The June 2016 issue marked Dirt Rider's 400th issue, and to mark the milestone we put together 400 tips that might save the day, or just make the day go easier. We thought we'd show them to you again online, ten at a time, to help instill the wisdom into your brain so when the time comes you hear an expert bit of advice in your head.
Note: Tips that came from a specific source will have an attribute listed. Tips with no attribute have been pulled from Dirt Rider's extensive library of content, including back issues of the magazine, dirtrider.com, and The Total Dirt Rider Manual. Enjoy!
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Spray paint can be used to mount grips. But it dries slowly and can eat away at your grip, so don't overdo it.
Some riders grind a notch about 3/8 inch from the tip of their tire iron to prevent it from slipping and pinching a tube during a tire change.
If you transport one bike in a pickup and need to kick the rear to the side to close the tailgate, use a third tie-down to prevent the bike from tipping.
Run your kill switch and starter wires behind the handlebar to protect them from roost; place them so your tie-down hooks don't contact them.
Take photos as you do any work you're not sure of to document the disassembly order.
Most riders start with both feet down, but some pilots keep the left foot up for a quick upshift to second gear.
If you have an electric and kickstart, use the kickstart on cold mornings to prevent battery drain.
Don't wipe off sweat. If it doesn't evaporate, it doesn't help.
Get the fork of your bike working right. Bikes with too-soft fork springs tend to pitch forward a lot, and everyone's instinct is to lower the rear. This just ruins the whole motorcycle.
"Use corn-based baby powder for an inner tube, not talc-based. talc will clump up once it gets wet." —Brady Becker of Dunlop
