rick1

I'm pretty sure the master bates method causes blindness, at least that's what my mom used to tell me. I have been strongly consider lasek of which there are two methods. One is the flap as stated above the other is where the put a solution on your eye, brush the cells aside (instead of flap), do the surgery then brush the cells back over. This takes a bit longer to heal but is apparently cleaner, more natural way of healing. I know two non-trials guys who have had this done. One was in his 40s the other just over 50. Both swear by it after some 5-6 years. You will experience some near sighted vision loss but hell I'd rather wear glasses once in a while to see things up close then to have to wear the things all damn day long. I always though trials riders who wear glasses should be given a handicap of some sorts when its raining or fog prone weather.

I will be frequenting the the El Paso area over the next year on business. Is there any trials or trials clubs in that area?

Check out http://www.ataq.qc.ca/calendrier.htm. They have several vintage events each year in souther Quebec.

Dido. I used a Scotch Bright pad to rough up my front Beta fender, wiped it clean, and sprayed several thin layers of paint using the Krylon plastic paint. Looks great even after an entire season of riding.

Paul and Twinshock Dude, I used Acetone to clean out the tank. I poured a pint in and swished it around for 5 minutes or so. I would then let it sit for a couple of hours and swished it real good. Then I emptied (it disolves the Kreem so it pours right out) the tank. I repeated this 4 times cosuming an entire gallon of Acetone. Each time I repeated the process I laid the the tank on a different side when I let it sit for a couple of hours. I used a rubber stopper in place of the gas cap and petcock. The Acetone will also release whatever oil / gas residue in in the fiberglass. Just to be sure I had some Lacquere thinner laying around so I did a final rinse with this. Make sure your in a well ventilated area when you use this stuff, I did it outside. Also, where safety glasses or googles and gloves. You don't want this stuff in your eyes or repeated exposure to your skin. Also, Acetone can eat / soften through the resin if left too long so I wouldn't leave it for more than 24 hours. There is a product called Caswell designed for sticking to fiberglass. I have spoken to a couple of people who have used this in older well used tanks and they have had very good results with it. Hughs Bultaco in particular has used it and have good results.

OK smarty, here are the bikes I like........how old am I. Modern Beta are the best looking sculpted looking bikes I have ever seen. The old down tube style just doesn't do it for me any more. 2001 Beta (love the blue) 2006 Beta (love the black) Twin Shock 1980 Model 199 Bultaco Sherpa T 350 (Black on blue look I find eye catching) Kawasaki KT, Italjet & the OSSA Plonker in Green .....I have a thing for green bikes. The older bikes like Greeves with the leading link front suspension, heavy I imagine, but I alsways thought that suspension system was so cool.

I think its a pile of doo, next thing we'll hear is how much of an impact trials bikes are having on global warming. I get far more exposure walking down a busy street.

Thanks for the help. As I wanted to keep this cheap I decided to do the following. I got all the old sealer out with repeated Acetone rinses. I am going to do 2 or 3 pours of resin in to the tank and swish it around until each one sets up before adding another pour. I plan to then line the tank with Caswell which is available here in the US from Hughes Bultaco. For the two pucker marks (gashes) on the exterior I am going to trim up some fiberglass strands into very short lengths (2 - 4 mm) and mix them with the resin to fill in. Then sand smooth after it sets. If I can get it done for under a $100 dollars I'll be happy, beats a new one for $300 and I can put the difference towards some new rear shocks.

Do any of you old timers (like me ) have a slick new way to repair fiberglass gas tanks. I have a Bultaco Sherpa tank that is leaking along the lower seem and at two spots up near the frame head stock (looks like it was damage on either side by the handlebars). The tank was lined with a Kreem type liner product which obviously wasn't working. I managed to get all that out with an Acetone rinse. Fiberglass is a thermoset type product which means you can't add more fiberglass to it after is has set and get the same strength and bond as when it was orginally setup. So I am looking for info and suggestions that folks may have on repairing tanks maybe with some other type bonding agent. Any ideas / Advice?

Not to change the subject, but 3 bikes in 4 months? Maybe I'm missing something here. Are you implying that the bike is junk because you had to go through 3 of them in 4 months or that the bike is good because......? Not sure what you meant. If I went through 3 bikes that fast it wouldn't be for a good reason assuming I could even afford to do so.

I don't know where you ride, I'll give you the "weird bikes", but 160 pound guys dressed in lycra? Not in my neck of the woods. Though to your point if 160lbs guys wraped in lycra is the reality then maybe the Oxygen (women's channel) is the place to expose trials.

OK, since we are all being a little crazy here. Why not have all the sections in one central location (for the spectators) and you ride a loop after each section. For example ride section 1 get on a loop trail that take you out and back to the same area and then go to section 2, ride it and back out on the same or a different loop etc. The loop ride is half the fun and does add a bit of an endurance test to the whole thing. Incidently how the heck did "rock crawling" 4x4s make it on to the TV screen so regularly (Spike TV) and not trials. Its the same flipping thing but on 4 wheels. I don't get it. How many people do you know have rock crawling rigs versus how many have trials bikes. Its like lumberjack competitions on ESPN who the heck watches that.........cheerleading competition , that I get.

