Manitoba Motocross Association

Looking for some great video riding tips?

Checkout YOUTUBE and do a search on:   Getting Started in Motocross

This is an excellent tip for whenever you’re putting on new grips at the track and don’t have any glue.

Take 4 zip ties and put them inside your grip with the rigid side facing the grip and slick side facing the handlebar. You want one on the top, bottom, left and right all around the inside of the grip.

Then you slide your grip on, once its on simply take a pair of pliers and pull the zip ties out…make sure you have a good bite on the tie and pull slowly so you don’t break it off in there.

Your grip will be on there really tight to say the least, you don’t need to safety wire them, but I do anyway to make me feel better.

The zip ties help the grip go on easy, there is no messy glue and no drying time.

1. Enter the whoop section as “straight on” to the face of the bumps as possible, being in the standing position and gripping the motorcycle with your knees. These three points help immensely with the stability of your machine. Also, look ahead to help with your balance and ability to scan the trail so as to allow as much time as possible on how best to react to what obstacles are coming up.
2. Be in a higher gear than you would for the same speed on flat ground, lean back and apply the throttle at a slightly higher but constant setting so as to get the front end light, trying to focus on skimming the front wheel across the top of each bump. Being in the higher gear gives the bike a better possibility of continuing to accelerate, helping you in skimming that front wheel and the bike powering (tracking straight) through the sand whoops.
3. If the front wheel does dive deep into a whoop, you want to get on the throttle harder trying to utilize the face of that bump as a small jump. This limits your chances of going over the handlebars. Generally this then results in your machine slightly launching/jumping out of that bump. This is good as it can help you get back easier into the preferred “skimming” position. As you are jumping through the air, focus on adjusting your body position and trajectory of the motorcycle so as that you land rear wheel first, with the power on aggressively. From there you want to carry the front wheel in a short wheelie slowly lowering it until it starts skimming across the top of the remaining bumps. If you instead drop the front wheel back down into the bumps you again risk being sent over the hangers, or having to use excess body energy to “launch” out of possible disaster again.
4. The key is to keep the throttle on in a fairly constant position for the whole length of the whoop section, just slightly adjusting the amount of throttle and your body position to control the height of that front wheel to be skimming across the top of the bumps.
5. Also remember to be looking ahead to try and find a smoother line or a section of the bumps that have a more continuous rolling rhythm to them, e.g. it doesn’t have an unusually deep hole in the middle of the set of whoops.

A precise, smoothly operating clutch is a must if you plan to beat your competition to the first turn or from corner to corner. Your clutch assembly houses a number of different components, and the clutch plates (most specifically the fiber plates) take on a lot of wear, especially if you shift like a clumsy gorilla. With a “burnt out” clutch, you may experience a dragging or slipping sensation when exiting corners or launching out of the gate; or your steed may even creep forward despite your clutch lever being pulled to the bars. If this is the case, your rear wheel is spending more time spinning than it is hooking up in the dirt, translating to a valuable loss of momentum. Ready to put the past, and your competition behind you? Pay attention. RECOMMENDED TOOLS: Large Ziploc bag, gear oil, new clutch plates (fiber and metal), 8 and 10mm socket or T-handle wrench, two small picks or flathead screwdrivers, torque wrench, clutch cover gasket

STEP 1:
We recommend pre-soaking your new clutch plates with gear oil to ensure that they’re wet and lubricated before installing them in your bike. The easiest way to accomplish this is to stack your plates together and in order, starting with a fiber plate and alternating with your metal plates (eight fiber and seven metal plates total for a five-speed transmission). If you’re not replacing the metals, no worries, but if you are, stacking them now will save you the hassle later. Once stacked, slide them into a large Ziploc bag and pour the proper weight gear oil on top of them. If you ride and change your clutch frequently enough, it’s not a bad idea to have a spare stack pre-soaked and ready to go for next time.
*Note: Metal plates do not have to be replaced as frequently as the fibers, but if you detect excess wear or discoloring, we recommend changing them.

STEP 2:
With your new plates marinating, wash your bike, if it’s not already clean. Starting with a clean bike is a must, especially in the area surrounding the clutch cover, to prevent dirt from getting into your motor. Next, lean your bike over so that the grip or fork leg on the opposite side of the clutch cover is resting against your stand. To gain easy access for clutch cover removal, use your hands to back bleed your rear brake as shown in the photo. By applying pressure with your palm or thumbs to the caliper, the brake fluid will be forced back in the line, ultimately allowing the pedal to freely drop down and out of the way of the clutch cover.

STEP 3:
When removing the clutch cover bolts with your 8mm, it’s good practice to loosen each bolt evenly to prevent warping in the event that the cover is still hot. With the cover removed, use your 10mm to evenly remove the clutch hub/spring bolts. Once the bolts and springs are pulled out, the hub cover (pressure plate) can be lifted off of the assembly. Now it’s time to remove those old cooked plates, but doing so in one full stack is difficult, so we use a couple of small-blade flathead screwdrivers (small picks also work well) to guide and lift each plate out of the basket separately.

STEP 4:
With the plates now removed, it’s a good idea to inspect the wear on the clutch basket, particularly around the ridges. Worn plates that are left in operation for too long may get sloppy and loose, resulting in clutch basket wear that could ultimately cause clutch slippage.

STEP 5:
Now it’s time to install your new clutch plates. Starting with a fiber, and making sure that each plate has a nice even coat of oil, slide the plate into the basket with either side facing out. The next plate in will be a metal one, and it’s critical that it goes in with the flat, machined surface facing out. Continue this process until the last fiber plate is installed. The height of the stack will be nearly flush with the edge of the basket.

STEP 6:
Finally, place the hub cover (pressure plate) back on top of the basket, install the springs, washers, and bolts, and evenly tighten them in a star pattern until gently snug. Using a torque wrench, torque each bolt to the manufacturer’s spec in the same star pattern, and then reinstall the clutch cover. If your clutch cover gasket is the paper type, replace it with a freshy as well.

Note: Depending upon the level of abuse, it’s a good idea to replace the clutch springs every two to three clutch changes.

Posted: Feb 08, 2008