We dialed up Alec Morefield from Slavens Racing for his or her enter on coping with the hydraulic clutch problem. Here’s his sage recommendation:

Due to the age of your motorbike, your grasp cylinder and/or slave cylinder more than likely have to be rebuilt. Bikes that sit and don’t get ridden typically or simply lengthy within the tooth sometimes require a rebuild equipment to repair your drawback. These kits include the mandatory seals and O-rings to correctly rebuild your grasp cylinder and slave cylinder. After utilizing a rebuild equipment, it would be best to comply with the identical bleeding process as acknowledged under. Before ordering a rebuild equipment, you may attempt the reverse bleeding process to make sure you don’t simply have air in your line.

Reverse bleeding the clutch line and clutch grasp cylinder is de facto an elementary process. Rekluse makes a clutch bleeding equipment that can correctly bleed your clutch. Before you begin this course of, be sure you have a bleeding equipment (just like the Rekluse unit) and the correct fluid. Most KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas fashions use brake fluid DOT 4 or 5.1, however some older KTMs take mineral oil. Simply take a look at the cap on high of your grasp cylinder and it’ll let you know what sort of fluid to make use of. If you’ve got aftermarket caps in your grasp cylinder, consult with your proprietor’s guide to make sure you use the correct fluid. Using the improper fluid will end in you having to switch/rebuild your grasp cylinder and slave cylinder.

Next, take away the cap, and we suggest wrapping the grasp cylinder with a store towel to soak up the brake fluid/mineral oil that can slosh out as soon as the method begins. To start reverse bleeding your clutch, it would be best to begin down on the slave cylinder. Before you hook the bleeder equipment (syringe and clear line) as much as the bleed screw on the slave cylinder, fill your syringe up with the correct fluid. Take the time to push out all of the air bubbles in your syringe. Once your syringe is stuffed, take away the rubber cap off the bleed screw on the slave cylinder. Then, earlier than hooking the syringe to the bleed screw, be sure you loosen the bleed screw. Next, put the syringe/line on the bleed screw and slowly push the fluid up from the slave by means of the clutch line and out the grasp cylinder. Keep pushing the fluid by means of and permit the towel to soak up the overflow of the fluid (or bucket to catch the fluid) till you now not see air bubbles within the grasp cylinder. You could have to work the lever slightly bit to see when you get anymore bubbles, and be sure you preserve stress on the syringe whereas doing so. If you’re getting some extra air bubbles, you may need to undergo this course of two or thrice. Once you now not have any air bubbles, tighten down the bleed screw on the slave cylinder and take away the syringe from the bleed screw. Now, you need to verify and see what your lever appears like; if it’s good, reinstall your cap in your grasp cylinder, and clear the grasp cylinder and slave cylinder off with a brake-parts cleaner. Now, you’re able to experience!

FAULTY FOAMER

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,

I’ve a six-year-old Husqvarna FE450, and it’s the greatest machine I’ve owned (and I’ve bought 23 machines through the years!), however my query has nothing to do with it. Because I’m a dual-sporter, I need to keep away from getting flats on lengthy rides. Carrying a tube and CO2 cartridges, together with a pack of instruments, is flat painful. I’ve been operating bib mousses with good outcomes till final weekend. They’re a ache to mount, and my final effort was the hardest but. I had a brand new Nitromousse and was sticking it in an IRC M5B. I needed to muscle it in, because the bead was so tight that I may barely get a tire iron in. I lastly rammed it on. We had an enormous experience arrange and trucked our bikes to the placement, acquired dressed, and I made it lower than 20 miles when the froth tube popped out of the tire and acquired rammed into the swingarm.

The tire seems good, because it was model new. This turned my day right into a nightmare! What occurred?

Harry

through [email protected]

Harry, right here’s some sage recommendation about bib-mousse set up. First, make sure that your foam insert is the correct dimension to your tire. There is little question in my extremely organized mind bucket that both the insert was too huge or your tire was too small for the mousse. You really broke the bead on the tire throughout set up, and that is what let go in your experience. Once the bead is damaged, it can leap off the rim, and this let the foamer balloon out of its nest.

In the long run, be smarter than the tire. If you may’t preserve the bead dropped under the rim over the past 10 inches of the set up, and you employ an extended tire iron for leverage, you may snap the bead fairly simply. I exploit Motion Pro’s Bead Buddies (two is the minimal, whereas three to 4 retains the bead dropped under the rim correctly), take small bites with the tire iron and work slowly. Done correctly, and with the right-sized mousse, the duty is kind of pedestrian. Now, good luck, and we’re all relying on you!

GETTING LOW

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,

I’ve simply put a down fee on a brand new GasGas ES500. Will the suspension reducing linkage by AltRider match the GasGas? Are there different reducing choices? What will I have to do to the forks to degree it out? Price is an element. Please assist an outdated man who has been studying your recommendation for 40-plus years. Thank you.

Jim, an outdated man

through [email protected]

If reducing simply the rear finish works for you, then the AltRider’s variableheight suspension reducing linkage can decrease your seat top to 4 completely different heights: 4.5mm (0.2 inches), 16mm (0.6 inches), 27mm (1 inch) or 38mm (1.5 inches) decrease than manufacturing unit top. I’ve a problem since each ends ought to be lowered equally in order that the steadiness of the machine stays integral. I questioned Dick Wilk, whom I belief with suspension counsel, and he works on the idea that the fork and shock work in unison so the machine’s spacers match internally to shorten the journey. Dick says that the majority go 1 to 2 inches, and each dampers may be introduced again to inventory with out a lot bother. He did say that the fork springs have to be shortened as effectively. The AltRider (www.altrider.com) reducing linkage sells for $235, and the Dicks Racing (www.dicksracing.com) modifications will set you again $495.