Trail Rider Magazine

30 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Waterproof Your Bike It's that time of year when you will invariably encounter stand- ing water during your ride. And chances are, it's deeper than usual. Drowning out a bike is no fun so it's important to take precautionary measures to protect it. You usually drown a bike by "sucking water" through the air filter and carburetor into the motor. This most often happens when crossing deep water or crashing in it. We'll first address how to protect your bike from sucking water, then explain what to do if it happens. All bikes with carburetors have hoses that generally run be- tween the end of the swing arm and the rear shock. When going through water, it's possible for water to enter the carbu- retor through these vent hoses and get sucked in to the engine. Most riders begin waterproofing their bikes by taping up the air box. This entails taping the seams along the air box cover with duct tape. If your bike has large, easily accessible air intakes like the Husaberg, Beta or Husqvarna that water can easily splash in to, you may want to construct a protective duct tape "splash deflectors" ( for lack of a better word) around the air in- takes that deflects water from entering them. It isn't pretty, but it's another layer in your defense. The next thing most riders do is run their carburetor vents into the air box or along the frame under the fuel tank. I prefer to run them under the frame beneath the fuel tank as running them into the air box requires you to drill a small hole. Re-rout- ing the vent hoses reduces the chance of water being pulled through the vent hoses and in to carburetor. This is an easy modification that really ought to get done when the bike is pur- chased. Just make sure that the ends of the vent hoses hang down slightly so water and dirt can fall out. You may need to buy longer hoses, but it's inex- pensive and a smart investment. Another tip is to make sure the drain vent in your air box is clean and not clogged with mud. When it's clogged with mud, water will re- main trapped in the air box like a bathtub and likely get sucked through the air filter. An added layer of protection would be to include an air filter cover over the air filter. teCH tIPS 3 Essential  When taping the air box, extend the duct tape over any air intakes as shown. This will help restrict water and mud from en- tering the air box. Just be careful not to completely cover the intakes.

• Cover