d2w

A handful in what way/under what conditions? I have a 2008 TXT PRO 300 and have modified my bike as follows in an effort to make it easier for me to ride: Added a flywheel weight, went with a "slow" (black [I think]) throttle tube, using 11/43 gearing. And being a newbie I added a magnetic tether "kill switch" just in case. . I'm very happy with the power delivery. I've modified my young son's 2008 TXT 280 in a similar way, and have also added a 1mm head gasket "spacer" to reduce the compression in an effort to make it easier for him to spark. His riding hasn't scared his mom too much.

No, not required. Just lean the bike on its side, then remove the clutch cover. Once the cover is removed you will have to remove the clutch basket to access the adjuster bolt. There's a very good video by Jim Snell which takes you through the steps. Best to find it and watch it first as there are a few "tricks"; there's a washer which you need to keep track of, along with a special hollow bolt. Nothing too difficult. Hope it helps with your neutral issue.

Here's a link to a video which suggests how to check and adjust the shifting cam within the PRO tranny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G55FU27Z9bU This may help if it's your issue. Dale

If I may, I'll add my take to Zippy's procedure as it helped me immensely ... before kicking ... engage 2nd gear ... clutch out ... roll backwards until it stops (and this positions the piston for maximum travel time when you kick) ... clutch in ... and now kick as Zippy described. My bike likes a slight twist of the throttle when kicking. I can spark my bike in two kicks when cold and one kick when hot. But it is a procedure and you do have to follow one. If you get excited/frustrated and just start kicking you'll wear yourself out and will likely damage the starting gear. Have fun.

I mentioned this in a similar discussion in another forum ... why not have all riders ride identically prepared bikes? And to make it fair there would be a round for each sponsor (GG, Honda, TRRS, whatever). This would level the field and test the rider skills and not just the depths of the manufacturer's pockets. Unfortunately, the failing in this proposal is that it's not about who's the best rider but about which brand "wins" so that weekend wanna-bes buy that winning brand.

As a complete guess ... it's a speed sensor wire. Is there a bolt in the brake rotor with a magnetic head?

I would suspect that your fan is a 12V DC unit. It may state that on a label if present. If you can isolate the connections to the fan motor (i.e., break the power and ground connections) you should be able to power it from a external source (say a 12VDC automotive-type battery).

To be honest I've only begun to use the T5 semi-synthetic recently, but so far I've had no issues which I can attribute to the oil. I've run Rotella 15W40 dino oil forever in my enduro and trials bike without issue. But on the suggestion of a friend I wanted to try a lighter weight oil in the trials (and hence the move to 10W30 T5). I'm only a recreational rider, and so may not notice any change (for better or worse). But I've always prescribed to the idea that frequent oil changes of mid-quality grades are more beneficial than long runs with premium grades. I believe it's the carbon and metallic contaminants which harm an engine more than having insufficient lubrication. But, your mileage may vary.

Howdy Bri. Since you're in Alberta ... head to your local Canadian Tire and buy a pail of the Shell Rotella T5 10W30 Semi-synthetic diesel oil. It even goes on sale at times. The performance seems good as well as its low cost is conducive to frequent changes. Enjoy.

I've always had good success with this tool from Motion Pro; clamp it to your rear sprocket and then sight down the rod to the front sprocket. This process guarantees alignment. https://www.motionpro.com/product/08-0048 Clearly this tool requires that the wheel is properly spaced from the swing arm as intended by the manufacturer. Dale

Create a vacuum (say using a medical-type syringe and some suitably sized tubing) and draw the fluid down. Alternatively use the same syringe to force fluid from the clutch/slave up to the lever/master.

Worth checking the airbox to make certain that a field mouse didn't decide to have a litter in there while your bike was parked. Yes, it has happened to me (but on a DR600)!

2008 TXT 300 PRO, 80:1, Optimol Opti-2. But I know guys who run 100:1. Dale

Glad to hear that you're making progress on starting your bike. I empathize with you when it just doesn't go. Make certain that the mechanics aren't working against you; use fresh gas ... clean air filter ... new spark plug (I've had good success with the Iridium-type plugs) ... correct jetting (including gas/oil mixture ratio) ... solid connections on the electrics (ground connection ... plug connection).

I did not mention that I have installed a flywheel weight on my TXT and that may be improving the starting (by increasing the rotational mass). I have recently purchased a 2008 GG280 for my very tall 13 year old son. He has difficulty starting my 300 so I will be installing in his bike a compression reducer; it's a 1mm thick metal shim between the top of the cylinder and the head. Hopefully the increased volume will make it easier to start. They're available from Lewisport.

So funny ... just when you think you understand something, someone goes and looks at it from a different angle and sees something completely different (but which causes you to reevaluate your own understanding). You are correct; when you roll backwards you'd be positioning the piston as close to "after" the TDC as you could. So when you kick you'd have maximum time until the next TDC. So perhaps the process works (as least for me) because you now have more time to impart energy into the system? Thanks for the reason to rethink this. And please do let us know if the process - for whatever reason - does work for you.

My experience with my 2008 PRO is that a very definite starting ritual is required; put it into 2nd gear ... let out the clutch ... roll back until you feel the resistance of the compression stroke ... pull in the clutch ... engage the starter until it stops ... quick hard jab (until it hits the foot peg). Might need to twist the throttle sightly while kicking. If it doesn't start, resist the temptation to just kick it again. Rather, repeat the procedure. Good luck.

I'm not proposing to make "silly hacky homemade crap". Rather I'm just going to replicate what the manufacturers make; a wire mesh which covers the exhaust outlet (but for about a tenth the cost). Hell, I may even have my machinist brother lathe a custom end-cap for me. But more significant, I'll use the money I'll save to purchase high-temperature exhaust weave and wrap my header pipe (because I believe a hot header parked in tall grass is more likely to start a fire than an exhaust spark [which I've never seen from my correctly jetted bike]). All we can do is to ride responsibly and be aware of the conditions. And when/if it's too dry, don't ride at all in the bush. The last thing I want to do is loose my/our ability to ride due to government regulations.

Ah, another B.C.'er who rides on crown land. For the edification of our non-B.C. trials rider friends, in a knee-jerk reaction to last years devastating wildfires our provincial government is mandating that all off-road vehicles which operate on crown land be equipped with spark arrestors. That's all well an good but to my knowledge there are no spec's or approved unit cited. My solution will be to buy some wire screen from a hardware store and affix it to the muffler outlet with a band-clamp.

I'm just a recreational rider, and I've done the OSET to TXT50 to TXT70 to TXT280 route with my son (who is just about to turn (a very tall) 13 years). If I take it too seriously and push him the experience goes poorly. It has to be fun for both you and him. I now try to focus on the universal lessons - such as to practice and that nothing comes instantly - rather than the riding itself exclusively. And at this point in time he can now see me fail as well as we tackle bigger obstacles (which is a good lesson for both of us). Can you also interest your son in the mechanical aspects of the bikes? That can be another good bit of fun and a shared experience. But be prepared for the effort; in the case of my son video games are a force to be reckoned with.

Thank you all for the information and shared experiences when it comes to maintaining our GGs. Whenever I replace a paper gasket, I first use a soft scraper (normally a wooden Popsicle stick) to remove the old/ripped gasket, then clean the mating surfaces with a degreaser, and then lightly coat the gasket with Anti-Seize assembly lubricant/grease. I find that the anti-seize (albeit somewhat messy to use [so wear gloves!])) helps to keep the gaskets pliable and aides in the separation of the surfaces in the future. It's also somewhat tacky and so that helps hold the gasket in place during assembly.

Interesting. I ending up going to the local automotive store and they had a full selection of metric and SAE sockets for sale, including a 7mm 12 point (for only $4). The clutch pack then came apart very easily. The force required to remove the bolts was not high, so I can't image someone rounding a hex head cap bolt if they were present. Now I'm dealing with whether to replace the fibre (and steel) plates; they measure approx. 9.69mm which is less than that recommended 9.75/9.85mm. I'm just a recreational ride and have experienced no slip (at least that I'm aware of). But there does seem to be significant wear of a small number of the "fingers" which actuate the clutch. I find it odd that the fingers which are worn are low (recessed) relative to the other fingers. perhaps it's due to vibration as I don't believe the bushing which engages the tips of the "fingers" moves (and it's the thrust bearing which moves on the tip bushing. So why would there be wear on the fingers? I don't know if it's necessary to replace the "fingers". Thoughts? Dale

Hello, I have a 2008 TXT 300 Pro. The clutch stack is held in place by 10 specialized Gas Gas bolts. The bolts appear to require a 7mm 12-point socket. I'm hoping to borrow a suitable socket from a mechanic friend; I think I may even have such a socket myself from other clutch projects but damn if I can find it. Anyways, does anyone know if there's sufficient clearance to the clutch housing to allow for the bolts to be replaced with hex-head cap screws? Dale

Hello, I don't have direct experience with your model of bike, but I found that the clutch drag on my 2008 GG TXT300 was particularly sensitive to the clutch lever freeplay (or lack there of). On one ride in particular the clutch progressively "slipped" as the system heated; a quick back-off of the clutch free-play adjustment screw restored my clutch operation. So I suggest you check your clutch master cylinder for correct and full operation. And in reading your above post it seems odd to me that you would find rust on the clutch plates. Perhaps the water pump seal was leaking and that would also contribute to the grey (milky (?)) oil you found? Could something else in the clutch mechanism be rusty and its correct operation compromised? Dale

I have two similar bikes; I have a 2008 TXT300 and my son has a 2008 TXT280. Both were bought used. We are just recreational riders. I've had no issues with either bike. Just respect that the bike is 11 years old and treat/maintain it accordingly. I found that the linkage (aka "dog bone") bearings were in poor shape and needed replacement. So just be prepared to strip in down and lube surfaces/bearings and tighten fastners. Replace all fluids. One issue which you may experience is that unless you religiously follow the starting ritual - second gear/clutch out/roll back until compression/clutch in/kick firmly - you'll hate it. Dale