FREE TRICK
BRAKES TIGHT
TROUBLE
Holding the brake caliper in one hand while you loosen the brake pad pin bolt with the other requires some serious gorilla grip.
TRICK
You can loosen the caliper bolts but don’t fully remove them until you have cracked the brake pin bolt loose. This way it is much easier to remove the pads when you take the caliper off.
DIFFICULTY 1
TIME 1 MINUTE
COST $0
TOOLS T-BARS
CHEAP TRICK
CAM BOLTS
TROUBLE
If you over tighten cam cap bolts then the cam caps can distort making the cams bind up in the cylinder head, which can cause severe damage to the cams and cylinder head.
TRICK
Always use a torque wrench and tighten cam cap bolts to the manufacturer’s torque specifications. This will keep the cams moving freely in the cylinder head and prevent any wear or damage.
DIFFICULTY 3
TIME 1 MINUTE
COST $100
TOOLS TORQUE WRENCH
CHEAP TRICK
CUTTING PLASTIC
TROUBLE
Cutting any plastics with a razor blade can be seriously dicey, especially when the plastic is thick and rigid.
TRICK
Take a heat gun and heat the plastic until it is nice and soft. Then use a sharp razor blade and you will be able to cut through it like a knife through warm butter.
DIFFICULTY 2
TIME 5 min
COST $20
TOOLS HEAT GUN
FREE TRICK
KTM PLUG TUBE
TROUBLE
KTM 250 four-stroke engines have a spark plug tube extending down through the cylinder that is sealed by two o-rings that have a serious habit of leaking if the tube is shoved in dry.
TRICK
Lube both the tube and the o-rings with grease and insert the tube by pushing down and twisting. This will seat the tube in place and prevent any damage to the o-rings in the cylinder head.
DIFFICULTY 2
TIME 1 min
COST $0
TOOLS GREASE
