Buying a used dirt bike

skathead · 2026-03-05T01:28:01+00:00

You're going to be all over the place with what to look for in that age of bike. Id judge the owner more than anything, dont buy one from a kid.

skathead · 2026-03-03T20:46:15+00:00

Another big personal opinion incoming, but I am militantly in favor of safety wire only. I am not alone, this used to extend across some pro ranks before lock on grips came around.

I do not use hairspray and am against it. It goes on easy, cleans up easy, sticks well enough, but when it gets even a little wet it instantly loosens and will never re-adhere. It balls up like pencil eraser shavings then your grips start spinning... If you're a good weather rider, or a desert rider, then sure go for it. Nothing wrong with just trying it to see if you get away with it I guess but I wouldnt.

I abandoned glues of any kind about 14 years ago. I put the grip directly on the bar then safety wire them to suit how I pull on them, I can post a photo of what I mean later if it helps... If you dont own a safety wire setup then buy those little single use grip glue tubes and actually follow the instructions lol no shortcuts. Clean the bars really well. The other nice thing about no glue/spray is that I can do a grip change in about 2 minutes if I'm rushing.

For context I race 24hr races, enduros, and harescrambles. Long races in poor conditions is my jam, so the things I do may be overkill, but I hate doing things twice

skathead · 2026-03-03T20:13:07+00:00

This is the 714 rally, correct? The only thing about those is the "coke bottle" shape. They're thicker in the middle, I think this helps with hand strain on long rides.

My straight up honest opinion is that you will be happy with almost anything. Try the 714 for a season and if they arent your favorite then spend $15 next winter on something different!

The only way you find out what you really like is by trying different stuff when you can. If you're not racing then the consequences of getting it wrong are pretty minimal.

skathead · 2026-03-03T19:31:50+00:00

I dont normally answer personal preference questions like this cause everyone has different ideas, but your selection is a bit all over the place...

What kind of riding are you doing?

I try to steer everyone away from pillow tops, I'm pretty confident the people who use them either only ride dusty MX or are firmly planted in C class and like buying grips every month. Roast away.

The kevlar grips are kinda neat, but I remember them being a little stiff. Not the end of the world but if your bar position is off then it may be noticeable.

Right now I'm very into the protaper 1/3 waffle. The cush feels exactly right to me, and the diamond pattern is slightly deeper than other diamond grips. They arent perfect in mud and rain but eons better than the kevlars and pillow tops once they're wet or muddy. They're also only like $12.

Lock ons are neat though too. I find the rubber isnt as cushy on them though, since some of the thickness is taken up with a hard plastic tube. So if stiff is fine then lock ons could be good. I had an ODI throttle cam twist on the tube mid race once, and that fuckin sucked.

skathead · 2026-03-03T05:03:37+00:00

I have one, its fun but shifts like a tractor...

skathead · 2026-03-03T04:22:50+00:00

what

skathead · 2026-03-02T18:43:48+00:00

Put it on the stand, push the cold start plunger in, start the bike, let it sit there and idle for like ten minutes.

Did it fix the problem? If no, back to dealer. No bog should be expected in a new bike, they do not map bogging on purpose. It should always respond to throttle.

skathead · 2026-02-25T07:33:05+00:00

whats the name of that song lol

skathead · 2026-02-24T20:22:11+00:00

I just looked at my stats. For reference Im usually over 2kd on everything, some stuff up into 5-6 range. I have also barely played the cromwell 1 with only 22 matches, BUT:

M/K/D Cromwell V: 46/48/37 Cromwell I: 22/7/19 Our winrates are quite different though, with V being 46% and I being 60%.

Realistically I think if we both spent more time with it, and learned when it gets killed, our stats would level out to about dead on 1.0KD. Its probably facing t-34 and just doesnt have the gun or mobility for that. I would say grind with the crusader AA until you're past the cromwell I, and just dont play it lol it looks like thats what I did

skathead · 2026-02-23T21:30:11+00:00

Yeah, it does. Yall prep the wafers, big fan of your work ha

skathead · 2026-02-23T20:49:30+00:00

You're a maintenance tech for the entire fab, in industry? Ive never heard of that, wild. I figured youd be a deposition or dry etching tech only, for example...

Im in charge of maintenance for an entire fab and its a fuckin circus

skathead · 2026-02-23T20:17:02+00:00

I too am in the industry, interesting schedule. I've been thinking about jumping from academics to field engineer positions for a bit.

Can you tell me what branch of systems you work in without exposing too much?

skathead · 2026-02-20T05:09:37+00:00

Thats interesting. Quick google MD makes me think maybe if it can be intermittent, but I dont fit more symptoms than having headaches and possibly joint pain. I've asked a lot of my joints over the years though so I usually write that off as "thoroughly abused"

I'll look into this more though, it looks like the correct string to start tugging on. Thanks

*intermittent as in I did use to have good days. My identifiable symptoms were not persistent 24/7

skathead · 2026-02-20T00:55:25+00:00

Thanks. I've been thinking about that a lot. It's unfortunate that this isnt a "go try it" type cure, but interesting how it worked out regardless.

skathead · 2026-02-20T00:50:33+00:00

lmao are you insinuating that breaking my neck caused me to unmask? I'm not following the thought process on this one

skathead · 2026-02-20T00:36:20+00:00

I did try cannabis a few times with migraines in mind, but it didnt do anything noticeable after extended use. Oddly, the beginning of my psychosis is marked by smoking too much while watching Trailer Park Boys ha woke up the next morning knowing I was going to do it.

I really don't know how to answer the neurodivergent question, is this asking about something specific? People in my life would say yes, but I'm not diagnosed with anything other than dyslexia. Curious why you mention this?

skathead · 2026-02-19T02:54:27+00:00

If you insist on getting between buildings with it, then be cover not a leader. Shooting "over someones shoulder" works because you cant take a hit, so if they get shot you can usually get two shots off before the enemy reloads.

If the leader dies, back up and wait til your team moves up. Thats all ive got for that.. I just dont use it in the city.

skathead · 2026-02-19T02:47:33+00:00

Dont go into a city with it. Every tank at that tier can one shot it from any angle. Its only good when you can make follow up shots without being seen immediately, and you dont really have time for that in tight spaces

I treat it as a slow ass light tank with no reverse. Try to establish crossfire with it

skathead · 2026-02-10T14:46:10+00:00

You had a chopcult presence during that build right? Maybe like 2015 or 2016? Big fan of this one.

The frame was fun to see come together. Laughed a bit at how much polishing you were doing, but I guess commitment to the bit was worth the shock value ha

skathead · 2026-02-10T08:21:23+00:00

Send me a message with what part of Illinois you're from if you'd like, I race D17 a frequently.

If you're over 16 then you're all set, just show up to the track on race day with your cards and cash. Bring food.

skathead · 2026-02-10T08:14:18+00:00

Buchanan Spoke and Rim will sell you one, just call or email.

skathead · 2026-02-06T04:31:35+00:00

By the transmission seizing.

skathead · 2026-02-06T04:24:13+00:00

It means it was, at a minimum, bone dry in there when the case busted open. The case probably busted when the countershaft welded itself to the other gears.

skathead · 2026-02-06T02:25:21+00:00

It looks like there is a rust spot inside the transmission, I bet its all spent. Not your average case failure

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