subira

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the differences between the 04 Raga and the 05 Raga ? From what I can see it is the detailed changes made on the 05 Pro. (if that makes sense). i.e. as its a Raga you get the magnesium parts, shock, carb, etc. Plus the ignition curve switch. I'm just wondering how different the two bikes might be ?

Is Jeroni Farjardo riding ? I see that he's on the provisional listing Saw his results for Tarragona, then no sign of him in Japan, just wondering how his recovery was going ?

Sealskinz waterproof socks ! Tried all the boot brands and they all leak eventually - if you ever get a leak you throw away the socks not the boots. Used the plastic bags that tennis/squash rackets were delivered in, in my youth. Trouble is that your feet sweated so much that they got wet from the inside.

Amazing as it is, the events in Japan made the sports pages in 'Metro' the London free morning paper published by the Evening Standard today. There's a massive circulation of this paper - nearly everyone on the tube is reading one ! Fuji and Caby got a good mention but no word on our Trials Lions ! To be honest I think someone in the news room messed up when searching the news feeds, they talked about the GP of Japan, probably thought it was MotoGP/WSB and printed the news. But as they say - Any publicity is better than no publicity.

Engine and gearbox is the same on a Pro. Warm the bike up a little. not till the fan comes on but enough to get the oil warm. Take the filler plug out. Loosen the drain plug, then stick a container underneath before you take the plug out completely. Let all the oil drain out. Clean the sludge from the drain plug magnet. Once the oil has stopped dripping stick the drain plug back in. Fill with 400 ml Dextron III ATF (Dextron II is OK but III is better). Put the filler cap back on. Warm the bike up. Check for any leaks and that you can see nice clean oil in the 'window' Ride till it gets dark.

I did say Home Win as well !

http://www.honda.co.jp/HRC/products/rtl250ffujigas/01.html

Both days will be won by a RED bike

Home Win !

Watched the last 15 mins - can't say it was at all exciting, maybe you had to be there ? It didn't work for TV if that was the objective. Even Eurosport has moved it to a 'graveyard' slot, on a little utilised channel. They know that the Show Jumping, Wrestling and Golf will get better ratings, hence the schedule. Advertisers are hardly going to be falling over themselves for the ad break after today. I am sure Motegi will be up to scratch, both from a WTC and a TV perspective. A bit of Japanese moisture normally sorts the men from the boys ! As I have mentioned before, the FIM needs to look very closely at where the WTC is going to be in five years time.

I had thought about getting Andy to do something - trouble is I can't come up with any good ideas on what to do

I'm thinking of 'Pimping Up My Ride' - but don't want to dress it up as a later model. Has anyone ever managed to contact the Trialstar folks and get info on their graphics ? I've tried a few emails but I don't get a response - maybe someone has told them how badly I ride

If you look at the gasgasuk shop (www.gasgasuk.com) then click on GasGaS Shop, then Accessories on Page 13 you'll find a pic of the 'Raga' clamps. (actually made by Marzocchi) Its very low profile set up and doesn't seem to get in the way. It fits the top yoke on all Pros (and late TXTs I think). 2 bolts on a 40mm centre. The second bolt is hidden by the hinge. I heard that they are fragile, maybe this is something to do with folk belting the pin through without the application of a little heat to expand the alloy ? I also understand that they have been modified since their introduction and maybe the later ones are more robust. The Renthal fatbar clamp is a more traditional 2 bolt set up, but they are in short supply - certainly are in the UK.

I may be wrong but from distant memory wasn't the Whitehawk 175 an attempt at making the adult sized TY175 a little smaller ? I'm sure it had a lower stand over height. The Whitehawk 80 and Whitehawk 175 then effectively filled the gap between a std TY80 and 250 Majesty.

I was a convert a couple of years ago and still am. Difficult to convince some folk on how much difference a few extra quid on a plug can make. Have you tried one Ishy ?

What's the damage for a new 05 Alloy centre box ?

The parts book and I both agree that they are the same (7.5mm). If you pads don't wear evenly then its time to have a closer look.

Not sure why they've gone back to the Purple nitriding, must give a better fork action ? The factory Monts have factory Showa forks, nothing like the 315 or 4RT - lots of Magnesium Alloy and Titanium parts. I was told that the fork sliders were machines from a Billet, not cast like the standard ones. Most likely running a factory Showa rear shock with a remote resovoir as in previous years, they had a problem locating the resovoir early in the year as it was a bit busy under the seat unit, but I'm sure the Showa boys have sorted all that, by now.

Got some TY Mono forks done by these guys http://www.pittedforks.co.uk/ a really good job, good as new.

Maybe someone who has the mag can shed some light on what or who is walking back down the SSDT section wearing a wetsuit and maybe a 'Jimmy' wig under their lid on Page 89 - just above Maria Conway's left shoulder ?

Sounds right - I think that they bored and stroked the motor to.

I had the misfortune to ride a TL 180 Fraser, probably around 1978ish, all I can remember of it was in an effort to increase the ground clearance it had a high centre of gravity. The rear girling gassers always felt like pogo sticks. We drove up to Hebden Bridge to by the frame kit, should have gone to Redditch and saved on the petrol. It was a big disappointment the best TL125 based conversion at the time was being ridden by Nick Holt, built by a guy up in Cambridge (St Neots ?). My Fraser TL180 was fenced off to Windsor Comp Shop where it sat until the shop closed down

Have you a number for WES ? Thanks..

Got a friend with an untidy TY Mono. Had a little look over it the other day and the front end is way to hard, its got two different spring types fitted: one nice and soft, with a spacer like the manual and the other with no spacer that feels like its from a MXer. Any ideas on what could be used as a replacement ?

Are you talking about the beer at the end of the trial ? Old Rugby habits are hard to break then Hope there wasn't any left handed drinking going on.