mags

Opening a can of worms here Fatty! I can really comment as I've only ever been on 4 strokes and only this year for trials machines. What I can comment on the reliability of the Beta 4T and the Montesa 4RT. Both have been great machines so far but only ridden by novices not pushed hard like an A grader would. The Beta 4T carb to inlet manifold rubber mount split but I'm pretty sure it was me tightening the skinny clamps too far that did it. I have now fixed the issue with a new rubber and wider clamps with infill rubbers in the grooves. Done! Have a grabby front brake on the Beta now but its intermittent and a strip and clean of the master didn't fix it so its a caliper thing for sure. Next on the list. I do prefer the Braketec brakes on the Monty verses the Grimeca on the Beta. No leaky fork seals on either yet. Original chains and sprockets still. Spokes are ok and not loosening at all. Original tyres on each of course. Neither use oil between services. Beta has combined gearbox/motor oil.... Monty has separate gearbox oil to motor and you have to pull left hand side cover to replace filter. No biggie really. About 15 hrs on the Monty and 45hrs on the Beta. We are very happy with both. We went 4 stroke because they are much quieter too ride around the house and not annoy neighbours as we learn. Your issue may be more clear if you could get to ride them? Mags

My mum had a photo of me circa 1974-75 with a Mick Andrews trials jersey on.... open face helmet with a peak. I'm pretty sure the jersey had a Yamaha logo under the Mick Andrews logo. It was white with red collar, sleeve tips and writing. From memory. It was my fond memories of that shirt and era that puts us into two trials bikes this year... after all those years! Tell your friend to tell Mick... he is still inspiring people into trials!!! Mags

Thats a cool look Billy! 3 Repsols, veerrryyyyy nice! Unusual trailer, have not seen that type before. Allyboy, Looking good! Gold rims stock? Mags

You guys are talking 2T right! If so disregard the following. But in case you aren't... I was able to access the Panolin Oil as recommended by Beta for the 2014 4T. Its a 10w-50 and full synth. Clutch is great, no drag when at operating temp. This oil's supply will dry up soon so I'm shifting to the full synth Motul 5100 10w-50. Its about the same money. First time I ever open the clutch up I'll check to see if it needs the Beta Clutch Mod. Mags

I agree about the trials improving road skills. I have been riding road bikes for decades and am very accomplished and safe rider (still here!!!! Hehehehe) and usually pull up at lights and fractionally before stopped place foot down.... A mate was following me in his car to the local hotel yesterday for a steak and salad lunch and I pulled up at lights, static balanced with bars to right for about a count of 2 seconds. Light changed and I was able to move off without feet leaving foot pegs (just!). He was amazed... at pub he says... WoW! I might have to do some trials riding! Pic of bike below and its not easy static sitting down and it is 300kg not 72kg! 10 inch rear tyre and 3 inch front doesn't help either!!! Hehehehe I actually did in front of two motorcycle cops that were following me in the city. Hehehehehehehe Do that coppers!!! Mags

Yeah! He's banned from any more practice for 6 months!! Hehehehehehehehehe You see when he lifts front wheel and hits bash plate into tyre and stops dead.... I can do that!!! Mags

I mucked around with some Carrillo rods (in Ducati), when a young fellow, and they use a micrometer to measure bolt stretch for correct tension. Well they did in the mid 80's don't know about the newer ones? Another not so good method was to tighten until it snaps then back off half a turn! Hehehehehe Mags

+1 on the wrong stroke. You know you on the right one (compression) when both rockers move in the "clearance". Especially as the Honda clearances are wider than most 4 strokes. If you line up the flywheel mark for top dead centre and move the rockers and both inlet AND exhaust are NOT free to feel clearance go again until you feel clearance in both rockers. Then check clearances. I use feeler tapes bent at just the right angle to insert. Can take a bit of mucking around but you should not have to loosen adjuster to insert feelers. Well... unless all clearances are zero and doubt that would be the case if its running well when warmed up, and normal to kick start. Mags

Richt, Wouldn't Proof Strength Index be beyond the scope of a service manual? More like on the Engineering Specifications on the design drawing sent to the fastener company supplying the factory fasteners?? Mags

