d2w

They're a press fit, so I'd suggest using a suitably sized sheet metal screw; thread the screw into the remains of the tube, and then grab the head of the screw with plies and pull gently. Or simply drill it out (without going too deep with the bit into the case).

Guess I'm just cheap and lazy ... so I like to rule out the easy things first; could the smoke you're experiencing just be a result of burning oil residue which has accumulated in the silencer packing? Why not pop the top off the silencer and inspect the packing first? Or is there something you're experiencing which makes you think that it's an engine internal issue? I'm not questioning what you're doing or your approach, rather I'm just trying to learn (as I have two 2008 GGs). Dale

Consider a guard for the exhaust header; it can get pretty hot and will melt through pants quicker than you can imagine if you have an unfortunate get-off. I put a compression-reducer insert (from Lewissport) under the head so that it would be easier for. my son to start. It worked well but I also found that it made the power of his bike sooo smooth, almost as if it were electric. I was impressed. Do some Google'ing for the correct way/procedure to spark your Gasser; your leg and mental health will thank you. Looking at the picture of your bike - and she's a beauty -, is the rear brake pedal correct or bent too far out? I don't know how the pedal of new bikes are routed, but to me yours looks too exposed. Maybe it's a photo/optics effect?

I'm not familiar with your specific bike, but the placement of the ridged washer looks correct - it self-aligns with the diaphragm "fingers". I would think that the thrust bearing then rides between that washer and the surface of the clutch slave cylinder on the slave cylinder shaft. Perhaps the extra flat washer was added by the previous owner to take up freeplay/slack in the clutch throw, or to preload the clutch? It should be easy enough to test your clutch with and without that extra washer. Perhaps by adding the washer the previous owner was trying to compensate for the tendency for GGs to "creep" even with the clutch level pulled-in fully? But it's possible that the root-cause of said issue is that the clutch lever is not permitting the master cylinder plunger to fully function; there needs to be freeplay at the lever in order for the plunger to move to its fully relaxed position and to produce a "full" stroke when activated.

I have experience with a GG TXT Cadet/Rookie having maintained one for my son for a few years. I too tried to improve the power delivery; custom flywheel, lower gearing, a new OEM piston and cylinder kit (I think it was the last one I could find in America [and Jim Snell had it]), etc. In the end I came to the realization that it's a screaming scooter motor in a trials frame; there's just no low-down power to be had. At the time of my realization my 13 year old son was a whisker thickness shy of 6 feet tall, so we got him a used TXT 280 PRO, and that's brilliant (after reducing the compression by way of a head spacer and adding a flywheel weight). Still, the Rookie was great to teach basic trials skills and use of the clutch and gearbox, but Evan wasn't lofting the front wheel for sustained wheelies or doing big-power operations. So the trick to the bike might be to use it within its limitations and then move on to a more capable bike. Dale

Here's an excellent video from Cascao on rebuilding the Sach (and shows how to remove the bottom mount to replace the bumper). There are English subtitles which you can enable. There's a thread on ADV/Trials which is also very good: "Rebuild the Unrebuildable Sachs ZF Shock = GasGas and Other".

I have not experienced what you describe, but I've learned to try the simple and easy "fixes" first. Have you drained the the tank and carb and utilized fresh fuel? Have you verified that the air intake and box isn't somehow blocked and that the air filter is clean and flowing? And nothing blocking the exhaust outlet?

I don't have any experience with either type on a trials bike, but I used to run neoprene covers to protect the fork seals on my enduro. I don't believe the neoprene covers would prevent a sharp rock from damaging the forks; neoprene is too easy to cut and rip. And I sometimes wondered if the neoprene trapped the grit and prevented it from being blown away to the point that it actually promoted wear on the forks. I'd think the plastic/kevlar guards would be a more effective protection from fork damage on a trials bike. Or simply don't crash.

Or what about getting the OEM stand from someplace like Trials Bike Breaker? They're even on your side of the pond.

I use Loctite 680 Retaining Compound to "glue" my shift lever onto the shaft (since the shaft isn't grooved to hold the lever pinch bolt like are many other bikes). You'll need some heat to soften the compound if you later need to remove the lever (but there's nothing in the area that's an issue to be heated).

I'll just ask ... Did you confirm that the shaft in the driven gear aligns with the slot in the water pump impeller? I'm sure you must have else the water pump housing would not seal flush against the clutch cover. Just a thought.

