With close to 50 off-road motorcycling trails across the USA, there’s no shortage of places to get dirty with your machine. Of course, part of the fun of dirt biking is, well, tearing it up in the dust, dirt, and mud. And this leaves you with a bike that needs a lot of care if you want those wheels to keep turning.

Read on to learn about the dirt bike maintenance you need to complete before and after hitting those trails.

1. Chain Health

When it comes to dirt bike maintenance tips, few are as important as ensuring the health of your bike’s chain. Instead of cleaning your chain after every ride, wait until the next day. The mud will have dried, and it’ll be easy to remove with a stiff brush.

After that, inspect the chain for kinks and ensure it has adequate tension. It should have some slack: a free-play of half-an-inch is ideal. Don’t forget to apply some fresh lube.

2. Top-Condition Tires

The tires of your best dirt bike are one of the crucial touchpoints keeping you safe from a dangerous crash. Between every ride, you need to check the pressure in your tires.

Depending on whether the riding conditions are muddy or dry:

• Front tires should be between 8 and 14 psi
• Rear tires should be between 6 and 12 psi

Check, too, for any objects embedded in the rubber or gashes that might compromise the integrity of the tire’s surface.

3. Keeping It Clean

You need to wash your bike after every ride. There are no exceptions to this rule—except maybe letting the mud dry on your chain before brushing it.

You don’t need any fancy tools for the dirt bike cleaning process. Just grab a bucket of water and a few different types and sizes of scrubbing brushes. The idea is simply to get that mud off.

If you use a pressure washer, be careful not to force dirt and debris into the engine or other components.

Only once your bike is clean and you’ve waited for it to dry thoroughly should you inspect it for damage.

4. Check the Parts and Controls

Dirt bikes are designed to take one heck of a beating. However, all that vibration means loose componentry is inevitable.

Inspecting every inch of your bike’s hardware is an essential part of responsible dirt bike care. Everything from the bolts and control cables to your CRF70 parts may have loosened while you were out having fun.

5. Freshen Your Fluids

When it comes to vehicle cleaning tips, some things may seem intuitive. But they’re still worth a mention here.

Just like a car, you need to:

• Check and clean the air filter
• Change the oil
• Replace the brake fluid
• Check your coolant level

You can do this after every ride, and some very active bikers do, but it’s not necessary in most cases.

Learn About the Dirt Bike Maintenance That Matters Most

There’s standard vehicle stuff you need to take care of when it comes to dirt bike maintenance, like checking your tire pressure and changing the oil. But there are also off-road motorcycle-specific things regular riders need to be aware of. Cabling, bolts, and parts wear out much faster when you’re riding on rough and ready dirt trails instead of smooth tarmac.

For more advice on taking care of the machines in your life, read the other articles on our blog.