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I'm pretty sure this is Jim Snell, who is starting out riding again after a long layoff. Jim is a past U.S. National Class Champion and also put together the TrialsPartsUSA website that has all the Gas Gas info and videos that have helped thousands of riders all over the world. Jon

Look for one of these. Jon

There is a common, inexpensive tool available in auto supply stores that will re-tap the threads for both the valve and the cap as well as install the valve. Jon

VERY nice work! Jon

Try storing the bike with about 25-30 psi in the tires. This helps drive moisture out of the sealing areas Jon

They don't take much torque, 7-10 Nm or 5-7 ft lb. Make sure the clamping surfaces/fork tubes are absolutely clean (no oil residue and burnished very lightly with an abrasive pad) and tighten the capscrews alternately a little at a time to equalize the clamping load between the bolt holes. Make sure everything is loose on the front end and start with the top tripleclamp bolts, push on the forks a few times to "center" them, tighten the lower clamps, center the forks, then the axle, axle pinch bolts and last, the fork brace, centering the forks between each component being tightened. This will reduce any "stiction" caused by misalignment. You might start with the fork tubes about 3-5mm above the top of the upper clamp. Jon

Jeff, Boyesens tend to make an engine run slightly rich. Looking at the "latest mods vs. symptoms", I'm guessing that you may have an air leak at the manifold when installing the reeds. The most common cause is overtightening the manifold, which will bow the sealing surface between the bolt holes. I'd take the reedcage and manifold off and use a little sealer on all the sealing surfaces and just snug up the bolts, letting the sealer set overnight (they only go to about 7 Ft Lbs, beyond the range of most common torque wrenches). In addition to the other suggestions, it could be a coincidence, but a clogged/obstructed exhaust will also cause overheating. Jon

I was tired of all the 1s, 2s and 3s I was getting so I bought two bands and lashed my boots to the pegs with them, and you know what? They work! Well, maybe except for all those 5s..... Jon

We may want to find out exactly what year your bike really is. From the photo, I can see that you have the 3-piece lower fork legs, which, to my knowledge, were last used on the 2000 year model (2001 and up are one piece type). If you look on the frame front, between the fork clamps, you will see a series of letters and numbers, starting with "VTRGG". Let me know what they are and I'll try to give you the exact year and model. Jon

Great info, thanks! I'll try to find out exactly where the area is that he and his family will be staying at and post it. Again, thanks! Jon

Do you mean the Talon front disc conversion for the drum brake TY Mono? Jon

One of our NEOTT club members, Dave, will be staying, with his sons, in the Normandy region in France for four months starting in December. He and his two sons have become avid Trials riders, having started about 2 years ago. He and his sons would REALLY enjoy attending some Trials in France and even participating in a Trial or two if they could rent some bikes. I told him I would post a request to TC for some contact information as to clubs, clubmembers, events and possibly bike rentals. Dave has really embraced the Sport and loves it as do both his young sons and I'm guessing that he, like a lot of others here on the Forum (including me since 1971) will be life-long participants. He is the guy who built a night Trials site on his property for the NEOTT club (and any other riders) to use, free, and installed industrial lighting, a sound system, built trailer parking areas for camping and brought in a lot of material for building obstacles. He has been unbelieveably generous to the Trials community and we have riders come down for the Summer night events from several states around Oklahoma and I'd like to help him out any way I can. I'd appreciate any info, contacts or websites I can pass on to him. Thanks! Jon

The 86' runs a smaller rear sprocket due to a slightly different primary ratio than the 85'. I've had my 85 since new, still fun to ride. Jon

Normal. The port will actually flow better at BDC with the slight down step due to the pattern of flow inside the cylinder. Jon

I looked at the 99' TXT parts book and it lists the #L200007 curved hose for both the 270 and 321 so I'm guessing they are the same. Jon

The front nuts are just about impossible to get any socket on. I thinned down the tip of a 1/2" (fits a little tighter than 13mm) long box wrench (to fit the two front nuts that are really close to the cylinder) and torque them by feel (I've had a little practice). They go to 18/21 ft lbs and you can usually get them fairly close if you do a quick little practice just before with a torque wrench held in vice jaws. Not scientific but it usually works well. Jon

Have you checked the petcock (take it out and take it apart) for junk in the screens and flow? Jon

I thought he was talking about the front swingarm guide at first, you don't want to take that off. Other than keeping gunk from the tire off the chain it doesn't seem to do much. I would grind the screw down rather than take it completely off. As for the shark tooth, the stock ones are less than adequate from my experience in the many sharp rocks we have around here. I made this guard for my 02' about 10 years go and it's served me well. I used HDPE (used in some cutting boards, which is where this came from) and it's tough and slippery. This one hangs up a little higher as I changed from a 42T to a 44T at one time. Never had a problem with rocks hitting the chain/sprocket. Jon

I agree with telecat, just don't load the engine too much and you should be o.k. Don't waste the fuel but don't run the bike in competition as the Super Unleaded recc is good advice as you need the octane under "normal" severe circumstances, which is what the engine is designed for. Easy practice and you should be fine. Jon

Actually, I've just been able to make my OCD tendencies work for me..... I was out building sections last night and I'll be out at the Night Trial grounds about noon on Saturday and Dave says that riders can come in Friday and camp overnight if they want. Check the NEOTT.com website for details. Jon

Try http://www.trialspartsusa.com/tech.html for all things Gas Gas. You should find a wiring diagram and a bunch of other info for your bike there. Jon

It's normal for the coolant to be at the bottom of the filler neck. If you fill it up all the way, it will dribble some out the overflow pipe as the coolant expands. Expect a little at first and then it should stop if you filled it up to the top. Jon

Hi, Lazer1! I think your advice is spot on. I change my fluid a little sooner than most riders but I'm more anal than most riders (I'm sure Copey will have something to say about that....), being from a race engine builder background. The Pro clutch spring acts as a kind of rotary oil filter and catches all the little swarf in the oil so it's good to clean that out now and then, like you say. You are not only replacing oil with clean oil but you are adding new additives in the fluid so it's not just about dirt. You will always want to change oil after a wet event or one with stream crossings just to be safe. The Pro is not as suseptable to water ingestion as other Trials engines as the trans vent tube (the thin one by the countershaft sprocket) goes up near the airbox intake rather than down the back of the cases, like the early pre-Pro Gas Gas TXT engines, for example. I think the factory recommends a really long time between fluid changes and I have no idea where they got that figure, probably where they got the 550cc's for the trans oil capacity. I really can't think of any instance where you would cause harm to an engine by changing the fluid earlier than later. Jon

True. It's the same at the front axle, which is usually overtightened as the rider does not realize the axle pinch bolts secure the axle, not how tight it's screwed in. Jon

Sounds like you are having too much fun, Bill. Your neighbors will start to be suspicious.......