KDXRIDER.NET

My sincere apologies for the thread, spoiler... But the next few paragraphs are just me feeling sorry for myself.

I seriously wish I was mechanically inclined. I'm a casino manager by trade, and though I spent hundreds of hours riding trails with family and friends as a young man... Working on my own bike (dad was the mechanic and worked on all my bikes when I was younger) is proving to be challenging in a good day.

The most routine, simple things are exceedingly tough. Today I got the genius idea to install a 50 tooth rear sprocket. That should be what, a 1 hour job at most? Four hours later and I had to put the 47 back on. But wait, there's more!

I ruined the master link clip in the original chain taking it off. No worries I think to myself, because I bought a new chain for this job. Another hour of cursing and fighting, and I somehow lost the fu@&ing clip for the new chain!

So I do some reading and find out about the master link tool. That makes me realize that I am the tool here.

So no ride tomorrow, and more money thrown into the wind buying **** that I either didn't need, or replacing what I've already bought.

Maybe some guys can only ride and should save their cash for a bike shop. I don't know, but tonight I'm completely over trying to work on the bike by myself.

Or I could have just left well enough alone and ridden it this summer the way it was. Nothing was wrong with it until I started effing with things.

Blah



dude

A lot of us feel the same way, but never post. We have been there and done that.

It's ok. Last weekend I drove to the riding area to meet my buddy's. Unloaded the bike, started it, noticed the clutch didn't feel right. Found the cable frayed at the lever. Tried to fix it temporarily, clutch cable snapped. Put the bike in the truck and watched my buddy's ride away. That's frustrating! I'm really anal about my bike and preach maintenance to my buds, which adds insult to injury.

I drove a couple hundred miles to race my brand new RM400 back in the day. Got up to the start line, pulled in the clutch and, snap, the cable broke. Some days are just like that.

Maybe I can help you feel better....

A 50 tooth is really too big unless you are climbing trees and limited to 1/2 throttle. 13/47 is just fine.

The master link clip pops off with a small screwdriver, the links can be pried apart with a big screwdriver and vice grips work great to squeeze them back so you can put the clip back on.

But don't worry, I've screwed up more stuff "fixing" things actually making improvements. Heck, I'm an Engineer so it is surprising my bike runs at all!

Even those of us that grew up wrenching on bikes have those days where we'd rather use 5 gallons of premix to build a KDX bonfire than ride Two biggest pieces of advice are #1 have a manual, and #2 have the right tools for the job. Yeah it sucks to buy a $30 tool to do a 30 second job once a year, but pays for itself the first time that 30 second job eats a whole afternoon. Don't give up, keep at it, these are probably the best bikes in the world to wrench on as far as ease of maintenance and durability. I taught my sons that whenever they were doing a job on the bike for the first time, research and read first, then go back and read it again. Take some pics of everything as you work so you can see how that circlip went on or how that cable really was routed. Take your time, and when all else fails log in here, vent, and we'll throw out about 1,000 suggestions about how to move forward Plus then you can put that repair money towards the important stuff lol

Heck, I'm an Engineer so it is surprising my bike runs at all!

+1 Me too, and sometimes all I can do is shake my head lol

Thanks guys. Btw, I do have the kindle version of the cyclopedia manual. I just was super sure that I could do a chain/sprocket change in my own.

Today I got a new master link and clip, installed it, and rode around my subdivision. My hands and fingers are good and bloody from the screwdriver slipping; but hey....

dude

I once sliced holes in 2 different ultra heavy duty($35) tubes trying to mount a new tire. So don't feel bad about a master link.

well last weekend me and a buddy attempted to take apart a four stroke and the cam shaft chain kept coming off took us till four in the morning to get it all back together with the timing marks and she didnt start. valves were stuck open and we haven't touched it since because it was killing us. so im on your side but hey u learn something every time you don't pay a mechanic even if you break something think of it as paying for an education thats what helps me. better in your pocket than theirs.

rsr02 wrote:I once sliced holes in 2 different ultra heavy duty($35) tubes trying to mount a new tire. So don't feel bad about a master link.

The first and last time I tried to change a tire I popped the original tube, bought a $15 replacement, popped that, bought a $15 replacement and was ultra super duper careful with it, and popped that on literally the last bite. Gave up, brought it to a shop, and had them do it. Ended up spending more money on popped tubes than on the tire itself.
Haven't tried to mount a tire since then but I do eventually want to learn. It's just hard to say no when the shop down the street only charges $15 to save me the massive headache.

one word :windex

spray the rim and tire liberally with windex and that tire will pop on like nothing
oh, and don't move the tire iron past 90 degrees with the rim, once you go past 90 there is a chance of pinching

I like to put the iron to a 90 and then massage the tire further down with my hand

diymirage wrote:one word :windex

spray the rim and tire liberally with windex and that tire will pop on like nothing
oh, and don't move the tire iron past 90 degrees with the rim, once you go past 90 there is a chance of pinching

I like to put the iron to a 90 and then massage the tire further down with my hand

I used a lot of Windex and only later read about the 90 degree thing. That's probably the reason they all popped.
I had a little air in the tube but later also read that coating the tube in talc helps it slip away from the spoons.
At some point I will learn to do it right.

For $15 they could change my tires any day.