Transformed at the turn of a wrench

[Thumper3]

Now I have tried to make my pig a better overall machine. Stripped the weight off it, got it jetting good, regeared it and put good tires on it for off road use. The one thing I have over looked due to ignorance on my part, was the spokes!

...Now I recall a few years back when I was getting a tire put on the mechanic mentioning to me that my spokes should be tightened as he wheeled my bike over to me. I thanked him and honestly didn't give it much thought.

...Tonight I had a buddy put on a new chain, sprockets and a wheel bearing. Might as well tighten the spokes. Now this pig is 12 years old. I bought it 5+ years ago with low mileage on it. Have beat the hell out of it off road.

...Buddy sais " almost all your spokes are really loose. How do you find it handles off road?" It feels at times that it doesn't tract straight. But I have always chalked that up to worn tires/ wheel bearing. " No its your spokes. They are way too loose. Its effecting how it handles and even how the power is getting to the ground because your hub is moving around.

...He tightened (tuned) both wheels and said you wait til you see the difference. I headed out to some of my favorite trails and it literally felt like I was on a different bike. The difference in handling was drastic. It felt amazing compared to what I have become accustomed to over the years. I had NO IDEA how important tight spokes are. Power is put down in a more controlled fashion.