Swishing it is.. Just got mine apart dead easy job..and boy are those bearing knackered!; for all those who are going to have to do this job it's worth remembering that all of the gearbox stays in the clutch side , the primary gear (taper fit on clutch side may ping off and smack you in the face if you are using levers/ heat and of course getting bearing out is much eaier with a little heat to expand the ally faster than the bearings, ofcourse an air wrench makes it so much easier to get the clutch centre nut undone ..and don e back up I imagine. I don't know about putting it together as I now have to wait for bits to arrive ( gasket set seals and bearings) I had thought about moaning at John Lampkin as my bike is only 17 mjonths old and I am not the sort to thrash a bike ( I wouldn't be at 58 years young) but there is evidence of condensation/wet although the piston and bore are spotless and unmarked (you would expect an engine thats has a "drink" to be evenly affected by the dirt, or for it to have blown the head or barrel of or bent a con rod...water doesn't compress); I can't recall ever giving it a "drink" of water but then I can't imagine why a factory would assemble a motor with corroded bearing. It just seems bizzare that so many Betas are having this problem and it would be helpfull if there was any preventative medicine available ( thats opened the door for Beta bashers !). Its not really a difficult job I reckon its taken me longer to write this than t did to get the engine apart it's just that it shouldn't be neccessary.
I thought the fun was riding the trial not trying to get best score by any means. What breed of self interested *ossers are we bringing on? You can't say fairer than you already have re completing scoresheets.
thanks for that guys It's been a long time I had motor with "shot" mains your comments about feeling it and grating roughness have been a big help I think I'll go on believing it's a bit of piston slap 'cause it isn't a harsh "serious" noise. PS i
I.m probably a bit late in this conversation....... how do you know it's the mains? I have a similar quandry with my 08 200..to me, for all the world it sounds like piston slap at exhaust port with the screwdriver to the ear. Some folk who have had a listen say all beta's are quite noisy mechanically ,some say its definitly the mains , some say its primary drive noise. I think the noise has got louder since i changed gearbox oil to A.T.F. which certainly made clutch action better.One guy whose opinion I trust (him having been around even longer than me) reckons it's mains but that they could go on grumbling like that for a long time yet. I remain reluctant to strip it down without being sure it's neccesary so any comments or pointers wouldbe appreciated.
Its interesting to find out of the few contributors to this forum that I'm not alone with my difficulty with red on green. Even if Acu offer guidlines and they are gradually adoted by clubs expect a troubled transition period . I know that every time I go to ride abroad where they use colour coded routes through sections I am going to ride twixt a red and blue gate by mistake (40 years of one system is a lot to forget). I think we can all agree that it's high time some guidance was offerred for the rank and file punters of the ACU.
living in what I think is smallest centre in the country you would think we had little to do to sort this out , indeed the centre has recently spent (probably) hundreds of man hours debating this and it seems that we now have an official local system which is different from even our adjoining centres. One of the stumbling blocks was the matter of identifying which rider should be on what route and how to make this clear to all. Having read all the above contributionsit is clear that there is most definitly a requirement for a simple cheap and universally understandable sytem. I am quite aware that the colours to be used are set down in standing regs but like Mike say's the interpretation and implementation of this is so diverse as to render it useless. just to spice the discussion it is a medical fact that a high proportion of men are prone to difficulty in distinguishing red from green (something I always found difficult when crossing moors). Having ridden dozens of trials in Europe I have to say that route marking is generally poor (coloured tapes tied to posts, trees etc.) and the section marking generally excellent with up to six routes (identified by coloured "gates" of same colour)through a section it needs to be! Of course many of the old boys will say there should be only one route through a section.... if that was the case then the handbook would make sense. Here's another thought; one of the contributors indicated that it is difficult to get people interested enough to go to rugby and work out these management issues. That can hardly be surprising to anybody who has done anything to promote our sport. having read that back it really is exactly opposite to the stated intentions of the ACU. Perhaps in these days of video conferencing and forums such as this one, there is another way of reaching conclusions which are universally agreed to be benificial to us all. Meanwhile we can expect to find anything from old socks to full tape to mark out sections I agree that this is not neccesarily the best situation but when I'm marking out I will do anything possible to minimise the load I have to carry, the plastic "sticks" sound a great solution but of course they will now be illegal in our centre unless a ruling comes from HQ.
