Hub
Maintenance and setup guides with clear intervals and tool lists.
The How-To section is the garage manual we wish came with every bike. These guides cover the jobs riders actually do themselves: oil and filter changes, air filter cleaning, chain lube and adjustment, brake bleeding, clutch cable free play, tire pressure and tube versus beadlock choices, basic suspension setup, packing for day rides and overnights, and reading the weather before a desert or mountain trip.
Each guide is built to be used with dirty hands. You'll find the tools you need, the order of the steps, the mistakes that cost people parts, and when to stop and take the bike to a shop. Torque values, capacities and service intervals vary by model, so we point you to your owner's manual and the manufacturer's service information for the exact numbers on your bike instead of printing one-size-fits-all figures.
Recall checks live here too, with step-by-step instructions for looking up your VIN and getting a free repair scheduled.
Working on a motorcycle carries real risk. If a job is beyond your tools or experience, a good technician is worth the money. When you're ready to ride what you've wrenched on, Trails has routes to try.
16 stories
GearRoundup
Lift stands, scissor lifts, fixed stands and pit bike stands from Matrix Concepts, Tusk and Risk Racing, plus what to measure first and how a stand fits into winter storage.
Read
How-To & TechHow-To
Winter storage done right comes down to fuel, oil, battery, coolant and a stand. Here's how it differs for 2-strokes, carbureted 4-strokes, EFI bikes and dual sports, based on owner's manual and maker guidance, plus a spring recommission checklist.
GearRoundup
Before you park the bike for winter, check what battery it runs. Here's which chargers handle lithium (LiFePO4), which are lead-acid only, and how to hook one up so the bike fires in spring.
How-To & TechHow-To
A dual-sport chain fails quietly until it doesn't. Measure free play at the tightest point against your OEM range, align both adjusters, torque the axle, then clean and lube an O-ring chain from the inside of the lower run.
How-To & TechHow-To
Fifty-fifty dual-sport days live between road and dirt pressure. Start from cold OEM road and off-road numbers, then bias inside that window for pavement, loose soil, and load - without treating the tire sidewall maximum as a target.
How-To & TechHow-To
A dual-sport day ride rewards soft bags that stay narrow, low, and quiet. Pack tools and water where mass helps traction, keep sharp edges off the plastic, and leave the adventure-touring pile at home.
How-To & TechHow-To
Cable clutches on dual-sports need a measured gap at the lever before the plates start to lift. Too little free play cooks the clutch; too much leaves you with a grabby engagement at the wrong time. Set it cold to the owner's manual.
How-To & TechHow-To
Spongy brakes on a street-legal dual-sport are a pavement problem with dirt consequences. Bleed with the correct fluid grade, a clean reservoir, and the OEM sequence - and know when a dealer bench bleed is the smarter call.
How-To & TechHow-To
An overnight dual-sport loop needs sleep gear, a real repair kit, and water discipline - not a full BDR expedition pile. Pack for one night out and a ride home on a tired bike.
How-To & TechHow-To
Desert heat and mountain storms punish dual-sport plans that only check a phone icon at breakfast. Read timing, elevation, and flood risk from primary forecasts - then build turnaround times into the day.
How-To & TechHow-To
Dual-sport and enduro wheel setups trade weight, cost, and trailside repair skill. Tubes remain common; tubeless with security bolts or true beadlocks change how you run pressure and fix flats. Choose the stack you can service away from the truck.
How-To & TechHow-To
A practical dual-sport checklist for Motor Vehicle Use Maps: what the symbols mean, why “usable” dirt isn’t the same as legal, and how to cross-check RideBDR Route Updates plus local ranger notes before you put a knobby down. Not legal advice.
How-To & TechHow-To
A beginner-friendly suspension checklist for trail and enduro: rider sag, clicker baselines, spring rate reality, and when stock valves need a shop. Educational only - not a custom race tune for your bike.
How-To & TechHow-To
A practical oil-and-filter service checklist for dirt bikes and dual-sports: warm the engine, drain cleanly, replace the filter, refill to the sight glass or dipstick, and dispose of oil legally. Your owner's manual still has the final word for your bike.
How-To & TechHow-To
A practical foam air-filter service checklist for dual-sport, enduro, and MX bikes: protect the intake, wash, oil evenly, grease the seal, and reinstall without pinching. It's about the process, not which filter brand to buy.
How-To & TechHow-To
A service utility checklist pointing owners to GasGas and Husqvarna VIN recall-check tools, CPSC stop-ride language for off-road bikes, and NHTSA VIN lookup for street-legal FE/ES units - anchored to the August 19-20, 2026 announcements.
Newsletter
One email with the trail news, race results, recalls and gear stories worth your time.
