Bikes come from the factory with a generic set up. Since humans vary wildly in size, behaviour, likes and dislikes, the factory set up may not suit you. Time spent in the garage making a few seemingly minor changes can often transform a bike from so – so to fantastic in little time. These are things I think that any new dirt bike will benefit from, not just a Honda. Most of this stuff costs bugger all.

Suspension

Big subject this one so I’ll keep it simple. Setting the rear spring race sag is the most important bit. All rear springs seem to sag a bit when running the bike in and need re adjusting. So, after doing a few hundred k’s on the bike, check and adjust if necessary.  A sagged rear end may still seem to handle bumps okay, but will badly affect the steering, causing your front tyre to wash out on corners, pushing towards the outside.

To set the rear sag, put the bike on a stand. Measure from a set point on the rear axle to a set point on say the rear mudguard, which is close to vertically above the axle. Write the measurement down. Now, dressed as you would be when riding, including clothing, boots, helmet, backpack, tools etc, sit on the bike (taken off the stand). Sit in the normal seated attack position, up near the tank somewhere and rest all your weight on the bike. You might have to get someone to help balance here. Get a helper to re – measure the axle to spot on the guard distance. On a CRF is should be close to 100 mm less than the figure you wrote down. If you really know what you’re doing, set it wherever you want. If you’re fairly new to this, go for 100mm difference. That 100mm is called the race sag. If the measurement is more than 100mm, you need to add preload to the spring, which is easy.

Take a blunt screwdriver or similar and a hammer. On the shock, on top of the spring, there’s an adjustment nut and a locknut. Undo the locknut and crank the adjustment nut down a turn or two, then re – measure your sag. On a CRF you can get to it easily from the right hand side of the bike. When you’ve got it right, lightly tighten the locknut and you’re right to go. If your race sag is less than 100 mm, do the opposite, back the adjustment off a bit, by winding the nut towards the top of the shock.

I have found that Honda’s generally only need adjustment after run in and that the spring sags little after that, but it’s worth checking every now and again, especially if you are having problems with the front end washing out in corners.

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Clicker Adjustment

The simple rule here to is go out and try it. Only make adjustments a click or two at a time and don’t adjust two settings at once. I personally find the rebound settings (which are at the bottom of both the forks and shock on the Honda) to be most important to get right. I had a problem with my new 450X not wanting to powerslide nicely, with the rear end ‘pogoing’ a little. I upped the rebound one click at a time and finally settled on three clicks more than stock (I wound the adjustment in clockwise), resulting in what finally felt like a whole new bike, much more controllable and stable. It’s worth spending some time playing about.

Remember first to check what your factory supplied settings are and write them down. Measure your standard setting by turning the adjustment screw in until it stops (don’t force it) and counting the clicks. Write the setting down so you remember. Your workshop manual is a good place to record it. Wind it back out the where you started and make your adjustments. If you stuff it up, just go back to standard and start again if you want.

Wheels, Tyres & Tubes

I always pull a new bike apart and make small modifications to the wheels immediately.

I take the standard tyres off and put them in the corner of the shed, ready to re fit when I sell the bike. I fit new Pirelli tyres that suit the type of riding I’m going to do. Before I fit the new tyres, I take the rubber rim tape off the wheel and chuck it in the bin. With the rim lock removed, I then check the spoke nipples for sharp edges. Every now and then I find a sharp bit on top of the spoke nipple that could possibly puncture the tube, so I smooth it over with a file and/or large drill bit used by hand. I then re drill another hole for the rim lock, four spoke spaces from the valve. I use a centre punch and drill a pilot (small) hole first, then drill a hole big enough for the rim lock bolt to just fit through. I then clean up the sharp edges of that hole with a larger drill bit, used by hand. Then I run some electrical tape over the top of the spoke nipples heads to protect the tube. I only do two circles with the tape, sealing against the rim to keep the crud out and with the tape just overlapping in the middle.

Now it’s time to fit those Ultra heavy duty tubes and new tyres.  Don’t be fooled by some manufacturers claims of heavy duty tubes standard. They are only Heavy duty and not good enough to resist punctures in the bush. There are three standards of tube: Standard lightweight models that come with most bikes, Heavy Duty models that are designed for motocross and Ultra Heavy Duty models which are far tougher than either of the other types. Tyre changing has it’s own section elsewhere on this web site. I change tyres fairly often and find that a product like CRC works well to lubricate the axles. I find grease tends to attract crap and the axle is hard to remove next time. I don’t spray CRC on the part of the axle that is clamped by the forks, wipe any overspray off here before you re – fit the wheel.