Why can't I work out who you are? I.m from Bristol member of Kingswood and know most folk, and you are probably a fan of Simsons.( that remindss me of an old joke ..bloke went to docs ,said doc I think my hearing is getting dodgy...doc asks what are the symptons..guy replied, cartoon character, homer is a fat yellow git and marge has blue hair..ha.ha Are you the guy who came to our last open to ctr. trial with an Iveco van?
Nice to see we all getting geared up for another highland holiday. An observation I would add is that I have seen plenty of journalists hanging around (and possibly enjoying the hospitality of the big circus tents) who must by nature of thier job be well aware of the rules and what is going on ;perhaps they will say they havn't the manpower or independance to "whistle blow". For most of us it is a great sporting holiday but for the big top owners it is a serious business. It must be a fine line to manage this inbalance of interests. I have to agree with those who hark back to the good old days when we were riding..it were so tough!!!.. the club appeared to have a"benevolant sponsor", some guys would do anything for results (no change there),but most entrants (as now) were simply sportsmen with similar ambitions but at least you could get into the car park with your trailor or bike rack and tools. By and large todays system ;(as in yesteryear) works for everyone as it has to be one of those situations where you have to manage with the "tools" available. On a practical note I would ask all to remember that the whole event is run largely on goodwill which is a fragile commodity, to be mindfull of others for example...If I 'm abserving a section out on the moors just after a fuel stop I can expect to to pick up a sackfull of litter and carry it as well as the markers and lost backpacks etc on my back in the interests of goodwill. First priority after that is to get the books in (results are needed ASAP) then sort out my bike /fuel/ problems. That sack of litter adds an extra 30 minutes or so to my 10 or 12 hour day and of course by the time I get in the service tents are closed. Finally I have to say that Phil Alderson over the years I've known him has been one of the most considerate and thoughtfull nice guys on the trials scene in general and this mistake is a shame, perhaps if he definitly isn't going to get ride and as an atonement he could offer his service as an official for this year he would be a most welcome asset in my team...a "works" observer..whatever next!.
does anybody out there know of a tree or four day trial on border of Austria with Italy it runs annually around about 2nd weekend in August., We went to Swiss Vestiges trial and French vielles tiges last year and overheard talk of an exellent trial thee weekend before as described above ..seems like a good plan to do that whilst we are ther next year but can't find any info at all
AS a manufacturer of footrests I reckon you would be better off modifying the bike to take any of the aftermarket footrests availabe. One it gives you more choice, two it will be easier to replace in the event of damage and thirdly it it easier to modify your frame than to desighn & make a pair of footrests. I had three 348's when they were " fashionable" ( read a long time ago) but can't remember how footrests were mounted. If you are determined to go ahead with making one pair of footrests; most footrests are around 100 to 105 long x 40 wide. Its a trade off for getting between rocks etc and having leverage on the bike. Good luck with your project
This can't possibly be a new topic but it is for me! Just had stator plate "meltdown" on 10 month old rev3 200. have replaced whole stator with OEM spare @
Quite amusing for me . I make footrests and was happily selling to MRS.. Malcolm got me an enquirey from Sherco to supply as O.E.M. I duly quoted a crazy price of less than a tenner a pair and didn't get order because I was too expensive. Next years and for several years all Sherco's had my desighn of footrest as standard equipment, I can only guesse they took my desighn to somewhere cheaper (maybe even china) and got it it made up as standard Sherco component. So you see, really all this fuss to me appears like Karma for Sherco. They aren't
the first and they wont be the last to find themselves in this situation, litigation will only serve to embarass them and they may well end up paying costs on top. Back to the game ..if only somebody could make a bike with reliability and build quality of Montesa/Honda rideability of Gas gas and price of Xispa I'll order 2 tomorrow!
Just came home from long holiday and read this! Without having a go at the ACU can anybody there indicate who is going to fill the position and maybe look into the circumstances. I don't know Mick personally just vague recollection of being in same trials years ago. It seems that for the ACU to ignore his wealth of experience let alone his willingness to do the job would be plain stupidity. you have to start sniffing for rats when all it needed was a timely gentle reminder from the "management" at ACU to Mick. Instead it appears they allow a deadline to pass and then tell him it's too late to get his nomination (or whatever they like to call it) in.
