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Ron, I'd love to make it but I'll be out of town (I know, I know, big surprize lately). I'd be interested in your close-up observations of the new design and any detail photos if you can. Jon

Check to make sure the piston in the master cylinder is returning completely back to the circlip. There has to be a little clearance where the adjustment screw on the lever meets the plunger that passes through the rubber boot on the M/C. If the rubber boot is damaged, there is a good chance that grit has passed into the piston bore and damaged the piston seal and you might need a rebuild kit for the M/C. There may be air in the system, but this is rare (and generally not a possibility) in a hydraulic system that is in good shape. Hydraulic systems in proper condition do not magically ingest air, it has to pass by a component that was designed to keep it out. Jon

Steve, Re: LewiSport in SoCal, give Bill Merritt a call at (805)368-0996, which is the number on Adrian's website for the branch down south. Jon

Mark, I gotta admit, for a Texan, you sure have a flair for the cryptic.......... Jon

Those of us that have heard you announce at the SSDT awards noted the familiar tonal qualities, must have been something in the water there....... Jon

My Grandfather was from Edinburgh and this gives some insight as to, when I was a youngster, why I had such a hard time figuring out was what the heck he was saying all the time...... Jon

The 20" bicycle tube works well with lots of lubricant. You probably don't need to take the valve core out as you'll be adding the air while easing the bike tube out, but sometimes it helps. Make sure the tire is warm and the rim is very clean. I store my new tires with a tube inflated in them to spread out the bead. I usually carry my vintage bike along so storing the tubes in the tires makes them easier to use if I need them. It makes mounting new tires a cinch as they are easy to lever on and I don't have to use a beader to inflate. Jon

Hmmmm, this person has obviously asked me more than one simple "yes"/"no" question and got a doctoral dissertation involving the Physics/Mathematical components relating to the ranked-in-probability answers in return..... Several decades ago, I researched/tested lubes for Pro-level MX/SX suspensions as I wanted a compound that retained it's lubricating qualities under severe pressures and very thin coating levels. The 25% anti-seize/BelRay grease mix worked the best, keeping the suspension supple, prevented galling and kept the needles free even when the grease was essentially missing from the contact areas. You could call it extra insurance. Jon

usually the syringe works well but if you still have a little spongy feeling, you may need to get rid of the bubble that is often lodged inside the banjo fitting at the top of the master cylinder. Sometimes you can pressurize the system and then loosen the fitting a little to let the air out. If that does not work, you may have to take the M/C bolts off and rotate the M/C so that the reservoir inlet is above the outlet for the line, then you can pump the M/C piston a little to work the bubble up into the reservoir. Jon

I use a good waterproof motorcycle grease like BelRay and mix about 20-25% copper anti-seize to it. A lot of the dogbone bearings have seals that can be replaced so make sure your seals are in good shape as the bearings are exposed to the elements. Jon

Dale's Action Video tapes are my favorite and I'm lucky enough to have what is essentially a full set. One of the things that make them interesting is that Dale would give a short history and tour of the area where the event was being held and he knew a lot about each rider. I converted the VHS tapes to DVD so I can play them in the shop and not worry about wearing out the original tape. On the No Spokes topic, as I remember, the spoked machines were excluded from the SSDT in 87' as the spokes were deemed a hazard to one's limbs, the safety marshalls were worried that someone could stick his arm in the spokes and lose it. Jon

Not sure if this will help much, but here is an 07 Pro. Jon

Just goes to show how classy the GasGas pervs......ah...er....people are. It was difficult to resist the temptation, however....... Jon

Very cool! That track looks nasty and I can see how it would sap your energy quick. The indoor tracks always look a lot easier from the stands but it is so different when you're down in the middle of it. Good job. Jon ps. Green makes your butt look fat..........

Hi Sam! Welcome to the forum. You might want to think about hooking up with the Sacramento PITS people in NorCal, they cover a large area and you should be able to ride a variety of events there. Whatever you do, don't miss the Geritol Trial in October. I lived in San Jose since the early 60's and started riding Trials in 1971 there. Glad to have you on board. Cheers. Jon

Good job, Mike! Shan is one of the most respected, admired and well liked people in the Trials community, and with good reason. His affection for the sport and the people who participate in it is obvious to all who come in contact with him. As the Enduro community will soon find out, Shan is a real friend of the sport and the expansion of the paper to include them will really contribute to their experience. I for one really enjoy the Enduro coverage. Jon

Just to throw this into the mix, I took a new 06' on up, Belville spring (#MT280632015) out of the parts box and it measures 1.42mm. This is reportedly the newer type thinner spring. Jon ps. Another thought to add, sometimes the outer post/inside servo clearance is a little tight due to manufacturing tolerances and add swollen o-rings and you have a very heavy clutch pull. I polish the inside of the servo top hat and use DOT-5 fluid and with 7+years of use (2002 280, original o-rings) it is still very light and smooth in operation.

You will want to have the capscrew at the top of the mid-muffler and the top bolt on the rear M/C loose and the top shock bolt in but no nut on, then pull the muffler out slightly and measure the gap that the top mount (upper shock bolt) pulls out and that will be the thickness you can add. It's a little different for each bike and you'll want to have the final muffler bolts loose if it's not one of the new, one-piece final/mid muffler systems. Jon

Lian, Some riders put extra washers, a stack, say, about 8-10mm thick, between the upper mid-muffler mount and the top shock mount. Use some red Loctite on the nut on the upper shock bolt as the threads may then be a little short to engage the Nylon part of the locknut. When pulling the final muffler out again, it's a good idea to slightly loosen all the exhaust system fasteners (including the ones at the cylinder) before doing so. Tighten everything up after moving the muffler out. This will relieve any stress points that later develop cracks due to the exhaust system vibration. Jon

It really is a perfect combination as the crossover skill set between Trials and Enduro riding is common. Many of our Trials club riders come from the Enduro group and a lot ride both sports. I've been involved in the Enduro machinery side for many years and have volunteered at several events. Watching Trials Pro's ride is pretty neat and I love it, but you also ought to see one of the top Enduro guys thread a bike between trees in a tight switchback trail. Their skill and talent is amazing. Darrell has done a nice job on the website, you should check it out. Can't wait till the next T&E comes out! Jon

Since I got my 280 Pro in 02', I've tried: 11/42 (stock on the 02'), 10/42, 11/41, 10/41, 10/44 and settled on 11/44 (the 44T is the 125 rear sprocket). I've found that gearing is a personal decision and depends on riding style, local terrain and other mods to the bike. Here in the Midwest U.S.A. we have moors, but they are very, very, very small . A lot of our riding is tight-twisty rock, moist dirt under tree off-camber hillside, sandy rocky creeks etc. and virtually no road work. My riding style is old school (actually old geezer, "pick a gear and stay in it") and my bike has several mods to make it a tractor such as Boyesens, Amal throttle (half way in between fast and slow Domino) modded reedcage/manifold and a special one-off headpipe. The bike pulls from the bottom on up very smoothly and the 11/44 seems to give me a wider range of gears to pick from. With the 11/42 most of my sections were first only. The 10/42 worked well but the tighter chain wrap on the small radius gear promoted rapid wear and noise. The 44 hangs down slightly lower, but I make my own sprocket protectors and have never had a problem with damage or derailment and we have a lot of rock here. Jon

Wow! That's about 261 more BHP than mine. Must be a real handful in a muddy section.... Jon