sting32

Modifier, my dad has the 300, he put in the low compression head insert, mellows the bike a bit, if you are new might be worth the expense right off the bat, then if you get too good before you buy a new bike/model, you could try the old insert back. kick lever is almost as engineered as everything else is weight wise, vs strenght, not sure what happens if you go modifying on it, might break/weaken it quite a bit. I suggest you develop a kicking method that uses your "leg" not your body to kickstart, I know what your facing, and I have to make myself get my leg to push exactly the direction the kicker is going to move, especially when wet, and it is frustrating sometimes to "miss & slip"... (even after several years with our pro models, I have the 11 raga, dad has the 12 300's) I think if you try to do what I see lots try, to get your foot UP on the lever, and UP against compression, then jump into the air and "hope" your weight lines up right as it settles back onto that leg, with the forces you want to push with your foot. Every time I do such, I slip off and hurt something, worse when I might just have street shoes on. I have learned to put my crotch right over the fuel cap, and just push back and down with strength of my thigh muscles and calf, to kick, kind of taking my body to be lining back up over the seat as well as I finish the kick. One other nice trick is to back the engine up onto compression, this allows the engine to free-wheel through the less compression part of the stroke/cycle, as you start your kick. This is so you get passed the akward start of the starting movement with your foot/leg and are able to keep accelerating to the peg. If you do this, it will stop you from trying to jump onto your leg and starter, because there isnt enough resistance to hold your leg like it does when you try to start at approaching compression... BTW, I do this if it dies, or if I stop and kill it to look at sections or what not, I pull the bike backwards to back the piston as far back as it will let me, I do this before I pull it out of gear before I even dismount my bike... This way when I walk back to the bike, and I am still thinking "how am I going to make that turn" I have it all ready to start and run. It takes just 1/4th of a second to be prepared, when you get off, so when you get back to "start" it it is easy.

WHen you get to be older, you will have learned little lessons like this one you just had, and chuckle (to yourself of course) when you see others have this happen, if your close enough you will stop them and teach them. you can save a life, injury, and or just expensive repairs if you heed the following. From NOW on, you will NOT alter (by maintenance or crash) anything that even touches the throttle cable or any part there of: without checking that the throttle is working CORRECTLY before you attempt to start your bike: This includes if you crash and anything. You check this, while the bike is NOT RUNNING, by twisting the throttle grip, and just letting go of the grip. It should rapidly and of its own property, return to the FULL off position. While doing this, you will audibly check, TO MAKE DANG SURE you here that it makes the "clank" sound as the carb's slide comes to rest on the idle adjustment screw, in the carb. What happened to you is, you pulled the bars up while monkeying with whatever it was, and the outside of the cable pulled out of either the carb lid, or the handle control and stuck, which took the slack out of the cable, which pulls the throttle on (as far as the carb is concerned) which is what you also do when you twist the throttle grip. Heed that my padiwan, save yourself and your fellow riders. Happened to me, what is worse was we were pulling the bike to bump start, when it started with throttle stuck on... For those faint of heart or not able to manage panic, this situation that should be avoided by the throttle check, ends very ugly, more times than you can count.

I think that was a type-0... below the radiator... they make a carbon fiber looking guard, keeps the water from flying up over/beside the cylinder and almost directly into Airbox fresh air opening. I use a mudflap on my fender. we dont have that many rainy trials anymore, drought out here in the "PLAINS" you know. I think you can also make a deflector at the opening, it is right at the front of the seat, where tank meets, to help prevent this. Main thing is to make the flap at the bottom to close or be pretty small hole for draining, so that when you get that deep into the water, water cant just rush in... Else it is going to flood the airbox, and then the engine. It needs a better design, I guess, older bikes I had used something like we have in boats for the drain plug, that water can go one way... they all have drawbacks though, when you aren't moving, they seep water back into the boat as well. Again most any design is a "happy medium" between dry and dirty and wet and muddy.

