jse

Im still trying to wrap my brain around the Banshee engine (350cc, twin, water-cooled two-stroke) part of the conversion. I think I understand the peanut butter part.......... Jon

I tend to agree with that. I may be old fashioned, but a "twin shock" is age and model specific, and converting a mono does not make it suitable based on what I would consider the "spirit" of the rules. Perhaps a "special" class for "converts" would work and I'd like to see a class for air-cooled monos, which might drag a bunch of them out of the garages. I hate to see old Trials bikes in storage and much prefer seeing them out doing what they were designed for. Jon

In order to eliminate ignition as a possibility, a puller should be your next investment. It's not unusual for the flywheel hub to slip a little on the tapered shaft and cut into the key enough to throw off the timing. This generally happens on new bikes after a few heat cycles as Trials bikes have heavy flywheels and the driveline takes some severe jolts. It's always a good idea to check fasteners like the flywheel bolts and spokes as they tend to "relax" after initial assembly and bedding in. Jon

I can tell by Ron's post, he's up to something, again.................. Can't wait to see what it is. Jon

Dexron ATF works well in the 01' GG. Dad may confuse oil viscosity as being better for a four-stroke, which the ATF would not be good for. The operating parameters are different between the two-strokes and four-strokes. We ran the Rockoil Light tranny fluid in our Pro level KX's with good results. Jon

Hey, Mark! I think the topic is "crazy ideas". The medication has helped a lot in that area for me..... Pretty sure it was before the DT era. I'm not much of an electrical guy, but I wonder, could the alternator possibly be used as a starter motor? Jon

Very nice! The 86 differed from the 85 in two ways: The 86 rear shock has a remote reservoir and the rear sprocket is smaller due to a change in the primary gear ratio (the crank gear/clutch hub gear ratio) to provide better clearance in the rocks. We ride them for fun as there is no class for them in most clubs here. It's not a twin-shock so it has to compete in the modern classes. Maybe we need to start an air-cooled monoshock class? Jon

Very good point. Whereas, the older GG bikes called for 95 octane, the newer ones can tolerate 91/92 octane, provided the jetting is set correctly, but I would not run them on regular. The cost savings is not worth the possibility of engine damage. Jon

Interesting. We used to use the sealed swingarms in the dragbikes to hold pressure for the air-shifters, worked quite well. I faintly remember one of the early street bikes with the 6V generators (early Honda?) using the generator as a starting motor, then again, I may have stared at too many Fortran cards........ Jon

This was in the 60's, but few can remember that time........ Jon

Yipes! That brings back memories of running a keypunch machine to process the Fortran cards for my psychology experiments at college. I was at San Jose State (the heart of Silicon Valley) and spent a lot of time in the huge "Computer Room", which housed one computer that generated a large bunch of heat and probably had less computing power than a present day smart phone....... ENIAC, it's been a long time since I heard that machine mentioned. Jon

From personal experience, I can vouch that the fuel mileage is not so hot. At full chat they burn about 1.5 gallons per second. With a stochiometric of 1.7, even with only about 5,000 BTU/lb, you can run a ton of fuel of fuel into the cylinder, which is what makes the big power numbers. They are kinda rough on spark plugs, though, and you need to change all 16 of them after each run.... I love crazy ideas, a major part of the reason I was attracted to motorcycles is that they are so fun to modify (and most all the parts are out in the open to see, not hid under a hood). It's rare one sees a truely "stock" off-road bike. Even if it's just a decal, we like to individualize. Keep the "More Crazy Ideas" coming! Jon

Well, welcome aboard. Down here in northeastern Oklahoma we usually ride year round and the weather hasn't been half bad so far. A club Trial this weekend and then we start the season off with the 2-day Sooner Cup, an AHRMA Vintage National event, a couple of club Trials and the NATC National in May, so we're all looking forward to getting out and getting muddy! Cheers. Jon

The #35 can be a little lean on some engines (I run a #38 in my 280), but the #118 main (and needle in the D36 range) should be fine. The pilot jet usually does not affect the A/F mixture above 1/8th throttle in general. I think you mentioned the pinking at higher throttle settings so I might also suspect an air leak (rare in an 09'), possibly in the manifold/reedcage area (usually caused by overtightening). A leakdown test would reveal an air leak, but most riders (and a lot of shops) do not have the equipment. A restricted exhaust can also cause these symptoms, but the bike seems too new to have developed carbon buildup at the front of the headpipe. In my experience, an NGK BPR5EIX set at .024" is one of the best plugs for the GasGas TXT and Pro TXT models (and especially when starting the 05' 300). jon

I really agree. Ryan has a way of instructing that makes sense. I don't often ride in competition but instruct new riders in the club and purchased both of Ryan's DVDs as they help me explain the basics. This gets new riders out on the right footing and they have fun quicker than trying to learn just by themselves. Ryan is good at providing the "why" along with the "how" as to riding a section. Jon

Depending on the year, the stock gearing on the 280/300 Pros was 11/41 or 11/42 and I'm sure the 250 was not that much different. You'd be a lot happier with a 42 on the back and you could then try a 10T front to see if you like even lower gearing, which a lot of us go to (I run 11/44). You probably have the white tube (fast) Domino throttle tube and might want to consider the black tube ("slow") throttle, which would make finding grip a little easier. Jon

Welcome. I bet it's kinda cold where you are just now! Jon

Probably 75cc's per 5 Ltrs, full-synthetic and Type-F ATF would be your best bet. jon

Mary's told me about the property and it sounds great for Trials and/or Enduros. Maybe we can get some riders out there sometime. Don't forget the club fun ride/set up sections this Saturday at the Bay. One of the best ways to learn about Trials is to help set up sections. When you first start, one of the tough skills to learn is how to "read" a section and look for different lines through it. When you help set up a section with an experienced rider, you'll learn to spot different lines and how they interconnect and how sometimes taking a more difficult path over one obstacle will set you up better for the next one or more. It's like playing chess, you'll be able to think ahead and riding will be more fun. Maybe we can meet sometime and I'll help you set up a few basic skills practice sections for you to play on. Jon

Not such a big thing with the overflow due to it's design, but a good idea to use tubing on the upper vent fittings to avoid ingesting grit which gets thrown up over/around the engine by the front tire. Jon

Ryan is a top notch teacher. It's a great paper except for the guy who writes the technical articles, I hear he's a pud......... Jon

You are not alone...... Well, I guess Copey's put his lot in with the tea baggers.....no, wait a minute, I guess that is tea party'ers, isnt it? jon

I've got a Wells Cargo 6X10 enclosed and bought it about 13+ years ago. It has been trouble free and is still completely watertight. It's been through many cross-country Trials trips and in places not fit for Jeeps. It costs a little more up front but has a lot of nice details and is solid as a rock. If something happened to it, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. Jon

I'm glad to see things seem to be moving along. I've had several Stilettos and MARs in the past and have fond memories of them. I am concerned a little, however, about the "high quality male parts to be sold in prestigious multi-brand stores." This is not the type of company I remember.........

O.k. Copey, us Northerners have to agree that Texans are the best riders in the U.S. And now for something completely different. Fred rode the Novice line rather than the beginning Rookie line and did really well. He made a couple of mistakes by not knowing the rules completely (we ALL remember trying to learn the rules while riding a section) but one of the fun things about being a section observer is to see the learning curve in the riding techniques of new riders as they pass through the same section three times. Fred's curve is steep and he learns fast (my section was a good, technical Novice line) so he will catch on fast as he has good previous riding skills. He sure looked like he was having fun! Jon