PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
e’ve all been there before: the dreaded mud race. If you’re not Aaron Plessinger or Justin Barcia, you’re probably not feeling stoked about it. Here are a few tips to make sure your bike is ready for the challenge.
The first thing we did was pack foam anywhere we thought mud, dirt, and rocks might lodge. The foam creates a barrier so debris can’t get caught. We put a piece down in the skid plate, we ran a piece behind our brake pedal, and another around the water-pump case. (Rocks can actually get stuck and wedged between the brake pedal and the case, holding the brake down.) We also put foam behind the shifter, freeing it of debris and allowing for smooth shifting. And here’s a pro tip: you can secure your foam with zip-ties and cut the ends really sharp in order to stab through the foam with ease.
After that, we put a little piece of foam (with glue) in each end of the axle so mud and water can’t lay in them.
Another important precaution is using dielectric grease on all the electrical connectors. If water gets in there, it can short out the system. Dielectric grease prevents water and debris from getting into the actual metal connector itself.
Next we covered the inside of the footpegs. In a mud race, the ruts get a lot deeper, and the pegs will actually scrape along the sides of the ruts, filling up and causing them to stick up. We cut small sections from an old flat inner tube and put it over the spring area of the footpeg to keep mud from piling in.
Then we lubed the areas where mud can stick. I used Maxima SC1—a water repellent—on the rims, under the fenders, and anywhere else it seemed like mud might cake on. When mud comes in contact with the silicone lubricant, it doesn’t stick nearly as much.
Hand guards do just what they say: protect your hands. With a lot of debris coming from the bikes in front, a lot of mud is going to be flying back at you. Hand guards keep that slippery, slimy mud from getting onto the grips and levers and keep your gloves a lot cleaner.
On to the airbox—and this is more aimed toward a wet race, maybe a water race like Daytona a few years back. Just take a little bit of duct tape and make a small channel for water to run away from the air filter.
Finally, we taped up the throttle housing with electrical tape and then spray inside the boot with SC1. This keeps water and dirt from getting in the throttle and causing it to stick. 
Scott Adkins is a former factory mechanic and now runs Pro SX MX Tech (prosxmxtech.com), a trade-school program that teaches mechanics all they need to work for the sport’s top teams.