The "idea" was weight savings, and adjustability. Raga used to take his 2002 Pro clutch cover with him to all the bikes (probably new ones, just in my mind I think of it as my numberplate, I take to each new bike. Pro riders that constantly hop, SEEM to like a clutch that enguages and disenguages quickly, I describe it as a standard on off switch. Me, an old fart, likes the newest style with my favorite oil, that makes the clutch have several "degrees" in a sense at least, of progressive engagement. to me this is more like a little bit of a dimmer switch between off and FULL on. I have a normal looking light switch in the basement that works just like that. if I flip it up all the way lights are on bright as usual, if I slide it up from off, or from full on to off, I can vary the brightness. One thing has been beaten to death on the forums, you might want to read around, that the Gas Gas "Pro" engine's clutch will NOT ever freewheel when clutch is pulled (disengaged), fully. At least not quite like some think they should. I mean like my Honda Street bikes, well any Jap bike and even Harleys... If you pull the clutch on those, it is as if the bike is in neutral, for all intents and purposes. Seems to me Ossa felt this way on the one I test rode, and not sure about sherco. Honda/Montesa has a clutch that completely freewheels, on the 2 I rode... Anyway, The Gas Gas will drag very slightly, and you either like it or you get used to it then like it, or you wont like it let alone get used to it. I like it, but I am definitely used to it. I'm talking slight drag, nothing that will pull out of my hands, but I know it drags because it is hard to find neutral because of the drag, and almost impossible with an "untrained" toe of your boot, not that bad using your hand. I "ride" the rear brake all the time too, when riding, because I almost never actually let the clutch out of my finger, nor fully engaged, My dad and I refer to it as my finger being a manually operated torq converter as in a car without a clutch... you can stop at an intersection, and the engine doesn't die, but you can't (in most cars) easily push the car backwards if you let off the brake, and if idle is too high, you let off the brake it will run over anyone trying to push it backwards, lol.. Ask me how I know that one. yep, I got run over working on a race car one night, when my buddy started the car in gear.

Start here when searching for the videos... http://www.youtube.com/user/GASGASinfo this is the "owner" and parts importer & distributor for the USA's Gas Gas trails line. Jim Snell, he and the bike importer made "maintenance" AKA "owners manuals" that are actually "movies" the put on VHS, then DVD, for the bikes they sold in the USA, I think they still do. Anywho, that is Place to start. he's uploaded all the chapters I have on the DVD for mine, I think. PS, I used to have the clutch bookmarked, lost it... but you can find it, I am sure...

I removed mineral, put in dot5 in most all of mine. I am betting the last or someone in it's history, had fancy (anodized alum) caps on that bike, then got a newer bike, took stock caps off new bike placed on this older bike while they took the bling to new bike. Still, dot 4 or 5 brake fluid should be fine in an 02. There was a time I thought, that you couldn't use mineral in an older than 04 pro, without changing the orings. So dont go by the caps though. I like 5 it is silicone based, might give a tiny less friction when pulling levers? This fluid wont affect how the clutch works (dragging) really, as long as you have EVERYTHING adjusted. Slipping that has to do with finger (release fingers on the pro clutch) there are tight specs for this, then it can be (relatively little bit) changed with viscosity and friction of tranny oil used. If it hasnt been done (not positive about 125's though) in 2006 they redesigned the big spring on the clutch, it was easier to pull with your finger/lever. but 125 might not been, but I would bet it has, might be a good $10 mod. Search Youtube for Gas Gas Pro Clutch, or this site, for adjusting clutch "thikness" or finger height... There's more but others probably make more sense than my typing will.

Skip the donut, is what my dad always said, another pair of socks, weigh a lot less. Only took me 46 years to take dads advice, lost 70lbs. I feel it too, I cannot keep warm like I used to, but in summer I'm not heat-stroked anymore, as easily.

