jse

Ben, Usually the only two reasons the Keihin will overflow (if otherwise properly adjusted) is grit in the needle seat holding the needle off the seat a slight amount (which you have apparently already checked for) and the floats hanging up somehow on the sides of the bowl. Make sure the float arm is free and does not bind anywhere in it's travel. it's fairly fragile and can easily be bent out of alignment. Jon

You may just need to lube and adjust the bearings. The lower bearing is what takes the weight of the bike so it will probably need the most cleaning and grease. Service them first and if you find you need new bearings (usually just the lower one) I think the 03' has the steel steering shaft, which is Timkin "X30203" (GasGas part # is C140200), but if you happen to have the later model aluminum, larger shaft, that bearing # is "32004X". It's always good to replace the o-rings in the headstock if you replace the bearings. Jon

I thought it was funny, in a perverse sort of way, but then I may be one of the few geeks on this side of the pond who knows who Jenson Button is....... Jon

Steve, I think the 03' takes the 6004 2rs, both front and rear hubs. Jon

Could you post a photo? I don't know of any 321 with a triangular shaped final muffler (some of the older ones were shaped kinda like a diamond). Jon

Heres a photo of the wrench types, from the top: adjustable strap wrench pin spanner made just for the 3-piece GG fork collar adjustable pin spanner Jon

Don't worry, you're doing fine, all of us have been through the same stuff. First, replace any missing bolts. The most common thing I see for new riders not familiar with hydraulic systems is that they adjust the screw on the master cylinder lever in too far, intuitively thinking (like a cable system) it will give them more travel or better pressure in the hoses. There needs to be some slack where the adjustment screw meets the plunger rod that goes through the rubber boot on the M/C. The piston has to come all the way back to the circlip under the boot or the system will be "closed" and heat from using the brakes will build up pressure and drag/lock the brakes. The piston has to come all the way back to uncover/open the hole that feeds fluid and releases pressure from the system. All three master cylinders need to be adjusted this way. Jon

Yep, in reality, they are all just pretty pieces of Carbon that you live in. The beginnings of "The Bubble" in California was a time to rejoice if you had property, "Whoopee! We're all gonna be rich!" Older retired folks were able to sell their homes for 10-30+ times what they paid for them, but then THEY had to move away as they could no longer buy a house at the fast-rising values. The building pressure and related stress of new home buyers was tremendous as the rising prices meant they better get something NOW or their financial ability would erode quickly (if you don't advance, you fall back, there's no standing still). "Regular" people-cops, teachers, clerks, factory workers, were pushed harder and couples needed to have both partners work just to keep even. The Land of Milk and Honey was rapidly becoming the Land of Bilk and Money. It was like the Tulip insanity in 1600's Holland when an entire estate would be traded for one bulb and when the market crashed, tulips were the price of onions. I guess, yet another example of forgetting history condemns us to repeat it....... I guess the problem is, that when you are in the cauldren with all the other frogs, you don't notice the constant temperature rise and everybody is swimming as fast as they can.

I'm assuming you found the spring circlip that retains the seal in the collar. Next time, use a little heat from a propane torch on the upper collar (I think you have the 3-piece lower leg GG forks) as that helps to release the seal. I use a home made tool to insert under the seal and twist/lever it out as the removable collar seals are a little tricky to get the seal out than the one-piece lower legs. Be sure to lube the o-ring inside the collar before putting it back on the leg. Jon

Actually, it's sad to see a lot of good people on rough times through no fault of their own. We're in fairly good shape here in the Midwest (except up North) as the economy has been stable for a long time. We generally don't have the booms that the East and West coasts have, but it helps us avoid the busts too. Having moved out here from Silicon Valley, I saw the creeping insanity of housing, for instance, where the median price of a home went to over $600,000 after we left. Kinda like diamonds, where the value of the product is by consentual agreement and if enough people say "Well crap, that's just a pretty piece of carbon!", then the bottom falls out. Jon

Duuuuuuude.....Ah herd dat!

Yep, yep, yep. We, The Grateful Almost-Dead, salute you. We rely on young pups like you to help us maintain our lavish lifestyles and if I didn't have that $495 a month, I just don't know what I'd do! Poop, I never should have started to contribute to Social Security when I was 12 years old............ I think that anybody in the U.S. that does not have a sound savings and investment plan for retirement, and only relies only on Social Security for the future is in for a rude awakening when they start to think about retiring, which of course, by then will be too late. Copey, you just got to start having a lot more kids so you'll have somebody to take care of you in your "advanced years" (and pay into the SS system in the meantime). :thumbup: :) Jon Darnnit to heck! If I told that pool boy once, I've told him a hundred times, DON'T PARK THE DAMN YACHT IN THE SWIMMING POOL!

I agree with Atom, I'm sure that brought an angelic smile to Graham Chapmans face. Jon ps. Jeez, wish WE woulda had a box.........

Well, a win is a win, and you look pretty happy... " Forever young that is". At 67 years old, the joke George Burns always used often comes to mind (I think it was George), when he was almost 100 was "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my body"...... Jan, what do you think about oil change routines? I've always advised 5-10 hours or after a muddy or wet Trial on the Pro. I've found that a change after a wet Trial is almost mandatory for most bikes as the vent tube will suck water into the cases on a regular basis (like the alternator sidecover does). The Pro engine is a little less vunerable as the vent tube goes up under the tank, rather than down the back of the cases, but I don't like to take chances. I like to change the oil after running the engine a little to get it warmed up and every time I've checked the clutch the cases are clean, so I probably would not recommend a solvent flush. Regular oil changes seem to be the best remedy for a clean engine. Steve says he changes the oil every 2nd week, and that sounds like good maintenance to me. Jon

Actually, Jan....that is my Evil Twin, who is bent on destroying all forms of accurate advice given to Trials riders regarding problems with their Trials bikes. I, on the other hand, am the Good Twin, and you can believe everything I say............ Jon Yes, that mug is, unfortunately, mine. I do look much better now with the long hair I've grown after the sex-change operation.......