If the fan is not running (for whatever reason) the coolant in the rad may be overheating and then escaping past the radiator cap. The rad overflow tube may then direct the coolant onto the header pipe, and this will result in a "white smoke". Basically your'e seeing steam. Verify that your bike is producing a voltage/current. Your comment that the light is not working might imply that it's not. You can test the fan motor by applying 12VDC to it (say, from an automotive battery). You can also test the operation of the thermostat; when immersed in hot water it should "close" and present a near-zero electrical resistance.

Dakh - excuse my old eyes and it's early morning here now, but - in the (first) photo taken through the exhaust outlet, is the ring retaining pin visible in the groove of the upper ring? The ends of those rings look too well define. There should be no ring ends visible in that area of the piston. To me it looks like the piston was installed backwards and the ring ends caught on the exhaust port. Ensure that your piston is correctly oriented; the manufacturing "arrow" should point to the exhaust port (and the ring retaining pins and ring ends should not pass over any open areas of the cylinder). And to me, the second picture seems to show that the wear was occurring over a longer period of time - as evidenced by the variations in the black and brown areas - and that it didn't just "grenade". I think something was rubbing on the cylinder that shouldn't have.

Just wanted to say "Thanks" to the collective (and thankfully retained) wisdom of the forum; I had exactly this issue after this morning's ride, and the described cause and solution were spot-on. Other than Nigel Dabster I don't recognize any of the contributors so I don't know if you're still active, but thanks again. Dale

Since we're talking about the Future of Gas Gas, I'd consider an E-bike if it came with one of these.

Jay, Brian Dingwall in Summerland used to have a GG dealership and does engine work. http://www.okanaganmotorsports.com/

Welcome to the club! Yup, sparking a GG is a ritual, but it does work if you're true to the procedure. Accept no substitute!

Is it just finding neutral or shifting in general? Don't know if you're aware of this adjustment or if it's applicable to your situation. Perhaps you already made this adjustment and didn't list it above.

The carbs on my 2008 TXTs are Dellorto brand. I'm going to assume that you have the same on your bike. There is a mixture screw and a throttle stop screw on the side of the carb. Screwing the throttle stop screw in will raise the slide and increase the idle speed; this can be verified by observing the slide with the airbox and connecting snorkel removed. Note that the throttle stop screw does not effect the idle mixture (and I believe that is metered by the pilot jet). What size of pilot jet is installed in your carb? And while you're into the carb you might as well note the sizes of all the other jets as well as the needle and clip position.

This is a pretty basic one ... and it's somewhat speculative on my part ... but could a partially plugged exhaust system account for the symptoms? Perhaps the exhaust gasses are not exiting the pipe well enough? Has somethings plugged and/or restricted the exhaust?

I believe the grooves in the clutch basket are bad (or at the very least they're not good ); they will prevent the clutch plates from separating smoothly/completely, and this will contribute to the drag you experience. As a possible solution, I've heard that you can carefully file the grooves out; just try to keep the basket tangs square/perpendicular to the base.This fix may also increase the noise of the engine/clutch a little bit. No harm in trying this mod first before replacing the basket.

You're in Texas man ... hit-up your nearest Harbor Freight Tools for something cheap that'll do the job.

For my older 2008 GGs - with the straight cylinder mufflers - I've have very good success with FMF 4-stroke packing as it is somewhat rigid and I find it holds its shape better when rolled. If your newer bike has the bent/curved muffler, that may not work for you, and you may need to get some of the conventional "loose" packing. The Trials sub-forum on the Adventure Riders site had a recent discussion on how to best pack the mufflers of newer bikes.

I concur; do the cheap/easy fixes first, such as repacking the muffler and removing the possibly oil-soaked packing.

Ah ... I can now better appreciate your situation ... If I recall one of Jim Snell's videos, there is a technique required to extract the starter shaft from the case, and to do so might require holding items which you might not be able to access with the case in place. Perhaps you can try to fashion a puller-type mechanism which grabs the backside of the lever "knuckle" and pushes against the center of the shaft (with a bolt/nut arrangement). Basically you need to pull the knuckle while applying pressure against the shaft end. Another radical thought might be to use a Dremel-type rotary cutter to cut the knuckle off and then weld the cut.