Copester, Tell me why a "good rider" would want to buy a bike that not only handicapps him/her against his competition, except for maybe an update for his wife's bike? that is what I was saying. Sure there is the guy that is the master riders, I have seen several times at the M.A.T.T. club that can ride his wife's friggin 96 250 Pampera, in the intermediate lines, better than I can ride my '11 raga pro, but again, he's just busting around, and luckily he's not in my class/competiton... But I guarantee (within reason) he's not out to buy a radoner for competition. I hope he gets one, maybe I can buy that pampera.

Sorry, But the radoner will be just a step above an OLD TL125... Gutless for a beginner... Purely a non compete wife/mom/girlfriend bike.

Yeah, and honestly, if the weight difference of the alum vs steel means very much if at all, you need to move up several years on the bike, gain a helluva lot more weight savings. IMHO.

Doesn't broken cases mean that there has to be a problem with the frame or something?? Im just guessing, becuase I dont think the engine can possibly NOT stand the stresses, it would get for normal use, unless or if the other parts are broken/bent/loose and not doing thier job. I would as a non_ structural_engineer qualifications, think the engine is bolted into place, and only is slightly a "stress" member in the configuration of frame and skidplate along with engine. I have had the engines out of a few of my Pro bikes, but nothing since the 08 RAGA 300, (prototype for the round tube frames if you recall). It has had the engine out of it. I mention this, because from Montesa's to Gas Gas, It is not uncommon to be hard to (if you) take skid plate off, then get it back on, because of the forces that happen on skidplate can tweak and cause things to shift when you unbolt... but never have I had a problem removing the engine and getting it back in (as long as you dont losen the skidplate, I guess. Something must be wrong, so I guess I would have to insist that something else is wrong that is not being corrected, for the frame to break the engine cases, IMHO. Unless of course, Evil Knievel's evil twin brother, is setting jump records on this thing? Maybe the skidplate is loose or something wrong, or too much dirt built up between rubber and engine and skidplate, or there is a broken part somewhere besides the engine cases?

Ben, it was the clutch side, if that matters... We had bought these covers for the my dads 2010 when we unboxed it. when I moved from the 10, he moved to the 2012, so I took them to the 11. still just saying when you get done installing the caps, loosen the levers, turn upside down best you can, see if they leak. Mine were dry one afternoon, that is when I was like What the heck? I fiddled for a while, finally I just decided to try not as tight... So, didnt tighten them quite as much as I can stock covers, and I think they quit leaking for me. I had all but given up and almost put stock ones back on. not everyone will have this problem, maybe no one else will, so just sayin... I honestly need to remind myself to check to see if I have lost fluid, since then.

Ben, I have installed the S-3 versions of these covers on my bikes: I move them to new bikes sometimes if they are still not all scratched and stuff... BUT the biggest problem I have is they leaked... I figured it out though.... You cant tighten the aluminum ones I have at least, as tight. I'm talking about up to MAYBE 1/6th of a rotation of the screwdriver less tight when you tight? you will have to play with it if you have the problem I had. Older bikes, I didnt seem to have this problem. So just beware, but it could just be "just me". sucks to figure it out on the day of the trials and clutch master cylinder is "suddenly" dry.

BTW, saying to NOT lube, is misleading. with normal maintenance, using grease that does NOT get hard when cold, is NO worse than not using grease at all. if you get dirt in there from falling down {a LOT, or just once} then going DRY is probably better idea... I dont usually fall down, so when I do, I've got greasy dirt in there, especially if it tears the grips and all that.... So, when I get home I remedy the situation, just LIKE you have to without some grease. Using the slipper seal grease (IMHO) was kind of like inbetween Normal throttle, on maintained bike that is, and a bearing type throttle. FWIW, If you leave the dirt in there because you run "dry" it chews the **** out of the plastic tubes, gets harder to turn and all that, as well...

Wondering if you were in shape to ride anymore? haven't ran into you in a couple years, at least. hope things are well for you, merry Christmas to ya, no matter how incorrect saying that, might be to some....

