dgshannon

21M0313 makes it an early 1968 model.

Most likely a Rekluse automatic clutch. If so, what was the clutch lever is often connected to the rear brake.

Agreed. The Beta (and Montesa) prefer to be pushed through the stroke smoothly, rather than kicked. And I cannot stress enough the ease that comes from pushing through the stroke, to find top dead center, before you try and start it. That way your kick is passing through power, exhaust, intake, and then compression. Gives you a chance to get a little flywheel action going, before you hit compression again.

Great practice. You want to start off using correct technique, which is NOT to simply wheelie the front end, and slam the rear tire into the rock. At about 1:04 you can see the result that often happens with that approach. Instead, used this: http://trialstrainingcenter.com/how-to-ride-motorcycle-trials/double-blip/ In addition to text, and photos, there is video a ways down the page, that helps. Good luck with the practice!

I think I only used my hot start twice. I live in South Texas, so summer rides for us can mean very high 90's and often 100 degree temperatures. As far as the engine being too hot to start, without use of the hot start button, it never happened. Instead, I used mine when it was very hot, and I had dumped the bike such that it was leaning somewhat upside down. (Bars lower than the rest of the bike). In this hot, somewhat flooded condition, the hot start button was needed to ease the process of bringing things back to life.

That exhaust has already burned through his pants, just wait till it touches his leg!

Since Stop vs No Stop seems to have leaked over into this thread, from the British Championship thread, I thought I would add an interesting observation. As I stated earlier in this thread, our club recently put on a vintage twinshock event, that was supposed to have been AHRMA. When they failed to participate, we turned it into a fun event. With that, we opened up the event to modern bikes, but they still had to use the vintage, no stop rules. Watching all the stop riders suddenly having to cope with the no stop rules was interesting. For the most part, when they did stop, it was simply because they were lost in the section. In other words, they needed that pause to look up, digest the markers, and try to figure out where to go next. The ability to walk a section, predigest all it's subtleties, plan a successful route from section start to end, and then jump on your bike and ride it, is a skill set that I believe is ever bit as impressive as the ability to stop, hop and bop. Here we were in less tight, no stop flowing sections, and these guys didn't even know how to use the boundaries they had been given. Properly planned, you could "ride" the section, with a smooth flow. But, you had to think several turns ahead, plan your route, and use every bit of the boundaries you had been given. The stop, hop & bop guys could not even think on that level. Instead, they would ride themselves into a bind and have to stop or paddle. Mind you, the vintage bikes are flowing through, and the modern guys can't get through the section without dabs, or stopping for a five. Watch those same folks in a modern trial, and you see something else interesting. Most of the time, they are not really all that good at stop and hop either. They ride themselves into a bind, then it is hop, hop, hop, dab. Meanwhile, the guys without hopping skills "rode" smoothly through the very same section. Again, you see that ability to walk a section, plan a total route from beginning to end, and then ride it. In general, I think it is a fairly small minority of stop and hop riders that are really good at it. Meanwhile, they stink at flowing no stop riding, as well.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Buy a new bike, and immediately start making mods to try and make it act just like your old bike, rather than spending time learning the unique qualities of the new one. With that said, every 2-stroke I have owned ultimately gets a slow throttle. It just works better, for me. But, when I had my Beta Rev4T, I had no need to change the throttle tube. I thought I did, at the very beginning, because that is what I always do. But, after riding the bike a while, it seemed to work just right, the way it was. Plus, the design of the CV carb just doesn't lend itself to the 2-stroke throttle tubes, slow or fast. So, I am having a hard time grasping everyone's urgency to swap it out, and most likely create a less dependable setup, possibly prone to getting hung, after being ground, filed, cut and butchered. As you said... "go out and simply practice."

