Boo

The XR250 BAJA's brake pad pins come with a separate plug, and rust made them a struggle to remove on my old Transalp. I swapped them for DRC stainless pins with hex heads (37 mm front, 52 mm rear).

The seven bikes I have owned, from a Yamaha DT200WR to a Honda X-ADV with DCT: why I chose each one, why I let it go, and how weight, parts and ease of riding came to matter most.

A friend's 1991 Yamaha DT200WR brought me back to riding after ten years. I stripped it down to the engine, fitted a new piston and rings, rejetted the carburettor and had the forks Kashima coated. What was good, what was hard, and why I let it go.

After fitting a genuine BMW rear hugger, I removed the extra mudguard under the number plate on my G650GS. It only takes three screws. Before-and-after photos and why I fitted it in the first place.

Each autumn I swap the G650GS Sertão screen for a larger Wunderlich screen. Tools used, how I worked around my sat-nav stay with washers, and before-and-after photos.

The Transalp 400V I was given was covered in rust. I repainted the swingarm with POR-15, laced the rear wheel for the first time, fitted an Africa Twin Öhlins shock, and rode it from 2010 to 2012 until a tip-over on a slope.

How I keep warm on the bike in December and March: winter jacket and trousers, a thin Rough & Road neck warmer and handlebar muffs. The successor model (RR5898) and what I'd buy next.

I ride in Kushitani spring/summer gloves with soft protectors. After switching, my hands stopped going numb on long rides, partly because the depth between the index finger and thumb fits my hand.

A used high seat for my BMW G650GS felt hard, so I peeled the cover off to find out why. The foam was still soft; the cover had hardened. Here's how I removed it (about one to two hours) and the cutter trick that worked.

After about four years of use, my Kijima JP01 tyre inflator broke in May 2026: the display went wrong and it kept pumping. Around September it started working again without any repair.

I fitted the NGC Smooth Drive System, a static discharge part, in 3 places on my XR250 BAJA in about 40 minutes. No dramatic change, but the bike felt easier to ride; this is my impression, not measured data.

My BMW G650GS had an unsteady idle I couldn't explain. After I tightened its loose insulator band, the idle settled and the engine felt stronger; really, it had just gone back to normal.

With the battery out of my G650GS, I spotted brown staining where the insulator joins the throttle housing. The insulator band screw turned out to be loose, so I tightened it.

I fitted standard-size cheek pads to my SHOEI helmet instead of the size chosen at a fitting. The helmet followed my head better, but the pressure on my cheeks left my teeth feeling odd.

Before fitting Kashima-coated pistons to the rear brake caliper of my XR250 BAJA, I measured the bore and the piston. The diameter fits, but the piston is about 4 mm shorter than I remember the original being.

I cut old bath towels into palm-sized rags for motorcycle maintenance and make plenty of them, so I can keep separate rags for dirty parts, the screen and polishing.

The antlion ride height kit on my XR250 BAJA has an exposed spherical bearing. I found that an IKO PRC rod end dust cover fits; it only needs holes for the other side and the grease nipple.

Replacing the worn front brake pads on my XR250 BAJA (MD30) with Daytona Golden Pad χ: removing the DRC pad pin, drawing off a little fluid first, cleaning the Kashima-coated pistons and pumping the lever before riding.

Winter flat battery? First check the kill switch, gear and side stand, then use a jump starter or jump leads. To prevent it, ride properly, use a maintenance charger (I've used CTEK for 15+ years) or disconnect the negative terminal.

Using the service manuals, I charted the front fork spring lengths and fork oil volumes for each XR250 and XR BAJA (MD30) model year, and noted what the differences suggest, such as the BAJA T's 439.2 mm springs.