The ATF is a good "cleaner" and actually old mechanics used to add a pint or two before an oil change to flush out an engine before an oil change. The Pro engine has, in a way, a centrifical "filter" to trap small particles. When you take the spring off the clutch pack, you'll see trapped particles in the recess. I like to change my oil every 5-10 hours. It only takes a few minutes and the Pro engine has a lot of extra stuff to lube than a "regular" engine. Jon

The rings at the top of the shock, I assume, are the spring preload adjusters. The damping adjusting screw generally affects the rebound, but has a proportional affect on compression to a degree. You will usually not to be able to tell a big difference by bouncing on the bike or riding a simple section. Compression and rebound damping, in most shocks, is set by the "shim stacks" on the piston (a series of various thickness washers arranged in a particular way according to their diameter) and are not adjustable. The adjustment screw usually fine-tunes the "high-speed" portion of shock travel (often a pressure release type of valve is involved). That refers to the speed of the piston shaft, not the bike, and you will notice a difference when the shock takes the "big hit", which is why bouncing on the bike on the driveway will not give you an idea of what's really happening. Jon

12 stone (that's 168 lbs for we here in the U.S.) is right in the "normal" range for the spring and damping settings on the Pro suspension. There are a lot of variables when it comes to suspension set-up, so "the best setup" will work for one rider perfectly, but be a problem for another. Riding style, engine displacement, level of talent, type of obstacles encountered, ambient weather conditions (mud can take a different setting than dry rock and temperatures can have an effect on damping rates, for instance) etc. I think the best thing for you to do is to pick several different sections and try different settings (one at a time to isolate the variables in testing) and see what works for you. I'd start with the end ranges of damping (full hard, full soft) to get an adea of what they feel like. Then pick an approximate spot in between those "end ranges" that you feel you may like and fine tune the setting from there. Be very careful when changing the damping setting adjusters, use a very light touch and never bottom out a set screw with any force, they are delicate, on any type or brand of suspension. If your Pro has any time on it, I would first service the forks and shock linkage. Poorly maintained suspension will not work well under any range of settings. It takes time to learn what's right for you, just remember, professional racers probably spend at least 20+ hours testing suspension settings on their practice track for each hour they spend racing in front of an audience. Jon

For my older bikes, I used a cut down Schrader valve (threaded part machined down, case threaded and valve screwed in), but the clearance between the outer part of the flywheel and the inner part of the cover on the Pro is small. If you go to an aquarium supply place (which is where this fitting is from), I bet you can find a fitting that would work. Superglue or epoxy will hold it to the cover, just be sure that the inner part does not hit the flywheel. As you can see, the right angle of the fitting where the hose goes keeps the vent hose out of the way of snags. Jon

That should also work, but keep in mind that the hole will also act the same as a non-sealing gasket area and ingest water when the case is cooled rapidly. The 3mm size will help to reduce the intake of water/grit but you'll still have to take the cover off now and then, pull the flywheel and clean the stator area (and spray it with a water dispersant). Small holes at the bottom of the airbox will work to reduce water there, but you have to balance the size of the hole, big enough to let water out and not clog with mud, and not too big to also let water/grit in. The biggest problem I see with the Pro is splash from the front tire up over the engine and into the front intake of the airbox. The aftermarket guards that go between the bottom of the radiator and the sump guard really help (or you can make your own). Jon

Since the early 70's on my Bultacos and MARs, I've vented all the sidecases on my bikes and have had no problems. As the sidecase is a somewhat "sealed" container of gas (air in this case), when it is rapidly cooled (like in a stream) a vacuum is created and it will suck in water. Venting it to the atmosphere with a line run up under the fueltank prevents this from happening. This is especially important in this case as my 02' 280 Pro has non-anodized Magnesium cases and the venting keeps the flywheel area clean and dry. Jon

Geoff, I'd start by pulling the flywheel and checking the Woodruff key, the flywheel may not have been tight on the shaft and the key was sheared, which will affect the timing. Jon

Liam, It might be a good idea to take off the clutch sidecover and inspect the kickstart mechanism. If the return spring has broken, you may have a part of it loose in the gearbox where it could cause some serious damage. Make sure the adjustment screw on the clutch lever is backed out far enough to allow the master cylinder piston to return fully back to the stop at the circlip. The Pros are a little difficult to get in neutral when stopped but you should not have that much trouble. You also may want to try Dexron ATF in the gearbox to see if that helps to reduce the clutch drag. Jon

Great updates, thanks! Jon ps. If I were AIG and had a dollar for every time I heard that word (and various others) when I checked World Rounds, I would not have needed a bailout.....

Of course your dealer may have one, or you could try a local dealer that caters to the car racing crowd. Make sure it's a short-range gauge, like 1-15 or a max of 1-30 psi type (here in the U.S.) as they are usually calibrated to an accuracy of about 2% (more expensive ones are usually more accurate), so a 1-100 psi gauge could be off 2 psi, which is not good for measuring the pressures we run our tires at. Jon