scifi

For our National Lomax Trial (April 2nd.), we have no problem getting observers, sometimes two per section, if it's a big section, or Hillclimb. Also lots of other helpers for signing on, starting, Route marking and Photography. It's just the smaller events where observers are scarce, and riders have to pass the score-sheet. I was at one trial on closed ground, where on a very complicated section, there was always 35 to 40 riders queuing. Several of us missed that section on laps 2, 3, and did it three times on lap 4..

Yes limited number of observers, and difficulty having helpers set out more sections, is a problem. But... All this Steam from Moorland Mud, and oily Carbon Monoxide, can't be too healthy..! .

Back in the past, when all trials were road trials, and we had 40 separate sections, the only time we queued was at the first few sections. After that we were all separated and could just ride straight into the sections. We sometimes waited for our mates to catch us up. Also the observers from the first few sections could man the latter in the day sections as there was time. Nowadays with just ten sections done 4 times, there is always queues... Mathematically, for an event with 100 riders, there will be 10 doing sections, 10 riding between sections. The other 80 will be queuing. an average of 8 per section. A local club just ran an event with 3 laps of 15 sections. So for the same 100 riders, this could be 15 doing sections, 15 riding between sections, and 70 queuing, an average of under 5 per section. For a 20 section course, done twice, the queues would be just 3. .

Looking at the fracture line on the piston, there is a good amount of carbon on it, so that didn't happen in just five minutes. It could have been caused by something jamming in the exhaust port, many months ago. Or that the piston was dropped on the floor on its edge, during initial assembly. .

I think you have the 'Getting onto the Tyres' bit nailed, but you are stopping at the top. I also ride Classic motorbikes and my Classic Club uses the 'non-stopping' rules... So that would be an instant 5 for you. Even in Stopping Allowed rules you would get either a 1, or a 3 if you put both feet on the floor. So maybe try it the other way around, or use a plank onto the tyres, so that you concentrate on getting off the tyres with the front wheel under control. In some of the National trials, sections such as 'Pipeline' will see these rocks coming at you thick and fast, so you really need to keep the front wheel under control, so it does not dive into the bottom of the next rock. You need your front wheel to meet the top of each rock, big or small, so that it causes the least amount of resistance to forward motion. To practice Wheelies, I have a Willow tree in my back garden, and it has fronds dangling from it. I choose a frond that is 5 foot from the ground, and practice hitting it with my front wheel... straight up, then straight down again... the bike hardly moves forwards. You could try dangling a Tennis Ball from a string, if you haven't got a Willow Tree.. Best of Luck, please join a club and enter some easy trials ..sooooon..... try... https://www.acu.org.uk/Centres-Clubs/ .

If you can free your clutch by just rocking it back a bit, you are lucky. Most need a few hundred yards in 3rd or 4th before they free at the start of the day. The front forks have an Allen Screw adjuster for weight on the left, and a screwdriver 30 click adjustable damping on the right... weird but that's how they do it. I suspect that the rear shock is also adjustable, but I havn't altered mine. .

Must admit I have seen worse slides... Ones with the back edge worn to paper thickness, which still performed Ok. The only thing that worries me is the up'down scratches. They appear to be made by Big Grit Particles. Is your air filter working correctly..? .

Don't know how you would check it now, but did you use neat Petrol instead of the Petr-Oil Mix..? .

You seem to pull in the clutch when the back wheel hits, as it does not grip the tyre, or spin rubber to rubber. So leave the clutch alone, and just keep the front wheel light, so that you accelerate off the top. .

The OP asked about the slow action throttle... With bikes that have a larger carburettor, you might find that a slow action throttle won't allow you to go from low to high revs without doing a sort of throttle shuffle with your fingers, then again the shuffle to get back from high to low revs again. I rode a modern MX bike recently, and slow to max occurred with less than 1/8 a turn of the throttle, I thought it would be too abrupt, but when riding it, it was perfectly Ok. .

Yes it's Ok in Sections... mostly because they are less than 50 yards long..!

Maybe it's just my Beta Evo 300, but I find it very difficult to control in a wheely. Many of the older bikes, with seats, I could wheely for at least 300yards until the field ran out. But this Beta seems to have the wrong power curve. It starts off for 50 yards in third quite Ok, then all of a sudden it finds a surge of power that leaves me on the deck. Maybe it is the power mapping, or the rear suspension, or the lack of a seat, but I certainly wont be doing a lap of the TT Course on it. .

Looks like a nice bike, but if you removed the lights, and got a replacement electronic ignition, you could use it at Classic Scrambles events. .