Thermo switches go bad, nothing lasts forever. I believe the 06 thermoswitch is located on top and inside the radiator. You have to test that you have "power" before you do anything else. Take the 2 wires that are headed to thermostat, where it plugs into the wires to thermostat, make something that will short those to wires together, but DONT LET that touch anything else. start bike, the fan should come on, if it doesnt you have voltage problem, wich is that black box (usually)... it could be you have lost a ground wire as well. If the fan comes on when the switch is "manually connected" then the thermoswitch is bad. what you can do is test it, if you have an "ohm meter" or a "multimeter" that can test for conductivity. the switch is what it says, a switch that activates when things get hot enough, it is just an "automatic" toggle switch, that completes the circuit to ground, by letting the 2 wires that go to it, touch together... This is why we short with a jumper the 2 wires to test that fan works. you can put thermostat in hot water, add heat, and a thermometer, and check continuity as water gets hot. supposed to come on something like 170-190 degrees (exact I cannot recall, but within 10% of 180 I think).

Copey, you don't even own a Gas Gas so why you in here? (lol/joke). ShercoBen, before I got the bearing on my throttle tube, I used this stuff I bought for putting new seals in forks, it is seal grease, this stuff didn't get hard in winter, cold like many greases... I got it at a yamaha dealer, but here's what it is I was using, before I got the bearing setup, it might be a quick/cheap/easy fix, or something to try before you buy the bearing (it isnt that expensive either, so do what you want there...) http://www.motorcycl...&WT.MC_ID=10010 yes, a bearing makes the throttle have a helluva lot less "spin" resistance, 4 years ago throttle spinning to easily, was bad for me. Im not talking a little bit easier to spin when you have your weight on them and all that, but a LOT. So my arm/wrist muscles had to get stronger, so I didnt accidently twist the throttle so much when I didn't mean to. took a couple day riding I guess to get used to it, and adapt. you have to cut the handlebar throttle side, for the ones I got, I think it was S3 version I got. now the Raga's have them stock.

BEN! there is a good chance that the water is still from past infection of water. I have had to change it 2 times after initial fix and change. This of course was because I didnt notice it quickly... the other possiblity is, have you or anyone messed with the HEAD? Because, there are 2 orings, they sit in grooves on the head, to seal the head to cylinder. and they are sized just enough they can wiggle out of the groove when you put head back on. there are tips to assembly to keep orings in place, if you need them we can repost but you probably find them in this VERY forum. So if one (seems to me inside one is more likely to "slip out of place) if it moved, you are going to have an compression blowing (VERY HARD maybe small quantity) its air, into the water jacket, including the water pump area. Seal on pump cant hold that compression power. so it pushes every time the engine turns over, more & more water into oil. it is an EASY fix if this is the case, but it is something you have to do very carefully. but my first guess about your milky oil after you fix it, is leftover water/moisture in cases, and stuff. it doesnt take much to make oil foamy. Hope that helps.

Very lightweight, hehehehee

that looks just like my bike, saved me an upload. lol.

Make DANG sure you put seal in the right way, take pictures if you have to, and Youtube has a video (from the DVD owners manuals that Importer created for the USA customers.) If that helps, http://www.youtube.com/feed/UCuuOSB4N2iUkW8dbbH7HJpw (looking for user named gasgasinfo) They updated youtube, so I cant find anything, and I dont have time to re-hunt.

