ask greeves

Good on you Mr RRansom, Sorry for my abrupt bedside manner. Be careful you don't fall into the usual bad cenario, strip down something were it's not necessary. I personally would have tried the obvious fixes before taking the drastic step of removing and stripping the engine. 1/ Make sure the carb was snapping back closed 2/that the engine wasn't 'loaded up' with fuel/oil and on starting 4stroking giving the impression that the revs were rising, as the engine cleared. 3/all these things assume that you've correctly fitted the new barrell /piston 4/ Have you got a flywheel extractor to remove the ignition flywheel, these engines were designed so that the main bearing oil seals can be changed in situ. Bill Pye probably's going to love you, when you turn up with a basket load of 309 engine. Just a thought, why did it rev up in the 1st place, did you catch the throttle cable !

Do you read the replies rransome, seems your only alternative then is to have a complete bottom end rebuild. Seems to me you've got very little idea what your doing. your engine is 'Hunting' this is an engineers technical term for your symptons. I'll mention it again..change your main bearing oil seals. Would be interesting to know how exactly you managed to stop the engine. Did you put a stick down the carb, or turn the petrol off and just wait for it to stop, or get your best mate to take off the plug cap, throw mud into the carb, immerse it in the nearest river or did you get a sections ends stake and kill it like you would a vampire. As for plastic tube, it will work with it off, if put on make sure there's a hole in it.

I personally would try changing the oilseals, especially the left one, behind the primary gears, it's a double lip seal, just remove gearchange lever, take off cover, undo nut take off gear, take off flywheel, undo 3 bolts holding the seal carrier change seal and o rings.

Are you sure it's not a ZACKOKACKIE....think about it ! ! !

Try this:::http://www.southwestmontesa.com

The 6204 you must specify neoprene sealed, John absolutley correct, the full number, i think should be 6204/2RS. I will be very interested to see how you make the timken bearing conversion sealed. i've got the standard bearing in my Seeley, been in there from new, shouldn't really work but they do.

Leverage and fulcrum points are how the Egyptians built the pyramids. As your only moving your shocks probably 10%, your springs and dampers are being altered by a similar amount. As most production parts have to cater for a wide selection of rider weight, your probably still within the window for everything to work. What is interesting , that laying down , seems to work better, that would indicate that standard shocks, in standard position, are probably over damped and/or over sprung. Fortunatley things have progressed, customised shocks with lighter or heavier damping are now available. Monoshocks usually have damping adjustment, very few twinshocks have damping adjustment, by moving the shock angle, your in actual fact getting damping adjustment and spring rate change (at the rear wheel).

Hello Ronoc 88, Best thing to do, is to remove the old chain and count the links. Count them more than once just to be sure. Make sure you end up with an even number, an odd number could indicate that at some time a half link could have been inserted as a stop gap measure. As previously stated, always buy the longest chain and cut down to size, if you bought a 'too short' chain you would have to extend it with another split link, as split links are the weak link, the chain would be twice as likely to fail. So maybe buy a quality chain and also a chain link extractor tool. When fitting the spring link make sure the sprung steel clip, faces in direction of rotation.

This is a technical bit; Lets say the shock was upright 12 o/clock, for every inch of wheel movement the shock moves 1 inch. If you could lay the shock down to 3 o/clock ie. parallel with the swinging arm, for every inch of wheel movement the shock moves virtually zero. Ok; so halfway between the two, shock angle 45 degrees, for every inch of wheel movement the shock moves approx half inch, therefore more spring required, travel increased and the damping action virtually halfed as opposed to the upright shock. What i'm saying is, it's not just a point of laying a shock down, there's more to it.

My riding buddy has a TLR 200, he is 50ish, and been riding for years. His opinion is that the aftermarket swinging arms are heavier than standard. He's tried aftermarket exhaust systems and although they look nice, he recons a stock system works better. He bought a one piece tank/seat unit and was very pleased with the quality, I think he bought it from a guy in Southampton, bought the basic unit and painted it himself in Rothmans Colours, I think it cost

There's a Talon Yamaha Bracket on e bay No 130063978521

To be the best takes that extra something, call it bottle. The British Isles have got several riders who've definitley got that extra something, to be a World Champion. I just wouldn't want any of them to throw it all away, young men feel indestructable and can get carried away with the thrill of the moment. I saw Steve Colley sucessfully jump off a double decker bus in the IOM, a while later he broke his leg performing on Douglas Seafront. Let's hope there's some sensible mentors and fathers looking after the longterm interests of our young rising stars.

I've just been looking at a clip of an indoor trial from Italy, the minder/catcher was raised on a forklift truck, to his position, looked at least 15ft from the ground. This got me thinking 'well that's a bit dangerous'. Arena Trials have lots of sharp edges and hard floors, wasn't there a Japanese rider who broke both wrists a couple of years ago. The sections seem to get more and more dangerous as the years progress, is it that the promoters have to forfill the publics need for more and more excitement. What worries me, is our up and coming stars, i'd hate to see them, risking themselves for the sake of entertainment and possibly risking the real goal of world champion. There's probably lots of factors, a good payday, pressures from sponsors and manufactures etc, but remember a damaged trials rider can't win the real goal, that's the world outdoor championship.

