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wfo9

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Everything posted by wfo9
 
 
  1. I've got a 2009 st290.. It has this odd inline thermostat that failed. I think the thermostat itself is fine but the rubber seal split in two pieces and the thermostat fell out and lost coolant. Are these things just hand pressed in? Does anyone have instructions on how to install.. It's hard to tell what holds it in and this clip is odd. Does anyone know where I can get one in the US or a place that will ship to US.. https://www.trialsuk.co.uk/GasGasSherco-Inline-Thermostat-Seal The entire thing looks like this. https://www.splatshop.co.uk/in-line-thermostat-sherco-gasgas.html Edit:It seems they do ship to US but the seal is $7 and the shipping is about $25. They sell it via ebay also.
  2. It does seem nice. However. I can pretty much fix any mechanical problem on my own with a Beta and a carb.. But with FI.. if something does go wrong I'm pretty much SOL I think. Even though I have done plenty of FI tuning on cars and have no fear of it at all.. Without the software and diagnostic tools it could be a nightmare to troubleshoot. The bikes themselves do look amazing. There is a dealer about 4hrs away from me and I talked to him last week. He has no stock but he did say the US distributor does have 1 or 2 300 R models available but they are about 10k US. I'm definitely going to at least ride the 2018 the guy I know has and try to decide. I've never really had a single problem with my old beta besides maintenance items and crash related stuff. But that vertigo seems like a level up in tech for sure.
  3. There is a one guy local to me that has a 2018 and that is what sparked my interest in them. Seemed like a really great bike. Downside is price and potential complexity and no dealer anywhere close. But still might be worth it.. The fuel injection is both a pro and a con I guess.
  4. I've had two used trials bikes and this time I want to start with a new or nearly new bike.. (mainly because why not have some fun) The two used bikes I have had so far were a 2007 Sherco 290, then a 2011 Beta evo 290. Both have been great for the level I was at. I really like the beta and it is still plenty of bike for me, but feel i want something a bit lighter and fresh. I'm leaning towards a new Factory Beta 300 as my first choice.. But also considering a Sherco factory 300 or possibly a Vertigo. I've never had any issues with engine size and for where I ride the power is nice to have on tap.. So think I'm sticking in the 300 range, but could do a 250 as well. Just have no desire for a 4stroke at this point. I feel the build quality and reliability of the Beta is,excellent but the front end has always felt a little steep with the Beta geometry and that has me considering others although I can live with that as I like so many aspects of the beta. I'm still far from an expert rider and too old to go absolutely insane/expert. Obviously the answer is ride them... but that is not really an option given how rare some of them are around me. I may get a chance at an upcoming event to check out the latest of each. Curious to hear from people who have spent time on some of these bikes. At this point the most recent bike I have ridden is my 2011.
  5. I'm not exactly sure what you are saying. It turns out it is is typical to have the compression/rebound side extend much further than the spring side when they are not linked with the caps off.. I was told they all do that to some extent. I think the fork I have is exactly the same fork that was on most betas and Shercos, the only difference was the spacer pucks in the bottom of each leg and the actual rod on the spring side (which controls extension) might be a a little shorter than normal. They are all a very simple design. There is clearly something different in the last bit of stroke on the spring side in terms of compression dampening. Something restricts the oil flow dramatically (which is exactly what you want before bottoming out). I can't say that I'm an expert or that my bike is optimal, just that it feels much improved and is starting to feel more like a modern bike.
  6. Update. I removed the spacers/pucks (there was one in the bottom of each fork lower). I tried the longer spring, but it was not good as it made the front end too stiff and the bike was not balanced. Anyway, I did not gain much travel (maybe 10mm), but the fork feels so much better. Those last 15mm of down travel now have very strong compression dampening. There seems to be a special circuit on the spring side that kicks in the last 15mm. It can be easily felt with the cap off and moving the fork up and down. This was not present when the spacer was in place and that was the reason I was getting such a harsh bottoming out on larger drops. I'm assuming they added the pucks so that the fork tubes could be raised higher without hitting the triple tree on the smaller bikes. I still might be missing about 10-15 mm of extension and may machine an extension for the rod at some point. Right now it feels pretty good overall. Much improved!
  7. I think I found the issue. I think it is/was a combination of the spacer that sat below the bottoming cone and a shorter than normal main spring. I have not removed the spacer below the cone yet, but putting in the longer main spring that a friend had gave it another 10mm of extension.. I think it will yield about 165mm of travel once I drain the oil and remove the spacer below the cone. I initially wanted to keep the spacer below the code because I felt it was allowing more overall extension, but I now think it is also limiting about 10mm of down travel (that I have room for up at the cowrn) that would be very progressive.
