Motocross Mania

While taking care of a motocross chain is one of the most basic forms of motocross maintenance, it is also one that is often neglected by most riders. Many riders, whether they are bordering on semi-pro or are just starting out should always ensure that their motocross chain is regularly kept in tip top shape. This doesn’t just mean cleaning, but also means adjusting the chain, as well as making sure both front and rear sprockets are in A1 condition at all times. Despite this fact, most riders choose to ignore manufacturer’s guidelines and skip or cut corners when doing their routine motocross maintenance.

Neglecting motocross maintenance and your chain in particular can have disastrous effects on your bike and your wallet.

A few tips:

 Ensure your chain is cleaned the best of your ability every single time you ride. Removing your chain from your bike is the best way to ensure that you are cleaning your chain effectively. Many motoring outlets will supply specialist brushes which are perfect for getting into the nooks and crannies’, ensuring this part of motorcross maintenance is competed correctly.
 There are hundreds of specialist cleaners that can be used, but ensure that once clean, your chain is never left to dry off on its own accord. Used cloths followed by a de-watering fluid such as WD40 to ensure that all water particles are removed from your chain. If left to dry on its own, your chain will quickly rust and will be no better than junk, your time spent on motocross maintenance will be wasted!
 Not adjusting your chain correctly will result in inconsistent power delivery, excessive wear of the chain and of course excessive wear of both front and rear sprockets.
 Not adjusting and cleaning your chain correctly is essential just like every other form of Motocross Maintenance. If it is not conducted on a regular basis, your chain will either disintegrate, or snap!

Right, so back to basics now!

Motocross maintenance of your chain is essential and there are three fundamental parts that ensure your chain is in tip top shape; cleaning, lubricating and adjusting.

Cleaning – As suggested, remove the chain from your bike first and get stuck in, ensure all dirt and dust particles are removed before drying off with cloths and de-watering agents such as WD40. WD40 and similar products are essential for motocross maintenance, they ensure that metal parts are free from water particles and therefore, rust!

Lubricating – Once clean and dry, ensure that your chain is correctly lubricated, using professional motocross maintenance lubricating agents.

Adjusting – Perhaps one of the most important parts of the process is ensuring that your chain is correctly lubricated. In general, most manufacturers suggest that there is a ‘play’ of 15-20mm when the swing arm is sitting directly horizontal to the floor. Remember that this measurement is when the bike is standing freely rather than on a stand.

Remember; motocross maintenance is essential, so make sure you complete the procedures suggested in my articles regularly and correctly.

Motocross bikes get a hammering at the best of times, whether you bother to use the clutch or not when changing gear is irrelevant, your gearbox gets a hammering too. Replacing gearbox oil on your bike is an essential part of motocross maintenance.

The best way to keep your gearbox fresh is to keep the gearbox oil topped up to the right level and in prime condition eg: replace it on a regular basis. Consistently completing this part of motocross maintenance will keep all the gearbox components in good condition so it won’t just function correctly, but it will last longer too.

Each bike is slightly different, so it’s always good to check your manual. Most two strokes these days are using lightweight gear oil; anything thicker tends to hamper the function of the clutch. Four strokes tend to use a multipurpose oil which is used for both the gearbox and engine, so this is even more essential to keep up, as the mechanical life of your bike is banking on you keeping up with your motocross maintenance!

I see a lot of people suggesting to change the gearbox oil every 2-5 rides, which actually means anything, after all, some of us are doing 3 hour endurance events, while others are doing 10 minute motocross races!

What I would see is pick what you think is right for you, if you drop the oil from the gearbox and its looking slightly rough, change it more regularly, as it should come out looking fairly fresh otherwise your not giving your gearbox the protection it needs.

Motocross Maintenance -  Important Points:

Do not over fill when replacing the gearbox oil, this can blow seals all over the place and cost a lot of money. If you don’t have an oil level window, then use a specific measuring jug. If you do have a measuring window on your crankcase, then us it, make sure the bike is upright and that you allow the oil 5-10 minutes to settle.

If you find metal shavings in the gearbox oil the first time you replace it, this might be because it has not been done regularly. Replace the oil again after your next ride; if it still shows signs of metal shavings, it might be best to refer to a mechanic.

Any motocross racer will tell you that results depend a great deal on not just the ability of the rider, but the reliability of the machine, which is why correct motocross maintenance is essential for you to start getting those much deserved results.

Among one of the most important aspects of motocross maintenance is cleaning the air filter on the machine. The air filter is the number one protector for your engine and without it, your bike would be sucking air and particles, straight through to the engine, this may include dust, or general debris. Your air filter basically forms a bubble, not allowing any debris or dust to pass through and can even soak up water if you find yourself in such a situation, so it’s always wise to keep it clean.

Motocross Maintenance is overlooked by many people, especially cleaning the air filter on a motocross bike as it is generally a messy job.

This is a fairly simple way to clean a filter,an essential part of motocross maintenance, although other riders prefer to use different methods. You will need to remove the seat from your machine, which will give you access to the airbox. Remove the filter and place it in a bucket. Once in the bucket you can either fill it with hot soapy water, or filter cleaner (make sure you get yourself some latex gloves). Filter cleaner is the wiser option, but some prefer to use hot and soapy, mainly because it’s cheaper!

This can be a time consuming part of motocross maintenance, but don’t get despondent, it has to be done! Make sure you remove all dirt and oil particles before washing through with cold pure water, and let it dry COMPLETELY. This is essential, if you install a wet filter to a machine, the suction from the engine may drag the water particles through causing top and bottom end damage.

You have nearly finished the air filter section of motocross maintenance!

Once the filter is dry, you have two options; spray on air filter oil or conventional oil. Spray on oil is the easier option, but make sure you coat the filter correctly, as sometimes its easy to miss spots. With the conventional oil, I tend to wear latex gloves and put the filter into a plastic bag with some oil, then slowly knead it into the filter. Which ever way you coat your filter with oil, always make sure you allow the filter to dry for a while, as excess oil could block jets in your carburettor, causing engine failure.

There; a fairly basic job and your ready to go, the air filter section of motocross maintenance is complete!!!

Important motocross maintenance Points:

Some riders prefer to use petrol. While this is an excellent way to get rid of dirt and grime quickly, the chemicals in petrol can destroy the seams of glue, which can allow dirt particles in and therefore, leaving your engine exposed.

Some riders like to use a coat of grease to seal the filter to the airbox. This is actually something I do myself, as i take no chances. You can use grease made for this exact purpose, or any general grease, just apply a small amount around the rim of the filter and it should create a perfect seal.

Oiling filters is a messy job, but a well worth while part of motocross maintenance. Its wise to try and do a bulk load of filters in one go, once they are done, wrap them up in plastic bags, so you can change the one fitted to your motocross bike quickly, if you hit an extremely muddy or dusty track.

*Do not attempt to start or ride your motocross bike without oiling your air filter. Without oiling your filter, you have not completed the above steps of motocross maintenance. The oil acts like a spiders web, catching all particles that may damage your engine, by running your bike without oil, your running the risk of damaging your engine.*