Trail Rider Magazine

May/June 2014 27 clamp offset. For the 22mm triple clamps, we rec- ommend an adjustment range of flush with the top of the triple clamps to about 7mm above. The rule of thumb is raising the forks will make the bike turn quicker, lowering them adds a lile straight line sta- bility. Consider what terrain you will riding. For ght twisty trail, consider raising them in the triple clamps. Tesng should be in 2-3mm increments. Check Your Spokes! The spokes on new bikes tend to loosen up quickly, even aer one or two rides. Don't forget to check them. Make this one of your regular items to check. brake Pedal Tangs Grind them off or they can potenally crack the case when you hit a rock or anything else on the trail. Now it's me to get dirty. Check the Air Filter. Have you ever been able to oil a filter as lightly as the one that comes on a new bike? How do they get it so lightly oiled? Regardless, we generally add a lile oil to insure nothing breaks through the filter. Also, have a look to make sure the air filter is fied properly to the intake. While you're at, make sure the intake boot is properly fied at both ends. It's worth it to avoid sucking dirt or water into your en- gine. Engine Oil We usually give it a quick check to insure it's prop- erly filled. We then drain it aer the first 4 hours. This gets all of the inial shavings from the gear box out of the engine. Wheels The front wheel bearings are oen lightly lubricated. Adding a lile extra grease insures some longevity. Inject- ing grease into the wheel bearings via a grease injecon needle (you can usually find them at an auto parts store) makes them last longer; just be sure to wipe away excess grease along the exterior as it can aract sand and grit. A thin layer of grease on the hub seals and wheel spacers will close things out here. Steering Stem It's a messy job but worth it. Add some extra grease to the inside of the steering stem and associated bearings, like you did with the wheel bearings. A word about grease: not all grease is compable. Check out the grease compability chart we included. Some- mes two different greases can act as solvents toward the other. Bel-Ray grease for instance is aluminum complex- based and has a very low compability level with other greases. If you use Bel Ray and you're not cleaning out the old grease, there is a chance you're doing more harm than good. KTM uses Bike Grease 2000 in some areas which is a cal- cium-based grease (they don't specify which kind though so Bel Ray may/may not be compable). bolt Check Apply a lile an-seize to your chain adjusters. Doing this now will prevent them from seizing up later. loc-Tite Your bolts While you're at it, add Locte to bolts in areas that are subject heavy vibraon, like the exhaust system, for starters. And don't forget the rear sprocket bolts, espe- cially on used bikes. These suggesons may seem a bit tedious, but the old saying is that me well spent on the front end saves me on the back end. Story and photos by Kevin Novello

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