  8. I rode the 2014 beta 300 a little today. It felt and rode fantastic to me. The only thing that concerns me is that some things about the newer bikes look pretty fragile. My good old Sherco is built like a tank. I'm not so sure these newer bikes will hold up as well. I also got the speech from a more experienced guy that it would be a horrible bike for me because it is a 300. There seems to be a general consensus around here that only master level riders should be on anything over a 250. Some are even riding 125s.... I'm not sure I agree with this view. My current bike is a 290 and it has all the power I need, but I don't find it being unwieldy to control... In fact, I feel there is an advantage to a bike with good low end grunt. The Beta felt very smooth and predictable in the short amount of time I was on it. I may be able to score better on a lower CC bike, but I ride trials mainly for fun.... I am pretty new to all this, so maybe I should listen to the advice.
  9. I'm searching for a new bike. I currently have a Sherco st 2.9, but it is an access model from 2009 and it is a bit outdated at this point. I like it overall, It has been very reliable and sturdy, but I have recently ridden some more up to date bikes and they felt much more capable. I was instantly able to do things I could not do on my current bike. I could hop them around where the Sherco just feels too heavy. I think the main issue is the suspension and heavy frame on my current Sherco. It has a frame from a much older model.... I initially thought I could improve the suspension... but its really not worth my time to mess with it. It was perfect for my skill level at first and I could still continue to learn on it, but I feel I could progress quicker and have more enjoyment on a newer bike at this point. Anyway, I'm considering a new Beta EVO 300 or a new Sherco 300. I'm pretty much sold on those two brands as I know both dealers in my area and they provide great support. I'm sure Gas Gas is also a great bike.... but there is no dealer in my area. Montesa would be on my list for sure, but there doesn't seem to be any available in the USA at this point. I'm also considering a 2012 used Sherco 2.9 or a 2011 Beta EVO 290. There is obviously a big price difference to get the newer bikes and I'm curious if others think they are worth it. The new ones would be ~$7500 where the used ones would be ~$4300 I know each bike has its pros and cons. Just curious what other have experienced. I'm just looking to hear strengths and weaknesses of each bike, I don't want to create a war about which bike is superior... I plan to ride each, but would like to know what to focus on. I'm sure the 2012 or 2011 would be plenty of bike for me, but it might be best to just get the latest revision now if they are greatly improved. .
  10. If anyone has any idea of what is non standard in the picture above that would be limiting travel please let me know. I think I know someone who has the full travel version of the fork and I'm hoping he will let me borrow it for a day to compare parts.
  11. I took the fork apart tonight. The stanchion is plenty long enough to support the travel... but something is limiting the extension. My guess it is the the spring shown in http://www.shercousa.com/pdfs/2009sparebook_trial-2T.pdf On diagram 2 labeled #34. Here is a picture of the parts from my fork. https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share?s=cllN1XEOR7QtCGt-e1mLLM
  12. That is just something with the image. shadows.... It is not bent.
  13. He parted out the original fork on the bike to someone who crushed their lower tube on a rock. He felt he was upgrading this one with the beta fork as he had ridden it on his 80 and really liked it. Yes, he rides an 80 just to prove he can beat people with that tiny motor, but I think it is very tricked out with more power than stock Anyway, the guy is not stupid... He is a very skilled fabricator and does some amazing custom stuff and is also a skilled rider. The strange part is if you look at the manual for the 80 SR in 2013... it says it has 165mm travel for that year. I think he may have gotten that bike used, so someone could have modified it before him. . I'm pretty sure this is the same basic fork for all bikes, but that something is tweaked on it to act as a travel spacer on the spring side. I'm not that familiar with these forks, but I have seen this technique used on many mountian bikes forks. I took the wheel and fender off and the attached shows what happened. The right side extended out to allow about 190mm of potential stroke. The ones I have seen have a rod that bolts to the lowers from the bottom. The spring pushes the rod down from within a cartridge tube, but if you put a spacer into the bottom of the cartridge it will limit downstroke and therefore travel. I have no idea what the insides of this fork look like on the spring side. So, if someone has any links or diagrams please provide. I want to keep riding. so I'm not going to tear into without more knowledge.
  14. I talked to the guy I purchased the bike from and the fork is from a 2013 Beta EVO 80 sr. He said it is suppose to be ~170mm travel. I seem to be only getting 140ish out of it. I put a zip tie on there and bottom it out real hard while riding. Still only 140mm between zip tie and wiper seal. Maybe they just exaggerate the ratings on the travel.
  15. I have a Sherco, I purchased it used, but the guy who had it before me put a fork on it from a Beta. I think it was from a 2012 EVO 80 Sr. He said it was a better fork than what was on it originally. It looks exactly like what is shown here http://www.paioli.com/paiolini/detail_en.php?id=36 It has adjustments for preload on the left and what I think is rebound on the right top caps. It works OK in general, but I noticed that the travel/stroke is only about 140mm and I seem to bottom it out easily when taking drops to flat. The link states it should have 170mm stroke. The stanchions are 38mm and the total length does seem to be close to what the link states at about ~760mm (not sure exactly where they measure that from though). The link also states Regulations: in compression, extension and spring pre-load. By extention, are they talking about rebound dampening or extension distance. Anyway, does anyone know anything about this fork and if there is a way to adjust the travel or stops internally that would be limiting the travel to 140mm. Thanks in advance for any insight,
  16. wfo9

