How To

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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SHE HAS A BLEEDER Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently changed the coolant on my 2001 KDX200. After pouring in the fresh coolant, I was skimming through my shop manual and realized the bike has an air bleeder on the cylinder head for the…
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A 480-POUND POGO STICK Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I bought a 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure new, and I love everything about it except the suspension. The rear suspension has exceptionally light damping to the point where the bike just pogos up…
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Dear Mr K I'm a two stroke guy who hasn't owned a two-stroke in years. Somewhere I gave in to peer pressure and got a used Suzuki RM-Z250. Unfortunately, I love it. It's unfortunate, because I have now ridden it for over 250 hours with…
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TELL ME WHAT TO DO! Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 KTM 250XC TPI. Love the handling and suspension. Only “like” the motor performance. Stock, the motor is spluttery at partial throttle openings from low- to mid-range…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Last year I purchased a 2019 Beta 300RR, and while I am loving the bike, I recently had an issue with the oil injection. The oil light on the computer continues to stay on as if the oil level is too low, even after I…
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Here's Dirt Bike's guide to the 'right' way to clean and lube your chain, either non-sealed or O-ring drive lines.
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GLUG OR SPRAY Dear Mr. Know-It-All, With all of the air filter oils on the market, is it better to use spray-on or pour-on filter oil? Everybody says spray-on oils aren’t as potent. It seems much more efficient to spray on the filter oil…
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Z 250 RING-DING PINGS Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2009 YZ250 that I race on both tracks and off-road. The bike runs extremely well, but I get some detonation when I put a load on the motor for long periods of time. My jetting is on the…
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Flat tires are the bane of the off-roader. Here's the low down on what you need to fix them at home, at your campsite and on the trail.
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Yamaha has just lifted the veil on its first 2021 model. The Tenere 700 has arrived in the U.S. and will be in dealers within a month. The official press release follows. MARIETTA, Ga. – May 22, 2020 – Yamaha Motor…
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Roger DeCoster has mentored more motocross champions than any man in history. His own racing record is incredible. Beyond his five  500cc World Motocross Championships, he was a member of more winning Motocross des Nations teams than any…
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TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF YOU Every kid in the world wants to know how to land that big sponsorship. They spend a lot of time thinking about what a sponsor can do for them. It helps if you turn it around. Think about what…
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HAVE A PLAN A & PLANS B THROUGH Z Of all types of racing, motocross is fairly pure. The gate drops, and the guy who goes the fastest wins. Other forms of racing, like enduro timekeeping, are more strategy than speed. Some types of…
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MAKE YOUR BIKE DO SOME OF THE WORK Today's motorcycles are good. They have come a long way from the days when the buyer had to finish manufacturing them. Even so, the bike you buy isn't perfect. It can't be, because the people who made it…
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CHOOSE AND PREPARE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT I will be the first to admit it. It's good to be a factory rider. When you don't have to worry about the bike being ready, you automatically have a big advantage.  These days, though, motocross…
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PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELF-- IF YOU DON'T WHO WILL? You are generally the last person to know something about yourself. Riders can let the most obvious things go by unnoticed--sometimes it's because of ego, sometimes it's because they just…
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