kinell

The girls will love that scar - make up a cool story to go with it I've had way too many crashes in the last 3.5 years to remember them all but 2 from last weeks jaunt in the highlands are still fresh in my mind. 1) Riding UP a moor and I accidently dropped into a hidden drainage channel and went over the bars a tad quickly. I was out cold for about 5 minutes and woke up to some mad jock called Duncan Mitchell flashing two fingers at me and shouting "Count 'em you muppet" I was a bit dizzy for the rest of the afternoon... 2) I met Andy at section 1 on Ben Nevis late Saturday afternoon, his instructions were crystal clear: - "Don't do anything stupid and you'll finish the week!" I then missed section 5 so tried to ride into the section from the left hand banking which was about 4-5 foot high. The bank gave way and I dropped vertically into the rockery front wheel first. Over the bars again, hands out to break my fall and crunch!!! Then the bike hit me, got tangled round my right leg and dragged me backwards down the beck. That little tumble made me sit on my a*** for about 10 minutes and think how lucky I was not to break both wrists

I think the 2003 model lost the gas cylinder thingy off the rear shock, which was definitely there on my 2002 bike. Also have a look at the top and bottom yokes, they should have a slot hollowed out of them to make them lighter. The airfilter could only be changed on a 2002 bike by removing the rear mudguard so if 2005 plastics have been fitted, I would imagine a new airbox would be needed too. All of the above is open to correction

Congratulations to Sam on a job well done but also commiserations to Ben Hemmo - it must be really soul destroying to graft all week and come 2nd yet again. Only 1 point in it

You *******

If you turn up wearing a pink leotard, I'll ride 'Trotters Burn' non stop until I clean it (bring a flask and a sleeping bag) Thursday night in the Alex - make sure you're there. http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do...%26+INNS&ooa=on

Email or PM me your postal address and I'll get it sent off to you this week.

Hello Andy, 1) There are 2 black push-fit plugs on either side of the frame just above the radiator, next to the head stock. Prise off the left hand one and you will see the rad' cap. Use coolant, fill to the neck, run the bike and squeeze the rubber hoses to make sure that there are no air bubbles and the coolant can circulate properly. 2) Change every 4-6 rides and use 550ml of 'PJ1' gear oil. The drain plug is underneath the engine, there is a hole in the skidplate that gives you access to it. Change the gear oil when the engine is nice and warm. 3) Depends on how often you ride it, I'm usually on my bike once per week so I fit a new chain every 6 months and a new chain and sprockets every 12 months. Fork seals will only need changing if they leak oil. 4) 75ml of 'PJ1 Silverfire' 2-stroke oil in every 5 litres of high quality, unleaded fuel. I've got a spare 2005 manual which you can have if you're in the UK, otherwise ring John Lampkin Imports for one.

Ishy, load up some of them old bikes and we can take a quick detour

Nice black paintjob, lots of seagulls round there?

The rubber boot never stayed in place on my 02 and 04 Beta's but it's fine on the 05 bike! Don't know why though - maybe a dab of silicone would help Stu

Removing it: - Grab any of the fins as near to the corner as possible and yank it off - it has 2 or 3 small plastic lugs at the top and bottom that fit into the metal ledges of the radiator. Replacing it: - Stand the cover in the ledge at the bottom of the radiator and twist the top slightly so that just one corner snaps in to the top ledge. Then push/shove/whack the last corner in - bit of a snug fit so don't be shy

The little, shiny, bendy things? First thing I do is pull them out and bin 'em - helps to keep the pads and disc clean when I wash the bike...

I'm surprised nobody has chipped in yet but once you have it on 'standard' settings - only change one thing at a time, that way you will know what works and what doesn't

I've never seen a 5 and half tooth sprocket before

I managed to nip out and get the bolts yesterday, they all fitted perfectly with just one small problem: - The M5 and M6 bolts use different sized allen keys, which buggered up my plan to try and standardise as many fixings as possible BTW, I bought the plain jane stainless steel bolts and not the fancy red and blue ones - coz I'm not a tart

Everybody gone shy or what?

It's used to fit windscreens to cars, sets on the outside but still tacky and flexible on the inside. Should be able to get if from any autoparts store...

Bloody hell someone else from TC! which one were you then?

This is out of a 2005 Beta manual but it should be ok for your 2003 bike... FRONT Starting with the fork leg nearest to the throttle, the brass coloured screw should click approx 30 times from top to bottom - set it halfway at 15 clicks to start with. Unscrew it for a quicker suspension, screw it in for a slower suspension. Next, the fork leg nearest to the clutch lever has a large hex bolt, which preloads the spring. Unscrew it to the top if you are less than 70kg, screw it in 5 full turns if you are between 70kg and 80kg, screw it in 10 full turns if you are more than 80kg. REAR There is a small adjusting screw at the top of the rear shock, unscrew it to make it respond quicker and screw it back in to slow it down. You can also adjust the spring by winding the large washers up or down.

Thanks for the offer gents There's a K-supplies shop only 5 minutes away in Burnley so I'll nip there tomorrow morning. For future reference, the rear mudguard needs 'Allen Key Button Cap Bolts: - 1 X M6x12mm (front top) 2 X M5x16mm (front sides) 2 X M5x12mm (rear sides) 2 X M5x16mm (filter frame and lid) Rear silencer needs 'Allen Key Button Cap Bolt: - 1 X M6x16mm (plus washer(s) and Nyloc nut) Middle box needs 'Allen Key Button Cap Bolt': - 1 X M6x12mm 1 X M5x10mm (for angle bracket to frame) All the bolts above should be 'course' thread...

Can anybody explain how bolts are measured? I want to get rid of the 5 phillips bolts on the rear mudguard and the 3 phillips head bolts that hold the middle box and rear silencer on (05 Beta). I want to order them online and don't want to end up with the wrong ones being delivered. Obviously, bolts/screws come with different head types: - hex, allen, phillips, slot etc. Length of bolt isn't a problem as I can measure the original ones. I'm struggling to find out the bolt diameter and thread type Any suggestions? Cheers

He uses Addingham moorside which is Silsden as well as Wilkys land up Kettlewell so not that far from Scarborough. He also travels to club venues if the club arranges enough riders, I'm sure he said he was off to Wales and Scotland pretty soon. Have a look at http://www.jimlampkin.com and/or email him on jim@jimlampkin.com

He told me to pay attention to the little blue and red flags that have 'L' and 'R' on them

I was there today too, cracking day at a brilliant venue but absolutely shagged out now , what bike were you riding?

The oil probably does attract a little bit of dirt (especially with a split grip). I strip and clean mine every 3 or 4 rides, takes less than 5 minutes and makes a huge difference - less arm pump too