    Fan Direction?

    OK, I finally got around to fixing this.and riding again,Someone had reversed the wires around (I could see the solder). I switched them and it now pulls air towards the motor. It does seem to create more heat around my legs when riding now. Maybe that is why they had it reversed. It seems more logical this way but a little more heat for the rider. There is typically such little speed in trials that i'm not sure it matters all that much. My fan pretty much runs constantly once the motor is warmed up.
  17. wfo9

    Fan Direction?

    Are you saying it should be the same as a modern car? Because all cars that I have worked on pull air (and rarely have a pusher in front, never behind). My sherco is pushing air from behind. I'm guessing it does not really matter all that much when going really slow, but at speed the fan being on and pushing could be a problem. I will probably take it apart tonight and see if there is some way that the terminals could have been accidentally swapped by the previous owner. If someone could confirm the flow direction on their bike, that would be great.
  18. wfo9

    Fan Direction?

    I just noticed today that the fan on my 2009 st290 pushes air from the area near the motor forward towards the front wheel. Is this correct? I have not had overheating issue, but It just seems illogical, since this is the opposite of how most cooling systems work. Did someone install the blade or terminals in the wrong direction?
  19. wfo9

    Clutch Rattle

    Thanks, It may just be that I'm noticing it now that I'm letting it get pretty hot. I also just changed the gearbox oil a few days ago. I'm running the Maxima MTL 75W as recommended by RYP.
  20. wfo9

