Basic Yet Effective Dirt Bike Maintenance Tips You Should Give Your Kid
You got the best dirt bike for your kid, ensured their safety by buying high-quality kids motocross gear, enrolled them in a dirt bike coaching institute, and encouraged them to participate in the various racing events. Now is the time for you to teach your kid basic dirt bike maintenance.
Encouraging your kid to take care of their bikes makes them more responsible. It won’t just help them on the racing track but will affect every aspect of their life.
Listed below are some basic dirt bike maintenance tips that you should pass on to your kids-
Wash the dirt bike after every ride
Dirt bikes get dirty quickly. Even after a short ride, a layer of mud and dirt blankets every part of the bike. Not cleaning it frequently may hamper its parts. Hence, cleaning the bike after every ride is essential. Teach your kid the right way of washing their dirt bike after every ride.
Take a bucket of water, a rag, and a few brushes or a pressure washer, and teach your kid how to gently knock off all the dirt and mud.
Be extra cautious while using a pressure washer. Your kid may force the mud into the parts, damaging them. Be sure to teach them the right way of using a pressure washer.
Clean the chains
Cleaning the chains can be tricky. But if your kid can ride a dirt bike efficiently, they can clean the chain too.
The chain gets very muddy after a ride. Teach your kid how to clean it using a soft nylon brush. Also, after cleaning, let them lubricate it with chain lube.
Check for leaks
Help your kid to develop the habit of checking the leaks every time they go for a ride. Tell them to check for oil drips under the motor or on the ground to locate leaks. Also, tell them to inspect the brake fluid and the coolant.
Tighten crucial bolts
Dirt bikes vibrate while riding, and so, the hardware tends to get loose. Teach your kid how to check the hardware and tighten the loose bolts.
Introduce them to every component of your tool kit, and tell them about the indications of each tool and the right way of using them.
Clean the air filter
Cleaning air filters can be a tad bit difficult if your kid is too young, but adolescence is a good age to learn to check and clean air filters.
As keeping air filters clean is a prerequisite for enhancing your bike’s performance, it is one of the most important maintenance tips that you should teach your kid.
Teach them how to clean the filter using an air-filter cleaner and changing the same.
Check the tire pressure
Checking tire pressure between two rides is necessary. Teach them how to use a tire pressure gauge. Educate them about the ideal tire pressure for every condition ranging from muddy to dry.
Change the oil
Dirt bikes always trace dirty and muddy terrains. Therefore, changing motor oil often is always recommended. While some manufacturers recommend changing the oil after every ride, some recommend changing it every eight to ten operating hours.
Teach them how to change motor oil.
Change the fluids
Brake fluid tends to absorb moisture, and so, changing it periodically is an important part of dirt bike maintenance. Manufacturers recommend using DOT-4 brake fluid for dirt bikes.
Tell them the right way of flushing the old fluid and topping it up with the new one.
The bottom line
As already mentioned, letting your kid take care of their bike will inculcate a sense of responsibility in them. Moreover, they also understand the real value of their prized possession.
So, if your kid is into dirt biking, teach them the basic bike maintenance to make the most out of his dirt biking experience.