How To

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My left-side axle block keeps coming loose on my 2021 Beta 250RR Race Edition and is also doing so on my buddy’s 300RR. I see it’s threaded, but am worried it’s egg-shaped now from being loose and I’ll strip it. Any…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2024 KTM 300XC-W has been an excellent machine so far. The only issue I’m frustrated with is that I recently noticed that the bulb and grommet for the oil-indicator light keeps vibrating loose and falling behind…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2011 KTM 85 that had major plug fowling problems that we fixed by putting the throttle-slider needle clip to the second notch to the top. When it was fowling a plug, it used to start second kick every time…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2012 KTM 500EXC and love it! But, I’m having issues with the clutch. I keep losing the handle. It’s like there is air in the line. It eventually comes back somewhat. I’ve kept the master cylinder filled,…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Why is it that none of the world’s elite Hard Enduro riders run full-wrap handguards? It seems to me that they’re constantly launching their machines up and down incredibly awful terrain, and this would protect…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2022 Beta Evo 250 trials bike is having fan woes. It kicks on and runs fairly normal until about 30 minutes into riding. The fan starts surging and pulsing, then goes back to normal. The fan spins freely and…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I just watched the Red Bull video from Erzberg and was curious as to why there are no four-strokes competing in that race? They are at the front of the Enduro GP world and, of course, all facets of motocross. I…
Read More...

This month in "Tires 102," we sat down with Brian Fleck from Dunlop Tires. Brian has been at the core of Dunlop’s tire development for motocross and off-road race teams for over 35 years. He’s been an integral cog at the high-end racing…
Read More...

What is your opinion on riveted master links versus the generic alligator clip style? I was wondering this when the new chain I bought had two master links inside—one standard and the other a rivet model. Mark M via…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’ve heard how important sag is and found a lot of information on rear sag, but, surprisingly, little on fork sag. Could you please trickle down some of your vast knowledge on this subject? As an example, I have a…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I bought a used YZ250 (coming off of an ’04 XR250) and ride off-road. Our area is rocky and rooty, and my old XR may have been slow but was super smooth on the trail. This YZ barks hard, but the suspension feels like…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, What is the actual top speed of a modern 450 motocross bike? I’ve read on websites and YouTube comments claiming a KTM 450SXF is capable of 123 mph in stock form. I can’t see that being possible, as these bikes are…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 KTM 250XC-W TPI, and while I adore this weapon, it’s making a noise when I hit the starter button that is, frankly, quite alarming. I have replaced the clutch pack and the Bendix with no effect. Could…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently suffered a broken chain when I was miles from my truck. Do you have any advice here? Getting back in was terrible, because I didn’t have anything to fix it with, and no one in my group had a tow strap. My…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2023 KTM 300XC-W has about 120 hours on it and has been flawless … until yesterday. The bike was running as if it was fouling a plug. It would not clean out, like a bad case of laryngitis. I changed the plug, put…
Read More...

Hello, fellow off-road thrill-seekers! You're here because you own an electric dirt bike, and you want to ensure it remains in top-notch condition for years to come. Electric dirt bikes , while sharing the same adventurous spirit as…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’ve been an off-road enduro guy for many moons and have recently purchased a nice used KTM 400. It makes good power for me. The brakes are strong, and the suspension is just fine for my riding. My question concerns…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m an older off-road rider, have been riding since CZs populated the planet and have a steady diet of riding nearly every weekend of the year. Lately, our group has evolved with some new, younger riders entering…
Read More...

COLD AS AN ICE CREAM CONE Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Hello from the cold, wet north of the 49th parallel. Long-time subscribers up here, three generations, and still have a pile of Dirt Bike mags from the ’70s from my old man, and my son is…
Read More...

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m an old Hare Scrambles rider from back when Scott Summers raced that 300-pound beast and won in a world where lightweight two-strokes kicked tail in the woods. To this day, I have good riding buddies who love…
Read More...