Just a little trick i've used several times, countersink the sprocket and use countersunk capheads. this way the forces arn't just shear against the bolts, handy when the sprocket isn't a perfect fit on the hub and bolts.

yuk !!!

Having searched high and low, found this picture of a CAN AM, the frame looks similar, has a Rotax engine also. I reckon its an Armstong, the exhaust has the flat rear, associated with armstrong exhausts, probably an Armstrong/CanAm. John Lampkin or Steve Saunders might know, as they were both works riders for Armstrong, I think!

This bikes on e bay at the moment item No150066196620, i've got some of the latest kitchen roll, be ideal for cleaning it up with.

Woody, I'm glad somebody at last, has had enough courage, to say what i'm sure most people think. The name for these people is 'secret squirell' They get some retired or near retirement proper engineer to make them up a few swinging arms or a few frames and then sell them at some exhorbidant price, its all about supply and demand, make to many, then no demand. Anyone is allowed to go to, say, Robin Rihn Tutt or Mickey Whitlock and get any trick part made.

Hello Lee, Looked at this piston myself, and dismissed it. It looks like a single ring (Dykes ring) piston. The biggest piston using this design on a Fantic is a 240, but on a 240 the distance from the wristpin to the cut out is nearly the width of the wristpin, whereas on the piston shown the cutout seems to be directly underneath the wristpin....so i don't know....i see the guys taken a picture including the Italian book...to try to identify the piston. I personally don't think its a Fantic piston....over to the experts !!!! ps picture of 305 piston, funny... i always thought the 305 was noisey because the piston had no integeral strength because off the centre cutout, leaving the two tags either side of the cutout unsupported, on noisey 305's the piston, when measured by the tags, always comes out lots undersize.

The clutch plates are the same as a 240 twinshock, albeit 1 plate less, so buy a clutch pack for a 240 and this should fit. But if the engine was from a 201 or 203 then the later clutch from a 300 onwards or a 301 or 303 or a 305(these are all the same) could be the same dimensions and fit. I'd reckon its more than probable the 240 clutch though. The Mick Hann 200 professional had the larger 240 flywheel case, to take an extra flywheel weight, and came with red mudguards, OK over to the real experts, whom i'm sure will elaborate even more. How do you know, it's been played with by Mick Hann !

when i saw the title 'geometry of traction' my heart missed a beat, in anticipation that at last, some real input into what all trials riders want to find...GRIP, but after reading the thread...same old story, ALL talk and no action. I've been trying to master the intricacies of steering angles, fork lead, wheel base, swinging arm length for 30 years, not to mention 2 stroke tuning and guess what...i'm still learning, and i think i know less now than when i started. So a 80cc Gas Gas, has more torque than a 500 Ariel. I would suggest that if that thing that you wrap your right hand around, the throttle is used in the correct manor, rather than being an on/off switch, and you took the time to study a true trials rider, you would notice that they find grip, where others fail. If you spent more time riding your bike than walking, in the end you'd be a better rider than walker, The better riders use a taller gears, converting the power, and superior clutch control, to allow the maximum amount of power to the rear wheel, without loosing traction. Ok get yourself the lastest blinged trials bike, you can't buy success in trials, time spent over many many years off practice is the only way.

A few weeks ago I was observing at a Trial, there was a chap there selling On-Off clothing, unfortunatley by the time the trial had finished and i'd walked back to the start, he had already gone. I've promised my daughter some new clothing for Christmas, and as the guy is somewhere in the Bristol area, thought he'd be ideal, I think his names Pete and he's also going to be selling the new Fantics. Any help with a phone No or web site would be great.

I can think of three things that you shouldn't do 1.....Eat an uncooked pork chop 2.....Jump out of an aeroplane without a parachute 3......Make a twinshock out of a monoshock....all these things aren't advisable, but people being people. Lets change the name of Pre 65 class to 'The 4 speed class' OK there be some losers but alot more winners. Lastly Mr Paioli, I don't think R2D2 will be able to reply to your challenge this week, He's probably in Manchester, training for a World Title defence of his Cruiser Weight Boxing Title.

I think the ACU shot themselves in the foot, by originally 20 odd years ago calling the class pre 65. What about the man with the 1966 Francis Barnet or the guy with the 1967 James, they're out in the cold, so to speak. Any name with the words 'Pre' draws an unbendable line in the sand. The class needs a non descript name, then every year those bikes elidgible can be updated. Why didn't they call it say, the Imperial Class as in feet and inches, they could have given the Scrutineers an AF or UNC adjustable spanner, if it fits snuggly on the rear wheel spindle nuts then its elidgible for the Imperial Class. No seriously, its only 59 years to go then they'll have to change the name, because in 59 years it'll be 2065, what happens then. Any name with either pre or a date is bad news, it eventually becomes unworkable. I'm a great believer in KISS (keep it simple stupid) the 66 Francis Barnet is to young for one class and the 67 James shouldn't really be in the same class as say an 84 Fantic twinshock, trials bike technology progressed alot in that 17 years. Surely its about making the riding enjoyable with the minimum amount of unnecessary aggrevation. The simpler the rules the easier they are to enforce, I dont think that its about winning, it's about competing, but competing on a simple set of rules, a level playing field, because we all like to feel , that we've got a chance, no matter how small that chance may be.

Hello Allen, Just as a matter of interest, if you decide to break the bike, I'd be interested in the engine and footrests.