YR64L goes dirt!

[Cr1MiNaL]

:woohoo: This is my first post in this section... ever ! I think.

Meet "Sand Beetle" my new (2nd hand) dirt bike.

The gr8 YamahaR64Life has decided to answer the calling of the Dirty Few - A subsidiary affiliation of the Mega Few and go dirt! So today I picked up a mint 2000 RM 125. Unfortunately this is my first off-road bike and I hate to admit that I am a little jittery!

I am going to Woodhill to test the new beast out with a mate tomorrow. In the past I have shared my experience of road bikes with others where I could and would appreciate some online support from the dirt, so to speak. I know absolutely nothing about off roading other than stick your leg out and give it hell.... Yes, that pretty much sums it up.

So how do I look after my new baby? Change oil every two rides and clean filter every ride, lube chain every ride. What else? As some of you know I really like to look after my bikes so will be keeping her as clean as my road bike, but other than that what should I do to keep her running mint?

PS: She's just had a full rebuild 10 hrs ago. Also if your at Woodhill tomorrow and see a noisy smoky yellow rm about please don't give me shit or I'll own you next time your on the road lol.

Any advice would be appretiated.

Ta

YR64L.

[gammaguy]

quick!!

post a picture of your arms and legs BEFORE you get them in plaster:girlfight:

[B0000M]

firstly, get yourself some new tyres, cant see the front very well but the rear looks rooted. at the end of the day its going to be a sand / dirt shovel, and theres not much there to shovel with.

other important things are

fuel mixing oil, i presume you're not completely retarded, but ill put this in here anyway. use a good synthetic oil, a lot of people like to use castrol TTS, Motul 800? (the expensive motul one) the yamalube stuff, anyway something of a high quality.

oiling of air filters is also VERY important, your filter is only as good as the guy that oiled it. use a designated filter oil - these are sticky as. once again, i pimp the castrol stuff which is also cheap and goopy. if you prefer the spray on, be sure to use generously and squeeze it through thoroughly

lube lube lube. if it moves, grease it as often as possible. as the bike will be getting muddy and sandy in comparison to your road bike, it will get washed more / more thoroughly to be kept in a clean state, this will also tend to fuck moving parts. either way you lose here.

coolant. as mx bikes tend to get hot and have no overflow bottle, keep an eye on your coolant each day you go out as they tend to drop some out the overflow most days.

trans fluid. some people will try to sell you expensive trans oil- ive been using ordinary auto trans fluid since the mid 90s and so far have never had a problem, as have others.

the air bleeders on the top of your forks are there for a reason, use them regularly

chains & sprockets, dirt bikes eat chains and sprockets much faster than road bikes. make a habit of keeping it lubed, personally i use a proper chain lube, others swear by wd40, either way keep it lubed and watch for wear, there should be roughly 20mm of play in the chain mid way down the chain.

tyre pressures, anywhere between 8 - 15 psi, the lower the better usually, but too low and youll fuck rims and tubes on rocks etc, so keep an eye on this.

handy hint for tying your new toy down, have the bottom of your tie downs slightly in front of the bars while being behind the axle. this helps to pull the rear of the bike down at the same time as the front so that you only need to use the 2 ties at the front.

gear - wear as much protection as you can bear / afford, as you are new to this, expect to crash, a lot.

if you need anything bike related, i highly reccommend scott411 on this forum who is "mr motorcycles" in pukekohe, even if you're not in auckland - one email and the next day your products arrive.




edit,. the speels i write when im bored..... lol

[motorbyclist]

prepare for constant maintenance of your machine, get all the tools you need and make it a habit.

also, ALWAYS check your bike runs before you leave for a ride. nothing sucks more than spending the whole day disassembling your bike in the carpark.
similarly, remember to slacken off any tie downs on your forks if you are leaving it for any length of time or the seals will eventually blow out much sooner than if you didn't hold them under pressure for hours on end.... some people put a block of wood between the tyre and mudguard to take the strain instead

stand up.

and when in doubt, hit the gas. always better to fall off the back than go over the bars, and if the front isn't loaded it isn't going to plough into the ditch/mud/whatever and jumps aren't going to end in stitches

and finally, don't be afraid to dump the bike. in fact number one thing to master is getting clear of it in a bail. welcome to the world of dirt riding - bails don't write off your bike and speed/cagers/police generally aren't an issue

[Rodney007]

good shit dude....... gimme a go next time ur out !!!!!!!

[motorbyclist]

and after a quick look at that rear - dude get new tyres ASAP

personally i recommend the michelin starcross line for good wear and grip in all conditions.

(and as rule of thumb use soft tyre pressure for soft ground like mud and sand, and hard pressure for hard ground like dry paddocks or rocky terrain)

[flyingcr250]

quick!!

post a picture of your arms and legs BEFORE you get them in plaster:girlfight:

ha ha ha haha ha its true you know!!:rockon:

[DUCATI*HARD]

clutch it up before you jump bro,,,to give that xtra launch,,,and hold on:Punk:and be prepared to brake bones,,,hava good one raj:Punk:

[clmintie]

Give the roots at Woodhill your utmost respect (especially the ones at 45 degrees to the track) until you've got the hang of them. Keep your weight well back in the soft whoops and well forward in the corners. Try to stand a lot, legs nearly straight, bend at the waist, head over the bars, elbows out to the side and let the bike move under you...

