jse

You've come to the right spot. Look at all the Extreme Enduro guys, Knight, Balzuziac, Braybrook, Lampkin etc., they are all Trials riders. When I first got into Trials I was amazed at how much faster (and with a lot more confidence) I could go at the speed events. Welcome. Jon

That is a really good start! Clubs rarely (if ever) have guidelines for section setting written down for all to see. This way the whole club can have some input as to what type of sections they want to ride and the guide may persuade a newer rider to try acting as Trialsmaster as they have some guidance. It looks like you're on the right track. Jon

Same as me. I carry a good chainbreaker for the events but like to use the grinder in the shop to avoid any distortion of the end-link bushing. Jon

You'll have to excuse Copey, he lives in another country that has grudgingly agreed to be called one of the United States until it deems otherwise in it's best interest.... I'd like to see Dougie come over and ride whatever event he wants. If the name of the game is competition, being challenged is one of the ways we learn. I remember Tommi Ahvala coming down from Missouri and riding one of the club Trials I put on (non-comp) and then putting on a free Trials show for all the riders and spectators. Hard to beat that for promoting Trials in the U.S. and there are several riders who are still riding today who started because of Tommi. As I remember, most all the visiting Trials riders have also put on schools for the U.S. riders and promoted the sport. "We do have some talent, but just kicking the s--t out of these kids will not teach them anything"- I doubt that Dougie is going to kick anybody, but what he might do is raise the bar, hopefully put on some Trials schools and perhaps share his skills with us. If "these kids" only ride against each other, they will never get any better than each other. Jon Let the flames ignite....

I was lucky enough to learn suspension theory/practice from some of the best guys in the U.S. and the propane torch was always handy. If the seal takes a set in the lower leg (which it often does) when the upper tube is snapped outward the seal can be locked in the leg and the Teflon bushing will be damaged by pulling it through the washer under the seal. Another thing I learned is never to replace a seal "dry", always use seal grease (or Silicone grease), which also applies to o-rings. Jon

Hands-on measurement is always the best way and a dial-bore indicator will also give you a measurement of bore taper. Your "B" piston is undoubtedly the 72.48mm and a lot of riders opt for the "C" piston in a "B" cylinder that has 7+ years of use. Look for .0015-.002" clearance on the bottom cylinder bore to lower skirt (front to back) piston measurements. Ring end gap should be .1mm (.004") per inch of cylinder bore. Jon

Under certain conditions the switch does have a noticable effect. I'm not sure if the ignition mapping profile is shifted up (in the "dry" setting as compared to the "wet" setting) or if there is a different profile used. Jon

I only get a chance to see Ron III ride a couple times a year but it does give me some perspective as to how nicely he's progressing. Every time I see him his skill level and composure has jumped considerably. Jon

It's always a good idea to use a little heat on the upper part of the lower leg to break the seal/leg bond. Sometimes the seal will be stuck enough to damage the upper leg bushing Teflon coating when the tubes are snapped apart. Jon Almost forgot, to keep from damaging the seal lips when sliding it on the upper tube, cut the corner off a plastic sandwich bag (like a three-cornered hat) and put it on the upper tube, the seal will slide right on.

Check for markings on the piston you took out. There will sometimes be an "A", "B", "C" on the cylinder (sometimes on the base sealing surface) and/or piston. My guess is that the A-B-C corresponds to the sizes that Wossner offers. Generally you should be o.k. with the middle size on an 03' as there will be a little bore wear, but you will want to be as accurate as possible to get the best results. Jon

Now, THAT would be interesting. Dougie has stated several times he really likes riding here in the States. Jon

The air gun is the easiest way to spin off that basebolt, and install it if you know what setting to use on the gun. In a pinch, a sharpened broom handle will work on damper rod forks like the TY. Jon

If you put a tach on your bike, you'd find that 2500 RPM comes up pretty quickly. Jon