When it comes to trials, the AHRMA organization (not Ed and Evelyn) has been a joke for a number of years now. Thus, my lack of membership for a number of years now. The most recent reminder of their failure had to do with an AHRMA event, out at our local riding area. Months and months ago, the planning took place. The local organizer wanted to have motocross, hare and hound, and trials. All efforts were made to get AHRMA on board. Local clubs were each taking a piece, and organizing it, with no effort on AHRMA's part. Just put it on the schedule, and let your members know about it. In the end, AHRMA simply couldn't be bothered with anything other than the motocross. So, with all the effort put into organizing the hare and hound, and trial, they took place as non-AHRMA fun events. When it comes to trials, the AHRMA top dogs couldn't care less about you. Make the move to ITSA (http://www.twinshock.org/).

Probably THE most important step in learning to start a 4-stroke single. Especially as you move into the larger bore bikes. I see you have (or had) a big bore KTM. I had a KTM 600 6 Days Special. About killed myself trying to start that thing until I remembered the top dead center trick. KTM kick start on the left hand side makes it even more fun!

You will get used to it, and as you say, it will be a "great thing to have for downhills". I rode a 2008 Beta Rev4T for a little over two years. Just takes time to adjust. You learn to back off instead of "shut off" the throttle. And no, the Montesa (Honda) would not have been a "better choice". Shutting off the throttle on it produces the same results. And, the immediate throttle response that comes with the fuel injection make them even harder to ride smoothly, and the learning curve is even longer to acclimate. But again, with it, you eventually would have. One of my best riding buddies thought his Montesa 4T was the biggest mistake he ever made, for the first couple of months. Now, he is on his 3rd one in a row.

Keep it up and you will be waiting for more than front end parts!

Been doing the same, for years now. You can always find them on sale somewhere. Far more durable than any purpose made trials gloves I ever had.

Interesting lineup for 2012. Dovizioso from Honda to Yamaha, and there appears to be a BMW and Aprilia in the lineup. 1. Casey Stoner - Repsol Honda 2. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 3. Jorge Lorenzo - Factory Yamaha 4. Ben Spies - Factory Yamaha 5. Valentino Rossi - Ducati Marlboro 6. Nicky Hayden - Ducati Marlboro 7. Cal Crutchlow - Tech 3 Yamaha 8. Andrea Dovizioso - Tech 3 Yamaha 9. Colin Edwards - Forward Racing (Suter-BMW CRT) 10. Hector Barbera - Pramac Ducati 11. Karel Abraham - Cardion AB Ducati 12. Alvaro Bautista - San Carlo Honda Gresini 13. Anthony West - Speed Master (?-Aprilia CRT) 14. ? - Gresini Racing (FTR-Honda CRT)

Not sure "Tubby Trials Team" is the best name. Team "Jump Off Our Bikes a Lot" might work though...

Appears she is getting on well with the change to a 2-stroke... Link:

Great progress. Always nice to see a bike returning from the dead.

Being first time on the property, the trialsmaster was fascinated with using the new creek! Was there a single section on dry ground?

At 2:26 a 4-stroke does it.

Not so sure about that. It is sometimes scary how much people resemble lemmings. Everyone is doing it, so it must be good, right?

No problem with mine, and no, I don't use a pressure washer, for MANY reasons, including the one you are describing.

Same here. I am 54, and I can do 3 days a week, in the gym, with far less toll on my body than a Saturday of riding. Always figured that meant that riding must be a pretty decent workout.

Looks REALLY nice. Anxious to hear more about it. It could certainly live in my garage. The press release indicates that it will be on display at the EICMA in Milan, in November, along with their new Enduro model. European shipment of the Explorer begins in May, with worldwide shipments to follow after. Specs show 163 pounds (74kg).

How do you have the vent hose routed? When my cap is screwed down tight, the vent hose points forward, toward the steering neck. My hose then loops up, over, and back to tuck into the rubber sleeve, with all the other cables, disappearing into the right side bodywork. Without this up and over loop in place, I could see the possibility of a problem, and even siphoning, when pointed downhill, as you describe.

Nope. No problem.