heffergm

Ummm... isn't that basically what a 4-ride already is? A 4rt with a bigger tank and a seat? I kind of doubt Honda expended much effort tricking out a semi-trail bike for an event they don't really attach much importance to.

Does anyone not like the air screw and idle quick adjusters for any reason?

What bike?

I'm not really up for drilling the heads on these particular bolts. Too small.

Had the bike up on the stand, lubing the chain. Kept hearing a very faint 'click' with every wheel rotation, and started poking around... what could it be? Made my way over to the rear brake disc, and found I could turn all four bolts by hand. Being a devout atheist (irony intended) I'm not sure whom to thank for the miracle of the bolts not backing out into the swingarm, but in any event I'm glad to have caught it. Re-tightened with loctite applied!

GasGas. Why? - the Vertigo is loud and expensive - the Honda is expensive - the Sherco is ugly Or get a Scorpa if you like the way the Sherco rides

If you think the GG bolts are cheese you should see the ones on the Betas... coming from one, I thought the GG bolts were pretty decent in comparison.

The only reason your old scorpa is loud is because the silencer hasn't been repacked in a decade

FWIW, I think the chances of any of them affecting your results one way or another are slim to none in reality, but certainly present in your head. Which is to say, buy the one you like the most.

Remove the top shock tower bolt. Once it's free the entire swingarm will pivot down and out of the way of everything (get the bike on a stand of course).

I'm relieved I wasn't imagining the fuel cut feeling! (senility held at bay for another year)

I rode one very, very briefly, and watched a bunch of others ride it. I'm a clubman level guy, the folks I watched ride it are expert level. The bike is really loud, even at idle, which really put me off it before I'd even ridden it. The clutch is light, almost as light as the modded clutch on my GG, which is feathery. However when I rode it, I found the engagement point to be incredibly abrupt. Obviously not an issue for expert guys (probably more of an advantage) but I didn't get along with it. In contrast, the TRS I rode at the same time has a much heavier pull, but the was 10 times easier for me to deal with as far as engagement. The Vertigo also did a few odd things when i was riding it... it almost felt like some sort of anti-stall kicking it when I was crawling along in first gear. Like there was a hiccup in drive power to keep the engine from stalling. I concede I could be imagining things, but I have an unashamedly high level of mechanical sympathy, and whatever it was doing was really bizarre. It also makes an insane amount of power. I can't really see spending the money they want for it at clubman level... you end up with a bike you feel might kill you on Map 1, but you're stuck with a 300cc jug running it on Map3 all the time. I will say that in terms of fit/finish/look, the Vertigo is very nicely done. But I was hoping for a lot more from the EFI (I remember when I first rode an injected KTM 4-stroke and was blown away by how much better it was than carb'd bikes). The Vertigo didn't feel any different in terms of fueling than my GG (maybe worse). Obviously take all this with some grains of salt. Like I said, I only rode it briefly, but it's not for me. The TRS I could see working if the clutch can be lightened up. It's also really well finished, and incorporates a few minor things I'd love to see on a GG (bolt on footpeg hangers, an easier to remove/attach airbox section, a really simple linkage, etc).

Yes, but some of those sections look impossible to ride without stops. If guys making sections build them like that, no stop isn't gonna fly. Guys aren't going to just make 180 degree turns and gas it up the giant rock face with certain death to either side without a little setup time.

Wow. Huge off for Fujinami in there.

How'd you clean the carb? Maybe soak all the jets in a parts cleaner wash tank overnight...

The roller doesn't make the throttle any lighter. It just keeps it from dragging on the bars when you're doing something that involves applying pressure to the grip.

I agree that thing is pretty annoying. I wouldn't worry of you decide to hack it off. Mine will probably break off at some point while I'm putting the air box back on.

The fluid is going to have zero effect in changing the mechanical advantage (the force required to pull the clutch). My GG uses the usual mineral oil... it's got the lightest clutch pull I've ever felt in my life, and I haven't felt it slip. I have no idea what Stu did to it, but it's pretty sweet...

I can't even tell what I'm looking at there. Is that some bizarre front fill setup? For all the TRS talks about easy maintenance, that seems odd.

Why do you want to convert it?

I rode a more or less brand new Vertigo last weekend and was surprised how weak the brakes were... I'm sure they just weren't bedded in yet, so yes, I'd say they can feel 'that bad'. You can wait it out or heat cycle them as suggested.

2017 TRS's: Keihin carbs and a Raga model

Dan, don't know if you rode the Vertigo too, but my impression of both was that the gearbox's felt really tight and positive. Compared to the tranny on all the other bikes I've ridden (especially this GG, which is really, ummm, vague I guess is the best way to put it... if I ignore the whole 4th -> 5th weirdness anyway) they were spectacular.

I went by today. Although I spent most of my time playing on my GG, I did a quick spin on the Vertigo and the TRS. Basically what Dan said... I found the Vertigo intimidating. The clutch is light but very abrupt, and between that and the fact that the bike is loud as $#@$, I was very cautious. The TRS was more like getting on XYZ bike that I'm used to, very progressive clutch (but too heavy for me to run all day). I'd like some more time on one when the 250/280 show up.

Yeah, I know, I live in crazytown for actually using the oil spec'd by the manufacturer. It's a lonely world...