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ONE TRAIL ENDS AND A NEW ONE BEGINS!

12/15/2020

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I’ll be the first to admit my presence online and involvement in DIY Moto Fix has been down this year compared to years past. While I had wanted to do more this year, the reality was that my wife and I were busy executing a strategic plan to sell our house, leave my job, and move closer to our families. I’m happy to report I’m on the backside of all that and recuperating from a long and stressful 2020 (along with the rest of the world!).

As a quick recap, five years ago the opportunity to work at a startup aviation engine company was too good to pass up and I moved to the Milwaukee area to develop a two-stroke compression ignition aircraft engine. Developing the engine and the numerous jobs I held within the company was great from a learning perspective, but ultimately consumed most of my energy and created the majority of the stress in my life. These feelings only worsened as I climbed the company ladder. I ultimately resigned from my position as Director of Engineering in early October and handed over the reins of the program to one of my former employees. 

When it comes to leaving a good-paying job, the choice can leave many scratching their heads. While my reasons are many, what I feel most comfortable sharing here is that my need to eliminate stress, pursue new growth opportunities, live closer to family, being able to afford more acreage, and live in a rural area all pushed me to make the choice to leave.

My wife and I had actually started hunting for property in northwestern Wisconsin in September of 2019 and even made an offer on a place back then, but we weren’t able to agree on a fair price with the sellers. We ended up doubling down on our place in the Milwaukee area that fall and began a full remodel. We decided while we waited for the right place to turn up, we’d work to increase the value of our current home so that we’d get a little more when it was the right time to sell. 

As it goes with most renovation projects, it snowballed. I ended up remodeling everything - kitchen, living room, fireplace room, two bathrooms, exterior window repair, sidewalk and front stoop construction, and finishing off the basement. I spent nights, weekends, and vacations working on the house from October 19’ to mid-August 20’. We skipped Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families last year so that we could maximize the amount of time we had to work on the house. Despite giving up the holidays with our families - they were not absent from our lives. Both our parents contributed and helped us a ton and for that, we cannot thank them enough. We eventually got the remodel finished and it turned out great!
Those of you who have had the privilege of purchasing a home, shop, etc., will know it’s seemingly impossible to find the perfect place. You always have to compromise something you want along the way. For me, I was grappling with trying to pair a decent house with a bigger shop and have it on a nice chunk of land, all at a price I wanted to pay. During our hunt we looked at everything from turnkey to vacant land, allowing for lots of different scenarios to play out. 

My wife and I ultimately decided that I should just build a shop if we didn’t find a place that had one that conformed to my specific “want list” and focus on properties that were in need of work so that we could keep upfront costs down. 

The right property for us turned up in February, just not at the right price. We watched our future house sit neglected and over-priced until July when we started negotiating. We ultimately came to an agreement and bought ourselves 80 acres of dirt biking paradise with a pond, a mix of pasture and woods, plus lots of elevation change. I should note my wife is equally excited about the land because she has been dreaming about moving beyond our current flock of chickens and getting goats and other ruminants. So while I say dirt biking paradise - she translates that to farming paradise.

The house is built into the side of a hill with an unfinished walkout basement and a finished main floor. The property also came with a dilapidated cabin, single car garage (tiny by today’s standards - also in need of work), barn (needed work), large open-ended Quonset structure, and overgrown trail system. All in all, we got a great starting point to expand upon. 
​Leaving my 24’x36’ heated shop behind and transitioning to a temporary basement workshop is definitely a downgrade, however, I’m committed to making the most of it. I put the priority on getting the barn fixed up before winter settles in but have already made good progress on getting the basement shop organized and operational. I’ll likely share more about my basement workshop situation in future posts, stay tuned.
basement workshop
basement workshop woodshop
Looking ahead, I’m incredibly excited about the future, both personally and from a business standpoint. I know there is going to be a lot of change and growth for me on the horizon. For DIY Moto Fix we will be publishing content I’ve been sitting on (CRF250R project bike updates), continuing to build out the site, and creating a bigger presence on social media.

One of the challenges I’ve been contemplating how to deal with since the onset of creating DIY Moto Fix has been how to share my other interests and passions. My engineering mind is called to aviation, remodeling, snowmobiling, metalworking, woodworking, and unique projects. These subjects can all be DIY in nature, but certainly aren’t 100% moto related. 

To solve this problem and allow me the freedom to branch out into other areas, I’ve created the Workshop Chronicles. The Workshop Chronicles will be a place where all of my passions and interests outside of dirt bike-related content reside. A place where you can watch, learn, and contribute, while I tackle all kinds of fun and challenging projects. 

First on the docket is a DIY standing desk that I hope to create plans for, snowmobile mods, building the garage/addition for my house, and designing and developing a snow bike. If any of this stuff interests you please sign up for my Workshop Chronicle updates (see below)!