During run in, keep a close eye on spoke tension. Check it when new by hitting each spoke with your spoke spanner and listening to the tone it makes. If it makes a dull thud, it’s probably too loose. Just make very small adjustments on each spoke, like maybe only ¼ of a turn each time. After the first few hundred K’s they will settle down and not need much adjustment, however a decent whack can dent a rim and leave the spokes near the dent loose, so check them after each ride at least and after each big impact if you reckon you might have hit hard enough to bend something.

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Handlebars

These can be rotated in the mounts and often come from the factory in a rearward position, like Ricky Carmichael has them set. This generally suits shorter riders only and bigger blokes can find this setting makes it uncomfortable to stand up. Rotating the bars forward a bit can sometimes give you a bit more room in the cockpit, making it feel less cramped. The grips should however be level with the ground.

Hold the bike vertically by the rear guard, standing behind the bike to check this. The grips should parallel with the ground. If the end of the grips point upward too much, it places strain on your wrists when you ride and is uncomfortable. With some bikes, you can also use the bar mounts to adjust the bars forward or rearward without rotating them. CRF’s have two position, adjusted by rotating the mounts 180 degrees. I’m about 180 cm tall and always use the forward mounting position. Some bikes have multi position adjustment. Adjust it and try it, especially standing up, which is where you should be doing most of your off road riding.

I replace the standard Renthal handlebars with TAG brand fat bars, the Cr - Hi bend. I find they sit a little higher and give me more room in the cockpit, making standing to ride a breeze. As well, they resist bending better than the stock bars. I also strap a spare front tube where the bar pad usually goes.

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Levers

Brake and clutch levers should be adjusted so that they are comfortable for you. Generally, it’s whatever you like, but I find anything above horizontal (like some young freestylers have them) is way too uncomfortable and I always make sure both brake and clutch are adjusted at the same angle, which is just below level for me. Put yours where it feels best for you when standing.   I always run plumbers Teflon tape under the perches. This allows the perch to rotate in a crash and prevents levers breaking. Take the perch off, then wrap a layer or two of tape around the bars where the perch mounts. Bolt the perch back up, tight enough so that it’s not loose and the bolts won’t come out by themselves, but so that with a little force you can move the lever and perch up and down.

Grips

Standard grips are pretty good these days. I use Scott grips and find them a bit more comfortable than stock. I remove the stock grips and use Kwik Grip (contact glue) to fit the new ones. On the left side, I just dribble plenty of glue onto the bars, with a little inside the grip itself, then straight away I pull the grip onto the bar, grabbing it by the big ring and expanding the hole as much as I can, so that the glue doesn’t just get forced out. Rotate the grip so that it’s in the position you want it in, then use stainless tie wire to wire it on in a couple of spots. I do three, one on the very inside, one about an inch from the bar end and one in the middle. Bury the knot into the grip so it doesn’t catch your gloves when riding. Also, place the knot in a spot where it’s going to be out of the way anyway. I find that’s best on the rear of the grip, a bit below halfway down.

For the throttle side, it’s best to take the throttle apart and remove the plastic throttle tube. Remove the old grip and do the same with the glue to fit the new grip as you did on the other side. Wipe off the excess glue, wire it up and let it dry on the bench, refitting it the next day. Otherwise, the glue can make your throttle sticky and unpleasant to use.

Grease

Sometimes bikes come from the factory inadequately greased. Whilst they are new and clean, I always re – grease the headstem and rear suspension linkage bearings with quality Castrol waterproof grease. Then they last at least a year before I need to do them again.

You can do the headstem bearings without removing the forks completely. Put the bike on a stand, then remove the bars and top triple clamp. Undo the large headstem adjusting nut and let the forks slide down until you can get to the bottom bearing. Put plenty of decent grease on it, same as the top one, then put it all back together. The rear linkages are put together and greased by humans and mistakes can see some turn up dry or near dry. Pull ‘em apart and do it properly right now while it’s all new and clean, it’s cheap insurance against costly repairs later, plus your suspension will work as it should.

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