dan williams

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.

Please let us know what you find.

Well your schematic matches mine so I'd say go after ground connections and make sure connectors are actually connecting. The automotive connectors sometimes let the pin slip out the back when you push them together after having them apart so they look connected but the aren't. Always the basics first.

I don't know if this is of any use but this is what I had a problem with on my '08. I should probably put my name on these things since they pop up all over the web. Beta_wiring.pdf

A low compression head goes a long way to taming a bigger motor. Kicks easier. Runs better on low octane fuel. Still maintains that lovely low end torque.

I’ll bet clear mudguards would look quite stunning.

I think the hex ones are all the same. Just make sure it fits VM series carb.

To be honest I don’t see much difference between my ‘13 Evo and my ‘18 Evo other than better shifting. After I got my ‘13 I noticed just how much better it handled and tracked than my beloved ‘08. The difference was astounding. You know you want a newer bike. You’ve been cleared by the boss. What the hell are you waiting for? Seriously any Evo with the hydroformed frame is a quantum leap from your 2001.

ok here’s the condensed version; The Mikuni VM26-208 fitted to the Beta isn’t a bad carb. The fuel valve needle and seat are easy to replace and redily available. There are three hoses that come out of the carb. One is attached to the bottom of the float bowl. This goes to a brass tube inside the float bowl and is the overflow for the float bowl. If gas is coming from this hose you may have a valve or float problem. The most common fuel piddling problem with Betas equipped with Mikunis comes from the other two plastic hoses which come from the sides of the carb body. These are atmospheric vents for the float bowl. They are never intended to see fuel however the bouncing and tipping that a trials bike is subjected too can splash fuel up into these plastic tubes. Because these tubes are long and end below the float bowl they can act siphons if the level of fuel is high in the float bowl and the bike bike is tipped enough for fuel to cover a vent hole in the top of the fuel chamber. Typically you see this when the bike is leaning on a side stand. The cure per Billy T’s instruction is to nip a small hole in both vent tubes at a point above the float bowl about halfway up the vent tubes. This prevents the siphon effect. The other piece is the properly set float level where the valve shuts off and float travel to limit the effect of the bike bouncing around on the fuel level. There are notes on how to do this on here but I’m on my phone so a bit limited in my ability to link to them. Do a search for Beta setting Mikuni should turn up either Billy’s excellent explaination or something similar from one of the SSDT prep documents. There are other documents that talk about fitting brass tubes and other vent trickery. Overkill I think. Just nip the tube, set the floats and be done. If you do decide you need a new valve needle and seat it’s worth the money to make sure they are genuine Mikuni from a reputable source.

Read the Mikuni thread pinned at the top of this forum.

All joking aside the 300 vs 200 argument is most valid for beginners who ride street bikes and have no dirt muscles. With your experiance and size a 300 shouldn’t be a problem. A 300 can also be detuned to make it less alarming on the top without losing the low end torque that makes it easier in some trickier terrain. There are videos of Toni Bou going over advanced obstacles with his engine off so it is obviously not all about the motor. One aspect of a larger engine is it can fatigue you faster if you are not subtle with your control. If you haven’t ridden a trials bike you won’t be used to the immediate reaction trials bikes have to input. This is what surprises newbys the most but once you get used to it you depend on it though it’ll still surprise you now and then and that surprise is just a bit bigger with a larger engine. As stated condition of the bike is probably a bigger buying consideration. I suspect you will be like most riders in that if you try a bunch of bikes one will just speak to you. The best place to look is a local trials event if you can find one. If you’re in the market there will be bikes to try and you get to talk to the owners and it’s easier to negotiate price if you got a wad of cash in hand. Especially this time of year when new bikes come out and riders are looking to sell their old bikes to get the latest “Bold New Graphics” machine.

Awesome. I bungled putting the Jitsie kit on mine so I need a new o-ring. Some days it just doesn’t go together like it should. On a side note leaving for work the other day my Subaru made a noise like a yard full of barking dogs. Weirdest machine noise I’ve ever heard. It stopped after a minute and remains a mystery.

Did you fix the squeeeeel?

Yup you might need to go up a couple clicks on the rebound damping but you will have more control on the bouncy chewy stuff. I’ve done the heavier springs with less preload on my Betas for years and it really does help.

You will maintain traction better with the correct springs. With “normal” preload your suspension will be too soft so your geometry will be much more variable over bumpy terrain complicating control. If you crank up the preload the suspension will require your weight on it at all times to work as the springs will not compress until you have enough weight to overcome the preload. Up to that point it’s like a hard tail. A heavier set of springs will allow less preload making the suspension work better on smaller surface irregularities while still absorbing bigger hits without hard frame breaking bottoming out. And as Lineaway points out front and rear need to work together.

Sheared off woodruff key on the ignition flywheel. Fairly common occurrence. If the woodruff key didn't shear you run the risk of twisting the crank so it's actually a protection mechanism for the engine.

Welcome to the sport. Once you get used to the weirder parts of riding a trials bike it will start to feel quite natural and other bikes will start to feel weird.

Condolences on your loss John but thank you for sharing your dad’s piece of trials history. I’m sure there were many amazing stories that came with those photos.

There are beginners of all different types. Much depends on riding experiance and physicality. A 250lb athletic enduro rider might handle more power than a 100lb teenage girl but the basic techniques are the same regardless of engine size which is why you will get your ass handed to you at events by teenage girls and old men. Bigger motors have more grunt and can be more tiring to ride but are also able to deal with fast loop trails and there is no substitute for pulling you out of a low speed greasy up hill that you got into too slow. A bigger engine can be detuned but a smaller engine is, well smaller. The other thing to be aware of is sometimes the smaller engines are tuned a bit peakier as some were intended to be quickr revving than the bigger bikes. Beta in particular have oscillated back and forth over the years on the tuning of top models. For example the ‘94 Techno was a high revving abrupt bike that experts loved while everyone else crashed their asses off. The ‘95 was a much easier to ride bike and the big ‘96 was considered by many to be too soft but the 250 was peaky and popular with experts. You really have to try a bike to see if it fits what you need but you will in any case adjust somewhat to fit the bike you’re on because no matter what you choose the bike is never the limiting factor. As pointed out a well maintained bike is the first thing to consider. For that an older rider’s bike is probably best as they don’t beat up their bikes and have the money to replace what they break.