I hope you all have fared well this year despite COVID, and appreciate your continued support and patience. I’m incredibly grateful to be in a much better place now and am super pumped to unleash the plethora of ideas I’ve been sitting on, not to mention get back to riding more regularly! I doubled down on winter this year and bought a snowmobile and will be setting up the bike for ice riding, wherever you live, I hope you have a great winter full of powersports ahead of you!

Happy Holidays!
-Paul
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THE WORKSHOP CHRONICLES UPDATES!

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BLACK FRIDAY DEALS ARE HERE! UP TO 30% OFF SITEWIDE

11/21/2020

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So with all the hubbub to get online and shop this holiday season, we figured we would make it simple at DIY Moto Fix and just have one big sale.
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Whether you're the one getting up at 5am to get the best Black Friday deals, or you're the one driving 90 minutes north to go ride in the dirt all day (that would be us), today through December 2nd everything on the DIY Moto Fix site is on sale.

​Our print books
 are discounted by 30% and all our video manuals and ebooks are discounted by 20%.
We normally don't go this steep with our discounts, so you definitely want to jump on board for this one before it's over.

Below we have a list of our top selling products with links so you can learn more. Scroll through and make your wishlist.

If you are taking off for a weekend of riding, then be sure to share this post with your significant other so they know what to put in your stocking this year!

The TWO AND FOUR Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building HandbookS 

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LEARN MORE
Both are available as a print book, eBook, or bundled together. These 300+ page handbooks come with over 250 full color pictures and all the information you need to fully rebuild your two or four stroke dirt bike engine. 

Diagnosing engine problems and picking up on subtle signs of wear can be frustrating if you don't know what to look for during a build. In this book we take you through key inspection points, explain why a part has worn or failed, provide examples, and give you a solution on how to fix the problem. You learn not only the correct way to rebuild your engine, but also the technical reasons why things are done the way they are in the engine building world.

Join the 2700+ other riders that have successfully rebuilt their engines themselves using our books!

SHOWA & KYB SHOCK BUILDING INSTRUCTIONALS

Suspension How To Rebuild Full Shock on a Dirt Bike
LEARN MORE
Available as a Video Manual, eBook, or both, follow along and learn how to rebuild Showa & KYB reservoir style shock absorbers on your own. We teach you all the tips, tricks, and techniques required to properly service shock absorbers.

With the Video Manual, you will receive 46 minutes of high definition video, PC and mobile phone friendly. Compatible with VLC Media Player and Quicktime. 

With the eBook you will receive the six chapters, 32 pages in total, via your email address. From there you can download the PDF instantly or view it online.




The Honda CRF 450 Full Engine Rebuild Video Manuals

Honda CRF Video How To Rebuild Engine
LEARN MORE
Learn how to repair and rebuild your CRF 450R or 450X dirt bike engine from powertrain engineer Paul Olesen, a professional in the motorcycle industry who is passionate about bringing professional-grade knowledge to the at-home mechanic. We take you through how to properly check and adjust valve clearances, perform a top end rebuild, and successfully complete a bottom end rebuild.

With high definition video, professional editing, and high quality audio you learn seamlessly and effortlessly in your own garage. Every Video Manual includes a PDF packet of all necessary tools, torque specs, service limits, and Honda shim sizes. To date we have helped over 400 riders rebuild their engines. 


Do you want more suggestions? Check out our entire store at this link. Happy Holidays!
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The Fundamentals Of Dirt Bike Handling

9/14/2020

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The Fundamentals of Dirt Bike Handling by Paul Olesen of DIY Moto Fix
Have you ever ridden a buddy’s bike and walked away wishing that you didn’t have to get off because everything just clicked as you were riding it? On their bike, you could rail every corner, absorb every bump effortlessly, and feel completely stable at high speeds. Once you got back on your bike it feels slow, riding over rough terrain wears you out, and taking corners is best described as unpredictable. To make matters worse, you and your buddy could have the exact same bike! What could possibly account for the huge gaps in handling between the two machines?

By design, numerous tweaks can be made to significantly influence how your dirt bike handles. Some of these alterations are as simple as turning a few adjusters, while others require more involved labor such as disassembling forks to swap out springs and dampers. Today’s focus will be on introducing all the different variables that can be adjusted, which ultimately impact how your bike handles. This is the start of an in-depth series on motorcycle handling where I’ll be going into extreme detail on how to make adjustments to individual areas on your dirt bike.

For the sake of clarity, I’ve broken out all the things that we can consider adjusting into two categories: geometry variables and suspension variables. What is challenging about tuning the handling of a dirt bike or motorcycle is that all the different options available to adjust are in one way or another interconnected. This means that geometry variables often influence suspension variables and vice versa.