Full report tomorrow evening please....

Tires look a bit past it and check the chain, looks a little tight.....

Oh, and ENJOY...........

[clmintie]

and get some new levers, those daggers will rip you to shreds in no time. Good to have 'balls'... but even better if they're on the end of the bars.......:whistle:

[motorbyclist]

actually it might pay to put the padding back onto the crossbar on the handlebars

and while decent, full aluminium bar hand guards/bark busters may cost a good $120 or more, they are more than with it - if you break that brake lever at the mount you will need a whole new brake reserviour/master cylinder unit, plus levers themselves cost $12 and up. imo bark busters are more lever protectors than hand guards - your hands should be clear by the time the guards hit anything

and always carry spare levers and mounts ;)

in the meantime make sure the clutch/brake levers are loose enough so they can move/spin around the bars if you fall, but stay put while riding. this will save a lot of levers

[FlangMasterJ]

Congrats on becoming an off-roader. :niceone:

This a 'what not to do' vid

SbHIxXiFAyA

[scott411]

everytime i watch that video it makes me laugh, i love how he jumps up and sprints back to the bike like a titles on the line,

[Dent]

For riding skills, the Shane Watts DirtWise DVD is a good watch, if you can tolerate the "aussie, aussie aussie" flavour and advertising.

[FROSTY]

You have two ears and one gob --use em in that ratio. The offroad guys have taught me heaps
I WOULDN''T be riding untill I'd sorted out the bike. Get new tyres. New levers. Buy a set of spares and buy a plug and propper mx plug spanner.

[bikerboy011]

Nice man congratz enjoy...

[theblacksmith]

Well - you could'nt get any more good advice mate - get out there and ride and enjoy.You will fall in love with it.

[motorbyclist]

You have two ears and one gob --use em in that ratio. The offroad guys have taught me heaps
I WOULDN''T be riding untill I'd sorted out the bike. Get new tyres. New levers. Buy a set of spares and buy a plug and propper mx plug spanner.

i'm sure after his first day at woodhill he'll have a lot of time to consider that while he limps around his house wincing whenever he has to pick up so much as a coffee cup:niceone:

works muscles you never even new you had


now i suppose i'd better do those filters plugs and rebuild brakes so i can get out there and join him!

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Hmmm, Harsha is a closet dirt-track rider eh? It figures.

[kezzafish]

Get all those things for the bike but don't let not having them stop you riding, whether that means learning the hard way or not, it'll be a laugh. Don't do mental shit that you know is gonna end up hurting if you keep it up but at the same time... don't forget that EVERYTHING is a race

LOL, onya mate, have a blast

[EJK]

What? 125cc?? What a wuss!!! :lol:


Hope you had fun Raj :)

[DUCATI*HARD]

[QUOTE=YamahaR64Life;1872535]:woohoo: This is my first post in this section... ever ! I think.

Meet "Sand Beetle"

how was it bro:headbang:

[Cr1MiNaL]

It was an awesome ride, what can I say, dirtbikes are so much fun. I followed Ken, who decided its best to take me to superbowl and all the red mx tracks lol. I only had 2 bails nothing damaged nothing hurt, although my hands felt like they were ready to drop off. Its weird when the front and rear give and slide all over the place, also its weird to stand up on the pegs and grip the seat, usually this is a wheelie position on my road bike.

What I learned:

Whoops are tiring and dirt biking requires a lot of stamina...a shitload more than road bikes, although hooning round a track at 270+ requires more concentration. 2 strokes have a mega powerband, better to use 3rd gear over whoops or you'll end up climbing a sand bank in second when it hits the band. One uses rear brakes 90% of the time. If you are going to fall give it more gas and pray. Grip the seat while jumping because foot off pegs mid air is no fun. Try to avoid mega jumps on the mx track on your first ever ride on a dirt bike ( I didn't bail here though!). Drifting is so much fun! While in boggy sand sit back and when going uphill or on whoops stand and lean forward (depending on slope). Dirtbikes need to be cleaned differently than road bikes. Making a 250 two stroke eat sand and laughing at him is usually not such a good idea. As clmintie said roots are quite slippery and need due respect as I learned. First ride on a dirtbike and I'm wheeling and drifting it already!

Tomorrow:
I am going to clean the air filter out and grease with belray filter lube, and do the gear box oil next ride. Have throughly washed the bike with degreaser, lubed the chain and sprayed WD40 on the combustion chamber and engine as well as brake and clutch lever etc. what else must I do to keep sand beetle running well?

Thanks everyone for your input.

What a MEGA day, Im knackered.

Yr64L.

