Dirt Bike Maintenance
Ryan Ryll
Ms. Heidi Schwartz
Senior Project
19 April 2023
Ryan Ryll
Ms. Heidi Schwartz
Senior Project
19 April 2023
Dirt Bike Maintenance
Introduction:
In my paper I will be talking about trail dirt bikes. My dirt bike is a Kayo T2 trail dirt bike with a headlight on the front. My dirt bike is an electric start and also a kick start dirt bike. It is a four-stroke with 250cc engine. I do my best to take care of it by making sure it is clean after I use it, and checking the chain and the tires and everything else to keep it working. I mostly ride it around my house. I mostly ride in my driveway which is dirt, loose rocks, and sometimes mud. This is the bike I am learning to take care of.
How to care for your dirt bike
How do you know when the oil has to be cleaned?
You have to check the color of the oil and see if you have to change the oil in the dirt bike and the cleanliness.
If the oil is a light color it does not have to be changed.
When the oil changes to brown that means it’s time to change the oil.
How to change the oil?
Gather the materials you will need. You will need a drip tray, a socket wrench, rags, new motor oil, measuring pitcher and a funnel.
Start your dirt bike. Let it run for 3 minutes to let the oil temperature warm up. (“Should I warm up my dirt bike before i change the oil”)
Kayo dirt bike oil storage is on the side of the bike.
Put the drip pan underneath the dirt bike so the oil doesn't spill everywhere.
Using your socket wrench to loosen the bolt underneath the dirt bike oil hole.
Let the oil drip out onto the drip pan.
Use the rag to clean up any extra oil.
Then screw the bolt back on the oil hole.
Next use the measuring cup to measure 700mm of oil.
Remove the dipstick and place the funnel into the hole.
Pour the oil into the funnel.
Put the dipstick back into the engine.
Start the bike and let it run for 2 minutes.
Remove the dipstick to check the oil level.
Add oil if you need to.
I haven't had to do it yet but I’ve watched some videos of how to change the oil for my project. I think that what I have learned from the video will help me when I change the oil on my dirt bike. When I try it for the first time I will be excited. But when ill change the oil for the first time it will be hard to do but once I get used to doing it it will be easy.
Another thing that you have to do to take care of your dirtbike is change the spark plug. I think changing the spark plug will be a lot easier than changing the oil in the bike.
How to change the spark plug?
Gather the materials you need which are a spark plug and a socket wrench.
spark plugspark plug cover
You take off the spark plug cap holder.
Loosen up the old spark plug. Sometimes the old spark plug comes out with the socket wrench but if it doesn’t you use a magnet needle nose pliers to take out the old spark plug.
Then you drop the new spark plug in the hole and tighten it with your hand and finish with the socket wrench and not too tight just snug.
And put the spark plug cap back on.
It is important to make sure your chain has the right tension. If the chain is too loose and the dirt bike chain will pop off the sprocket. When the chain pops off it can get caught between the sprocket and swingarm. It can damage your sprocket and your hub if that happens. If the chain brakes and it will damage the casing at the front of the bike it will be a big problem. If it is too tight it will damage the hub on your bike with too much pressure . Too much pressure can also damage the casing barings and the driveshaft. (“How to Change a Spark Plug”)
How to tighten a dirt bike chain?
Gather materials. You will need 10, 12 and 32 millimeter socket wrench.
Loosen the axle with a 32 millimeter socket wrench
He took the 10 millimeter socket wrench to hold and lock in place and then he used the 12 millimeter socket wrench to loosen the locking nut.
Next loosen the adjuster bolt. You have to loosen the tension bolt on both sides.
Check to see if you can move your wheel back and out.
Push the wheel forward and the wheel is loose.
Start with chain loose.
Use the adjuster bolts on both sides of the wheel until the chain is tight enough to fit three fingers underneath behind the chain slide. Make sure your tighten the adjuster bolt on each side equally.
Three fingers is the correct tension.
Put a rag underneath the chain and rotate the wheel until the chain is tight.
Check the manual to find the rear axel nut torque.
Then you tighten the rear axel according to what the manual told you to do.
And tighten the locking nut on both sides of the bike.
And remove the rag from the wheel.
Clean the chain and re–oil the chain
The owner’s manual tells you what you need to fix on the bike. It tells you what size chain, how much oil or air to put in the bike. You should put the owners manual in the tool box or where you can find it when you need to work on your dirt bike. (“Dirt Bike Chain Adjustment”)
How to check the air pressure in the tires?
First make sure you have a tire pressure gauge to check the tire pressure. Place
the tire pressure gauge on the valve stem of your tire.
Check the gauge to see how much pressure is in the tire.
If you want to let some air pressure out then press the pin in the middle of your valve stem.
If you want to increase air pressure you can use an air compressor.