Just like any other equation, It is NOT just straight line... The set point for max pressure the cap can hold is (I dont know, but lets guess that it is like 10psi) Compression would be I guess, up to a hundred PSI, and pretty good volume. I think that most think of radiator as a solid, but it's pressure would escape out the cap, but you need to realize and visualize it EXACTLY like a balloon loses air out the blow hole (not a pin prick, as you know a pin prick creates a hole as big as the balooon itself. So, there would be more than 10psi in the radiator UNTIL all of the pressure was "equalized" or let out. But only until the next compression! So for the few MANY milliseconds it might have up to 100psi to shove water into the oil, for say, a many milliseconds, while it bleeds off pressure through that tiny hole in the radiator cap. but then gets another "pulse" from the compression... Which happens how many times a second? without a hole the size of the piston/cylinder to let pressure out, you COULD not see it let off fast enough to leave a helluva lot more than 10 psi in the water jacket. Water heating up causes expansion, but it is so much less volume or rate of expansion, so cap can let it out quick enough. Least that is how I think it is.

In the states, we're dealing with 15% ethanol added to our fuels, a few stations sell without ethanol, for a higher price usually. Plus I can control the ethanol by buying race fuel. Your part of the world might not have these problems. I mix my oil so it is 80:1 gas:oil. and that has been more than enough oil in the fuel. some use even higher ratio's (less oil per gallon/liter). My bikes, seem to like higher octane, that I can buy, I mix 1 gallon race fuel with 2 gallons of known non ethanol gas from station near me. Not sure what I would do, if I can't find gas without ethanol, probably just strictly use race fuel, which is expensive as heeeeell. but with the Ethanol in the gas, means it also absorbs moisture (water) from the air, into the fuel, and hundreds of "additives" from refinery processors tries to keep the water from separating from the fuel. But even with those nasty additives, the premix oil, in my experience, globs to water molecules, then partially plugs the main jet in the Kehin carbs on all my Raga's which are 300's. The plug is a gooey jelly like substance, usually affects how the engine runs, after only about 4 tankfuls of the crap. Your mileage will vary with how bad your government is running the gasoline industry. I have documented, that I lose more than 15% MPG using the aforementioned Ethanol blended fuels, in my work/commuter car. I can travel on the 12 gallon tank that I only let it get low enough to need about 10 to fill it, 300 miles on a tank. when I use ethanol, I dont get 230 miles on the same average amount of gallons of gas. Plus the USA was subsidizing the gas companies to add ethanol to our gas, which is exactly like watering or thinning the paint, to make it "seem like it makes more gas per barrel of oil" I guess. Yet it just takes that much more fuel to go the same places, and someone is getting rich in the meantime.

The answer to OP's question though is, NO, you could NOT have applied enough oil to the filter to cause the bike to not start. Worst_POSSIBLE_case_scenario, you over oil the filter: It drips off the filter to bottom of airbox, out the drain flap. The filter is a sponge, just like sponges you used washing dishes, excess oil would drain to bottom of your airbox. A couple of kicks and no matter how much oil, you can still draw more than enough air through the filter to start the bike. Now if you used glue, lol maybe.

Jon's message above me can be modified by how big a groove is on the shaft. I had one, early in my experience that the shaft was so bad the new seal wouldnt do anything, being a newb I didnt know that the groove was NOT a "design" so expert help intervened and I was fixed with new shaft. if you get the actual "new" kits, the shaft is finally hardened enough to not wear a groove every year, which means you shouldn't have buy a kit each year, knock on wood. (year or so was my schedule... due to hours of riding a year of course) As far as How does leaking oring on head cause water in oil? Well, here's how. The seal around the water-pump can't hold a candle to the pressure from Combustion, so what it seems to do is pulse high pressure into the water jacket, which then pushes water into gearbox at water pump seal. We've already explained that we KNOW, if the overflow hose is crimped, and you have just filled the bike with coolant, when you ride, pressure builds up in the coolant side, pushes the excess water into gearbox, around the WP seal, instead of out the overflow. Combustion pressures are worse. Last guy on here or another forum found that he heard a sound when bike was running, after changing his head, which alerted him that the o'rings had moved on him upon installation of the head, there is a trick and "hope" to these o'rings BTW... I have no idea what he heard, but he made me think of a reed type musical instrument, mouthpiece only, being blown on...