DIRTBIKE

(John Hannent) #1
http://www.adbmag.com APRIL 2016 | 125

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COST
6

COST
2

TIME
10 MINS

TIME
5 MINS

TOOLS
GRIP GLUE/TIE WIRE

TOOLS
SHIFTER OR SNUB-
NOSE PLIERS

HOLD THEKNIFE


TOW TOOL


TROUBLE
Every time you get new handgrips, you have to cut the
ends out to fi t your handguards. Not only is it really hard
to get a neat cut, with the shoulder of the ’grip still in
place, but within weeks the handgrip starts splitting.

TRICK
Many roadbike handgrips, like this ProGrip one, come
with an open end to suit bar-end weights. So there’s no
more cutting for your handguards. The fl ange on the grip
is not as high as on dirt ’grips but if you are worried about
blisters a set of $6 grip donuts will take care of it. WK

TROUBLE
You’ve never had to have your bike towed but you’re
worried that if you wind a tow rope around your handlebar
it will pull your bike sideways or might get caught in the
front brake lever and lock the front wheel.

TRICK
Some trailbikes and motocrossers have a threaded hole
in the middle of the upper or lower triple-clamp that’s
been used on some model or other to fasten the front
race plate. Find a high-tensile eyebolt that will screw into
this hole and has a big enough eye for your tow rope to
go through it. Now, when you need a tow, push the rope
through the hole in the eyebolt so that it pulls the bike
from the middle, and wind the end around your handgrip
a few times so you can hold it and let go if needed. WK

DIFFICULTY RATING

DIFFICULTY RATING

FREE
TIPS

TROUBLE
You’re old trailbike has brackets
all over the place for ADR crap like
the chainguard and oil emissions
canister. You want to cut the tabs off
the frame but are afraid the Finance
Minister will see you doing it and
demand a written explanation.

TRICK
Don’t cut off those brackets because
you might want to make your bike
road legal again one day. Instead,
use them to bolt and/or cable tie all
the spare parts like levers that have
been weighing down your bumbag.
You can even put spare bolts in
spare holes.WK

TROUBLE
The Japanese used to think that
snail-cam chain adjusters would
help produce the fastest tyre
changes in the enduro world but
they forgot to put handles on them
so you needed a giant spanner for
both ends of the axle just to adjust
the chain tension.

TRICK
Weld a piece of scrap high-tensile
steel rod to your snail-cams so
that you can turn them by hand or
with a small ring spanner. Try to
avoid having the rods facing down
(as above) except when the chain
is stretched, otherwise your new
handles might get bent in ruts.WK

TIME
1 HR
TOOLS
AXLE SPANNERS, WELDER

DIFFICULTY RATING

TIME
1 HR
TOOLS
SPANNERS, BOLTS, CABLE
TIES, SIDECUTTERS

DIFFICULTY RATING

2


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