual measurement, but all bikes are measured the same way. Support the bike with the wheels off the ground, then use a sag tool or a tape measure to find the distance from the rear axle to a spot on the rear fender. Just mark the fender so you can repeat the measurement. A spot directly over the axle is best. Sit on the bike and measure between the axle and rear fender again. Subtract the second measurement from the first. Naturally, this is easier with a metric tape. A rule of thumb for a good sag setting is 95-105mm (3.75-4.25 inches) for full-size bikes. Write your stock and current suspension adjuster settings on your bike in permanent marker as an easy reference; if you check and record all of the settings, you’re more likely to make adjustments for different track conditions. Knowing you can always go back to where you were takes away the fear of change. It isn’t even necessary to know or understand what each suspension adjustment does, though it helps. As long as you pick one adjuster at a time and make small changes, all you really need to know is whether the change made the bike handle better or not. If you can’t feel a small change, try a bigger one. It’s OK, you can always put it back if it doesn’t work! Find a spot where you feel the bike isn’t working well. For example, braking bumps. Choose a section of braking bumps with a safe way to exit and enter the track, then repeat that section while making adjustments. Once you arrive at a setting you like, ride the rest of the track to see if you traded away confidence on jumps or turning precision to get the feel you wanted in bumps.

04 Check your spokes. When was the last time you checked them? Loose or bent spokes can result in flat tires, bent rims and a bad day on the trail or at the track. Your bike’s spokes are like small shock absorbers: They flex and twist, taking some of the shock for you. All of this shock stretches the spokes and loosens them. While you don’t want loose spokes, you don’t want them rigid where they ping like piano strings, either. Overtightening may result in broken spokes. New wheels are especially crucial to check because the spokes haven’t been fully seated into the hub. Make sure to break in the wheels and inspect the spokes before you attempt a long ride or a hard race.

05 Change your suspension fluids. The most neglected parts of your bike are often the most crucial. Suspension fluid doesn’t last forever; in fact, it wears out relatively fast. The most neglected is the rear shock. Your fork has more than twice the oil capacity of the shock, so the shock’s oil is worked harder and subjected to much greater heat. Suspension fluid fatigue results in poor suspension performance and may severely affect your machine’s handling. If you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on suspension revalving, all that money is wasted if you run it until the fluid is bad.

06 Care for your cables. Stiff or sticky cables are difficult to pull and can fatigue you more than you realize. Your hands are what keep you and your bike in control, so you want your control mechanisms to work as easily as possible. There are two schools of thought on the best way to improve cable feel: For the absolute minimal effort required, lubricate the cables with specialty cable lubricants, but the easy effort has costs. Lubed cables attract dirt, and once lubed, they need to be cleaned and lubed regularly. So do you want the absolute lightest control efforts enough to routinely relube? If not, run the cables dry (all are now Teflon-lined) and replace them frequently or lube them with a drying type of lube. A smooth and easy throttle is always easier to control than a rough, sticky one. And everyone knows that a well-lubricated clutch makes for a sweet clutch pull. The other upside of lubricating your cables is that the life of the cable greatly increases. Generally, the stock routing is best, but look for pinch points or places where the cable gets too close to the exhaust pipe.

07 Grease the moving parts. Grease is totally your bike’s friend. The stuff is a mess, but it rules on the more-bang-for-your-buck scale. Nothing as cheap will make a bike feel so good, and surgical gloves defeat the messiness. Every moving part on the chassis needs to be clean and greased to operate properly (and not rust solid). That means to begin with the steering head, linkage points and swingarm pivot. But don’t forget the rear brake pedal, control pivots and the kickstarter knuckle. Look in the manual; the kickstart lever comes apart, and it needs grease. To test this theory, ride your buddy’s bike (the guy who thinks his bike is greased from the factory), and directly after, ride your bike (the one you just spent time on greasing the bearings). Yours will be a much sweeter ride. The few hours in the garage with your new bike will be a good bonding experience and will help you get to know the ins and outs of your machine. This isn’t a one-time operation, though. If you have an older bike or just put a lot of hours on your new one, it’s probably time to make a weekend for your beloved machine to clean and grease the pivots and bearings. And one of the secrets about bikes prepped for magazine testing is they are all lubed up.

08 Wash your bike. When was the last time you really gave your steed a good rub and tug (cleaned the chain thoroughly, washed behind and underneath the swingarm and cleaned off all the gunk on the linkage and underside of the motor)? Take off the tank and plastic and wash them. I’m talking about a full-on detailing of your bike. Washing a bike this thoroughly allows you to see what condition it’s really in. Look at the frame and subframe for cracks or stress marks. Look at the chain sliders and see if they are past their wear mark. See if all of your engine and suspension seals are in good shape. And make sure that everything is in good working order (i.e., wiring connectors/terminals, cables, battery connections and so on). This sort of wash is great as a pregreasing ritual. Consider it like giving your bike a physical, and you’ll have one sweet-looking ride to take out on your next trip.

09 Bleed the air from the fork. Actually do this now and each time you ride. The fork is a somewhat sealed system, and it works best when the air pressure inside matches the pressure outside. If you go up or down in altitude, the pressure will be off. Plus, pressure builds with temperature and while you ride. There’s a reason the fork manufacturer put a bleed screw on top. If you’re really smart, buy some of the push-button-type bleeders, install them and have better suspension action at the push of a button.

10 Consider spending to save. Some expenditures now can save big bucks in the long term. For example, get some neoprene fork seal protectors like SealSavers or Shox Sox-if you’d rather ride your bike than work on it, use these to save your fork seals. They don’t actually wipe junk off the steel fork tube; they keep rocks thrown by the front wheel from hitting and damaging the chrome sealing surface. You can also put an O-ring chain on your bike. If you’re just a regular rider buying your own parts, you need an O-ring chain. Even if you’re a moto-only rider, an O-ring chain is a sound investment. An O-ring chain will outlast a standard chain-even an expensive one-many times over. The sprockets are most worn by a stretched and worn chain, so sprocket costs will drop as well. If you’re a picky, sensitive 125cc two-stroke or 250cc four-stroke rider, you might notice a difference in throttle response. If you think you’re that guy, look for one of the new, lighter X-ring type chains that have less drag. Most of us will never feel the difference except in our wallets. Buy tires that suit your riding terrain. Tires aren’t just black donuts with bumps; they’re designed for specific uses and soil types. Many riders get stuck in a tire rut, buying the same thing every time, winter or summer. Experiment with tires: If you ride all hardpack, try a hard-terrain tire; if you have sand or mud, try a soft-terrain tire. The difference in control and performance can be amazing, and the correct tire may not save cash but for sure will maximize the performance you get from your bike.

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