dadof2

The tyre will perform differently depending on which way round you fit it, it is to do with the weaving of the belting and the order in which its laid to make the carcase. The difference in performace on a trials tyre is so minute you won't feel it. Polish the arrow off with a flapper disc (same as you do with "not for highway service") Using a tyre wrong way round on the road is an offence and an MOT fail.

I think modern engines are not so good as the old pre reed valve motors for plodding in mud and finding grip. I reckon about 14 to 18 hp is all you need but I would guess all modern 250s and above comfortably exceed that with the intention of firing expert riders up steep grippy slopes and obstacles.

The best way to test the stator is on the bike, spin the engine with a drill (spark plug out but rested on barrel). You can see if it sparks and measure the output from stator at same time. As previous poster suggests - check for fuel starvation

The Mont / Honda will probably be the most reliable, its a few Kgs heavier than the others but still a lot lighter than a bulto. I found it grips slightly easier than the others particularly on muddy rocks. Its drawback is lack of dealers and frequent oil changes with expensive synthetic oil but it will probably depreciate less than the others and use less petrol. I may get some flak from gasgas owners but I think the gasgas will be the least reliable due to gearbox and kickstart problems. Ignition failure is far from unknown on any of the two strokes. Beta, gas gas and Mont are available in 2 different versions to complicate things further. If I were choosing in the lower spec price range I would probably go for a sherco, in the higher price range probably the mont. I would ride all before buying. Having said that the 200cc beta is a very capable bike and easy to ride.

Rossi comes from a different era - the pre traction control era - remove that little gadget and he may once more be unbeatable. I think VR can go faster, I don't think he wanted to push too hard this year as he probably knew he could not beat Lorenzo imediately on his return to Yamaha. Roll on next year

The usual problem is that there is a high spot in the hose where air can't rise out of. Try positioning the bike so air rises all the way to the bleed nipple. Back flushing with a large syringe can overcome this but not always as the hole in the master cylinder may be too small to permit a decent flushing flow rate. You can get large syringes from vets or from medical supplies on Ebay - 2 for £6 last time I bought them a few months ago.

Slightly compress the forks by easing your weight forwads and pushing down on the bars as you bend your knees, then straighten your knees and open throttle at same time as pulling gently back on bars.

Post #50 no discount. If Honda are fixing the price and stopping dealers offering discounts I am near certain they are breaking both UK and EU laws.

I found it a bit distasteful that dropping Burgess had been revealed to the Italian press before Burgess himself was told. There is probably more to this that we will know for a long time, if ever. VR is not known as the GOAT without good reason and he will have analysed what he feels he needs to do to improve. To stand a chance at VRs level of racing a rider has to be at one withe the bike and have complete confidence in it. JB failed to sort the Ducati and this must have dented VRs confidence.

Low compression head reduces cylinder pressure and power at all RPM. In a 2 stroke pressure waves travel along the exhaust pipe and then bounce back from changes in exhaust diameter. Changing the length of the pipe changes the distance the waves have to travel and therefore the time they take. This changes the RPM at which the effect of the waves occur. Increasing the length of the pipe gives more time for the wave energy to dissipate. The overall result of pipe lengthening (without other changes) is often a loss of peak power and a flattening of the torque curve but it often softens the feel of the power at low RPM and makes the bike less likely to stall.

Looks as if there may be an O ring missing from the groove in the tap. But it is difficult to tell from the photo if there is a recess in the tank for it to snap into. The tank plastic looks like polyethylene and it is very difficult to get anything to stick to this.

Whatever you do a 300 has a large piston area and therefore will still need considerable force to overcome compression pressure, even if compression ration lowered. If you lower the compression ratio too much or increase the squish clearance too much you may have all sorts of engine damaging problems. I would try a 1mm thick base gasket spacer. Any change greater than that and you will probably need to modify the head and or piston.

On a two stroke the first signs are loss of compression (easy to kick over) and loss of power. To check properly you have to take the barrel off, measure the bore and the piston ring end gaps.

