The most important maintenance procedure you could do to is breaking in your pocket bike before taking it out for the first run. Try your best to refrain from riding the bike immediately from the box. Without proper breaking in, you risk cutting the bike engine’s life by almost half and that means you could be spending money maintaining your engine much earlier than you should have to. When it comes to properly breaking in a pocket bike, there are two most popular strategies.

The first method of breaking in a new pocket bike is known as heat cycling. It begins by turning on the engine to idle or just above idle for about five or ten minutes. The engine will only be slightly warmed and still cooler than normal operating conditions. Let the engine cool down after the five or ten minutes of idling. Once the engine has cooled down, bring it back up by letting it idle for an additional ten minutes and then turn it off to cool down once more. Do this for a total of four cycles.

Once that is done and the engine has cooled for the final cycle, it is time to take the bike for a cruise. It is important not to rev the engine or speed up on this run because you don’t want to put too much stress on the engine. Just take it for a ride at a very easy pace for an entire tank of gas. Once the tank of gas is used up, you can refill and the bike will be ready for riding at normal speeds.

The second method is less used but some people think it is more fun since you actually get to ride the bike. Begin warming up the engine by letting it idle for about five minutes. After the five minutes is up, slowly and gently bring up the throttle to where the clutch engages. This will keep the bike from lurching and throwing you off if you apply too much throttle while riding.

Now it is time to take the bike for a ride. Do a lap around the tracks at a very slow speed below normal. This helps to break in the tires. Then you can start to give it a little more gas and focus on hitting as wide a range of RPMs as possible by accelerating and decelerating.

It is important that after the first lap you check that the engine is warmed up enough before beginning. During the fifteen minutes of riding remember not to push the engine too hard or too slow. To keep the clutch from burning you have to keep it from engaging completely. You will know if the clutch is fully engaged by the bucking feel or the noise of the engine.

Now that your bike is ready it is time to hit the tracks hard and appreciate the full potential of your pocket bike. Remember to always follow safety instructions and wear proper gear when riding.