charlie chitlins

Right! Still getting used that newfangled digital meter!

Buy the brand that has the best dealer support in your area. You'll be glad when the parts/repairs/advice come fast and with a smile.

Did you know that spark plug caps have quite a bit of resistance? I think about 500k. I figured this out while trying to diagnose a spark problem. I guess you're never to old to learn something. So...don't use one from the car!

To retard the timing, push the kicker and note the direction the flywheel shaft moves. Rotate the plate in the same direction.

Fast throttle + Dremel = Slow throttle

I used to ride with a guy who was about decent novice rider who really struggled with throttle control. He had his throttle tube and grip cut down by about 1/2 with a couple inches of handlebar sticking out the end. It really helped him to be able to grip the bar and the throttle at the same time. I tried it and was surprised that it wasn't a problem for me at all to ride this way. I'd never seen this before (or since), but I've often wondered if it's a useable thing for others.

Keep your feet up.

Well, Tim...you know how it is...old trials riders never die...we just smell that way. #2 son has caught the bug, so it looks like I'm back in it to some extent. The apparatus needed to hold my knee together gets more complex as I avoid the inevitable inevitable replacement, so most of my "riding" will be following the next generation around, but DAMN there aren't too many places I feel more at home than on a 'sickle!

A guy from around Williamsport PA recently spent about 4 hours in the car for the purpose of selling me a really nice 125 Sherco for $1800. Why? Because he's "all about getting kids into trials." There are some great people in this community. My son rode it for the first time today...big step up from his Honda 70! He was all smiles. Life is good!

Don't despair yet. Peek into the exhaust port, though...look for scoring and seized rings. If you could get your hands on a compression tester, that would tell you a lot. I think a strong 2 stroke should be at least 140psi. But, not even a pop with starting fluid? Could definitely be timing (sheared key). Make sure you try a new plug.

That guy in the video is an excellent rider!

Bikes like yours can often be run with a dead battery, but you can sometimes do serious damage to your electrics by running it with the battery removed. Better safe than sorry.

As always, Cope...you're a zen master!

Both Shercos came from a guy named Smarty Jones but there are a couple guys up that way, one of whom rebuilt this 125 from the crank up. The Williamsport area is a virtual cesspoo....uh....I mean...breeding ground for trials ;-)

That thing is CLEAN!!! I would say 5-7 psi in the front and 4-5 in the rear. I can't tell if you have a rim lock in the rear, but if not, you should install one if you'll be riding low tire pressure.

Yup...that's the one. Mine was an OEM part, though...not inexpensive and lasted one ride. The older design with the plate on the outside seems more robust. Weighs an extra 10 or 12 grams...but so do I ;-)

I got a new tensioner block for my '06 and it is of different design; Recessed mounting screws and no steel plate on the outside. By the end of the first ride, it was gone and my chain was forlornly sagging. I found an older one in a friend's parts bin and installed it. Now the lad's '08 has the same tensioner block. Is it headed for the same fate? Any recurring problems with this new design.

Ya got me, Cope... What's a PUTT bike?

Trials riders sure are cool folks! My 13-year-old really wanted to get off his Honda 70 trailie and onto a trials bike, but money is tight. I found a guy in PA who is "all about getting kids into trials" and he gave me such a deal on this bike, I couldn't believe it! Such a cool bike! Took the dremel to a white throttle tube to make it even slower and I'll retard the timing this week. I am SO looking forward to teaching my boy some trials!!

I recently noticed there's an electric one. We need this technology!!!

Whatever you feel like saying. Was it fun? Was it anything like a trials bike? ...

Yup...tried to sort out the controls and, because of the handlebar bend, I wanted to slack the banjo bolts and change the angle of the lines...no way. I was afraid to break something, but I hate to have something on a bike that I'm afraid to take apart! But tere's so many places on these bikes where steel threads into aluminum...gotta have something on those threads.

Anybody? Seen one? Ridden?

Thanks, fellas. The airbox is about $100, so I'm looking for a fix. It's a blind hole (there's a double wall, presumably to keep dirt out of the airbox), so anything that goes in can come out the same way. I'll figure something out.. Yeah, Cope....another fixer-upper. They're the ones I can afford! Here's the biggest mystery on this one... Why has one of the handlebar pinch bolts been replaced? Did the old one vibrate out? Imagine how bad your maintenance would have to be for that to happen. Almost every fastener on this bike was loose. I could SEE some of the bolt heads not making contact.

I'm sure I'll be asking a few Q's as I try to get this bike sorted. 1st...The top, rear airbox mount is buggered. i suppose there was a threaded brass fitting in there. Is there a common fix for this? I mean...aside from the giant freakin' zip tie the previous owner had around the whole box that squished the sealing strip and let dirt into the airbox...duh. Also..does this bike have a rim strip that I'm not familiar with (I don't get around much). It's out of the bike (tube installed) and has a built-in valve. I'm used to the separate valve. This arrangement looks less prone to leak. I hear a slight clunk when disengaging the clutch when the engine is off. Should I be worried? Also...I've been away for awhile. Any new advances in repairing cracked plastics in my absence?