How To

HERKY-JERKY MAN Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have been a fan of yours for ages, and I finally have a problem I can’t resolve, so I am humbly reaching out to you for help. I have a 2000 XR650R Honda that was stolen and was gone for two years. I…
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BIG-TIME LEAKER Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently performed a complete rebuild on my ’02 CR250R. While all turned out great, I have one stinking issue. A few hours after throwing the bike on a stand following the break-in ride, I began to…
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FATTY FRONTS Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m an off-road rider who is older and chunkier, but I love to ride in the desert. I have been seeing a lot of coverage on these “fatty” front tires. What do you think? Would one of them be a good choice…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently bought a Beta 390 RR-S dual-sport bike. I love the bike but don’t care for the handlebars or the cramped riding position. The Beta top triple clamp has three holes for bar adjustment, plus the bar clamp…
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BETA OIL SPILL Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 Beta 300RR. I recently noticed after my last ride that there was a bit of oil seeping from behind my countershaft sprocket. I confirmed that it wasn’t excess chain lube and was indeed…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 Beta 300RR that is oil injected, and I love the bike dearly. The bike has almost 200 hours, and I want to replace the reeds when I do my first top end. Since the oil line routes directly into the…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I run a Tubliss system on my Husky dual-sport bike on both ends. My main reasoning is that I can change tire pressures to improve traction, and if I puncture the tire, the bead will (or should) stay on so I can ride…
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To the honorable and all-knowing Mr. Know-It-All, I am the proud owner of a 2003 KTM 525EXC. It has been very reliable over the last 17 years and has been through thick and thin with me. One thing that has never worked as well as I wish…
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NEGLECTED Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m truly annoyed! I just opened my regularly scheduled Dirt Bike Sunday e-mail to find you gave a spot-on answer to one John Barnhart about his issues with the 2020 KTM 250XC TPI. My bone (rage by now)…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2017 GasGas  300 has been giving me a headache lately. The problem lies in the rear brakes; they keep locking up from getting too hot. I’ve adjusted them and made sure that the pedal isn’t too high up. While riding…
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Suzuki now has a smartphone-based tuner app, similar to the Yamaha Power Tuner. Chris Wheeler takes us through a quick demo of the features in this Suzuki-produced video. 
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WR450F PISTON REPLACEMENT? Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I am a slightly overweight, 50-plus-year-old slow guy who has enjoyed my 2005 Yamaha WR450F since purchasing it new in 2004. I religiously service the bike myself, including regular oil and…
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STUFFED POTATO Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2003 KX125 has started running as if someone stuffed a giant Idaho spud down the throat of its exhaust. It’s super rich and loads up badly. It has a fresh motor all around from top to bottom. I…
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The late ’90s to mid-2000s Suzuki RM250 two-strokes might just be the best used motorcycles out there. They feature a strong engine and a great handling package that makes the bikes fun to ride. This is probably why we don’t come across…
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BAFFLED Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2002 KX250. I love the bike, but recently it has started running very rich. It’s not losing transmission oil, so I know the crank seal is okay, and I’ve played with a million needles and pilot jets…
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A FASHION RISK Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a fashion question for you. Do you know of a vented/warm-weather off-road pant that has a slimmer-than-normal knee area for those of us who don’t yet wear knee braces? The local shops have a…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, This past winter I tore into and rebuilt the motor on my 2002 YZ 250—new rod and main bearings and all-new bearings and seals in the transmission. Had the cylinder re-Nikasiled and added a new piston. It runs great;…
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RUNNING ON EMPTY—the sequel Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a follow-up to Ken’s two-stroke running-out-of-fuel question. Let’s say someone forgot to turn on his petcock and sputtered to a stop on the trail at low-to-moderate throttle. No…
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There are so many ways you can get more from your passion for dirt bike racing. Yes, there is actually owning a bike and getting out and about. On top of that, though, you could attend live events, read some great books on the subject, bet…
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