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How To Pinpoint Piston Wear And Replacement Intervals

8/14/2020

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​Hey everyone, I want to introduce an article I wrote in collaboration with Wiseco where I discuss piston wear and replacement. I think you'll find it useful because it will give you an idea when pistons should be replaced and how they wear. Check it out below!

The piston in an internal combustion engine is arguably one of the most important components found in the engine. When it comes to high-performance engines used in powersports applications it is also a component that is regularly replaced and serviced. Knowing when your piston should be replaced and how it wears is key to maintaining a reliable engine. In this article we’re going to discuss replacement intervals, piston wear, why it’s important to replace the piston, and piston replacement options.
Piston wear and replacement intervals
Piston replacement intervals are typically outlined in your machine’s factory service manual. Using dirt bikes as an example, many manufacturers outline a piston and ring replacement schedule of every six races or 15 hours for a four-stroke powered machine. If you’re new to the sport or have never looked at your factory service manual these service intervals may seem shockingly short. The service intervals are based on the service schedules required to maintain a factory level racer’s machine. Unfortunately for the average rider more often than not the outlined service intervals end up being conservative. In reality, piston replacement intervals should be established based on how the individual owner rides and maintains their machine. Engine displacement, engine make, air filter maintenance, environmental conditions, riding style, and the type of riding the machine is used for will all have an effect on how long the engine should be operated before servicing it. Monitoring the engine’s health through periodic checks such as compression and leak down tests is the best way most riders can appropriately time major service tasks such as piston and ring replacement. Due to the number of variables that affect engine wear it is simply not possible to specify a replacement schedule that fits everyone’s needs other than a very conservative schedule.

Piston wear will typically occur in four key areas for both two and four-stroke engines which include the piston skirt, wrist pin bore, ring grooves, and piston crown. The next time you disassemble your top end keep an eye out for these wear points.
    
Piston Skirt Wear - The piston skirt is the portion of the piston that gives it its cylindrical shape. Nowadays on four-stroke engines, the piston skirt is very short and limited to the major and minor thrust faces of the piston. For reference, the thrust faces typically correspond with the intake and exhaust valve sides of the cylinder head. Two-stroke pistons use the same nomenclature but feature much longer more pronounced skirts.

Piston skirt wear occurs because of the thrust loading that results from the inherent geometry of the crank mechanism as the engine fires. Peak combustion pressure occurs slightly after top dead center which causes the piston to thrust into the cylinder wall.

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How To Separate Your Crankcases The Right Way

7/14/2020

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How to separate your crankcases the right way
“Splitting the cases” is often referred to as a daunting or undesirable task, but if you are well prepared and properly equipped then it can be a straightforward job. To alleviate any concerns you may have with the task, I want to discuss best practices and share some tips that you may find useful when dealing with crank bearings that utilize an interference fit with the crankshaft. We’ll get started by discussing preparatory items and work through to completing the job.

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Cam Chain Wear And Replacement Tips

4/2/2019

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Cam Chain Wear and Replacement Tips
This week’s post is dedicated to an engine part that is often overlooked, its importance not totally understood, and its service specs minimal. I’m talking about the timing chain. I want to discuss and share with you some signs that the cam chain is worn out.

Just like the drive chain, timing chains elongate, fatigue, and wear out. Luckily, they are not subject to dirt and mud, are bathed in an oil bath, and their overall environment is much better. Before I get into it, one misconception I want to clear up right away is that the timing chain doesn’t technically stretch. Instead, the pins and rotating elements of the chain wear. When the pins wear they become smaller and their mating holes grow larger leading to increased clearances and chain length.

When an engine is run with a worn timing chain engine performance is compromised and the likelihood of related failures is greatly increased (think chain tensioner). The three main problems are less precise valve control, cam timings that are off, and increased chain slack within the valvetrain. On stock engines where clearance between the piston and valves is plentiful less precise valve control normally won’t be a problem nor will severely out of spec cam timing. However, on performance engines set up with aftermarket cams which reduce the clearance between the piston and valves, lack of valve control and incorrect timing can lead to valves that befriend the piston.

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WHAT'S IN STORE FOR DIY MOTO FIX IN 2019?

3/22/2019

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2019 DIY Moto Fix Update with Paul Olesen
Every year I’ve shared my goal’s for DIY Moto Fix, myself, and provided an update to you guys. This year is no different, albeit a bit later than usual. My delay isn’t reflective of how the year is going to go, and I’m actually super excited for many of the things that are in the works. Hopefully, you will be too so let’s dive into the details!

Personal Side
2018 had many ups and downs for me personally. Due to knee surgery late in 2017 (which involved harvesting cartilage from my knee, growing it in a petri dish via stem cells, and gashing my knee wide open and gluing the new cartilage back in place), 2018 was the first year I was on a strict no off-road motorcycle diet. I didn’t think not riding my bike would be too impactful, however, in hindsight I was wrong.

