Just want to say Happy New Year to everyone from Desert X Throttle! Last year flew by super quick, but had lots of great memories! Fun and challenging rides, projects, and many future plans. I personally want to thank all the viewers and those who inspire me to be better. We look forward to a great 2020!

Here’s a short recap of the top projects and videos from 2019. We are excited for another year, more bikes, projects, riding, and other fun adventures! We have been working on fun products we hope to share soon! Keep your eye out for some fun 3D printing. We are excited to add 3D printing to our dirt bike projects! Let us know what you’d love to see and if you have any questions.

Here are the Top 5 of 2019:

1- How to: FCR Carburetor O-ring Mod

Looks like the carburetor made it to the top 5 again this year. A battle with 4 stroke dirt bikes is getting the old carburetors to run smooth again. Seems like we have all had that trouble before. If you don’t have the coin to throw into a Lectron or Smart carb, there are many tricks and tips when it comes to carburetors but if you keep hearing the bottom end bog a little, here is a tip I found has worked for some of my bikes in the past. The idea in this modification is to tie the throttle pulley linkage and accelerator pump linkage together, in hopes the accelerator pump (AP) will then keep up with the throttle pulley. Click here to watch the step by step video explaining the process of modifying the carburetor.

2- How to Restore Plastic

Old bikes come with clean up projects. I have had many old bikes over the years. One main problem with sun exposure and plastics is oxidation. Cosmetically this can be changed, if the plastic is still in decent shape. This process is budget friendly. A little tip for removing old graphics is using a steamer. For years I spent a lot of time scraping off the old graphics. I had a friend suggest a steamer. I’ve since tried it and the old graphics just peel off, not leaving residue. In my picture above you can still see residue, with a steamer that would most likely not be there. The new graphics covered this area, but less work would be using a steamer. Click here to watch the plastic restoration process. Good luck with your project! I have always had success when restoring old plastics. If something is still in good shape, why not restore it?

3- How To: Straighten a Dirt Bike Radiator

A smashed radiator, I have seen a lot of these over the years. Buying a new radiator hasn’t always been in my budget, so I found a way to get more life out of them by straightening it up so the air can flow once again. First make sure you look over the radiator good and check for any leaks. If you have a leaky radiator, it should be properly fixed or replaced. If you just banged it up a bit, it can be fixed with time and patience. I suggest watching my video, which you can find here, so you don’t put pressure in the wrong spots. If you don’t fix a bent radiator you may run into issues. These issues could be decreased airflow, leaking, restricted coolant (bike will overheat), and stress on other components on your bike. Give it a try and let me know how this process worked for you!

4- Timelapse XR400R Restoration

I sure love my good ol’ XR’s. I have owned many XR’s and they are my go to bike. Now that I am getting old I can feel the heaviness of the bike a little more. I recently sold this bike, which was a very hard choice. The plan was to always have an XR in my shed, but I think a lighter bike might be what I need. These bikes are the best on maintenance and amazing for trail riding. An XR will hold up and they have solid motors. I love putting around slow with my kids and crawling over mounds of rocks without killing the bike. This restoration was a fun project. I loved tearing into this bike and seeing the potential it had to become something new. Check out the full video restoration here. Whats your next project? Maybe you can be inspired to take on a full dirt bike overhaul, like this XR400R. Don’t forget to check out the before and after process and pictures. This process is fun to see. YES, it is possible to make a 23 year old bike look good!

5- How To: XR200R Fork Seal Replacement

Don’t let a leaking fork seal scare you away. It can be tricky, but will help you learn something new and save you money doing it yourself. How do you know if you need new fork seals? The first sign is usually a lot of dirt/grease build up on the forks and front wheel. When seals get old or dry out, oil usually leaks from the seal and runs down the forks. When replacing fork seals, it is usually best to replace the oil at the same time. If your ready to get your hands dirty and learn something in the process, I will walk you through replacing your fork seals. Click here to watch the video. Reminder: this is on an older bike so newer bike will be a different process.

We hope to hear from you and see you on the trails! Bring on 2020!

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