Riding a dirt bike is work - both on and off the track.
The end of a long day of riding doesn't end once the checkers drop or you pack up and drive off. Once home, rider and dirt bike need a scrubbing but a quick hose down won't work. The post-ride clean-up can be aggravating especially if you're spent from riding but failure to do so can cause drastic consequences later.
So, if holding a yard sale is the quickest way to ruining your dirt bike, the second quickest is just straight up neglect.
Laziness cannot be in any rider's vocabulary and this is especially true when returning your dirt bike to a polished showroom shine. Leaving your dirt bike caked in mud even for a few days can wear down seals and start the corrosion process. If you're exhausted and need a break, spray down your bike and get any chunks of debris off but get to the more thorough cleaning process by the next day.
Mechanics often shake their heads when it's the obvious and simple stuff left unchecked that cause so many problems. But if you're just plain mad at your bike for its performance and want some slow, hard revenge, here's 10 ways to ruin your dirt bike.
1. Don't Grease the Bearings
It's not uncommon to never replace the bearings on your dirt bike if, and only if, you keep them greased. So for a little payback when your bike fails to get you on the podium, put the lube away and watch those ball bearings dry up like nobody's business.
2. Throw away your anti-seize lube
Here's a small list of what's nearly impossible to remove without applying anti-seize: chain adjuster screws, axles and axle nuts, fork and triple clamp pinch bolts, suspension linkage bolts. In fact, just about anything with threads that you remove frequently. The pain inflicted to your dirt bike when trying to remove these nuts and bolts without anti-seize would make any sadist smile.
3. Never mind the Loctite
Conversely, some nuts, bolts and screws you want to stay put. So, pretend you care and tighten all the bolts and screws on your dirt bike. Go ahead and make it look genuine by going back through them for one last effort. You see, without Loctite eventually they'll rattle loose no matter how hard you tighten. Then just at the right moment, during the whoops or on a jump, everything just might fall off.
4. Toss out the owner's manual
Who reads anymore? Let alone an owner's manual. There's absolutely nothing in there that can possibly provide you with any information on the proper care of your dirt bike. Just assume everything and if you ever get really stuck, improvise.
5. Disregard torque specs
Since you've thrown the owner's manual in the trash, where it belongs, you'll haven't a clue what the manufacturer recommends for torque specs. For the parts of your bike that require a specific amount of tightened pressure, often measured in pounds, just tighten like you would a new latch on a wood fence.
Torque shmorque - just use any old wrench
6. Forget to change the oil and filter
Tired of losing the holeshot race in and race out? The #1 disciplinary method to whip your bike into shape is refusing to change its oil and filter. See how your bike likes riding in old worn out slop along with a congested filter. If it even lasts for another spin around the track, be assured, when the gates drop your dirt bike steps up its game in order to get you that bonus check along with a fresh transfusion of engine blood.
7. Don't clean the air filter
Leaving a dirty air filter on your dirt bike is the equivalent of wringing its neck. Eventually your dirt bike will act like a child, throw a tantrum and then throw you into the dirt. Paybacks a, well you get the picture. The next time you get dusted leave the old filter in. For a double punch, watch what happens when you "forget" about the oil, oil filter AND air filter.
8. Leave those spokes alone
The best way to cut your dirt bike off at the knees is to never check the spokes especially after truing and lacing a new set of aftermarket wheels. Be forewarned though, revenge on your dirt bike in this manner could prove disastrous for you too.
This guy must get along with his dirt bike
9. Give the brakes a break
From routine maintenance that is. Dirty brake fluid and worn out pads and rotors pretty much keeps the bike in the pits. So while all the other behaving dirt bikes are out having fun, yours is left under the tent with a whole afternoon to ponder how it can perform better.
10. Leave the muffler plug on the work bench
This is quite possibly the easiest and most effective means of dirt bike punishment available. In fact, it'll never feel a thing. Wash your bike like normal, hose it off, scrub it well, and oops, forget to pop in the muffler plug.
Now, if all this passive aggressiveness doesn't suit you then a good swift kick should do the trick:
