mr neutron

Holy Mother of All Splatters, there it is just as he said!!! I REALLY feel like a Doofus now!! Thanks, Copemech! I owe you one, Buddy! Jimmie

Hey, All!!! Thanks for giving that ifo & link! My wife uses Adobe for her graphics design work for her t-shirt printing biz. She downnloaded CS2 from the link above. But when she tried to install it, it asked for a serial number. Any ideas on how to resolve this issue? Is there some sort of other file we need for her Photoshop CS to work with this? FWIW our Windows OS is XP Professional, Version 2002, if that helps any..... Thanks Again! Jimmie

Yes!!! That thumper sure seemed to make traction, huh? That looked like some really tough riding conditions! If a guy gets good in that sort of snot, imagine what he can do when it dries out..... Thanks for the video, Ben! Jimmie

You did indeed call it correctly, Sir! Thank You for that! Cursed, Thank You SO MUCH for that Very Good Advice & Help! I actually do take digital pics when I go to take a bike apart, anymore. I simply don't trust my memory when the bike will be apart for more than a few days, or when small critical parts that have a specific order they need to be reassmbled ...... And it will likely be a few months before I get around to fixing this; I'm now "recuperating" from my knee surgery. I really appreciate the advice on how to remove the kickstart & it's hardware! Jimmie Jimmie

Hi, Skyline1!!! I'm a total Novice, so Trial riding advice from me may need to be ignored, But you've sort-of hit on something that I was doing, and had to be told (numerous times!) to correct it by a friend of mine. I don't know if this is "The Problem" or not.... I (still) have a tendency to ride with a lot of my weight on the bars. As I've been told, I need to stand more with my knees slightly bent, back a little straighter than I usually have it, and the feeling of my weight centered on the footpegs. I was told my hands should just sorta be resting on the bars, not the weight of my head, arms, shoulders, & such resting on the bars. I had been riding MX for so long, and with a bike that didn't corner particularly well ('06 Yamaha YZ450), so I adapted & rode with as much weight on the front as I could, in order to get the front end to "stick" in corners. Sold that bike, got the Gas Gas, and even though I wasn't sitting down (OK, sometimes I do when I don't want to... ), I still tended to ride with my weight resting on the bars, and especially when I'm tired. My turns suffer from that, so you may want to look at how you're turning the bike to see if this is relevant at all. You want to do the turns primarily with your feet, I'm told. This requires actually very little weight resting on the bars. I'd say if you feel as if you're constantly doing the "Push-Up" exercise (do you call them "Press Ups in the UK?), you've probably got too much weight on your handlebars. After that, I'd try setting your bars up in a more neutral position, and double check your lever position. Wrong positioning of these can make you tend to do what I did (too much weight on the bars, not enough on the pegs). Like Zippy & others have said though. with Trials you do need to move around. Weight back when called for, and weight forward as needed also. Riding position, balance & technique are EVERYTHING in this discipline of dirt riding..... Are you able to ride with someone more experienced than you who can evaluate & give good advice? That would likely be a HUGE help to you, Skyline1. I hope this possibly helps, and is somewhat accurate. Like I said, I ride at the Novice level, so I defintely don't have this figured out. I've been lucky and ridden with some guys that are really helpful, and give good advice. This is an attempt to give back... Jimmie

Okay, Success!!! The bolt finally came out just as Laser1 had said. I did try my little hammer operated impact driver, and got nowhere with that. The handful of Torx bits I had in the correct size got pretty rounded, so I gave up and drilled it out. I'm certain the chips were all captured in the liberal amount of grease I put on the drill flutes. I swabbed everything left with many cotton swabs, stuck my small pencil magnet tool in there, and even used my Shop Vac for good measure. The 1/4 inch left hand drill went a short ways into the bolt head, then "caught itself" in the bolt material, and spun the bolt out just as pretty as you'd please. Nice!!! After I got the clutch out, I found this on the back side of the kickstart idler gear: Shown beside it is the drilled out bolt, just for grins & giggles. I'm going to assume that since this gear is pretty chipped up, and that my noise began immediately after I started the bike, that this is the problem, or part of the problem? I haven't yet figured out how to remove the kickstart shaft & it's related parts to see what sort of shape that's in. I ran out of time, and it's beginning to cool off outside again. I'll do some more searching & reading on that subject. Plus, I have this quote from member "jandyb", from post #77 in the "What Did You Do To Your Gas Gas Today?" thread: Thanks Again, Fellas! Jimmie

Ahhh, I guess I forgot about the case & slave cylinder holding it on....... Makes sense, I reckon. Realistically, I probably won't get this fixed before my operation on Monday. It'd be a miracle if any dealer within driving distance for me would have the parts. But for me, it will nice just finding out what the real problem is..... It's 27 degrees outside in my barn where my bike is. The weather floks say it will wrm up somewhat today. I'll probably get out there around noon or so. I'll report back if Ihave any luck.... Jimmie

Wow! You guys posted while I was typing, Cursed & Lineaway. Several days ago, I went for a ride on my property. I have a few "obstacles" for practicing double blips & turns, and unweighting & stuff. One such "obstacle" is a rotting maple stump about 18" high. Due mostly to my bad technique, when I tried to double blip over the stump, I "cased" it. Got the case up on the stump, and the back tire still on the ground. The bike's engine died, so I pulled the clutch in, backed the bike off of the stump, & restarted it. After I restarted it, the motor had a new noise, which is what I'm really trying to fix.... FWIW, the noise is a clattering/rattling kind of noise that you can hear at idle. The sound "gets faster" as the revs go up, and slows down as the motor slows. It sounds like it's coming from inside the clutch case somewhere, but that's definitely a guess. I've looked on the ignition side already, thinking the flywheel weight I just installed might somehow be the culprit (Loose bolt, or whatever....). The ignition side seems to be alright. Knowing that Gas Gas kickstart gears, and the idler gear in particular seem to suffer when starting technique isn't perfect, I'm almost hoping my noise is from part of that mechanism. And that's why I need to remove the clutch..... I don't mean this as a "sympathy ploy", or anything like that. I'm having a surgery on my knee in a few days, and won't be able to ride for a few months, most likely. I'd like to try and get this fixed now, so when I get healed up, I can just start my bike & ride again. Plus, I've noticed that the older I get, if I leave stuff laying in pieces in my barn, I tend to forget how they came apart, or rather how they should go back together. And that's a big reason why I appreciate this forum. The knowledge base here speeds up stuff a lot! Cursed, I consider the drill method kind of a "last-ditch" way to do this, for most of the reasons you described. I'd rather not take a chance of getting chips inside motor. I have already rounded off my Torx bit that fit the best; I can grind more material off of that & try it again today. And I just remembered I have one of those old hand held "Impact Driver" tools that you hit with a hammer. It has a spring loaded affair that a socket fits onto on the opposite end that you hit, and rotates a few degrees when struck. This tool has been good for loosening up bolts in the past. I have not used it in years, and forgot I even owned it. That may possibly work before I drill.... In the past, I also have removed bolt heads by drilling down past the bottom of the bolt head, as Lineaway described. This actually works very good if you're careful. The grease should catch and hold the chips, as the shape of drill flutes tends to pull chips towards you. This grease trick actually works really good. Since this bolt has a "pilot hole" already, the drill likely won't walk off location. Normally, there's enough of the bolt remaining above whatever it's screwed into to turn out with Vise-Grip pliers or something like that..... But you guys ran without that bolt, Lineaway? What held the clutch on? I'm not familiar with the ANY Gas Gas clutches, as this is the first one I've ever worked on. I'm assuming there are splines on the shaft my clutch is fit on, and that may even be a tapered affair with splines. I can't figure out what would hold that on w/o a bolt? Jimmie

It might if I owned the correct items, eugenevd! I know the type of tool that your describing. I use one for holdng the chuck onto the spindle of my lathe at work, but it's a 14mm setup. It's a shop-made setup with a 14mm allen wrench cut to around 100mm long, and then brazed into a 14mm impact socket. I really wish I had a a setup like that in 4mm here at home, that was long enough to reach down to that bolt (along with an impact wrench.....). This is my first time doing this job. From the videos at www.trialspartsusa.com, it seemed like it should be fairly straightforward. I think Mr. Snell (the tech in the videos) may have underestimated the "Stupidity Factor" when someone like me attempts these sort of jobs. Like most folks, I tried to work with what I had laying around my barn first. I simply managed to round things off with the variety of weapons I first threw at that bolt. At one point, I cut the 90 deg. corner off one 4mm allen wrench I have. Needing 3 hands and not having them (and evidentally missing some brain cells as well... ), I recruited my son to help me. He put my shortened allen key in that demon possesed bolt & tried to turn it with a wrench while I tapped on it with a hammer. This yielded me nothing, other than the slight relief I got from taking a hammer to something. In hindsight, I probably should've just hit my son with it. I'm sure he's done something he needs that for..... But at 25 yrs. of age, he'd probably take it from me, and use it against me, so I forgot about that one. But I digress..... I'll go to a local tool store & pick up some left hand drills today, and give that a shot next. Hopefully, that will do the trick. Thank you to you guys that have replied. I really, really appreciate your help & ideas here, Fellas!! Jimmie

Hmmmm. Thanks, Laser1! Again, I truly appreciate your help also! Ya know, that left hand drill trick sounds like that may be the ticket! Now I'm off in search of a left hand drill! Thanks, Mah Man!!! Jimmie

Hi Jon!!! Jon, I am really, really appreciative of your help here Sir! And in Trials & Enduro News also! Unfortunately, I already did try the tricks of grinding off an allen wrench to get nice sharp edges, as well as attempting to mash a Torx bit into that hole. And I pretty much "struck out". Every tool I put in there got rounded off. Or, the 6-sided allen hole got more rounded off. I'm afraid it's possibly going to call for more "drastic" measures..... But I didn't know the little hole in the middle of this bolt served as a vent from the tranny to the clutch side of the case. Is it primarily for tranny fluid, or air? And if I go drilling in this bolt, like I mentioned above (to get an EZ Out in there), metal chips may be able to get into the transmission side of things, correct? Oh boy.... I've done it this time..... Thanks again! Jimmie

Hey, All!!! I apologize if this has already been covered. I did a "SEARCH" using terms like "clutch removal" & "removing clutch", and basically struck out. Here's my problem: I'm trying to remove the clutch on my 2010 280 Pro model. I'm to the point where I need to remove the 4mm allen bolt in the center of the clutch. The bolt on my bike appears to be "stripped", and at the least, is VERY shallow. The once 6-sided hole of that allen bolt is now more or less rounded, from what I can see. I probably was the one that did this. The hex key I have that is long enough to reach down to that bolt is one with a "ball end" on one end, and that's the end I tried to use, before reaozing the hole was really shallow on that goofy bolt..... Has anybody else had this trouble when removing the clutch's center bolt that holds it to the transmission shaft? If so, how did you beat this problem? All I can think to do right now is try drilling a shollow hole into the center of that pesky bolt, and then try using an Easy Out to get that bolt out. I'm hoping someone else may know of a little easier or cleaner solution..... Thanks! Jimmie

Yeah, I understand, Ham2 and b40rt!!! I appreciate the warning! I'm thinking that's a way to make even more problems for myself that I really don't want.... I guess a person needs to squeeze their clutch lever in a responsible way, huh? Jimmie

Hi, Jan!! Jan, that information is really encouraging! (Except maybe that part about the gear being expensive, hee hee.... ) The way this whole thing occurred, along with the fact that Gas Gas kickstart gears have a reputation for being slightly "fragile", had me thinking the same things you just wrote. Well, I'll have time to work on it this weekend, and hopefully will be able to report back. Again, thanks for your help here, Jan! And everyone else's help as well!!! I appreciate it very much! I would insert a beer-clinking emoticon here, but for some reason, my ability to put text in italics, underline, pictures, and the smileys isn't working now???? Jimmie In EDIT: I figured it out; there was a little "lightswitch" type of "toggle" thing up in the upper left hand corner I had to click on.....

I feel guilty for laughing, yet it was SO funny. I hope the guy (Neil?) and his bike made out alright after all that. And that was just part of a trail between sections?? Jimmie

Thanks, Zippy! That's Much Appreciated! I hope to get the clutch cover off this Saturday, just to have a look. At this point, I'm simply hoping it's something fairly obvious that kinda jumps right out at me, and screams "Here's the Problem!!!:".....And while I'm out there, I'll probably squeeze & fondle my bike's clutch lever a few times. I won't be able to ride for a couple months after Monday, so a little squeeze now & then will be all I get..... Thanks for the kind words on the knee, Zippy! It's been said the problem with my knee is that I have 1/2 ton rated knees with a 3/4 ton body.... Jimmie

Hey, Zippy!!! Yeah, the rattling/clattering noise seems to get faster in frequency as the revs go up, and then the noise slows down as the revs fall. It seems to be coming from the area of the clutch. But since I recently put a flywheel weight on my bike, and thinking maybe that I somehow botched that install, or a bolt came loose, I took the shifter & ignition side cover off first to look under there. Everything is still good on that side. I'm planning on ordering a gasket for the clutch side cover tomorrow. A friend of mine with a new Raga model tells me that the stock paper gaskets almost always tear when you remove the cover. He says someone out there makes a metal/fiber gasket that doesn't tear, and is reuseable, and said it'd be a good idea if I got one of those before I took the cover off, if possible. I'll likely take his advice, and try Lewisport USA to see if they have those gaskets. I'm in no real hurry to fix it. Next Monday I get a total knee replacement, so I'll be out of commission for a couple of months. I'm afraid the scar from that will end my blossoming "Knee Modeling" career I was planning on trying, but I will still be able to do the Michelin Man Look alike jobs when they come along.There may be offers from Pilsbury to do their Dough Boy stand in as well...... Yeah, I've asked Sherco Ben about his winter riding with a t-shirt before. That young man amazes me! I've never met him, but I absolutely admire his willingness to ride regardless of the outside temps & weather. I've been told that the weather in the UK and western OR where I live are very similar. Here it's been wet, and was really cold last week.I wear enough clothes to stay warm, and withstand a brutal 2 mph fall that's inevitable every time I ride my bike, hee hee..... i wind up looking like the Michelin Man I mentioned above. Jimmie

I'm hoping much the same, Shipdamite. Or that it is some fastener that was already loose, and the jarring I gave it on my old maple stump was the final straw in shaking it loose..... These bikes certainly seem to vibrate & loosen things up a lot, don't they? On the clutch, yours sounds like it works better than mine. I LOVE mine when riding. I like the feel & the way it works..... EXCEPT when trying to find neutral. I've given up mostly, and simply use my hand. I'm not so certain that perceived problem is as much the clutch as it is the really short shift lever....... Tazz229 said: Suddenly my problems seem pretty insignificant...... Hang in there Tazz. Hope it goes quick for you! Did you do that on your bike? Jimmie

Well, Congrats on getting through your first Trial, Shipdamite!! I ride at the Novice level here, and last June I recall being totally flabbergasted (and beaten!) by those tight turns they threw at us Newbies. I had way more 5s & 3s than I thought I'd get. I'd been to watch a couple of local trials, and sitting alongside the Novice sections, thought they looked pretty easy. Man, was I ever wrong! But I did have a boatload of fun, however. The guys on the two twinshock bikes I rode with were great to ride with.....Stay with it; it actually does get easier, sometimes..... Zippy, you must be Blessed Amongst Men! You have a Gas Gas Trials bike, a Truck of Death, a Lucky Penguin, and the legs of swimsuit model! Well, maybe not the last one there.... I went to your website, and did happen to read the article about knee braces. That's gonna be relevant to me in the future.... Neilh & ShercoBen12, you guys are my Heroes! Anybody that got to ride today, crash, pick their bike up, and ride some more is my Hero! And Ben, is it that warm there to ride in a T-shirt, or are you just gonna ride no matter what? I did go out to the barn, and after squeezing my clutch lever a few times, thought I'd chance a ride. I should have just hit myself in head with a hammer instead. I went for about 5 minutes, and rode over a stump I've done dozens of times. I didn't clear it this time, and came down on the skid plate. I now have a an expensive sounding clattering noise coming from the clutch side of my bike. Jimmie

Shipdamite, How did you (and your bike) do at the trial today? Was it your very first one, or the first one of this year, or??? Nielh, how're your wheel bearings holding up? I've been working overtime at the ole airlpane factory, so I couldn't squeeze my lever toaday...... Zippy.... Any pics of this much fabled Penguin? Jimmie

That really is a neat riding area! I envy you for that! If it's really close to where you live, how great is that? And you're a good rider, Closeybeta2011! I'm no great film editor or critic, but I'd offer that if you kept your individual clips a few seconds shorter, it might make for more interesting viewing. It also might make for more & lengthy editing sessions, but for the most part, I think it would hold a viewer's attention better..... But still, I feel you did a good job on your vid, you're a good rider, and again, that's a neat area you get to practice at! Happy New Year to you, and to everyone else! Hope you all get to ride as much as you can and want to! Jimmie

Hey, Huski!! Yes, it certainly does seem to slow down the power a bit. It may take me a short time to get used to it, but I believe I'm gonna like it. My little short rides on my property have seemed to make things like slow corners a little easier, as well as my feeble attempts at Floater turns. My timing for log hopping & stump jumping is a little off, though; I bumped the skid plate a few times yesterday (this was probably due to my own bad technique, instead of the bike's fault though.....). And I inadvertently did a wheelie/"holding pressure" move while riding off a stump that wasn't really planned on that obstacle. The mass of the flywheel now takes a little longer to slow down, like Dom mentioned..... And for me, in past experiences, that extra flywheel mass has been what has helped out starting in a small way. I've put flywheel weights, or a complete replacement heavier "Off-Road" flywheel, on other bikes that were made for mx. I wanted to trail ride/race off road/scrambles/enduros on a KTM 300 MXC & later, a Yamaha YZ450F. A side benefit of taming the hit on these bikes was that the extra mass, once put in motion, would stay in motion longer than the lighter flywheel, and this was what helped starting slightly. It seemed the most helpful when I was tired. A half-hearted prod at the kick lever got enough mass spinning long enough to get the thing lit off..... Anyway, this has been my experience with these types of deals. But you are definitely spot on; it does nothing to mechanically make the bike easier to kick over. Once it does get spinning, it tends to stay spinning longer..... I totally agree with you that lowering the compression ratio is more effective at making a bike engine spin over easier for starting. Last week, I ordered a low compression insert for the S3 head on my bike, to address that aspect of starting. It hasn't made it here yet, but I will likely put a sort-of non-expert opinion on this forum about that.... Jimmie

Just Wonderful, Purplebeast! Now everyone knows why I wear glasses......... I actually rode for about 20 minutes or more today, after getting my flywheel weight put on. I think I'm gonna like this deal....... Jimmie

Hey, Ben! Neat ridng, Ben!! Like you said, sometimes these GoPros don't do justice to the steepness of what we ride. And then there are some videos, where folks ride narrow ridgelines that drop off sharply on either side of these paths, and it makes those trails look like the most dangerous rides on the planet! I'm curious. What editing software are you using? For me to upoad a video to youtube that I want to put a title or text in, slow motion, or whatever, I have several steps to go through. I have to use one program to convert my GoPro files to .avi files. Then, I can use Windows MovieMaker. I'd like to get another editing program that will accept files straight from my GoPro...... Jimmie

Well for Heaven's Sake!!! Here I've been trying to save enough money for a new roof, and the answer to my leaking barn was so simple....... Jimmie