Thread: What to do when you bring home a used bike

Used bikes IMO are always much better, money saving deals than buying a bike from the dealer. However, you will almost always have a couple things that need fixed no matter what the bike looks like on the outside. Assuming you have already inspected the bike, its time to take it apart and look it over. The first thing you need to do is remove the sidepanels, seat, and shrouds. Look for missing bolts, there will almost always be some. Look around the fenders, tank, radiators, everything. I found 3 missing bolts so far on my bike. Make sure you replace them with the correct length/thickness/size bolts. A dirt bike will always be wrecked and you will almost always have to replace bolts twice so dont create a sketchy setup! If the Hole is Stripped, you will need to drill and tap the hole and find the correct size bolt to fit the new threads at your local hardware store. Now that you have inspected the bike for missing bolts, now try checking and changing all of your fluids. Flush your radiators, tranny oil, regular oil (for your 4 strokers) fork oil, and even brake fluid! You might even drain your gas if you dont know what oil the previous owner used because your not supposed to mix mixing oil. After that check for leaks and I always replace hoses, you dont have to if they look fine, but I just like being safe. Ok, now that the bike is held together properly and lubricated, lets make sure it runs right. The first thing is to check your compression. Pull off your spark plug (and replace) and put your thumb over the hole. Now, make sure your spark plug wire is not touching anything metal that can make its way to you because I always seem to do that. Now give a kick to the kick-starter, and if your compression is fine, your thumb will have trouble staying on the hole. Just a few more things to do now. If you got a 2 stroke (good choice) I want you to remove your Expansion Chamber, and turn over your bike to where you can see the piston rings through the exhaust port. Use a flashlight to see in there, how do the rings look? Now check out the piston, how is it? Is it scratched? if so, you may need a new top end. If your piston is scratched, most likely so is your cylinder, and if it gets too scratched, you eventually will have to get a bigger piston in order to hone the scratches out, or, you will have to replace the sleeve which is bad news. Now, put a new top end on if necessary (i know i make it sound easier and less expensive than it is). And you four strokers can go ahead and do your valve maintianence yada yada.... We are almost done, hold your horses. I now want you to check your tires, I know it sounds silly, but if your tire pressure is low, and you dont know, you could bend your rim and then you will wish you had listened to me. If you have done all that, its time to check bolts that really matter make sure the axles are tightened to spec (and no more!) Make sure the triple clamps and handlebars are properly tightened with proper hardware, and make sure you put cotter pins in your axles where they are supposed to be because believe me they will save you someday. Now check your chain, and make sure it is properly tightened. Maybe scrub it with a wire brush and always lube it! I now use chain lube, but in my cheaper days, I used motor oil, which works, but it is pretty messy. One last thing I usually do is check out my carbuerator. Make sure the vent hoses are properly ran, with no leaks, and make sure they are ran long enough so you dont end up with dirt or water in there. Check your jets, clean them out. Clean your air filter, check your reeds if you have any. Now start the bike (assuming you put your pipe and everything back on) Does it idle? If not, adjust your idle screw to make it idle, make sure it just barely idles and go ahead and warm the bike up before you adjust your idle. My idle screw broke off and i found you can adjust your idle by taking the boot off of where your throttle cable meets it's box on your handlebars and loosening the bolt that holds your cable to make the slide come up. Now, your bike is running, once its warm give it some gas, about 1/2 throttle (NOW ONLY DO THIS CONSIDERING YOU HAVE BROKEN IN YOUR TOP END IF YOU REPLACED IT) Now pin it for just a second, dont hold it there, just give it a quick pin and let off. What happened? Did it bog? If so you need to make sure your air filter is clean, along with your jets, and if they are, you need to rejet the bike to run leaner. OR, did it rev quickly to the top and ping and cut out badly? (make sure its not a regular 2 stroke ping if you own one) If it did, you need to make sure your air box is connected, you have an air filter, ect. If so, you need to shut the bike off, and jet it IMMEDIATELY It needs to run richer, and running lean can eventually seize the bike. And its not good for it period. TIGMASTER has an article on jetting if you need to know how. Now, the last thing need to talk to you 2 smokers about is ratio's please, please, even with synthetic oil, dont be like the 180,000,001 people out there and run your bike at 50:1, everybody who does it will seize up their bike, I swear they will, not with synthetic, usually, but still, please mix at 32:1 or 40:1 or any where below that. My friend just blew up his bike and I am actually laughing because I told him not to mix at 50:1, but he ignored me. Now, with that said, go enjoy your new (to you) bike!

when your idling you get very little fuel and its so little that you wont have enough to make an explosion. i found it out from TWMX