[clmintie]

Nice post, glad you enjoyed yourself.

Welcome to the "dirty side"....

[CHOPPA]

keep that filter well oiled bro, ill get a dirt bike after the nats and come riding with ya!

[LittleJohn]

Were you the guys in the White van yesterday?

[Cr1MiNaL]

keep that filter well oiled bro, ill get a dirt bike after the nats and come riding with ya!

That would be mean! But then again u've been mx for years and would own a nub like me in about 2.3 seconds... :( owned ont he track owned on the dirt, go away...


Were you the guys in the White van yesterday?

Yes that was us, I was the guy on the yellow RM125.

[LittleJohn]

Yes that was us, I was the guy on the yellow RM125.

Sorry hadn't read thread until today otherwise would have come and said hello. Me and the family were there in the white Subaru beside the half covered structure thing.

I did notice that when you guys first got there you start the RM and left it idleing for a few minutes.... After that it wasn't running the best until you gave it a good run. You shouldn't leave the 2 strokes idling to much as this will oil up you spark plug, resulting in a fouled plug and the need to replace it. 2 Strokes love the revs and to be in the powerband.

I usually just start mine quickly (about 30 secs) when I get there to make sure it is still going, then once I'm ready to go get it going again and away I go.

Also Oldschool was beside us in the blue vehicle.

Sounds like you had fun, hopefully will catch you up out there sometime.....

By the way just got myself a R6 last month, still got a few things to do on it to make it nice (exhaust, tail tidy etc..)

[motorbyclist]

What? 125cc?? What a wuss!!! :lol:


lol that littel 125 will have as much poke as most 250 fourstrokes, and delivers it all in the most difficult way possible - all at once:D


Have throughly washed the bike with degreaser,

watch what you hit with degreaser - some seals don't like it, and if it gets into bearings they don't last long

and it removes graphics...

IF i elect to get my bike sparkly i use good ol' warm soapy water with a few rags and a toothbrush... does take half a day though


and it pays to grease bolts so stop them rusting in place;)

[Cr1MiNaL]

Sorry hadn't read thread until today otherwise would have come and said hello. Me and the family were there in the white Subaru beside the half covered structure thing.

I did notice that when you guys first got there you start the RM and left it idleing for a few minutes.... After that it wasn't running the best until you gave it a good run. You shouldn't leave the 2 strokes idling to much as this will oil up you spark plug, resulting in a fouled plug and the need to replace it. 2 Strokes love the revs and to be in the powerband.

I usually just start mine quickly (about 30 secs) when I get there to make sure it is still going, then once I'm ready to go get it going again and away I go.

Also Oldschool was beside us in the blue vehicle.

Sounds like you had fun, hopefully will catch you up out there sometime.....

By the way just got myself a R6 last month, still got a few things to do on it to make it nice (exhaust, tail tidy etc..)

That's a spot on observation! well done! The RM hadn't been started for about 4 months when I bought it, it didn't want to idle, or start if in gear. I rode it for a bit and then put a new spark plug in and she seems to idle sweet as now. Although I might clean the carbs next time I open her up.

Just did the air filter, and tightened the chain (it was too loose). Also installed a race muffler.

Thanks for the tip about not idling them for too long, quite right the spark plugs go black as.

Next time please do come over and introduce yourselves, would like to meet a few dirt riders and learn a thing or too. I'm quite mechanically wired and love to tinker about with tools and engines :)

I could give you a tip or two about those R6's too, mean machines those. I love the pre 06's too they look cool though not as much top end.

Cheers

YR64L.

[Cr1MiNaL]

lol that littel 125 will have as much poke as most 250 fourstrokes, and delivers it all in the most difficult way possible - all at once:D



watch what you hit with degreaser - some seals don't like it, and if it gets into bearings they don't last long

and it removes graphics...

IF i elect to get my bike sparkly i use good ol' warm soapy water with a few rags and a toothbrush... does take half a day though


and it pays to grease bolts so stop them rusting in place;)

Thats true I can't possibly open any gear out on the RM and a mate whose been riding for a while can't open second out in places too. Its just so peaky and he reckons its as fast if not faster than his 08 4 stroke kawaka 250.

EJK they compete in the same race class as 250 four strokes too.

Andrew- I hit whatever dirt I could see with de-greaser. What sorts of seals don't like it. Maybe next time you could point them out to me so I can take more care?

[motorbyclist]

yep the 125 2stroke should be as fast as the 250 four - just the 250 four has power and torque everywhere plus a handy engine brake plus they're a fair bit less temperamental....

aren't all mx bikes standard with race parts like mufflers? watch out it doesn't muck up the tuning of the expansion chamber or fuel/air mix or you'll be losing power and possibly seize or melt a hole in the piston if it runs too lean


What sorts of seals don't like it. Maybe next time you could point them out to me so I can take more care?

i can only assume forks, brakes and chain plus any less than perfectly sealed bearings/bushes - BUT wouldn't know for sure, so stay clear myself

it does work though:rolleyes: