mr neutron

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

Thanks, Laser!!! That info really helps. i wish I'd been thinking ahead enough to add one to the order I made with Stu @ Jack's Cycles...... Maybe one of the sorta-local bike shops in Portland might have one.... Zippy, I love your posts & website/videos. But I think I'm maybe gonna respectfully pass on the BFH flywheel removal method, hee hee..... But don't think that hasn't happened in my younger days. There's many a lawn mower I've worked on out there that fears me...... Actually, I'm pretty much happy with the bike stock. I do feel at my level of riding (if I've achieved one, hee hee), a slightly slower behaving bike might be a plus, except in the situations Dom mentioned. I'm just kinda faced with deal where my in order to keep riding my Gas Gas, I need to make it easier to start. That's why I was wanting the flywheel weight and ordered the head "insert" deal. Again, I really appreciate everybody's help, y'all!!! Thank You!! Jimmie

Dom, TJP, & Sam, Thanks you guys so very much for your help!!! You've no idea how much you're appreciated! I got hom from work this afternoon, and used my home computer to go to some websites where Hebo stuff is sold, and was able to glean just about what you stated, TJP. I also called a great guy that owns a dealership in Maine (eastern US) who confirmed that the Hebo flywheel weight I have will also fit my 2010 model. He also told me that my 2010 model has the S3 head with the replaceable combustion chamber. While most folks want a head with more compression, he said S3 makes one with less compression, which will meet my needs. He felt the spacer plates aren't nearly as problem free as the head "insert" is. So, I've also ordered one of those, along with some O-rings, as well. The Hebo flywheel weight was bought by a friend, but never used. So it appears all the hardware & required stuff is in the box.The install of the Hebo weight is slightly different from how the S3 weight installs, I think, Dom. But it still looks like it is fairly straightforward. I will need to remove the stock Gas Gas flywheel, position the Hebo weight in place, and then drill & tap two 8mm holes in the flywheel. It looks like two countersink head bolts help hold the weight in place, as well as the bolt in the center?? So I guess I need to find a flywheel puller, now..... Unless someone knows if the stock flywheel comes off w/o a puller? Doesn't look like it to me...... Again, I'm really grateful for your help here, fellas. Thank you very much! Jimmie

Hi, Dom!! Dom, I have to wonder if we may not somehow be related...... I too suffer from "ham fisted throttle control"..... You had me laughin' there, my friend! Thanks for the "Pros & Cons"! That gives me something to think on. I would like to slow my bike down just a little bit, to match my "Sea Cow-like Reflexes"..... But mostly, what I'm after is to make starting slightly easier for myself in the future. I'm getting a knee replacement a few weeks after Christmas, and I've been worried about how hard starting the bike will be with the new hardware in my knee. I also plan on getting a head spacers/compression reducer kit to help in the starting dept.. My doctor says It'll be okay to ride still, as long as I don't take any "big hits" from long drop offs & such. At the Novice level here where I ride, they mostly torture you with tight turns near smaller obstacles. So if I'm careful, I'll be okay. I can't help but think some of the help with smoothing out low end grunt, or "chugability" will certainly be welcome. Would you happen to know if the flywheels for 2002-2005 & 2010 models are similar? Thanks again! Jimmie

I've found a deal on what seems to be a still new Hebo flywheel weight.The model number on the box says the flywheel weight is HI4080, and that it fits the 2002-2005 250/280/300 Pro models. Does anyone know for certain if this flywheel weight will (or will not) fit my 2010 model? I've looked at the part numbers of Gas Gas flywheels for the 2005 models, and then my 2010 model, and they are indeed different part numbers. But that isn't always a sure indicator a part won't fit...... Also, if anyone has used one of these, or is using one, what are the opinions? Thanks! Jimmie

For what it's worth, when I shorten a bolt, or have to hacksaw anything with external threads, I try to find 2 or 3 nuts with the correct size for the bolt I wanna shorten. I will thread these nuts on the bolt, then clamp everything in a vise. I let the vise jaws tighten on the head of the bolt and one or two of the nuts I threaded on. Don't tighten vise jaws on the threads! .After you cut the bolt shorter, you can "unthread"/remove the nuts, and those nuts will chase, or clean up that last thread on the end of the bolt for you. Most times, I have to take a file & clean it up a little more, but not much. LSorta like what Zippy said, if you cut it just a hair longer, you then have a little extra material to grind on to square up the end of the bolt. Or, if you can just chuck it in a lathe, your whole life gets easier, hee hee. That's how I do it now, at the shop I work at. But I can still recall a time when I was trying to accomplish this sorta stuff with basically nothing for tools. It makes you become "creative"....... Anyway, the point here is to have a good, clean first thread on the bolt, so as not to mess up the internal threads on the case. Jimmie

I agree with neilh & canada280i, sorta..... In the shop I work at we always try to have our bolts use at least 2 times their diameter worth of thread engagement. Meaning if the bolts are, say, 6mm in diameter, it would be ideal if they engaged for about 12mm of threaded surface. This works out mucho better for torquing the bolts w/o stripping them (or the mating internal threads), and typically for holding whatever it is the bolts are supposed to hold. Now this is in an "Ideal World"..... It isn't aways possible to do that, I realize. But still, you'd like as much thread engagement as you can get..... Ben, would it be possible to buy longer bolts, and then shorten them to stock length? The part of the bolt that gets cut off wouldn't be exposed after it goes in the hole...... Jimmie Added in EDIT: The biggest concern I have about shortening bolts/reducing thread engagement is that it can make it really easy to strip the threads right out of the parent holes in the side case. Sorry if I wasn't very clear about that.....

Hey, Ben!!! I think I saw your bike stand in that first picture, lol..... Those are good photos! But is it really warm enough to ride there in a short-sleeved shirt, or are you simply incredibly tough??? Jimmie

As long as we have a chainsaw, we'll always have somewhere to park our bikes, huh? Actually, I recently got a 5 gallon paint bucket from a home improvement store that works pretty well now..... And I like your wheelie pic, Ben!!! Jimmie

It's been trying to snow here today, but mostly just a cold rain. So, I cleaned the air filter. I replaced those cable ties for the rear fender that broke during my last ride. My bike gets chucked away a lot too, Shipdamite. Some days, I get more exercise picking the bike up than I do riding. Good thing they're light bikes, huh? Oiled the chain, cleaned a little here & there, and put more new zip-ties on the frame guards. Then, I put the air in the back tire at 5 lbs. and the front tire at almost 6 lbs., and did balancing practice inside my barn. The barn has decent lights with a concrete floor, so next practiced hopping the front wheel. Kinda like sex, I was tired after doing that for 5 minutes, & put everything away for the day...... Jimmie

Here's a pic of my 2010 back in May, when I first got it. Please notice the carefully crafted hand made stand I labored over for this bike...... Sadly, the stand didn't survive the woodstove, lol....... Here's a fuzzy/grainy one of the bike struggling to pull my bulk around in the rocks at Washougal, Washington a week or two ago...... Jimmie

Hi, Ben! Ben, on some Gas Gas models, I've read that the main bearings for the crankshaft are lubed by the tranny fluid. Your model may not be like that, but it's really not worth taking a chance, Because (as has been said already) ATF is cheap, and I don't want watered down oil lubing the crank, transmission, clutch, or anything else, I'd change the fluid again (and probably again after that, like Nigel Dabster said earlier). You probably could ride it, for a short while, going easy on it, but I've yet to see someone your age go easy on a dirt bike, hee hee...... Jimmie

It's always a good idea to seal up an airbox to keep junk from getting past the filter. But my experiences with various Kehin carbs goes right with what Sting32 said. I'd bet a bucket of donuts the fuel is the culprit. I don't know if you have ethanol or alcohol added to your fuel there in the UK, but fuel like that has always been a problem for my Keihin equipped bikes. it tends to plug up the pilot jets really quickly..... If possible, try some non-ethanol/alcohol fuel. Regardless of the fuel used, I would turn the gas off on your bike, and drain the float bowl after any ride where the bike will sit for more than a day. The crummy stuff that the petroleum companies try to pass for fuel nowadays causes multitudes of problems, and it actually does it fairly quickly...... Jimmie

I agree with tankygsy. The rocker switch on my 2010 280 Pro has a little picture of cloud, that I assume means you use it on wet, rainy days, and the other end has a "sun" picture. I'm going to assume this is meant for those sunny days of summer I miss so fondly right now (it's wet & cold outside here right now... I've been freezing my butt off trying to bleed the stinkin' rear brake......). Actually, I notice no difference regardless of what position that thng is in. The previous owner I bought the bike from said the same thing. I read on one internet message board that it's more noticeable in the upper rev range of the motor, a place where my motor seldom goes...... Jimmie

For a parts fiche manual, go to www.trialspartsusa.com , and click on "MANUALS" button up by the top, in the blue box with white letters. After you get to the manuals page, just scroll down until you find the year & model you're after. I went ahead & downloaded the thing to my computer, in a file on my desktop, so I always have it handy. Ryan Young products ( www.rypusa.com ) will be one source of parts near to you. I think you can buy from the trials parts link with the parts manuals I linked you to above. But honestly, one of the best guys I've dealt with yet is Stu at Jack's Cycles up in Maine. He's fantastic to do biz with. Adrian at www.lewisportusa.com is really good as well. Oh yeah..... Mike at The Tryals Shop ( http://www.tryalsshop.com/ is first rate as well. I'd think anyone of these places would help ya out for parts. I think there's a member here from Muskogee, OK (JSE) that would help out as well. His advice here has helped me out a lot of times, without him even knowing that...... Jimmie

Be sure you check the coolant level in your radiator, andybetaRev3. If you have milky colored tranny fluid, it's possible that you have engine coolant leaking into your transmission, and need to fix that problem first. If your coolant level is good, then I'd be a little confused (more than I normally am). I have gotten very lucky when my 2010 was leaking transmission oil from the clutch cover a few months back. All I needed to do was go around the clutch cover & torque all the bolts. The gasket was still alright in that case. Hope you get that lucky, Sir! Jimmie

Hee hee, Yes, You're right, Jan! I guess I can relax! Thank You for taking the time to look at that! I really appreciate you doing that! I actually looked at a friend's 2013 Raga 300 today, and his has similar spaces on each side as well. I've spoken to a dealer here in the States, and found out this is "perfectly normal", and actually engineered in. The swingarm is narrower (by about 4mm) than the width inside of the frame at the pivot point. The swingarm is essentially aligned by the engine cases. This is what controls any would-be side to side movement of the swingarm in that area...... I'm sorry for panicking. I thought I'd either lost some parts, or done something majorly wrong. All this affirms the need to keep up with the swingarm seals & maintanance of that area...... Thanks again! Jimmie