dan williams

Yeah the '09 frames were snapping all over the place but Beta warranteed them so at least most had them replaced.

Ah yes Beta flywheel weights. On the Rev3 before 2008 the primary gear for the 270 included an additional weight which was machined as part of the gear. (non-removable) On the 250 the primary gear was just a gear so the 250 revved quicker. In 2008 Beta reversed this and put the primary gear flywheel on the 250 and the lighter gear on the 270. If you want to know which you have just peek through the oil sight glass. If you see a flat metal surface about 5mm away from the glass you have the primary flywheel. Beta also added another weight to the ignition flywheel for the British market.

As for harder to start the EVO and Rev3 of similar displacement start about the same. For differences in how they ride I can tell you the EVO is perhaps the most stable bike I've ever owned. Coming off an '08 Rev3 that I've been fettling with for 5 years to get it just so I can say the 2013 EVO was instantly more tractable. I had to go for slightly heavier springs to get the handling correct for my weight but what a difference. If cost isn't a differentiator go for the EVO. I think your choice of a 200 is an excellent idea.

Some basic questions, Is the finger mechanically stuck or is it the muscle simply can't pull it in? I know that before I work on a new Beta clutch the stock pull is heavy enough that by the end of the day I start to get "whisky clutch" where halfway through a section the muscle that works the finger is so fatigued it loses fine control or can't even pull in the clutch. Aside from hand exercises to help the endurance of the finger muscle the only solution I have is to reduce the clutch pull. I know there are accessory clutch springs for GasGas. Another help is to make sure your lever perch is in towards the center of the bars so you are pulling the end of the lever optimizing your leverage. If the finger locks mechanically that's a different matter and may be a problem with routing of the tendon or something odd with the joints. Does this cause pain when it locks? Other than the crashing that is. Do any other fingers have the same issue? Maybe time to see a surgeon.

The problem with tall gearing on a bike like the 300 is it has more than enough torque to surprise you quickly and violently. Especially if not jetted correctly. I know mine is very smooth and friendly down low but there is a vicious hit lurking just about half throttle. It's gotten my undivided attention on several occasions when I've been sloppy. Your dad, being used to vintage bikes, probably made the mistake of thinking 300cc now was like 300cc back in the old days. But his mistake got you a killer bike eh?

OK this is kind of bike/rider specific at this point but here are my learndings with the old and new Beta clutches. Point 1. I assume she's not riding advanced level stuff and so clutch slippage in the top gears on the loop or zapping a step is not likely to be a problem for her. Point 2. Progressive and easy clutch actuation is her main concern. Point 3. Clutch plates are easier and cheaper to replace than a wife. So down to specifics, look at the pinned topic for the clutch fix first for making the clutch nice and progressive to get an understanding of the basics of why Beta clutches have been hard to pull and inconsistant. This was all done on older bikes with 6 matching fiber plates. On the new bikes Beta has made some changes. The two outer fiber plates are ~1.5mm thicker. This makes the clutch pack about 3mm thicker increasing the spring preload. The spring retaining washers are now stepped but as shipped from the factory mine were turned around so the step was facing the bolt head. So what does this have to do with the price of potatoes in Peoria? On the old clutches I'd do the clutch fix and yank a couple of springs. After a few years on a 270 there will be some slippage on the loop trail in 5th and 6th gear when hauling. A small price to pay for a light and progressive clutch pull. On the new bikes the thicker fiber plates make the clutch act quicker and seem to exhibit some hydraulic drag due to the reduced clearance in the clutch pack. I did the clutch fix on my '13 300 but I was still getting a somewhat unpredictable clutch action for my mediocre talents.Turning the spring washers around reduced the spring preload by about 1.5mm which helped lower pull. Saturday night I put a set of fixed fiber plates from an '08 (yeah I have extra sets of plates lying around. That shouldn't surprise anyone by now). Sunday was the first ride on the '13 with the '08 fibers and what a difference. Even with six springs the pull was light and the action progressive and predictible. There was no slip and I went all day without putting a foot down for the first time in 28 years of riding events. To say I'm pleased would be an understatement. So if you get her a new Beta get the thinner fiber set and polish the tabs/clean the inter pad glue, flip the step washers, run real gear oil (not ATF) and put some VForce reeds on it to help the bottom end torque. You might want to consider the 200cc engine too as it's very capable and a lot less intimidating. Me fail English? That's unpossible! (Ralph Wiggum)

...and many of us steadfastly hang onto said "poor technique".

Eeeee I put the '08 clutch pack In the '13 last night. Rode the last event of the season today. The reduced pack height and the flipped around washers reduced pull and the clutch was soooo good. The experts like the quicker clutch but it's no bargain for us duffers. Also managed to do something I've never done before even in the Senior bunny class. Cleaned the day.

On my 2013 I went up one size on the pilot. Even running VP C12 this improved the response. Fuel is not always what they tell you at the pump which is why I buy cans of race gas.