The more I read your first post... ' Jet of steam coming from the valve breather'... The more convinced I am that the crankcase is building up pressure. We had a 40k miles VW that had a blocked crankcase breather filter, if we removed the oil filler cap after a minute of engine running, lots of gas would explode from the filler opening. We cleaned the crankcase breather filter in petrol and that cured it. The VW sends all the crankcase gasses into the inlet manifold, so that the engine burns them. .

When Petrol burns it creates water... Hydro-carbon... HCO + O2 = H2O + CO2. So maybe some Combustion gasses are getting into the valve chest, either through the valve guides or past the piston rings. The crankcase should be connected to the valve chest via the oil drainage hole. Does the exhaust also emit steam.. Can you block all the breathers, to see if the crankcase is building up pressure? Best of luck..

If your forks are the same as my Beta forks, the handbook says that the left adjuster adjusts the pre-load, which for your weight should be 5 turns inwards (10 turns if you are over 80Kg.) The right adjuster controls the damping effect, totally unscrew this for very quick damping. For a more controlled damping turn inwards by 15 clicks (out of the 30 click maximum.) Or adjust for your riding style. .

I am showing my age now, having ridden bikes for over 50 years, and in that time I have never noticed anyone improve right away after getting a brand new bike. One old Moto-X mate, who I used to dice with regularly, rode a clapped out bike.. Forks loose, rear wheel loose, and engine well run-in. Bought a new version of that bike, and I could easily beat him then. I think he was treating it too well, and didn't want to scratch the paint. I can think of three other examples where they have gone backwards in the results. The new bike might start better, and be more comfortable, and look better, but I don't think it will improve your results. .

Is the air-filter foam soaking with water..? If the engine crankcase or exhaust pipe is full of water, you may need to push or tow it down the road in 3rd gear with the plug removed. .

Hi Sheepy, try to think a bit about safety... The only time I ever hospitalised myself (with a broken collar bone), was when I was practising on my own on a nearby moorland. I had to flag down a passing motorist for help. So remember to wear your helmet, and preferably have someone with you. I have a few telegraph poles and old tree trunks here, but had planned on using them to build a tractor shed. .edit.. Just remembered an incident at a Wrexham Club trial, many many years ago... The Centre champion fell off his bike and broke his leg. It took 4 club officials to help, two carried him to hospital in their car, whilst two others got his bike onto its transport, which his riding partner took to the hospital to pick him up much later. That is a good reason to ride events, as there are lots of willing helpers available. .

Hi Sheepy.. it looks like a good start, but the fence is a bit near for any high speed attacks of the 4 tyres..! I Can think of a few ideas, apart from the obvious... Ride along the plank. Put the plank on the oil drum to make a see-saw. Put two telegraph poles 8ft apart, and try to not touch the ground in-between with the front wheel. Ride over the tractor tyre, then onto the 4 tyres, jump down landing on the back wheel... then the other way around... It's great.. I would use up a lot of fuel riding there..

Sorry Guys, I might be wrong.. The Yambit Kit is just the Spindle and Bushes. I think it again uses your long 12mm bolt and is not threaded for two separate bolts. edit... Getting confused now... Looked at two ty175s, one has the through bolt, and the other has two separate bolts. So which is which make in each case, I do not know... sorry again. .

Sound like it could be the pings of poor fuel... It looses its octane rating if it gets too old. Used to have a Honda 50 that would Ping under full bore acceleration if using 2 Star. It was Ok for moderate acceleration, or if using 3 or 4 Star fuel.

Yambits do a kit for about £28 that uses a threaded spindle. that you use ordinary metric bolts at each end. .

Ooooo... Are you trying to put a tubeless tyre on a tubed rim..? This might not ever work. The bead on the tubeless tyre is wider than that on a tubed tyre, and will not sit well on a standard rim. Also the bit that overhangs inwards is sharp and can explode a tube, with a big split, if pumped up to any pressure to seal the rim... ( I tried to do it on a TY175.) .

A few messages back you mentioned having problems fitting the tyre. When I used to ride Long Distance Mountain Bike Events, some of us riders could remove a tyre and replace it, and new tube, using just our hands, in less than 30 seconds. The trick is to make sure that if you are working on the top part of the tyre, all the bottom part must be in the well of the rim. So stand on that part, whilst you rip the tyre off the rim at the top. Admittedly it is harder with a motor cycle tyre with the security bolts, but the same principle applies, and you won't need much force on the tyre levers.