bigfoot

Thanks Endo I check the manual clutch adjustment and it seems fine. You can easlily feel it working but as you say it's maybe not coming off completely. Is there anyone out there who's looked in side a bike automatic clutch and can tell me how it works. I'm guessing its centifugal.

My son rode his first proper trial on Sunday and found that the clutch was slipping so badly that it would hardly go. Up to then it was just fine. I don't know what happened and have no experiance of these automatic clutches. Does it need replacing or is there something that can be adjusted. It's not done many miles from new two years ago. BTW the oil was dirty but level OK. I changed it mid trial but no difference. Any help would be great.

Great post. I agree it would be good to cycle through all 05 bikes that way.

Which Joker?

I'm not sure that's the best place to keep your stash. Could be handy on the scottish though.

I keep my car key in the pocket when out on the bike. That and a nice collection of fluff. I'm hoping to have enough to repack the exhaust when it needs it.

Dan It would be interesting if you measured each bike with the bars set at the same position and a rider mounted. Arms and legs straight each time should produce a similar standing position and distribution. Just a thought.

Don't beleave him. He's never been in trousers that are baggy on him. No such item has ever been produced.

Did Calum ride the B or yellow route on Sunday? His score is very good if it was the B route.

1st - Most normal sections 2nd - Hillclimbs and muddy blasts. 3rd - bigger hillclimbs and getting in to 4th 4th - 6th - Between sections 7th - SSDT road work.

Brian What were the results?

Chris Let's assume you go to the Gas Gas Factory for a bike. It's 1358 Miles from Fort William to Salt in Spain. If you have a nice Diesel that averages 40mile/gal the fuel cost will be

My 04 300 also makes a good clonk when going between 3rd & 4th. I think it's OK and just the way those two gears interact during a change. I worried me too but I've got used to it.

I'll concur with boof for a change. Scottish trial supplied my jeans and shirt at less that half the UK price. The deliver was very good with the stuff arriving in only a few days. I wouldn't worry if you have ordered and are still waiting they are a trustworthy company.

I have now run in my bike and still find it running a little hot. The fan is on most of the time. Is this normal? I remember soemone Perce possibly telling me to change the jets from stock to something else but can remember the numbers. Can anyone help? The bike is also very sharp which I thought I'd get used to and would soften with time but now I want to soften it myself. How do you retard the ignition on these bikes and are fly wheel weights available and worth adding?

Ian I've riden a few pro's now including my own 300 and have found the clutches to be little butter as someone else said. I'm not sure where this story about he clutch being heavy came from.

Don't know Ian. The 04 300 has ducati and is fine. I thought all 04's used the ducati ignition but I could be wrong. I'm sure others will know though.

Getting back on subject a little the lead in our fuel was put there to help lubricate the top end of 4 stroke engines. The development of better materials and a wish to reduce harmfull emissions drove the change to unleaded. All engines will run on unleaded but for the older ones the top end will be lacking vital lubrication and will wear faster. If you have such and engine then it's obviously better to run leaded or lead replacement fuel. A two stroke engine doesn't have valve gear to worry about and more importantly has oil mixed with the fuel so plenty of lubrication is provided. Therefore you can run a two stroke of either leaded or unleaded and will be fine. I wouldn't recommend you change fuel ratings constantly as each one has a different octane or RON rating and will effect the carb set-up. If your bike is well setup for 93 octane keep running that likewise if you've setup for 98 octane leaded then stick with it. You probably wouldn't really be able to notice the difference and it will do no harm but it's best to stick to one octane rating and a constant fuel/oil ratio. Always use a good branded fully or semi sythetic two stroke oil and fix at around between 70 - 80:1.

Ishy, I wasn't trying to say forget the clutch just that you shouldn't over use it. I always have it covered but don't use it unless I have to and like you say there is no quicker way to stop drive than grabbing the thing when it starts going wrong. Colly, practice letting the bike slow right down to a near stop without using the clutch. You'll be amazed at how a trials engine will pick up again on throttle from what you thought was a stall speed. Once you get confidence in not stalling you will use it in section and gain a good advantage.

I don't know the name of the venue but it was just up behind Silsden. If you know the area it's on Brunthwood Lane up behind the golf course. I wee burn on the lower side of the road and a good range of spectacular rocks up behind the road. Dougies video was shot there a few years back. I recognised it straight away.

Boofont Why don't you just say what you mean instead of all this dancing around the subject.

Grab the clutch will work if your wheel's not climbing to fast. If it is then a dab of rear brake will bring it back down. Practice riding wheelie covering the rear brake if it all starts to go wrong bring it back down with a quick brake. I find it very hard to wheelie with my foot covering the brake but keep trying.

I asked Dougie his opinion of the 4S Monty yesterday and he has only ridden prototype which he says is the retail machine that we will get. He hasn't ridden HIS WC bike yet so can't comment. The bottom line was that he doesn't know how the bike will do yet at world level but he says the bike is very smooth and well suited to the less spectacular clubman sections and especially slippy stuff. Quote "not sure how it will be on a 6 foot step though"

Like always, I'm sure you'll be in a class all of your own.

I would suggest you stick to clutchless lifting of the front wheel. Using the clutch can ofter lead to wheel spin in a section and is just not needed. If you compress the front a little and then pull your weight back at the same time a feeding in a little throttle the front WILL lift. If you want to lift the front up for a step or obsticle rather than a full blown wheelie you need very little throttle. Just get used to using your weight and a little blip to get it up. I disagree with the above comment about using second. All us more experianced riders who started out using second are constantly being told by better riders that we should be in first and once your used to second it's difficult to get back down to riding in first. All modern trials bikes are perfectly suitable to first gear riding in most sections. Only when you start taking on big climbs or using advanced techniques do you really need to go up the box. Since your just starting out the best advice is to set up a simple section and ride it until you can clean it every time then make it more difficult by moving on to a different section or just moving the markers in a bit to tighten it up. Practice practice practice its the only way.