Dirt bike maintenance is one of those not-so-fun things about owning a dirt bike, but a little maintenance can keep your dirt bike running problem free for years to come. Granted, you'd rather not do it and riding is more fun, but a broken down dirt bike is zero fun.
You can stop a problem that costs a couple of a dollars to fix from become a major malfunction on your dirt bike by addressing little problems before they grow up into big problems. Keeping your dirt bike clean and maintained is one of the easiest ways to do this.
First of all, wash your bike after you ride. Get the dirt and debris off your bike and once you get in the habit of a post ride washing, it becomes second nature and you'll be able to wash your bike almost without thinking about it.
Check your chain tension and lube it if necessary, keeping your chain from getting stuck will save you a huge amount of problems. Check the chain itself and the sprockets. They take a lot of abuse when you ride and need the most maintenance. Next, give your dirt bike's air filter the once over. If it's dirty, try cleaning it and if it is really dirty or it has been a while since you changed it, spend a few bucks and change out the air filter. When you buy air filters, pick up an extra one to have around so when the time comes to change it out, you do not have to make a special trip to go buy one.
Check your dirt bike for loose bolts, loose spokes and tighten up anything that is loose. Give the bike a general going over to check for loose bolts, spokes and that everything is where it should be.
Give your brake pads a good going over and make sure there is no wear. Also, inspect your cables for fraying and wear. Replace if necessary.
Simple maintenance is easy once you get in the habit of it and it will let you have a safer and longer lasting dirt bike ride.
