dan williams

OK so a few things I've seen on the 2018 make me fairly certain we'll be seeing significant changes to the 2019. I've seen what appears to be much larger electrical capacity on the stator with more coils and a larger regulator/rectifier. An additional vent (pressure tube?) on the fuel filler. A security screw on the intake manifold. Pushing of electrics (CDI, ignition coil, regulator) away from the center of the frame towards outer parts of the bike. So let's speculate, Fuel injection, all the cool kids are doing it. A fuel pump, injection body and ECU need space and power to work. A battery is necessary to make it work first kick. Electric start? Hey if we throw a Li-ion battery in for the fuel injection why not make it a bit bigger and start a revolution? Starter motors are a lot smaller and lighter than they used to be. Diaphragm clutch, They don't work better than a properly setup spring clutch but they are cheaper to manufacture and they are physically thinner than coil springs. I would like to see someone build a clutch with a wave spring just because nobody's tried it yet. ...and on the wish list, A rear brake that has a bleeder on top of the master cylinder. Now.......................Discuss!

A couple of questions, Does the lever firm up after a few pumps? Does your master cylinder piston return all the way to the stop when the lever is let out? Is the lever feel correct at the start of the ride? This almost sounds like you have a warped or bent rotor pushing the pads back slightly. A slightly misaligned caliper might also cause this. The throw of the pistons in the caliper is really short and rely on the elasticity of the O-rings around the pistons to pull them back. Any deflection by the rotor will push them back further than normal causing the symptoms you describe.

Some guys use the strap over the seat method. Some just grab the muffler. There are times I could’ve used a strap on the back. Whatever works for you is fine. Odds are if you fit the strap you’ll have a couple riders at each event commenting on what a great idea it is and wondering why they didn’t think of it.?

Yeah I start it too.

I haven’t had an issue either though I try not to spray it full pressure at bearings or gaskets. I have had it peel stickers off.

Too bad I already paid for "A new competitive machine" at considerably the same price as other current machines. And I didn't even get Sammy Miller foot rests. Thanks for posting this though. I love to see these small unknown manufacturers. Somebody's hopes and dreams rested on that bike. And probably their savings too.

Just as an aside the stock reed cage is the same as an early 2000s KTM 65SX. I'm tempted to get a rubber manifold from the KTM to see if it fits.

S3 makes a low compression head that helps a lot on the 300. You lose none of the grunt. The top can still be scary just not as much and the kicking is easier. Also makes the bike less finicky about octane rating.

A "Factory" just buys you a few ounces of weight saving and a bit more top end power. So with the 125 you'll have a weak low end and a peaky top without much in between. The 125s are aimed at teenagers because they have to ride 125s. Not really what you need as an old guy new to the sport. A 200 is a nice compromise in torque at low speed without the arm ripping pull of a larger engine. Executive summary: get the 200

Well if you put the manifold in any other orientation the carb won’t fit.

Yeah T-25 security bit is needed to take the tower off a Keihin PWK28 so I had one. I take “no user servicable parts” as a challenge. Still this is beyond the usual for a trials bike. Not as bad as my wife’s CRF150f plugging the mixture adjust screw. But a harbinger of what’s to come.

Forgot to note this is a 2018 EVO 300.

Swapped out the reeds for carbon fiber and found one screw on the manifold was a T25 security screw. Wasn’t expecting that. Also noted was what seems like thread locking compound on idle adjust screw. Explains why it snapped off first time I tried to adjust it. Carb also looks different but not sure. Top of slide housing seems different and bottom of carb has serial number.

I think the “Factory” models have the braktec masters. The standard 2018 looks the same as my 2013. But yes it should fit. correction: I worked on my 2018 yesterday. It was 70F here in February so... Anyway I looked at the rear master cylinder and it is a Braketech so apologies for the above mis-information.

Caby’s gotta be furious.

What could possibly go wrong?

My ‘13 300 has done this since I got it new. Betas have always shifted notchy but this jumping out of second is something that was never an issue on the other Betas I’ve had and I’ve had quite a few. I learned to be very dilligent in making sure the shift into second felt like all the bits are moved into place but if I take a half hearted stab at the shifter going from neutral or first into second it often pops out and hilarity ensues. Well for my friends watching anyway. I also have a new ‘18 that I’m prepping for the season. I’ve had it out a few times to test and break it in and the shifting is like buttah! Just a tap and it snicks into gear. I’ve looked over the parts manuals for both years and none of the parts numbers are different so I assume Beta just beefed up some parts but I don’t know which without disassembling both bikes. The rumor I’ve heard is they thickened the shift forks. I don’t know for certain though. One avenue I was considering was a heavier spring on the cam that indexes the gearbox but Beta doesn’t use a standard plunger so that wasn’t going to be easy. I think you’re just going to have to work around it. The third to second shift does work though it’s a pain to have to use.