The float arms should be level with the sealing surface on the carb body as I remember (carb held upright and then tilted 45 degrees) DELLORTO PHBH26CS (26mm OVAL PORT) SPECS: MAIN: 115 PILOT: 45 NEEDLE: X18 (3rd CLIP POSITION DOWN FROM TOP) SLIDE: 55 AIR SCREW: 1.5 TURNS OUT TO START (NOTE: THIS IS AN AIR SCREW ON THIS MODEL) Jon

I'm familiar with the Mikuni pumps used in personal watercraft and used a couple for special one-off roadracers and had no problem. You might check into the Sherco pump used on the new models, I bet that would work. Jon

Kayloe, I don't think anyone has a photo of the connector. Did you try the wiring diagrams on http://www.trialspartsusa.com/tech.html ? Jon

I'm sure Woody is rolling in his grave to have learned his son was singing the likes of that song or that Copey has posted the link on a world wide forum. Now, if I can just find some bullets for this damn gun......... Jon

If the reeds are frayed at all (usually on the outer edges) they should be replaced. If the ends bow up at the cage sealing surface, causing a gap of about .015" or more, they also should be replaced. Theoretically you could reverse them to get the ends to lie flat on the cage but the normal movement of the reeds usually causes a "stress riser" cut where the plate holds them on the cage and they would soon fail. Boyesen dual-stage reeds are a really good choice for the 370. If the manifold has cracks in it I'd replace it. Some early thick 370 manifolds are prone to cracking and will just get worse (they also were used to adapt the Keihin PWK28 to other displacement engines as the PHBH spigot is about the same diameter of the Keihin spigot). Jon

Probably the cure. I like to use a little "Dielectric Tune-up Grease" (Silicone grease) in the connectors to prevent future corrosion and help with waterproofing. You can get small tubes of it in auto supply stores and the small tip of the tube is perfect for squirting in the connector pin holes. I also use a Dremel tool with a small sanding tube to lightly clean ground points in the electrical system and add a little tune-up grease to the contact area. If you use a pressure washer on your bike, avoid the fan/radiator area with high-pressure soap which can drive corrosive soap into the fan motor and the high pressure stream can bend over the thin radiator fins, blocking off air flow. Jon

Hi Nick, welcome to the forum. A good idea is to attend a couple of Trials to see what skills the riders in your class are using and what type of obstacles you will encounter. Learn the rules used by the local club. Join a club and volunteer to help set up a Trial, there a lot of things you can do to help that don't require experience but you will gain experience by doing them. Helping set up a section is a really good way to learn how to "read" a section and figure out lines through it. Trials riders are a friendly group and usually will be happy to answer questions and give you pointers when they see you want to participate. Find a riding partner, usually another beginner also and share what skills you have with each other. There are a lot of good Trials training videos out there and they can help. Learn to work on your bike and keep it in good shape so it won't hinder your riding. Take time to set up your bike to fit you and make riding comfortable. There are a lot of other things but here's a start. Cheers. Jon

The 96' JTR370 uses the Dellorto PHBH26CS carb (also known as the "large body" oval bore Dellorto, also used on Fantics) and it is a little tricky at times (it was only ever used on this bike and only in 96'). You'll need to remove the jets and really check them for any obstructions, especially the pilot. Sometimes some very thin copper wire (a strand off some electrical wire) can be used to clean out any corrosion, which will not always come out with compressed air. Hold the jet up to the light to make sure the hole is round and clear. You need to blow air through the jets and passages in the carb in the opposite direction the fuel flows. The orifices are usually tapered like a funnel and blowing in the same direction as fuel flows will often just lodge the grit in the holes further. Jon A common conversion for the 370 was to use a PWK28 Keihin carb, do you know what kind you have on it?

I'm with Glenn. Rebuild the M/C, from the symptoms you later describe, it's the problem. Jon

That must be somewhere in East Texas......Copey would know...... Jon

I doubt it will cause any problems, but it will only treat the symptoms and not the cause. My first guess it that you will eventually want to put a rebuild kit in the master cylinder. In the meantime, give it a try, it should get you by for a while. Double check the tightness of the fittings on the hose, they loosen over time as the crush washers settle. Jon