trapezeartist

I agree with you on both points. I wouldn't expect the gasket to crush to half it's thickness, but I would expect some reduction and the only thickness above 0.5 is 1.0. The point about the '40' being the thickness in thou was grasping at straws. There is absolutely no other way of identifying it. As I have time, I think I'll reassemble with the old gasket and measure the squish. Then order and fit the appropriate new gasket.

489,300 hospital admissions per year. 77,800 deaths per year. Guess the cause.

As Boris has stopped me riding, I decided to investigate the piston slap noise emanating from my 250 Evo. The bore is a bit scruffy but no serious problems. It will go to Langcourt for replating, honing and matching to a new piston. I'm just trying to identify the thickness of the base gasket that has just come off. It measures 0.5mm, but of course it has spent the last 4 years squashed under the barrel so it may be thinner than nominal. The only marking on it that gives a clue is a "40" printed in one place. Could this mean 40 thou ie 1.0mm? Unfortunately I didn't measure the piston height while stripping it so I don't know how close to spec it was before. Which gasket thickness should I order? I'm not a scrooge (despite what my wife says ? ) but I would really like to get it right first time as I'm dreading compressing the rings correctly and guiding it all into the barrel, and I don't want to have to do it twice.

Yes, and they've got it out so quick too!! Normally it takes years to develop a new drug. The pharma companies have to determine: What is the correct dosage? How does the dosage vary with age, sex, weight, race and any other variables? Is it effective? Is it safe? What are the contra-indications? What are the long-term effects? And many more questions too. I think I might wait a little while before having the vaccine.

I use a Citroen Berlingo car with the back seat removed. The bike fits fairly easily and there are even lashing eyes as standard. Secondhand, car versions are better value than vans, and I can use it for going to the local dump where vans aren’t allowed.

Interesting. I've noticed that the clutch bite point changes with gearbox temperature. As the bike warms up, the bite point moves away from the grip. (Beta Evo 250). I'm going to set it a bit over-close to the grip when cold, in the hope that it will be more to my liking when it warms up.

I started on a Beta 300 4T. It was too much for me, as a raw novice. I have a 250 2T now which is great, but If I could have found a secondhand 250 4T I would have gone for that. Having said that, the main attraction is the sound of the 4T, which shouldn't really be a factor.

My grand daughter: “Nana, where did you grow up?” My wife: “In a town in the Midlands, called Loughborough.” My grand daughter: “And where did Grandad grow up?” My wife: “He hasn’t yet.” (I think most of us older riders can relate to that.)

Possibly piston slap. Mine does it. Rather offensive on the ears but everyone I’ve asked about it just says “I’ve heard worse.” I’m learning to live with it.

Thanks guys. I think I might try Bostik.

Button head screw: that’s a good idea ?. With a copper washer, of course.

We may be misunderstanding each other. Agreed, taking the airbox off is easy. I had to take off a lot more than that to remove the entire brake system in one piece. But if you fit a banjo with a bleed nipple, it has to stay there when the airbox goes back on, and that is where i saw the problem.

How are the air intake grilles on an Evo supposed to be fixed? On both of my bikes they were stuck on with hot melt glue so I had assumed that was the factory method. But having just removed them in order to re-fix them properly, they look more like a bodged repair.

I don’t want to be too negative too soon, but will it fit? The one I tried fouled the air box. If you get a success, please give a reference to the part. I’ll be keen to get one myself. I eventually got the air out of mine by removing the complete system from the bike a creating a straight uphill run for the air. A fair bit of dismantling, but worth it.

Having just damaged my helmet by throwing myself backwards onto some rocks, I concur. Better a damaged helmet than a damaged head. I can't remember the exact quote but Martin Brundle said something along the lines of, "If you've got a £20 head, buy a £20 helmet."

Dan, that’s interesting. I have been toying with doing the same. I’ve lost a few stickers and some others are beginning to peel. There’s something seems all wrong about paying to advertise someone else’s business so I’m reluctant to buy a new sticker kit. Unfortunately my bike has a black frame, black rear mudguard, white front mudguard and frame cover, so may not look quite so handsome as yours.

My thoughts too. "Nose weight" or "Nose load" is a parameter of a trailer. A bike rack doesn't have a nose so I don't see how the law or an insurance company could claim you were exceeding a specified nose load. Just going at it from first principles, the issues are the strength of the tow bar mountings and the effect of the weight on the vehicle dynamics. The latter is likely to be the point of most concern. Having the bike overhung well behind the rear axle means that it adds more than its own weight to the rear axle and takes some weight off the front. I just ran through some typical figures and a car that start unladen with 45% of its weight on the rear axle would have 55% when fully laden and 61% with the bike rack and not much else apart from the driver. With a vehicle engineering hat on, I would say that takes the loading outside of design limits. With a pragmatic hat on, I would say the drive needs to be a bit extra careful when using the bike rack.

Watercooled boots! Now there's an invention. Hook them up to a nice big camelbak and you've got a total-loss feet cooling system.

That's a long time to keep a bike without using it. I hope you'll soon be out and about enjoying it again. For information, your best bet is to post on the Montesa part of this forum. The Montesa experts may not be looking on the Introduce Yourself page.

Three men are exploring in the jungle when they’re captured by a tribe of amazons. The women gather round and explain that they’re going to cut off the men’s penises. But to make it more fun they’re going to do it in a way appropriate to each man’s job. So they ask the first man what his job is, and he’s a lumberjack. One of the women steps forward and chops his dick off. Then they ask the second man and he explains he’s a butcher. So one of the women steps forward and slices his dick off. When they ask the third man about his job he just starts laughing. Then he explains: “I work for Dyson.”

A man goes sky-diving for the first time. He leaps out of the aeroplane and pulls the ripcord. Nothing happens. He’s plunging towards the earth wondering if there’s anything he can do when he meets another man coming upwards. ”Hey! Do you know anything about parachutes?” ”Sorry mate. No. Do you know anything about gas stoves?”

Do read everything you can on bleeding before attempting it. It’s not easy so make full use of other people’s experience.

That looks good. I’m impressed.

When I bought my 4T I had some issues with the carb and had to take it off a number of times. I can’t remember the exact procedure but the rear spring/damper had to be disconnected and leaned out of the way and then the carb was fiddled, wangled and twisted through the gap. Not fun, but I got better at it and it certainly wouldn’t put me off the bike. Once the problem was definitively fixed, the carb was never touched again.

It has been a while since we've had any contributions here, and by God, we need something to smile about at the moment. Here's a start. (Sorry, they may have been posted before, but I can't check all 199 pages ?) I had amnesia once - or twice. Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic. All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy. If the world was a logical place, men would ride horses side saddle. What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free? They told me I was gullible .. and I believed them. Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to edge his car out of a busy junction. Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long. Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone. What if there were no hypothetical questions? One nice thing about egotists: They don't talk about other people. When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail. What was the greatest thing before sliced bread? I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity. How can there be self-help "groups"? Is there another word for synonym? Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all"? Is it possible to be totally partial? If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales? Why is there only one Monopolies Commission?