gavin

just out of sheer curiosity what are peoples views on 125 and 200cc bikes for grown ups? long and short is that i grew up riding trials and a few years ago came back to it with a beta 270 and now a 2010 sherco 290, although i havnt ridden for 2 years due to all the covid issues. i'm 55, about 12'ish stone (76kg/168lbs) and only out to have fun in local club events, i ride novice. i'm now looking to sell my sherco and trade up to a slightly newer bike, something around 2015. i like the 290 but it is a handful, i was wondering about getting a 250 but lately i've been wondering if a 125 sherco might be a better bike for me, i would say the beta 200 would be perfect but i do not like left side kickstarts. anyone got any views, experience or advice?

no, bell helmets advertising department in the 70s. for what its worth though, i did my first few trials in my helmet from the 90s but just before christmas bought a modern trials helmet and its so much nicer. polycarb ones really are cheap and there are some old stock last years graphics bargains to be found if you hunt around.

thanks for the replies. i have gaerne balance, the bike is a beta but i grew up on bultaco so i should be ok with a left kickstart. basically a guy was faffing in front of me and suddenly decided not to go, the marshall was frantically waving and when i saw i rushed to start my bike and i wasn't entirely focused, my foot slipped, the cut is just below my knee to the top of my outside calf. fortunately i had brand new jitsie omnias on and the thicker fabric did not tear so that saved my leg really serious damage (i got away with 5 internal stiches 10 external). so hence my question for some pads that would give me a little extra protection to the side, i'm actually less worried about knee and shin protection.

i managed to put my kickstart through the upper part of my calf on sunday and figure some knee protection would be a good idea, but i cant tell from pics if any have much side protection or are just lycra socks to hold the caps on. cant anyone recommend anything that would offer a bit of protection on the sides, not so much impact more abrasion?

i'm wearing brema bib pants that my god parents bought me at the scottish six days in about 1980, although i'm gutted that i binned my two same era TT Leathers jackets and Sammy Miller one-piece when i cleared my dad's house a good few years back now. now if i could fine a Happy Time suit!! ; )

i stripped and cleaned the carb on my '01 rev3 and the next day it kept dying on me, although on tick over and lower revs it ran fine. after reading the beta carb tweak page i checked my floats and sure enough the little pin had rotated slightly (i'm guessing when i blew air around) and was catching one float (you can see where it was catching the plastic) so i wasnt getting a full bowl of fuel.

i dont know if this comment has already been made, but to me coming back to trials after well over 30 years, and based on the two events i've been to in the last month there really are no older cheap bikes entered (except me). i did see the same at enduros when i looked at a few in the last few years with a view to racing again (when i started racing enduro in the very early 90s there used to be a dedicated old cheap bike class and it had good numbers of entrants). same with the schoolboys i see, when i was a kid starting out in trials most of us had something ancient that our dad's put together yet now its all shiney new kit for everyone no matter what class they ride in. the irony is that to enter a trial is ridiculously cheap, i pay more for a basic club running race and at least double the trials entry fee for a larger event so its pocket money pleasure really. so maybe if you could encourage more of a run what ya brung it might bring in some entrants. oh, that and the acu website is an utter joke for both joining the acu and searching for events.

at least you guys have finished. ive just decided to give trials a go again after well over 30 years and so far first trial i managed 2 1/2 sections before the bike started cutting out every 30secs or so. second trial, last sunday, i walked the first section only to come back to my bike and found the tyre flat and with no pump (never pack a car with a thick head cold) that was that. on the plus i've learnt a shed load about bike maintenance in a very short time. ; )

Before I start exploratory pulling and twisting, can anyone tell me if it’s possible to replace easily the ht lead and/or the plug cap on a 2001 rev3 or is the coil an integrated sealed unit that can’t be altered?

I need a new hose from airbox to mikuni carb and have seen silicon ones for 12/15quid or so listed for my bike. But looking further generic bits of silicon hose can be bought for a fiver, I've had a quick measure with callipers but before I take a flyer and hope I'm right does anyone know the exact hose dimensions I need to buy?

well the trial didn’t quite go to plan. got the bike out in the morning, freshly fuelled, and it wouldn’t start. 20mins later, after fiddling with plugs and even trying to bump start, I got it to fire and the second it did a stroppy woman with a horse appeared in the lane and insisted I turn it off as her horse was scared. Managed then to get it running again easily and got to the trial just as it was starting, and when I found my first section I seriously thought I’d bitten off way more than I could chew especially as I literally had ridden the bike only for a few mins on the flat. But anyhow gave it a go and was stoked to get round with a 3. After that I was really looking forward to the next section, decided to concentrate on just making them in 3s with strategic dabs rather than trying to score lower and it went well. but then the bike started playing up and died on me. I got it going again reasonably easily but it died again on the next section and after more starting and then the bike dying continually decided to retire. Havnt had a chance to strip the carb yet but I think it’s a fuel supply prob and maybe the floats sticking and not allowing a constant level of fuel in the bowl, possibly some old crud was dislodged when I sprayed carb cleaner and air to clean it. When it runs it pulls beautifully so I don’t think it’s jets etc. The bike had been sat unused for a good few years and had just had fresh fuel in and started before I bought it. I’m going to order an ultrasonic cleaner and do a proper clean, also needs a new pipe from the air box as I found that had split and I’d done a bodge repair to get me to the trial. And maybe an odd one but I read a thread about the same prob and it was the kill switch so for 8quid I’ll pop a new one on too. But anyhow if I try those easy ones first at least I’ll be able to see if it’s sorted and if not I’ll be posting for help on here soon. Bike issues asides, after thinking I’d made a mistake I really enjoyed the ride and I can’t wait to get the bike sorted for a proper try at the next trial.

Fortunately the rear has a nice obvious ‘tell tale’, a big nut! : ) the rear wheel out is next on the list though, I want to do the bearings but more so get to the swing arm so I can go over it and give it a service as judging from what I’ve sorted so far my guess is that the bike was bought 10 years ago from a dealer and run a bit but never serviced again. But before then just the small matter of my first trial in maybe 30 years this morning, with a total of 15mins practice riding figure 8s in a flat field. What can possibly go wrong!!

YouTube was my downfall, a vid on a gasgas wheel removal was what threw me as they removed a cap. anyhow all sorted now, it didn’t help that the thread was dust dry and pretty seized but I looked at it over a cup of tea and then it all came apart nicely. And yes large Allen and unscrew.

Thanks for the replies. no not removing the disc calliper, but trying to remove the spindle so I can take out the front wheel and change the bearings. Regular forks not usd.

I’ve just bought an 01bike that’s not seen much maintenance, but good grief I can’t even get the front wheel off. I’ve looked on here and google, I’ve looked for a beta parts list but only later bikes, so nothing. just wanted to check I’m not being stupid. I’ve slackened and removed the pinch bolts on the non disc fork leg, non on the disc leg. am I right that the 4mm Allen cap on the disc is them removed and the spindle tapped out? i ask because the cap is totally solid and Not helped by the Allen showing signs of being nicely rounded off in the past. I’ve tried tapping it to jar the threads, it’s not soaking in release fluid, and my next thought is to apply heat. I can’t see that it’s a tap out as is without removing the cap but thought I’d check. as I say, really can’t believe I’m asking how to remove a wheel.