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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When testing two-stroke compression, hold the throttle wide open and kick several full, fast kicks in a row.
Removing muffler restrictors can make your bike obnoxious and can hurt its performance.
Dry your boots buckled into "riding position" to keep their shape.
After washing a carbureted bike, some mechanics drain the carb to be sure no water got in.
A cool way to remove a tire from a rim is to remove both beads, hold the wheel with the rimlock on the bottom, and let the rim fall into the tire. The top of the rim will drop below the top bead. Grab the top of the tire with one hand and the top of the wheel with the other and "unbutton" the wheel from the tire.
Suspension companies want to know what you want to improve on your suspension when they do a revalve. Give them some direction to give you the best setup.
If you get fork oil (or any oil) on your brake pads, replace them.
Set your shock sag and check it once every few rides.
Use your lower body more than your upper body. It's stronger, and you want to keep your upper body loose and relaxed.
If you hit a bump or log at speed, dragging the rear brake can help keep the shock compressed and therefore lessen the rear end's kick-up from the impact.