Its a NO GO on the Helium filled front tyre!!! Comes up way too easy in the front end! Back to normal mix of gases for me! Mags

Geez! The two strokes look fantastic, boys!! Mags

G'day Eddie, Thats just a safety strap I use so the stand doesnt whack up every time I shift the bike in the garage. I modified the Beta stand so it doesn't auto up and sometimes I forget the Monty does auto up. It a small rubber strap with plastic covered hooks at each end. One in the bash plate forward hole and other end just under the stand rub button... works well. The bike with engine running and on hard surface tends to vibrate forward and fall because stand goes up... strap stops that as well. Mags

Would love one but I have a super, duper, uber super secret project I want to try first. It may not be possible so I'll reveal it after more research! I do have my name on a list for next years Race Replica but it may stay in crate until I become a better rider.... well, at least good enough not to damage the thing! I'm a fair bit down the list so will just as easy NOT get one. Heading out in about an hours time to ride area for the day, beautiful blue sky, 23 deg today.... ride, ride, ride! Mags

This was an issue for my wife having never ridden a motorcycle until this year. She regularly rode her mountain bicycle. She became comfortable using the clutch relatively quickly but the rear brake was a bit of an issue to get used to. I gave her an exercise that got the brain synapses used to the rear brake.... I sent her up a long hill and said "I want you to come down the hill clutch in and only use back brake, come to a stop every 2 metres for a split second and roll off again. Go down hill 4 times... for the first two times remove foot from peg and place back on before you apply brake, next two runs down just apply brake. After sessions of this every time we went to our ride area she knows where and how much brake to use now.... and has become very good at it. She did get annoyed with the repetition of the exercise at times but I insisted she keep at it.... what are husbands for!!! Mags

Kid at Xmas is putting it lightly! Hehehehehe I got to assemble it somewhat... put bars on, bigger exhaust cone and full checkover of fastener tightness. Only found two loose.... ring grips on the rubber boot on throttle body. Got about 12 hrs on it now. Mags

This is what you see when you first lift box off!!! I suppose not many see the bikes this way? Most I assume are on floor of bike dealers??? Mags

Yes! Its my white van. My motorcycle transporter and sleeping area on ride over-nighters. I had to pick the Montesa up from a freight depot about 20 miles from home. Saved another $150 fee if they loaded it up on smaller truck for delivery. My daughter and I slid it down some rails to get it in garage. It was pure joy opening that box one staple at a time!! Mags

I've also got a rare one of a Montesa Inter-Galactic Factory Transporter Tardis... Mags

Clothes back on! Mags

I tried this years ago... its over-rated! Your perceptions of instantaneous, relative, event cycles can form a distortionate long term, erroneous, vista of faculty. Its a slippery slope... Mags

You will need 100% nitrogen if going below sea level... check your ride areas mean sea level. How did you go with the re-torque by the way? Mags

Ahahahahaha! Thats funny! It took me ages to get the ball and chain off my English wife (born in Surrey)! Must have stole a cupcake! The judge said "I sentence you to a lifetime of marriage to an Australian!" Hahahahahahahaha! Mags

The pics of the older Monts are growing on me fast! Stop posting them will ya! I don't need one!!! Do I? Mags

I changed my 4T Cota from 10-41 to 10-43 and it changed the bike for the better IMHO. So much better in the rocky creeks and for doing full lock fig8's creeping 4 inches at a time. So much easier to pop front up on clutch to go over logs and rocks. My wife had a go and loved it so I went down one tooth on front from standard for her 4T Beta.... she says different bike in the tight stuff and has much improved her mid hill turn around a tree for example and slowed her fig8's markedly. Water finds its own level they say... so in the end you will settle on a good combination for the job at hand. Mags

Criminal record now! No getty into Australia now! What I don't get is... he could run a business from bedroom, reading comp screen, posting and packaging products in reasonably large boxes... And you can't ride a trials bike or sustain some sort of job? Or both? My wife paid a $100 an hour to get lessons from a trials champion. She had these to see if she liked trials before we purchased a bike. Best $300 ever spent. Mags