If you spend a significant amount of time testing the top speed of your trials bike maybe you should buy an enduro bike. I usually drop one on the countershaft to make second my main section gear. The advantage of dropping the front rather than going up a couple on the rear is I don't need to add chain links. The disadvantage is increased chain wear but that's not been a problem so far. There are a lot of things that affect ridability of a bike that often get blamed on gearing. Clutch engagement and power delivery being the most common. Improper jetting can make a bike feel lethargic in one range while pulling properly in another. This is often mistaken for a gearing issue. A light switch clutch is the other problem sometimes "corrected" with gearing.

Much if not all of that was Jordi Tarres. Believe me the man could do that and more. I watched him ride a moped over a metal guardrail. And despite that talent Jordi was and still is the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. A true champion.

... but it's extra?

The little 160 GasGas bikes were very sweet. A friend has a 200 Beta and it has a field day over the bigger bikes when it gets slippery. By the end of the day my 300 is a chore to kick over so I understand why you want an easier kicker.

Ossa has lot's of new tech from the fuel injection to the bonded (glued) frame. They also have one bit that's really impressive and that is the ability to remove the gearbox without splitting the cases. http://www.ossauk.co.uk/users/UserFiles/File/trans.pdf Seriously how cool is that? I was so close to buying one.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/putting-the-simple-back-into-viscosity/ Lots of tasty info here in one article.

Hmmm tough to find the 5W-40 around here. I worked over a set of spare Rev3 plates last night that I'm going to try in my '13. Thinking about the difference between the new thicker clutch pack and the older clutch pack I wonder if reduced clearance between the plates while the clutch is disengaged is causing my hydraulic drag as per Billy's musings. Took points last weekend from the occasional "whisky clutch". Took more from lack of talent but that's another problem.

I'm inclined to think the spring under the needle on the Mikuni is partially to absorb energy and keep cumulative impacts from self adjusting the float level tab for you.

Those dimples on the piston skirt say something's been bouncing around in there.

Unlike the Mikuni with its machined brass valve seat and Viton tipped needle the Keihin looks like just a steel needle on a machined surface in the carb body. One of the reasons I call the Keihin primitive. I'm a little suspicious of the seal this provides. The seal isn't a force issue either. The conical shape allows for the most opening with the smallest movement but again without a flexible sealing surface more pressure buys you nothing if there is dirt or a surface imperfection on either of the mating parts.

Mine makes the tail light come on.

Here's how I start my Beta. I take it off the stand and kick it. Then I kick it again, then again. Then I remember to turn on the gas. While the carb is filling I kick it a few more times out of impatience. Then I stop to rest and then kick it again after a moment and it starts. The 2008 was similar except for the unsticking of the kill switch.

<geek mode> It would be kinda neat to really tear a corroded Beta apart and find the other electrode the magnesium migrated to. </geek mode>

He's got a point. I've never seen anything on the Beta forums about dodgy clutches, flakey Keihins, dribbling Mikunis, cracking EVO frames, frying stators, crap kill switches, weak main bearings, clunky head bearings, corroded water pumps or strange grounding schemes. I guess we Beta riders just don't talk to each other much. They all have their foibles. The one thing I can't stand is when there is an issue and the deniers come out of the woodwork. I'd much rather a manufacturer just say, "Yup, we screwed up. Where do we send the new frame."

Possible suspects, Ignition, Shorting kill switch, plug fouled, ignition coil, CDI, Stator, intermittent connector Carburation, Bad gas, contamination in tank, blocked jet, air leak, blocked gas cap vent Mechanical, Broken reed, torn air boot Identify symptom Does engine run well at lower RPMs? Does engine run well at higher throttle settings when throttle is rolled on slowly? Does engine recover if allowed to cool off? Does engine recover if allowed t run at lower RPM for a while? Obviously you want to go for the cheaper solutions first. A good disassemble and clean of the carb and fresh gas is a good start. While the carb is out inspect the air boots and reeds to make sure all is well. All Beta stock kill switches are crap. Replace it. Make sure you can blow air through the gas cap vent. Throw a new plug in and ride again. If the problem isn't fixed it's probably about to get expensive. Try a new plug cap on the HT lead of the coil. If that doesn't fix it you may be looking at the dreaded stator failure. Diagnoses of ignition component failure is a swap and check deal. I'd love to tell you there was an easy way to test for failed components but there isn't. Metering the stator even with an LCR bridge is iffy at best. Good luck.

Billy's comments on viscous coupling are very good. I remember being told years ago not to fill the Beta gearbox all the way as it caused the clutch to drag and that the factory guys ran less than the spec oil level. I can also confirm on the new EVO I still have some low speed drag as well as very quick clutch engagement. Certainly quicker than I am used to compared to the '08 which has a clutch "like buttah". Gonna have to get me some of Billy's magic oil. He hasn't steered me wrong yet.