The range should be between 6 and 18psi. Most riders prefer 12 psi. Psi is pounds per square inch, a measure of how hard a tire is pumped up. (Dirt Biking by Pual Mason capstone press)
I would use low tire pressure because where I drive is around my house and my house has rocks on the driveway. I am a lightweight rider so I would have soft tires. because I am not racing my bike I don’t need high pressure. Usually a dirt bike tire needs 6-18 psi. Maybe check your manual. We will keep our manual in the tool box.
Technique for better Shifting
When I ride my dirt bike I start in first gear. Sometimes I shift up to second gear but not always. It depends where I ride. I usually shift to second gear when I go up hills and when I am going straight.
You need to listen to the engine when you are riding. If the engine changes noises or starts to skip when you are going fast then you need to shift. To shift into second, there is a lever for the clutch on the top left handle bar, and there is a clutch lever near your left foot. You need to squeeze the clutch on the handle and at the same time you need to “click” the clutch on with your left foot and then release them all. You should hear a click, and then the engine revving a little bit, then it should slow down and be quieter but it will go faster, too. That’s how you shift into second gear.
When you have shifted into second gear the dirt bike will sound a little bit quiet but you hear the sound of the bike picking up speed. When you shift up to third gear the dirt bike sounds loud again. When you go to shift the bike you can hear the gears shift together that means the has shifted. When you take the dirt bike out of neutral press down on the clutch by your left foot.
One time I was about to drive my dirt bike and when I was going to release the clutch, the bike jumped forward a little bit and scared me. But now I am used to the bike so it won’t jump like it did for the first time. When I start to take off when I am on my bike I let go of the clutch slowly.
Techniques for Better Braking
Rear brake is on the right foot.
Front brake is the right hand.
If you use the front brake, you can lean forward to stop quicker. Sometimes this will make the rear end lift up if you aren’t using the back brake.
Also be careful not to squeeze the front brake too hard or you will probably fall over the handle bars and the bike will fall on top of you. Use the front brake and rear brake together.
When you want to slow down, shift down a gear so you don’t lift the back end of the bike and that will prevent falling off your dirt bike.
(Source Dirt Biking by Pual Mason capstone press )
Conclusion
What I have learned about how to fix my dirt bike is going to help me be confident when I need to fix my dirt bike.
Doing this project I learned how to find the information about how to repair the bike when it is broken and not working the right way. It can sometimes be frustrating and also easy when you work on your dirt bike, or when I was finding the information about how to fix a dirt bike and when I will need to repair my dirt bike.
Works Cited
Cannon, Kyle. “Can A Motorcycle Use Car Engine Oil?” Motorcycle Habit, https://motorcyclehabit.com/can-a-motorcycle-use-car-engine-oil/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Changing A Spark Plug - Kawasaki KX250f (All Models).” YouTube, 19 June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYrK6M4BjOQ. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Dirt bike chain adjustment beginners guide.” YouTube, 28 June 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktha-Jwnk9o. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Harmer, Jim. “Dirt Bike Tire Pressure: A Quick Reference Guide.” Dirt Bike Planet, https://www.dirtbikeplanet.com/tire-pressure/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Harmer, Jim. “Who Invented the Dirt Bike?” Dirt Bike Planet, https://www.dirtbikeplanet.com/who-invented-the-dirt-bike/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“How To Clean Or Replace A Spark Plug For Bikes.” MotorcycleDiaries.in, 16 October 2017, https://www.motorcyclediaries.in/bike-news/scooter-news/to-clean-or-replace-a-spark-plug/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“The Kayo Dirt Bikes.” Kayo USA, https://www.ridekayo.com/ditbikes. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Liu, Richard. “The Ultimate Guide to Motorcycle Gloves | Tips, Prices & Ratings.” Best Beginner Motorcycles, https://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/ultimate-motorcycle-glove-guide/. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Motocross.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Motorcycle boot.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_boot. Accessed 3 April 2023.
“Racer X Films: How to Change Oil on a Dirt Bike | Factory Tech Tip.” YouTube, 10 July 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgqUti7FgY. Accessed 3 April 2023.
Introduction
What I’m going to talk about in my paper is how to take care of your dirt bike and make sure it keeps working the right way. I found out there are a lot of things you need to take care of on your dirt bike. You need to make sure you have a brand new spark plug in the bike and not an old one. How to tell when to change the oil and put new oil in the dirt bike is important. So is making sure you have the right tire pressure and enough gas for your dirt bike when you want to ride your dirt bike. When you race your dirt bike make sure you have a whole lot of gas in the bike for the beginning of the race and the end of the race. I will also talk about checking your dirt bike’s brakes and the battery to make sure they work the way they are supposed to work. If you follow the steps in my paper, even after a long snow break your bike will work the way it is supposed to.
https://motorcyclehabit.com/should-i-warm-up-my-motorcycle-before-changing-the-oil/