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Gasgas contact 250 two fork oils?


gasgasguerilla
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My contact 250 I got leaked right out of the box brand new. Great fun bike but I was not impressed with the suspension leaking with just a few minutes of riding in the driveway breaking the engine in.

 Also when I called the dealer I told them the fluid I drained on that side was black! Then I also drained the other side and it was red. He said he had this similar issue with another client and the same model gasgas contact. Someone also said that there was maybe something about the suspension is different on each side and that's why there is a different oil?

Was kinda bummed for it to happen so fast with a brand new bike and I've never had a seal leak on any bike in my life and I have some serious seat time on paved/dirt race tracks not to mention crappy highways and mud/rock/dirt hillclimbs. I've probably owned a dozen bikes in my life and never had 1 seal leak. Maybe it's a trials thing lol or maybe I just had good luck until now. Though it doesn't seem like I'm the first person to have this issue w the same model bike. I will say I'm new to trials and this gasgas is still possibly my favorite bike. Just what a trails bike can do is awesome. This is the 3rd gasgas I've rode but the 1st I've owned. 

I dont understand the fluid procedure. The manual says to have an air chamber of 160mm when the suspension is at 590mm from axle to top. Also says not to compress the suspension while measuring. Yet when my bike is not compressed, even when it's off the center stand it's about 740mm. So now not only do I not know what fluid to use where but I don't know how much to put in or how to measure. 

The front disk also rattled and when I went to tighten it, it kept rattling. So I slowly in a star pattern kept tightening it yet it kept rattling. Eventually i got it so tight that it,... broke a bolt head and that sent me to town to get a small extractor. I've since pushed the rest of the bolts to their limits and the rattle is gone but still needs tightening often. 

The seat also falls off all the time as it wasn't built to be adjustable so the way it went together wasn't stout. Eventually I figured out i had to drill the front mounting plate a new hole to move the front tab/knob to a location that picked up the slack in the seat play. It since has stayed on even during some serious use.

Not really excited about walking out the dealer door with a brand new bike that already leaked and squeaked and had a minor design issue that could have been fixed with an extra drilled hole or two in the mounting plate.

BUT, other than my couple issues I rambled about this bike is awesome. I love gasgas and know they just changed hands so I won't be too critical of the new company keeping my favorite bike in production and it's a new model for them still. Hopefully the issues can be resolved soon. If not I guess I'll just have to guess or hope someone here can get answers or already knows them. Yes I have some gripes with the new bike but I can also shout off way more things I love about the bike. Love to see gasgas still going and can't wait to watch their new electric trials bike evolve too as i live offgrid and so my life revolves around sunshine and batteries. 

Hopefully I can get this suspension fixed right soon and get back to riding it setup the right way. This bike is too much fun to ride to have it parked :)

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When a manufacturer gives you a air chamber height for fork oil, what they are referring to is a measurement taken with the fork spring(s) (many Trials forks are designed with one spring in one fork so different air chamber numbers will be indicated) removed and the fork collapsed and with fork cap removed. 

The measurement is taken from the top edge of the tube inside down to where the oil is. In this case 160mm the other fork most likely has a different number. This should be done with the fork tube off the bike and held vertically for the best accuracy. Most Trials bikes are running between 5w and 10w fork oil.

As far as the front brake disc, the reason it rattles is it is a floating disc. It is supposed to be a bit loose as it is designed to be able to move side to side and forward and reverse. You are overtigtening the bolts which is why you are snapping the head of the bolt off. You should check the tourque spec. for them and since it sounds like you may have already overstressed the other bolts and may have induced stress cracks which could cause failure you should replace them with new bolts and tourque them to correct specs.

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The older pre pro contacts used to use different oils in each fork leg. This is because one leg contains compression damping and the other rebound damping.

A few weeks ago a person i know had a new washing machine (less than £400) installed. A few days later at the second wash it leaked. The supplier immediately put a new door seal in the post which arrived next morning. The owner fitted it but it did not solve the problem. When the owner reported this a new machine was delivered, installed and tested within a week, The installers also taking the old machine and packing away.

If this level of service can be provided on a sub £400 machine why not on a several £1,000s bike????

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1 hour ago, beta_blocker said:

When a manufacturer gives you a air chamber height for fork oil, what they are referring to is a measurement taken with the fork spring(s) (many Trials forks are designed with one spring in one fork so different air chamber numbers will be indicated) removed and the fork collapsed and with fork cap removed. 

The measurement is taken from the top edge of the tube inside down to where the oil is. In this case 160mm the other fork most likely has a different number. This should be done with the fork tube off the bike and held vertically for the best accuracy. Most Trials bikes are running between 5w and 10w fork oil.

As far as the front brake disc, the reason it rattles is it is a floating disc. It is supposed to be a bit loose as it is designed to be able to move side to side and forward and reverse. You are overtigtening the bolts which is why you are snapping the head of the bolt off. You should check the tourque spec. for them and since it sounds like you may have already overstressed the other bolts and may have induced stress cracks which could cause failure you should replace them with new bolts and tourque them to correct specs.

Thanks. Yeah it seemed odd because the other gasgas I have rode neither of the discs made a noise. I wish the manual had said to take out the spring if that's the case. All it says is not to compress the spring or rod so that made me assume they stay in during measurement. I'll try your method and see if it gets me the normal 300 or 400 ml/cc of fork oil I read about online w other trials bikes. Thanks for your input. 

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1 hour ago, dadof2 said:

The older pre pro contacts used to use different oils in each fork leg. This is because one leg contains compression damping and the other rebound damping.

A few weeks ago a person i know had a new washing machine (less than £400) installed. A few days later at the second wash it leaked. The supplier immediately put a new door seal in the post which arrived next morning. The owner fitted it but it did not solve the problem. When the owner reported this a new machine was delivered, installed and tested within a week, The installers also taking the old machine and packing away.

If this level of service can be provided on a sub £400 machine why not on a several £1,000s bike????

Yes that's what I heard. One is compression and one is dampining. Just hard to believe they didnt put that in the manual about that each side needs a different oil. Rt now I have 5w in both sides because I had no clue what the black oil was. I didn't mind paying less for cheaper suspension. I'm new to trials and was hoping to just upgrade to better forks in a few years when my budget can digest the cost and my skills develope. Just didnt want a leaky BRAND NEW bike that I can't even get the right manual on... even still I think I might have to ask this bike to marry me LOL. Where has trials been all my life! Always looked kinda goofy to me but after riding one in the mountains I'll never go back to my 250f or 450f. Hopefully gasgas can make this right because I am in love with the bike.

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  • 2 weeks later...

front brake rattle is fine!! that is a floater rotor!! do not over tight it!  I had pretty much the same issues with my contact 250! 

fork seal is a really easy job. there is a video online .  are you in the USA?? if so you can call me 518 597 4678

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