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.

“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.

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.

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. ​

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. 

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!

Overall, 2017 was a good year despite not hitting all my goals. What I've started to notice is that my interests are becoming more widespread and I'm having a harder time focusing on one or two major goals for the year. I also sunk a lot of energy into my 9-5 job where I received a promotion and became the head of the engineering department. This has been a good change, but has sucked a lot out of me and I'm still trying to strike a balance so that I can get things done in my free time.

Have you had a chance to think about the new year? What goals are you planning on setting for yourself? Leave a comment below and share them! Thanks and have a great year!