pacificnw1

Thanks for the helpful replies and photo. My issue was in front of the bike - behind the forks trying to save a crash/endo. I ended up shielding my pants. I had a leather patch added to the crotch of the knee (can I say that...?) and will find a new line down that hill, continue to learn and keep my feet on the pegs always, amen. STEEP Muddy downhill switchback (choke) and I melted my pants on the exhaust "U" bend, right off the cylinder. There was so much melted Klim pant cloth up there it looked like oil on the pipe - but there was no smoke. I got small tattoo as a memento and a $70 bill to add glove leather behind the right knee on to two pair of riding pants. Maybe I should use the money towards some fromal trials training!

Thanks Jonnyc21 - it's a 2006 RT/4 250F and it comes with a very short heat shield on the header pipe. A good quality, clamp on, aftermarket, flexible cage is what I was thinking. I will give Dennis @ Overland a call. Staying on the pegs is the easy answer but to improve - you gotta burn some pants!

Greetings - I "trail" ride my 06 and have burned the back side of the knee out of two pairs of pants on the header pipe before the shield. A common wisdom cure is the hope - the new ones have a longer shield I noticed. Likely a new location for the mount as well. Ideas Pics appreciated - and thanks too for reading!

Just in time! Mud is waiting everywhere! Plug wire, sticky fan motor and poor wire repair have stopped my 06 4/RT....

I have a 74 and have good spark after some chasing. I am no expert but here's my $.02 worth... If the coil has bare brass mounting surfaces - like the guys said already - clean the bike's mating/adjacent surface and add some light oil against rust - see "faying surfaces" for a boat load of rubbish on this that says A Good Ground is important. Manuals are on line - cheap and comes via email and a then a cd a few days later. It knows stuff. Ask the guys with the Spanish made bike what they wouldn't give for a decent manual! Remove the ignition back plate and unplug the cable. On the bench - Clean the bell housing inside diameter with 400-600 - cleaning only! Blow or wash sanding dust away. A light coat - thin film - a spray of WD40 is okay. Spray it on and wipe it clean. Remove and replace the condenser (or chase it for the next six months - up to you) Clean or replace points (if needed change the points adjusting/mounting Screw too). The points are set @ <.015" and burnished with a match book or business card - 'til it comes out clean. Check harness at the gromet where it exits the engine case. Stiff wire here is a failure wating for some vibration. It could work part time/intermittent - as mine did or may create a high resistance path and weaken coil response - not sure but I do know stiff wire that should be flexable is bad. Good luck - no school like old school! For good reason - of course.

"Experience is the great teacher" they say. The condenser was in stock here in town (!) and I soldered it in on Thursday and it wouldn't start. The point gap was the first thing I noticed/guessed but the adjusting screw was 44 years old and wouldn't budge. Back together with a new screw for the points, the condenser and a host of other needed improvements and maintenance tasks that should keep her going another 44 years. It started right up and I rode it for more than two hours without the sudden death nonsense. Thanks to the kindness of strangers I am once again a happy vintage trials rookie at risk. Trials Central is skookum. (b40rt, Laird387, Tony283 and Searay175 specifically)

Thanks bifgasgas - the experience and caution present in your reply is what makes these forums valuable. In fact I was practicing covering the rear brake doing small wheelies in the yard on the RT/4 two nights ago. I guess I stood on the rear brake a bit too hard or for too long and I very nearly experienced that forward dismount you described. I will be careful-thanks. But for now they gotta stay. I'm new 2 dirt and trail ride that bike in the woods. With that I'm not at as great a risk as a genuine trials rider. They've already saved my hand once! I got into some mud and clipped a tree with the left grip. It slammed the handlebar 90+ degrees and skidded the front wheel to a stop - love the trials steering stops! Likely kept me from leaving the trail for one heck of a ride!

I'm out of ideas... Recently restored TY 250 runs and rides great until I run it fast - 3/4 throttle for a minute or two. Then it acts like it's out of fuel and shuts off. A minute later the thing fires and idles like nothing happened! So - new fuel delivery system complete - everything. Clark fuel tank and petcock, fuel lines, Micunni Carb, Boysen reeds and spacer - SAME thing! So - electrical. In resto I cleaned the mag case and replaced the harness from the Ignition side to the new coil, wire, cap and plug. I'm a competent solderer and again, it works great unlil it gets hot. I run 45:1 and have the oil pump blocked and line ports plugged. I have two guesses - crank seals, condenser. I don't really think they fit. Shorted stator windings at temp maybe? I was careful but I was in there. Ideas welcome - why's and follow ups welcome - I'm stuck and the machine is great - except it occasionally shut off. Didn't Volvo's used to do that? Ha!

Hello, I live in the NW corner of the NW State and it's a fairly lonley place to be a trials rider... It's a bit suprising really as the weather is terrible, wet and cold. It's perfect for trials riders! I am a new dirt rider but have done some dual sport riding. I'm old enough to not want to experience the thrill of a flying thru the woods with my bike no longer beneath me. I learned that should be a goal on my first choice for a dirt bike. I bought myself a new KTM 300 XC-W - oops. What a great bike! I took a class from Chris Birch and asked - What do I need to get from a street rider to a dirt rider? He and the Vancover Island Trials Champ both said - practically together - get a Montesa. So I said I was looking at a 74 TY 250 to buy - Chris sais, "Oh, my mom had one of those. Called it Bessy for some reason." I need some help with that TY - where should I post?

Hello, I live in the NW corner of the NW State and it's a fairly lonley place to be a trials rider... It's a bit suprising really as the weather is terrible, wet and cold. It's perfect for trials riders! I am a new dirt rider but have done some dual sport riding. I'm old enough to not want to experience the thrill of a flying thru the woods with my bike no longer beneath me. I learned that should be a goal on my first choice for a dirt bike. I bought myself a new KTM 300 XC-W - oops. What a great bike! I took a class from Chris Birch and asked - What do I need to get from a street rider to a dirt rider? He and the Vancover Island Trials Champ both said - practically together - get a Montesa. So I said I was looking at a 74 TY 250 to buy - Chris sais, "Oh, my mom had one of those. Called it Bessy for some reason." I need some help with that TY - where should I post?