New to it and need all the help i can get

dank

New member
hey ive been posting around a little and asking a few questions, but really what i need is pretty much anything that you can tell me about my bike, gasgas bikes, and bikes in general. im brand spankin new to the sport, my girlfriend got me into it. im 17btw.
My bike is an 03 Ec 250 with WP forks and an Ohlins rear. id like to hear your thoughts, opinions, and anything else that you could share with me about things i should be doing with/to it, or certain tools/ gear/extra parts. i will probably be doing enduros and hare scrambles with my girlfriends family next summer and need all the help i can get before then, so any knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
well... i will tell you like i tell my kid....

I have rode alot of bikes, but the ec250 i bought for him was the fastest funnest bike i had been on in a while..... respect it..

you have an awesome bike, take care of it. Everytime you ride it, clean it
Make sure your air filter is cleand and oild correctly. Make sure you change your oil... After you clean it, look it over from one end to the other. Check for any new damage from the last ride. wheel bearings tight, chain ok, nothing falling off that could cause you to miss your next ride, stuff like that.
Once you get your jetting sorted out like you like it, mix your gas exactly the same everytime.

Take care of your bike and it will take care of you... don't ride over you head.
 
Getting a bike stand is a must. Having good riding gear is a must.
That goes for elbow, knee pads, good riding boots. A good helmet the fits right, goggles gloves and a camel back... just to name a few.

Use the search button up top to search for tools must be some threads on tools .

That should get you started.:D
 
Just like jhendra says ....Respect it

Its not a toy .. on a bad day it can kill you ... or worse cripple you.

In general speed is your friend .... some days however .. if it just isn't working don't be afraid to call it quits and load it back into the truck and go home. See above sentence for why!!

Start reading every thing you can about riding technique. Get some videos shane watts dirtwise is a good place to start.

Start saving up for a cheap trials bike
trials riders are the concert pianist of the dirtbike world

Learn every thing you can about suspension set up/tuning. A bike that is properly set up for you is like night and day compare to one that is so so ...

keeping on that vein .... waste money on suspension tuning before you waste it on engine mods or pipes and silencers.

remember .... its not a toy .....
Respect it, respect it, respect it

I want to hear more about this girlfriend that got YOU into riding dirtbikes!! She obviously must ride ... whats she have for a bike?? Her dad or brothers got her into it?? While your still young to be thinking about it .... she sounds like she might be a keeper!!
 
her dad got her into riding, actually. she rides a KTM 200, 04. and we'll have been together 2 years as of march 24th. and my dad was very adamant that i not be able to own anything with two wheels until i was out of the house, as hes had a few friends lay down roadbikes and almost get killed in the process. luckily for me, i bought it with my own money and i convinced him to let me get it. i found it for a grand in virginia, MN. but anyhoo, she rides enduros and hare scrambles and thats kindof what i want to do. ive got 400 acres of woods and fields to ride on as well. sometimes it pays off to be a dairy farmer... :)
 
the word you forgot at the end is alot. and i know she will, alot. she was girls class D23 enduro champion two years ago, then she crashed hard and didnt ride for most of last summer, and now shes starting to get back into it. when she crashed she did lots of internal damage, which in turn triggered a dormant gene that caused her to develop Celiacs disease, basically an allergy to a protein in small grains like wheat and barley and rye. she gets sick constantly because the disease also lowers her immune system. she is more afraid of her bike now but shes getting back into it. she said that she didnt mind one bit if she were to hang back and teach me to ride. im extremely grateful for all the help she has been and for the patience she has for my neverending questions.
 
damn thats quite the story ...
I yanked some cow teat back in the late 80's
great way to raise a family and make a living ..... if you could actually make some money at it!!
 
the key word: if. and i dont know that i agree with you completely with the whole raising a family thing, the 5 am thing isnt exactly my favorite. but farming does have its perks... As my brothers have no intention of taking over the farm, and i have no intention of milking, i have an idea in my head. my plan is to convert the farm to a minor beef operation, and use the land for my dirtbike. a 500 acre farm with fields and hills and woods would make a great place for a hare scramble i would think. not to mention that i would have a 100% free unlimited access to 500 acres of practice land on which to ride my bike. i like that plan.
 
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well i thought the bike crash was bad, but she just pulled one bigger. yesterday she accidentally pulled out in front of a small red pontiac grand am, and she was driving her parents astro van. the pontiac tboned her and tipped the van over, and her seatbelt came undone and she got thrown around. part of her left lung as collapsed and she has a concussion and some bruising but shes stablized and doing ok. i got the news the last hour of school and made the 2 1/2 hr drive down, and im staying with her till she feels better. i guess the lucky wagon passed her by. but im glad shes doing ok.
 
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