    Clutch Rattle

    Got my 2010 st290 a few weeks ago (it is an access/econo model so I think it has many 2008,2009 parts). Anyway, bike runs good and I have been having a ball learning to ride trials. I've been running it quite a bit and have burned about 2.5 gallons of fuel through it in the last 7 days. I've ridden it pretty hard doing both section and trail riding. Was actually taking it off a few small jumps tonight. I can't get over how much fun this little bike is. . Anyway, today noticed that the gearbox/flywheel makes a pretty good rattling noise when the clutch is out/engaged and the transmission is in neutral. The noise goes away when I pull the clutch lever in and disengage. Any ideas, is it worth further investigation? It is not noticeable while actually riding the bike. It seems like it just started doing this, but it may be that I just started noticing it. Thanks.
  21. wfo9

    New 2010 Sherco Owner

    OK, think we got it figured out. I won't be sure until I re-assemble and test it out, but it looks like the problem was the reservoir return port in the master cylinder being blocked by something. I could never really see it but I think it is a tiny rubber orifice of some sort. The guy I bought the bike from had a rebuild kit for the master, but the new piston, spring and c-clip did not help. So another guy was there (who is the local beta dealer with a lot of experience with trials bikes).and he used a jet cleaning needle (basically a really tiny drill bit) to open up the port. Now it seems to allow things to flow normally. Before it was opened up it allowed air to move without the piston in, but as soon as the piston was in the master it blocked it off just enough to not flow. Now it flows until the piston is pushed up above the c-clip position. . I won't declare victory until it survives a long ride.
  22. wfo9

    New 2010 Sherco Owner

    I think you hit the nail on the head. Went and test rode today and it locked up again when hot. I spent the entire evening troubleshooting it. Ended up taking the master cylinder apart. I could not even get compressed air to flow from the return port... It did however flow after I took out the spring and piston LOL. It all looks to be in good condition, but when put the piston back in with the c-clip in place it blocks the return/overflow port. It is as if the clip is to thick or something (maybe the previous owner installed the wrong one). Seems to work fine without the clip in as the piston moves down enough.. The spring is strong and I could not see any obvious debris or corrosion. Maybe a little on the piston head. Any ideas besides a new master? I was really looking forward to riding today and this weekend ;-( I considered grinding down the piston head a bit but I figured I would re-think tomorrow. Is that a crazy idea?
  23. wfo9

    New 2010 Sherco Owner

    I think I fixed it. I have not ridden it yet, but it feels normal now. Still not sure what the exact issue was because I did a bunch of different things while trying to resolve it. I could not get both pistons to go back in in the caliper no matter what I tired. I could get one side to go at a time, but pushing on both would not budge. I finally resorted to bleeding some fluid out while pushing on them. That worked and everything functioned normally after that. It seemed like the system was overfilled with fluid, but it could have been something else. I lubricated all the pistons… It has a nice progressive feel now. Hopefully it won't drag after it gets heated up (raining here now).
  24. wfo9

    New 2010 Sherco Owner

    Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will take it apart tonight and see where I can get with it. I already stripped most of the bike down last night. I can' get over how simple these are to work on. I'm assuming the master piston is going to look like it is sticking if the caliper pistons are sticking. You have to manually push the caliper pistons back in when changing pads, right?
  25. wfo9

    New 2010 Sherco Owner

    The pedal is not catching on anything and there is slack between the lever and the pin that goes up inside the master cylinder. I don't know how to tell if the piston in the master is sticking. The brake does work, but the pads seem to ride very close to the rotor, even when cold. The wheel pretty much spins freely when cold, but it is hard to tell with the chain drag if it is 100% free, but I would say free enough. I would need to get the chain off to verify what type of drag is there. I rode it again today and the same thing happen. I actually dumped water on it and that seemed to fix it for the time being, but I doubt that is a good solution. Although the pads ride close on my enduro bike, you can see the piston move when the brake is pressed. On the Sherco I really can’t see any movement although I can feel it squeezing the rotor. In general it looks like the caliper pistons are not going back in enough. This causes the roto to heat up and the problem just gets worse. I was thinking I could take the wheel off and push the pistons mostly out and then lubricate them and push them back in and see if that helps. I have had that technique work with hydraulic brakes on bicycles.
 
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