After 15 years of gassers and trying the Mont 4rt for a year I got rev 3's (me & the missus). I didn't like the footrests so fitted my own ("control footrests" although it would be understatment to say I'm a little biased in that area!) Only gripe I have is the crap electrical switches and wiring to same as recently mentioned in other forums; however as 99.9% of riders sling this away at outset it's not a problem for Beta. You wont find John Lampkins outfit lacking in customer service (although they can't be expected to suffer fools gladly).
Dont know answer to this but have to agree with you in hope that Beta read these forums and do something about it.. One of the reasons I bought Beta was because all switches etc looked to be tidy (we keep light etc on for scrutineering in Europe)
I had one of those ( albeit a 250) I rode it for two years including 2 SSDT's without any major mechanical problems was a good bike as the guy I sold it to used it for a further 5 years with only usual running repairs. Gassers are notoriously fragile and need good maintainance and a considerate rider to to get best out of them. So when looking at second hand gassers attention to all bearings seals and sighns of hard riding also all fasteners appear to be made of chocolate so you can see telltale signs of repairs and of course the airbox is very prone to leaks. If or should that be when you have to make repairs to gasser it is normally pretty straightforward work but you must have good tools gentle hands and clean workspace.
Hi Nigel just read your enqy. out of interest to see if anyone has encountered your problem which appears to be getting oil to feed through the bush, Firstly remember phosphor bronze is "porous" so it should soak up oil from any pressurised supply. Is it possible to hand machine the oilway in the case to ensure supply at the "feedhole" in the bush (if this is what you are describing) using for example a small tungsten carbide burr in an airtool? Finally I don't know this engine at all but if the pressure release valve is to be of any use surely it must be on the pressure or supply side of the equation,.. is it funnctioning correctly? This may all be dribble " but it always helps to talk things over eh?
Bottled fermented grape juice is used a lot on the continent or if its a warm day a mixture of anniseed, water and a smidgen of alcahol is often compulsory. Clearly there are many variations and opinions and you need to experiment and work out what is best for your metabolism; as you have identified a problem with stamina perhaps a few interstitial (between sections) quaffs of a mixture of beverages would help you feel less tired.
I think i'll give it a try provided price is right Like most I try to minimise gassing other riders at trials (queus are a fact of life nowadays!) at least they will be gassed with a sweet scent PS I know i cant spell
On a very (as seems usual nowadays) grey summer day here in the U.K. that sounds like a great idea! Janet & I have been going to Europe for several years which is brilliant but as P.A has realised you only actually live once... good luck to them it would be great to hear any feedback they may have regards logistics etc. Jealous , fed up with taxes,credit crunch ,recession, weather , health service etc etc here in UK
Sometimes its best to get help from friends you can see touch & feel It could be lack of tecnique, or like most of us older riders your knees are knackered. A good thing to keep in mind is that riding is like walking ,you cant walk with stiff knees!, regardless of what position you put bike in you stand vertically centred , you point your feet and shoulders in direction you want to go keeping bars paralell to your shoulders.
Main Bearings Gone
in Beta
Posted
Swishing it is.. Just got mine apart dead easy job..and boy are those bearing knackered!; for all those who are going to have to do this job it's worth remembering that all of the gearbox stays in the clutch side , the primary gear (taper fit on clutch side may ping off and smack you in the face if you are using levers/ heat and of course getting bearing out is much eaier with a little heat to expand the ally faster than the bearings, ofcourse an air wrench makes it so much easier to get the clutch centre nut undone ..and don e back up I imagine. I don't know about putting it together as I now have to wait for bits to arrive ( gasket set seals and bearings) I had thought about moaning at John Lampkin as my bike is only 17 mjonths old and I am not the sort to thrash a bike ( I wouldn't be at 58 years young) but there is evidence of condensation/wet although the piston and bore are spotless and unmarked (you would expect an engine thats has a "drink" to be evenly affected by the dirt, or for it to have blown the head or barrel of or bent a con rod...water doesn't compress); I can't recall ever giving it a "drink" of water but then I can't imagine why a factory would assemble a motor with corroded bearing. It just seems bizzare that so many Betas are having this problem and it would be helpfull if there was any preventative medicine available ( thats opened the door for Beta bashers !). Its not really a difficult job I reckon its taken me longer to write this than t did to get the engine apart it's just that it shouldn't be neccessary.