A Beta 4T @

Now there's an untapped Off-road aftermarket. Ipone Bubble Bath.......wash your air filter while you bath. ELF'n Blue Bubble Bath HRC Pro Bubble Bath.....bath like a champ...with a photo, endorsement, and signature of the big man himself. Beta Bum Bubble Bath

and it's probably mounted at a 60 degree angle.

Buy the 05 add a V-Force reed kit and the 06 foot peg brackets (lowers your center of gravity for better balance) and you'll have a bike every bit as good or even better than the 06.....except for the color and flexible plastic.

Lots of good info, thanks guys. I emails Falcon for some pricing / shipping to the USA. Hopefully it's reasonable enough.

I recently aquired a 199A which I plan to ride vintage with. I have two questions. It has the original (skinny) Betor shocks which need to be rebuilt. Are there rebuild kits available for these shocks and if so where can I get them. If I were to put a new set of shocks on this bike what are some of the recommendations? Thanks

I love my Beta bikes but, yah, isn't that a kicker. Beta comes up with a mod to a long standing problem and charges you more to acquire the fix instead of simply installing it on new bikes or offering to owners of older models. Apparently this mod is supposed to add additional volume to the float bowl so that the engine doesn't starve for fuel on steep down hills and also eliminates the neede to adjust the float tang.

Mobile 1 10w30. Used it in my 2001 Rev 3 since new and my bike ran like a top (gearbox and clutch, original) when I sold it last month. Using it in my new Beta. Because it is cheaper than other brand bike oils I change it every month....maybe that's the secret.

I was not able to make the Saturday event but was there on Sunday. Sundays event was super. The weather could not have been any better and the loop did not beat the crap out of you. The novice sections were perfect being very, very technical in nature. They had section with sharp, off chamber turns, up hills down hills, through streams/brooks, and over logs. Just a real, nicely done event with really cool big trophies. The biggest disappointment was the attendance. Much like the Vermont 2-day event with only 45 riders each day this event only had 55ish riders. At the annual meeting membershiped wanted more 2-day events but yet they have been the least attended events this year.........doesn't make sense. Speaking for the Vermont Club with this kind of turn out it is awful hard to get our membership motivated to pur on another event next year.

I have also been told not to use ATF. I used Mobile 1 motor oil in my 2001 beta for 5 years and it did the job splendidly. Its cheap so I change it far more often than the expensive ELF / Ipone types. I'm not convinced that all synthetics aren't really the same anyway. They probably all come from the same one or two factories anyways.

If you want to make the job really quick and simple do yourself a favor and by the packing from BETA. It is not that expensive and it is preformed so it fits in nice and quick with no hassel.

I normally have used Ipone, Elf, or BelRay at 85:1 in my bikes (Beta's). I've noticed Mobile 2 stroke is available at the local parts place at a much cheaper price. Has anyone tried this in their trials bike and if so how did you like it? I have never noticed any real difference between other brands so I really wonder about one verus the other. In fact I often wonder if one does not bottle for another. Any thoughts?

Outlaw Dave, I beg to differ. I love my Betas but they are not perfect. I have several buddies who all ride Betas of various model years (all Rev 3s). 3 of these 5 have had the pinch bolts break. I have had mine on and off several times over the years with no problem until the one time it broke. Others have had it off once and it broke. It is not from overtightening. I have seen several other bikes at local events with a pinch bolt missing. Local dealer has noticed the same. On another subject I recently purchased a new Beta and here are some things to watch for. 1. Brake rotor bolts loosen up when new. Take them all off and loctite them back on. 2. Frame bolts loosen up do same to them. 3. My clutch side engine side cover leaked oil near the bottom. Discovered a burr on engine side case did not allow gasket to seal properly (very disappointed given Beta's typical quality motor build). I knew a guy a few years back who could never solve this problem now I think I know what his problem was. 4. Header pipe to mid pipe was not aligned / sealed tight and spewed exhausted two stroke oil droplets all over the place. Removed mid pipe and seal both ends with a hightemp silicone seal. 5. Clutch line was routed at a very sharp angle and against exhaust mid pipe unlike other Betas I looked at. 6. Fuel line was cut to an unusually long length and was touching exhaust pipe. Trimed it shorter to get it away from exhaust. 7. Make carb mods noted in other thread on this web page. 8. Fender was red/orange again. Take it off and paint it a different color.....mine is black looks sharp. 9. Stock bars are a bar width taller than Renthals, I like that, so I left them on. 10. Add a small mud flap to bottom of front fender. This small addition will work wonders at keeping mud out of your radiator. I am sure there are other things to watch for. I must have gotten a bike that was built on a Friday or a trainee.