New Dirt Bikes
and What to Do Before Riding One

If you just bought a New Dirt Bike... You probably want to ride it right away, but hopefully you haven't yet. New Dirt Bikes don't generally come with much in the way of lubricants where it needs them, and may even have some fasteners that are not all that tight, so we're going to be getting into some of these things below and after performing them, your sweet new ride is sure to last longer and perform better.

If you've already ridden your new bike, then found this that's okay too, just keep reading, and if you perform these tips, your new dirt bike will certainly last longer, and it may even handle better.

If you're still looking for a new motorcycle, be sure to take a look at some of the smoking deals on eBay to the left

Why a Dirt Bike Needs Service Before Riding it...
The reason this page exists is to give others the heads up because any new dirt bike needs to be lubricated and looked over before veing really ridden. Why is that you wonder? Well, your new dirt bike arrives at a dealership (likely where you bought it) semi-assembled in a shipping container with minimal lubrication on moving parts such as wheel bearings and swingarm & linkage bearings, and was likely unpackaged from this shipping container / crate and final assembled at the dealership by someone thats in a hurry to get yours done and on to the next dirt bike, street bike, scooter, generator or other product in line, It's a "Flat rate" labor and production / productivity problem, so the tips I have provided below are a really good idea to do and check before the 1st ride.

Alright, Where do you start?

You're going to need to get the wheels off the ground and hopefully you picked up a stand to place your new dirt bike on while you were at the dealership, either that or you may already have one from a previous dirt bike. If you are in need of a new stand to go with that new dirt bike, you can purchase a trick looking stand here so there's no need to be using a bucket or any other ghetto looking methods.

Once you have the dirt bike on a stand and before you begin getting it ready for battle, it's smart to know what tools and supplies you'll be needing. Once you are setup with the tools and supplies you need, you're going to also need a factory service manual specific to the dirt bike as well.

Alright, once you have everything that you think you'll need, lets get started...

Beginning with the easy stuff
First up is going to be checking the air filter to ensure it's properly oiled and more importantly, Properly Installed, all of which there is an an article on how to properly clean and service an air filter that will show you everything you need to know about this, and I suggest that you do remove the air filter that is in place and follow the steps in the article above on air filter service and sealing your air box, as these steps could save a new motor if the air filter is not properly installed and sealed on your air box as well as preventing damage from an air box to intake boot seal that is allowing unfiltered air to be drawn in.

Next, I recommend you drain the oil that is in your shiny new dirt bike and then refill it with the proper amount that is specified in the service manual, using the type that you plan on using throughout the life of the bike so that it is consistently using the same oil.

I know you're jonesin' to ride it but it's going to be a little longer, first you need to get into some of the other things such as the steering and suspension, after all this is what is holding you up and making the bike perform and handle as sweet as the magazine tests say it does, and which may be why you bought it.

Getting the front wheel and steering situated

It may seem painful doing this to a new dirt bike but you're going to need to remove the front wheel and forks, then the steering stem per the factory service manual's outlined procedures, then take a look at what is below about lubricating the front wheel bearings and steering.

Starting with the front wheel bearings

The front wheel bearings are likely very lightly lubricated and are in desperate need of grease, so here's something short and sweet you can do to ensure your front wheel bearings will last.

First, remove the outer wheel spacer(s) from the front wheel and lay the front wheel on it's side being careful to not damage the brake rotor.

Next, using a small sharp pick, very carefully (to prevent damage to the seal) remove the wheel bearing outer seal and with a grease gun loaded with bel-ray water proof grease, or a similar high performance grease, and a grease injecting needle (available at most auto parts stores) inject the grease into the wheel bearing, forcing the grease in between the bearing races and cage while being careful to not make a mess, then reinstall the wheel bearing seal and wipe away any excess grease and do the same on the other side.

Once you are done injecting grease into the front wheel bearings, apply a light film of grease to the hub seals where the outer wheel spacer(s) or axle makes contact with the hub seals and reinstall the outer spacer(s) then set the front wheel somewhere safe.

Now the steering...

