Pre-flight checks are a pretty good habit to get into. Not just for brand new bikes, but new-to-you, second-hand bikes as well. We can’t blame you for being in a hurry to twist the throttle, but if you hold fire just for a little bit, here’s a quick list of free things that we did to our new long term ‘22 CRF450RX before we swung a leg over.

Yes, I know – you don’t really want to wait to get on and ride, and neither did I. But unlike a wheelbarrow, your bike needs a little TLC to help guarantee that it gives you those long years of riding bliss that you and it deserve. I set aside 30-40 minutes of time before in the hopes that I will not only save myself time and money in the long run, but also learn a thing or two about the new bike in the process. And the more you know about your bike the better.

This is true not just for brand new bikes, but any bikes that are new to you – no matter if they are from a shop, Joe down the road’, or the top Enduro rider in the country that told you it’s only done 60 hours from new.

Spokes

Spokes are a tricky beast. You don’t want to over-tighten them, but at the same time, you don’t want to have them too loose. You can actually buy a specific spoke tightening tool that clicks when you are at the right tension. Brand new bikes from the shop almost always won’t have been checked after they come from the manufacturer. The PD process (from our dealings – some bike shops might do this) doesn’t include tightening the spokes.

So as a rule from new, give the spokes a tighten from the get-go about a half turn. Do this in a pattern of starting at the rim-lock and tightening every 3rd spoke. Count three more spokes and tighten again. And so on… Once you have completed three revolutions of the wheel you will have been over each one. A new bike will have a bedding in period so check the spokes again after the next three rides to make sure.

I managed to find only one loose spoke on Rhonda which is a pretty good result.

New bikes should come with a spoke tightening tool in the spares kit. Second-hand probably won’t so it’s good practice to have one anyway. They aren’t expensive.

Air Filter

Clean air filters are the bomb. They are beautiful and clean and ready to stop all that shit getting into your engine. If your bike is not brand-new, check to make sure the filter is clean. If not. Clean it. That includes the airbox too.

Brand new bikes from the shop come with a filter that is slightly oiled from the factory. Remember Rhonda has come all the way from Japan and it has probably been months since it was oiled at the factory. So unless your dealer is a fantastic fellow and applies extra oil during the PD process, you really should put a bit more on before you go riding.

Like all solvents and oil products, they can evaporate over time. It will be the easiest oiling you will ever have as you are pulling out a clean filter and just adding more filter oil. The next one won’t be as lovely so enjoy it while you can.

So I took the air filter out and gave it a lick of Motul air filter oil for peace of mind. This also allowed me to understand how the filter sat in the airbox and how to remove and install while everything is super clean.

This new model of CRF has a super easy and simple filter removal and location process. It simply clipped in and slides in and out easily like a draw, making it really easy to seat which I’m pretty happy about. ít is so important to get the filter seated properly - I can’t stress that enough.

We are very thankful to have Motul NZ on board with The Dirt and Rhonda will be in good hands with the huge range of Motul Oil available here in NZ.

Engine Oil

The bike shop should check your engine oil level during the PD’ing process. But just for your own peace of mind – check it yourself. Again this also makes you understand the process in a safe and clean environment, like the garage, where you have all the tools required. The oil that comes in a new bike will be perfect for running in your new bike. So have a good couple of hours of fun on the only free oil you will probably get.

I am super stoked that Rhonda has a sight glass that lets you check the oil on the fly - fantastic! No more dip sticking and wiping. This will make checking the oil before each ride so much simpler.

If your new bike is second-hand – change the bloody oil straight away. You have no idea how long it’s been in there for? It’s not even close to being worth the risk. You will also know how much maintenance the previous owner had been doing by how black the oil is that comes out.

TOP TIP: engine oil colour is also a great thing to check when buying a second-hand bike. If it’s gluggy and black, step on back - of it’s golden brown (or red), then ride it back to town. No guarantees given, though.

Levers

These are ones that often get overlooked and it still surprises me when bikes shops insist on tightening the front brake lever and clutch lever up so tight that it will invariably break if you drop the bike. If you’re listening out there bike shops – please, please, please stop.

Now my rant is over, do yourself, your wallet, and your future experience of trying to ride back to your car without a clutch a favour, and adjust your levers so that they can rotate with a bit of force placed on them. This is for new and old bikes alike. Obviously, you don’t want them so loose that they just flop down when riding. But you also don’t want them so tight that they have nowhere to go and snap when they hit the ground.

I tightened Rhonda’s pinch bolts up incrementally and tested the levers for rotatability. An even better idea which I did here is to use some plumbers/thread tape and wrap it around the bar under the perch. Now you can tighten them up quite tight and still get that rotation in a crash.

It is good to note that this isn’t full proof and the perfect crash will still break your lever. But 9 times out of 10 you will get away with it.

Grip Wire

If you have some - wrap it on. The main reason is that if you crash and rip the end of your grips, it will stop the glue from coming loose over the entire grip.

Bolt Check

Do one – then do another. Again, bike shops aren’t scouring the whole bike for loose bolts when they are PD’ing a bike. If they had to check every single bolt of every single bike they build you wouldn’t get your bike this side of Christmas. If you have an 8, 10, 12, & 14mm socket (plus 6 & 13mm for KTMs) you will be able to check about 95% of the bolts on your bike.

I’ve had plenty of bikes over the years and have a good range of T-Bars that make it so easy to bolt check. I learned this the hard way at a GNCC race back in the day., when I installed new plastics on my race bike and took too many breaks to check and see how cool it looked. Forgot to check everything was done up tight and mid-raced I started having plastics falling off the bike!

Suspension Clickers

It’s not strange to hear stories of the suspension setting being completely different in each fork, and the clickers set in weird places on the shock. Don’t know whether it’s a game from the factory or what, but often you will have one fork set on 6 clicks and one fork set to 18. Then the rebound will be wound all the way in - it’s a mess.

If it’s a new bike, check out the owner’s manual for clicker settings. It will usually give you a couple of options for medium, hard and soft. If it’s a second-hand bike, and you’re not sure what you are doing, set áll the clickers to 12 clicks out from all the way in as a base setting and start from there.

Maybe Rhonda was a Wednesday bike build from Japan, as the front forks were only one click different on the front compression. everything else was bang in the middle which is where I will be doing the running in before I start getting all ride height and clicker happy.

They say if you do the Mahi you get the treats. Put the garage time into your new steed and you should be spending the Chrissy break railing ruts and nails jumps. Plus it doesn’t hurt for re-sale if your bike is in tip-top shape, and you can prove it too.

Rhonda is now ready to ride…and ride we shall!