ADB's Technical Ed Mat Boyd drops on to tell us which tricks he's been using in the garage to get this tricky jobs done.
CHEAP TRICK
LOST KEY
TROUBLE:
Kid’s trail bikes nearly all seem to come with keys these days but they are generally the first things to be pulled out and lost and can be a problem to replace if you don’t have access to a locksmith nearby.
TRICK:
Use a cheap snap shackle and fix the key to the motorcycle so the key cannot be removed and lost easily.
DIFFICULTY: 1
TIME: 1 minute
COST: $2
TOOLS: Snap shackle
FREE TRICK
WASH YOUR BIKE
TROUBLE:
As a mechanic, there is nothing worse than a customer bringing you a bike covered in mud expecting you to wheel it into your workshop and repair it while dropping mud and dirt everywhere turning your workshop into a mess.
TRICK:
You best be sure that if you do or ever have dropped a bike to your local mechanic covered in mud then he has cursed your name. Unless you want to be hit with a bike washing fee or have all the mud and dirt fall in your engine while your bike is being repaired, wash your bike.
DIFFICULTY: 1
TIME: 10 minutes
COST: $0
TOOLS: A hose and bucket of bike wash
CHEAP TRICK
LOOSE HOSES
TROUBLE:
Carby overflow hoses generally all run down towards the rear of the engine. If not secured properly they can move around and get chopped up by the chain or the linkages sometimes causing them to become pinched off and blocked.
TRICK:
Use cable ties and secure them all together nice and neatly so they can’t move around and get caught in anything.
DIFFICULTY: 1
TIME: 1 min
COST: $2
TOOLS: Cable ties
FREE TRICK
MUD CATCHER
TROUBLE:
The front sprocket cover can become a mud catcher when riding in deep sticky mud. It can build up behind the front sprocket cover and cause the chain and front sprocket to wear or bind up.
TRICK:
It can be a good idea to remove this cover when riding in the mud but on KTM’s the cover is secured with a bolt that also holds the slave cylinder in place. After you remove the cover you will need to fit a shorter bolt back into the slave cylinder to keep it secured.
DIFFICULTY: 1
TIME: 1 minute
COST: $0
TOOLS: Shorter bolt