With the forks removed and the steering stem and lower clamp out of the head tube, before you go any further by cleaning or greasing the bearings this is a good time to upgrade to a better performing triple clamp as these can greatly enhance the handling characteristics of any dirt bike.

Once you have a new triple clamp assembly, or even if you are sticking with the stock triple clamps and steering stem for now, it's important to make sure everything is clean, that means removing the light film of grease that was already on the stock steering bearings and outer bearing races that are in the head tube of the frame, or ensuring the new bearing(s) with the aftermarket clamps are clean and free of any dirt or other contamination.

Once everything is clean, and using a high performance waterproof grease such as the readily available bel-ray water proof grease apply this liberally to the bottom bearing if it is already installed to the stem and pack it in between the bearing rollers, cage and inner race of the upper bearing along with applying a thick coat of grease to the outer part of the bearing before reassembly, then reassemble and tighten everything per the factory service manual's procedures, being certain to follow the procedure for installing the front wheel and axle as well as the procedure outlined for torquing the axle to prevent the dreaded fork bind, as forks that are binding can greatly hamper your forks steering and handling performance.

About the Swingarm, Linkage and Shock Pivots

Following the steps outlined in a factory service manual, and again, as painful as it may seem to be doing this to a new dirt bike, you're going to need to remove the swingarm, linkage, and shock so that you can get some grease into the pivot areas where there is not much from the factory.

When servicing the swingarm and linkage bearings, it is a pretty good idea to remove the grease that is in place with clean rags and a cleaner such as brake clean if a parts washer is not available, then be sure to dry everything thoroughly with compressed air before greasing and reassembly, but be sure to not lose any of the many small needles that make up a needle bearing.

Once everything is clean, you're going to need to lubricate everything well upon reassembly with bel-ray water proof grease or a similar high performance lubricant, applying the grease liberally to all the needles and packing it into the bearings that are held together with cages, then reassembling everything and using a quality torque wrench to obtain the specified torque value, torquing all the pivot bolts to the specified torque listed in a factory service manual.

Before you reinstall the rear wheel
While the rear wheel is off the bike, (that is presuming you removed the rear wheel before removal and disassembly of the swingarm, linkage and shock) it is a good idea to remove the spacers on the outer parts of the wheel hub and using a small sharp pick, very carefully (To prevent damage) pry the wheel bearing outer seal out and using a grease injecting needle (available at most auto parts stores) with a grease gun loaded with bel-ray water proof grease or a similar high performance lubricant inject the grease into the wheel bearing, forcing the grease in between the bearing races and cage while being careful to not make a mess then reinstall the wheel bearing seal and wipe away any excess grease and do the same on the other side.

Once you are done injecting grease into the rear wheel bearings, apply a light film of grease to the hub seals where the wheel spacer contacts the seal and reinstall the outer spacer(s), then reinstall the rear wheel and adjust the chain and using a quality torque wrench, torque the rear axle nut per the factory service manual's specifications.

And making sure everything's tight

Once you're done with doing everything listed above, it's almost time to load up your new dirt bike and ride but before you load it up, be sure to check the bike over with tools in hand, being sure to check the tightness of all the fasteners including spokes, fork pinch bolts, axles, chain adjusters and whatever else you can get a wrench or socket on.

You're likely to find that some fasteners may be loose as some fasteners are not always tight when a new dirt bike is assembled at the factory and checking fasteners after each ride may save you lost nuts, bolts or other small parts, as well as possibly avoiding any track or trail side problems.

Then some final thoughts...
Now that your new dirt bike is back together and you have begun to stop sweating over having it apart, you may be wondering why I didn't mention anything about disassembling the forks or rear shock to change the oil in them. Well, for now, once you have performed the steps outlined above, it's time to load it up and air it out so as to get the suspension broke in, then I recommend that you remove the forks and shock and either send them out to have the oil changed and have them revalved to fit your riding style, or learn to do the work yourself if you don't already know how.

Finally!! It's time to ride this thing but let me add, when you get back from riding...
There are some tips on dirt bike maintenance elsewhere that you may want to take a look at, as these tips will help keep your dirt bike performing at it's best for some time to come.

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