How much maintenance is required compared to a sport bike?

[LG416]

Hi guys,

I'm new to dirt bikes, but from what I have been reading it seems like a constant battle to keep it maintained?

I've had a GSX-R600 for a few years, and the only maintenance I have done with it, is before every season I changed the spark plugs, air filter, oil change, rad flush. Things like that, the only thing I used to do every day was Lube my chain and a general look around to make sure everything is good.

don't get me wrong I love working on bikes, I just want to know what I'm getting into hahaha.

I've cleaned, and Jetted my carbs on the GSXR, changed sprockets & Chain, things like that, so I'm confident in whatever I have to do with a dirt bike, just want to know how much is really involved in maintaining it.

thanks

 

[76GMC1500]

There is a ton more maintenance, but it is much simpler to do.

 

[FruDaddy]

And I wouldn't call it a battle.

 

[ZOMBIE666]

Look what a dirt bike has to deal with compared to a street bike. Basically every time you take a dirt bike out, you’re beating the crap out of it so of course parts will wear out. Dirt bikes (performance dirt bikes) need far more maintenance than a street bike. As far as im concerned, maintenance wise a street bike might as well be a daily driver car while a MX bike is more like a dragster. now you could go pick up a play bike that needs very little maintenace but you wont get the performance

 

[76GMC1500]

Well, I guess you should compare items that frequently need replacing on dirt bikes vs. items on street bikes. Street bikes typically need tire, oil changes, chains, sprockets, valve adjustments, brakes. Dirt bikes require all of that but much more frequently, they also frequently need clutch baskets, rims, wheel bearings, swingarm bearings, shock linkage bearings, fork seals, pistons, reed valves and powervalve cleaning (if 2-stroke), cylinder head overhauls (if 4-stroke), body work, silencer repacking, handle bars/levers, etc... You'll find that all of this maintenance is much easier to do on your dirt bike and the parts are generally less expensive. $500 and 2 days work can turn the rattiest dirt bike in to a great dirt bike.

 

[mtk]

A dirt bike requires far more maintenance than a street bike because it operates in a far more hostile environment.

With that said, the maintenance on them is easy. You can strip a dirt bike down to a bare chassis in less time than it takes to get to the valve cover on a typical 600 sportbike.

One big thing is you DO NOT want to neglect this maintenance or it WILL be an expensive parts bill. For example, greasing the suspension linkages and swingarm pivot only needs done once or twice a year (depending on your riding conditions), but if you neglect it you'll be looking at $100 in bearings instead of $0.25 in grease and a bit of your time in short order.

Buy a bike, get a factory service manual for it, and get at it.

 

[LG416]

thanks guys that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

will post questions as they come up, but will start with getting my hands on the factory service manual (for whatever bike I end up buying)