I would definitely go for knee protectors and gloves, maybe elbow pads Instead of kneed braces get advice from a physiotherapist or sports trainer about exercises that will strengthen knee muscles and stabilize your knee joints. In many years trials, mx and grasstrack I have never had an accident or injury that would have been lessened by body armour.

Regarding the engine it may be no or little arm has occurred yet. There is likely to be a lot of fine grit stuck in oil here and there. As well as the carb clean the reed block thoroughly and rinse the crank case and cylinder out several times with petrol / oil mix. Lack of filter may also mean previous owner was poor on maintenance in general and as a precaution I would change gearbox oil and all other fluids and strip and grease swinging arm , linkage and steering head bearings

Choke left on? - not a silly question at all. I know a bloke who wasted several £100s on coils and CDI parts because he did not check the cold start enrichment (what you call choke) was seating / sealing properly.

You might get away with hiking boots - I have seen riders trial in them but it would be far better and save any arguement if you got a pair of industial safety wellies. Phone the event secretary - they may let you ride your first event without a licence so long as you join the club and fill in a licence application. I would strongly advise knee / shin protectors. The ones that the shin part slips inside socks are cheap and can avoid a lot of pain and injury.

I see some jokers now advertising a used 2014 mont at more than list price.

Get a banjo fitting (available from brake and fuel line manufactures) that suits the float bowl retaining bolt on the bottom of your carb bowl. You may need a longer bolt. Fit a clear tube to the banjo so you can monitor the fuel level. Dellorto do clear float bowls for some of their carbs. clean the carb inlet fuel filter and the filter on top of the petrol tap. Try running bike with fuel tank filler cap off - air may not be getting in.

Overheating - Sediment / corrosion in coolant. Fan running slow - internal corrosion or corrosion on wiring contacts. Surging - fuel or fuel supply issue, just possibly leaking crankshaft seal. One of the worst things you can do with any vehicle is not use it. Far better to start and thoroughly warm it up every 3 months or less.

Low cost manufacturing and low sales price are very different things. Successful businesses maximize the difference between cost and sales price. I would be wiling to bet the Gasgas frame is a low cost item. Its a few bits of pipe and metal pressings, slapped into a jig then stuck together with MIG, then a thin coat of paint applied. probable cost under £200 but because it is associated with success it sells for not far short of £1000. Lowish sales price bikes have been made and failed but it would likely be a different matter if a manufacturer like Honda made them

What bike is it for? I have no experience of Rik pistons buts can't see a company like that making a bad product. For typical trials there is no reason why a £30 piston should not be as serviceable as a £130 piston. A lot of the difference is probably profit anyway.

If I were buying a new trials bike I would certainly give one of these serious consideration. What is their weight? Just out of curiosity i emailed Honda UK and asked if these bikes are OBDII compliant - so far I have not had a reply.

The thick boots I referred to in my first post were alpinestars. I had 2 pairs but when i came to buy a third I found the quality had fallen and the leather was much thinner. My MX boots are alpinestar and they are OK but the soles tend to come off. No use for trials, far too stiff and no grip soles. My current trials boots are Gaerne. They are OK but the clips tend to come undone, the plastic bits make them rigid in the wrong places and the leather is thinner than I would like - but thicker than many others I looked at. Safety wellies are OK but provide very little protection in some areas.

Dougies foot injury in the Scott and a similar injury to another rider I know got me thinking. More years ago than I care to admit I hit a boulder hidden in bracken on the Scott. Really hurt my foot, bent the gearlever and footrest. Although my foot went numb I was able to finish, no bones broken and no nails ripped off. I was wearing two pairs of thick socks and old fashioned boots which were much thicker (black) leather than the modern ones. Had I been wearing modern boots which have very thin leather i am sure my foot would have been much worse. Why are not thick leather boots available, preferably with plastic or steel protection for the front of the foot. If it was done properly they could be safety rated and probably VAT exempt - a considerable £ saving