In most cases most likely true but the bad batches I got may have been a dodgy station owner. Who knows? Since I've been using VP C-12 I haven't had a bike hiccup yet and it's been probably two decades now. Damn, I'm old!

In NETA we have to work one event if there are 13 or less scheduled and two for 14 or more. Getting observers is always the hardest thing to do. As for queuing up at events, most of our loops are short maybe mile and a half through some pretty technical trail. Worse than the sections in some places. One thing that is noted in our rules and I think it needs to be highlighted is a rider can start at any section but all sections must be ridden in strict numerical sequence. So if you want to skip the line at 1,2,3... and don't mind the extra loop you can start where there is no line. This works extremely well as observers further in see riders earlier. The lines at the first few sections thin considerably and it's easier to finish since the extra loop takes ~15-20 minutes. Much better than waiting in line for 20 minutes at section 1, 15 minutes at section 2, 10 minutes at section 3.... One thing that is funny is people seem to think that making a long technical loop helps the problem. There have been many events where I'll leave one section, ride an exhaustive, long technical section of loop and end up at the next section within sight of the previous section. And that helps me finish earlier how? The long lines are still at the first few sections. Granted it can be fun to ride loop trail but if I wanted to trail ride I'd buy an enduro bike. The breadsticks might be delicious but nobody goes to an expensive restaurant for the breadsticks.

As pointed out above the biggest problem is fuel with ethanol. If you're not in the US that's probably not a problem as you have no corn lobby to bribe politicians to require ethanol in your fuel. If you are using pump gas, before you put your bike away, turn off the fuel tap and start the bike. After a few minutes the revs will come up and that let's you know the fuel in the carb has started to run out. You can then shut the bike off and any fuel in the float bowl will just evaporate after a few hours. No need to clean out the carb. If you use non-ethanol gas like racing fuel just shut off the tap and put it away until the next ride. No problem. Ethanol, when left to sit, forms a waxy residue which is what gums up the works in a carb. It takes time for this to happen but even "premium" pump gas with ethanol will do this. The good news is that if you don't leave fuel in the float bowl of the carb no buildup will occur. The ethanol will evaporate out with the rest of the fuel. As for the fuel in the tank that is another story simply because it is a much larger volume. Aside from the waxy goo from hydrogenated ethanol (think margarine) ethanol has a higher affinity for water than it does for other hydrocarbons including oil. In practical terms the ethanol in the fuel will bond with atmospheric water and separate out of solution into an alcohol/water mixture which is heavier than gasoline. This can sit in the bottom of the tank so when the engine is started after a long time it will be fed ethanol/water with no oil in it. One reason why a sealed gas can is a happy gas can. So draining the tank is one option. The other is a fuel stabilizer which will "preserve" the fuel for a while longer. The third is of course to use racing fuel but that gets expensive (But it's so worth it, I've had bad experiences with pump gas. Trials translation, I've crashed my ass off from crappy fuel.) It is ironic that the "common wisdom" of pre-ethanol fuel was put it away with a full tank. Now ??? Now having said all that I typically do a disassemble and clean on my carb twice a season for the Keihin as it has many tiny holes that can get blocked by dirt or even water and to keep the bike running properly at low throttle settings those passages must be clear. But just as a general rule of thumb ride it. If it's running good it's fine and you don't need to clean the carb out every time you take it out of storage.

I think no one can really answer that for you. The Montesa is heavier and has a more rigorous maintainence regime. There is an incredible range of tuning with a four stroke so the power characteristics are difficult to determine without seeing the actual bike. The Beta is easier to maintain, engine wise, and is a bit more consistant bike to bike but perhaps a bit less steady on bumpy terrain than the Montesa. The Beta engine is very sweet and will not try to get away from you but you might find it lacking for trail riding. It really is something that comes down to your preference for power delivery. Both bikes are capable of expert level performance. If you can, ride both and see which one whispers, “Buy me.” In your ear.

Maybe but my 2000 was a great bike as is my 2013. Both introduced major changes. I think the only real problem new Beta’s were the ‘09 frame cracking and Beta replaced all those frames.

I have a 2018 and a 2013. To be honest there isn’t much difference that I can see yet.

Could be air in the top of the master cylinder. There should be a bleeder there since it’s the highest point in the system. I find after any rear brake service I have to pump the brakes up, hold pressure on the pedal and crack the banjo bolt on top of the master cylinder then close. A couple cycles of that usually helps immensely. I know it’s not accepted practice. Yes Beta should fix it. Blah blah blah. It seems to work purging that last bubble of air in the system.

Awesome, that ground to the triple clamp was a good example of somebody at the factory having no clue whatsoever about electricity.