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What I quickly realized is that I lost one of the few meditative outlets I had (and found effective). To make matters worse my day job as an engineering director turned into an all-day, everyday job from March to July because of a ridiculous deadline we were supposed to meet. By mid-year, I was stressed and drained like never before. 
On the upside, I got engaged to my girlfriend (and business partner: she makes all the photo and video magic happen here) last June, and we’re getting married this June. I also bought into a plane share (I own 1/10 of a 1973 Cessna 172) and started flying again. I’ve found flying to mimic dirt biking in some ways and am currently pursuing my instrument rating. ​
DIY Moto Fix 2019 Update
1973 Cessna 172M

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Are Project Bikes Worth It?

10/15/2018

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Honda CRF250 Engine Spread
Whenever purchasing a used dirt bike, no matter how well inspected, there is always an element of chance involved. The possibility of an engine failure is what worries everyone the most and is a costly disaster to deal with. For those mechanically inclined, seeking a blown up bike can be alluring because it allows the new owner a fresh start. While this may seem like an ideal situation how often does it financially make sense and how do you decide to make the purchase?

At DIY Moto Fix we just picked up a 2006 Honda CRF250R “Project” over the weekend, and I want to share the financial reasoning that went into the purchase as well as discuss the critical inspections we made which led me to pull the trigger. Over the next several months we’ll see if I made a good decision!

The criteria I intend on using to determine if my purchase was justified or not will depend on a couple things. First, if I sell the bike will I net more money than I have into it, or at the least, break even? Second, could I have spent an equivalent amount of money elsewhere and gotten a bike that has a freshly rebuilt engine, which to me, equates to a machine that will provide countless hours of trouble-free riding?

The bike will also be the subject of several blog posts and perhaps videos. However, these uses will not be factored into the valuation of the decision. No corners will be cut throughout the rebuild, and the end result will be a robust bike that I would be proud to keep, should I choose to. That said, let’s take a look at what I picked up!


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What Spare Parts Do You Bring To The Track or Trail?

4/8/2018

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What spare parts do you bring to the track or trail for your dirt bike?
With warmer weather and the riding season around the corner for many of us, I wanted to cover a topic that can either make or break an event. Whether you’re competing in a racing series or traveling to the track or trail, let's talk about event preparedness. More specifically, what spare parts should you keep on hand? Plus, what methods do you use to keep your spares organized?

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HOW-TO MOTORCYCLE REPAIR (HTMR) IN THE SPOTLIGHT

3/14/2018

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Today I want to share some updates about what my friend Matt over at How-To Motorcycle Repair is up to. For those of you that don't know, Matt runs HTMR which, similar to DIY Moto Fix, is tailored to helping riders maintain and service their machines. Matt is heavily invested into the video side of things and has over 32,000 YouTube subscribers, has been producing videos for over five years, and is always improving his setups.  

The content Matt is producing is intended to provide a one-stop resource for folks who need help fixing their machines. Matt's videos are diverse in make and model and the topics he covers range from carburetor rebuilding to full engine rebuilds.

I have to give Matt a lot of credit because he is a one man band. Matt is filming, working on the bike, and editing his videos all on his own which is an impressive undertaken. To improve video quality Matt recently updated his camera and audio equipment which has led to an enhanced viewing experience. 
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Similar to us at DIY Moto Fix, much of the content Matt creates and offers is free but he does charge for his in-depth detailed videos. In the spirit of two-strokes and my new book, we wanted to share a couple of his two-stroke videos which may help some of you out.

First up, is his recently launched KTM 250/300 top and bottom end rebuild video which covers numerous model year KTMs, Husqvarnas, and Husabergs. In conjunction to the video on the HTMR website, you'll find supplemental information on the tools needed to tackle the job, a summary of replacement parts required, and resources for tracking down a service manual. 
Matt's second video details a Kawasaki KX250 top and bottom end rebuild which is applicable to 1994-2007 KX125 and KX250 engines. In these videos Matt tackles all detailed tasks associated with the engine build and covers the KIPS power valve system in detail. To ensure the viewer gets a comprehensive understanding of the KIPS setup Matt uses multiple camera angles and two assembly sequences to cover the process.  
If you're a visual learner, Matt's diverse array of videos is incredibly helpful. For anyone interested Matt has extended a special offer code which can be used to get 20% off the price on any of his videos. Simply enter, diymotofix20off at checkout to take advantage of his offer. 

For anyone that wants to learn more about Matt and HTMR check out his website at: ​www.howtomotorcyclerepair.com/

Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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    Paul Olesen
    The Four Stroke Dirt Bike Engine Building Handbook

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