jse

Sometimes, you can take two ratcheting tiedown straps, loop them inside the spring on each side, top to bottom, and compress the spring that way. You shouldn't have to compress it that much to get the keeper off. Jon

An "engine rebuld cost" question is tough (and impossible to be accurate) to answer as it depends on what needs replacing and the original condition of the engine to start with. Jon

I'd start by draining the fuel tank and carb and then begin with fresh premix. Not "fresh" premix out of an old container, but straight from your supplier's pump-fresh. Stale fuel that's lost it's high-end aromatics (this affects the fuel's Reid vapour pressure) from storage in a bike's vented tank or a plastic fuel container is, from my experience, the number one cause of poor starting/performance in stored bikes. This may not be the main reason for not starting, but it will eliminate a significant variable in your quest for an answer. Jon

Alan, I also use my lathe for checking crank journal runout, but be aware that you will need two live centers, one at each end. You can't chuck one end in and use only one live center (or worse yet, just take a reading from the unsupported end) or your readings will not be accurate. The .03mm listed is probably a good baseline to use. The lathe actually works very well as you also have a good, solid base for the dial indicator. Jon

Doh! I'm sorry, for some reason (besides senility) I thought you needed case assembly advice. jon and wayne have good suggestions and the main thing is to take your time as it's like tightening spokes (adjust-check, adjust-check etc.). I'm fairly sure the Mono 250 is like the 350, crankwise, and here's the spec's for the 85' TY350N (I don't remember what year yours was, but a twin shock is probably a little different) if they are of any help: Crank width (outer flywheel surface to outer flywheel surface-65.95-66.00mm Runout (crank on roller v-block, measured on the center of the journals where the bearings go-.03mm Rod side clearance-.25-.75mm Small end play (wiggling the top of the rod side to side)-.4-1.00mm You also may need a "wedge", which looks like what you use to split logs with and it's used to spread out the flywheels. If you've ever watched a master crank aligner work, it's scarey. They look like they are beating the thing to death but their movements are remarkably precise. The older cranks are fairly easy to work with. Most of the new cranks require special fixtures to get them right and the older Honda cranks with the sheet metal covering are nearly impossible to get spot on. Jon

Alan, I usually install the main bearings/seals in the cases (use a little anti-seize in the case bearing bores to ease the bearings in) and then lightly press the crank into the case side that i'm starting with to assemble the trans components. I like to use a light coating of anti-seize or assembly lube on all shaft ends and a light coat of grease on the journals that will have seals on them. When installing the case together I use a hard rubber mallet to ease things together and if you run into any unusual resistance, pull the case off again and see where the problem is-never force the cases together. Things will be a little stiff but the anti-seize will help. After the cases are together, set the engine upright and turn the crank slowly. It will seem like something is wrong as it will be a little hard to turn, no worry. Take a soft metal mallet (so the ends of the crank are not damaged, I like to use a copper mallet) and lightly tap each end of the crank ends to "center" the crank in the case and it should free up and turn easily. Take two large, heavy rubber bands and stretch them diagonally (to form an "X") on the cylinder studs, passing them through the top hole of the connecting rod. That way you'll be able to turn the crank to check things and not have the connecting rod flop around. Jon

Ian, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "gear selector". What are the symptoms that pointed you in that direction? Hopefully, it might be something less complicated and expensive. If you mean the shift shaft assembly that resides within the shift drum, yes, it's a big job and involves pulling the engine, stripping it down completely and replacing the shaft. What is the bike doing/not doing now? Jon

James, If this is a one-time thing, my guess is that you didn't have it "completely" in neutral. The shift drum has a little star-shaped attachment and a spring-loaded wheel that drops down in between the points of the star to keep it in each gear. The spot for neutral that the wheel drops down into is smaller and less shallow, which allows the shift from first (through the neutral spot) to second gear easier. Sometimes the wheel will not completely drop into the smaller, neutral-stop depression securely and it is easily knocked over to the next gear (first or second). If this is not a one-time thing, you may need to replace the small spring that pulls on the lever with the roller that rides in the star and keeps the tension on the roller. You can get at the roller by taking off the sidecase and removing the clutch assembly. There are other possibilites, but the lost tension of the lever spring is usually the cause. Jon

Early in my Trials career, a fellow Bultaco rider taught me the importance of keeping my bar clamps secure. He was decending a very steep downhill into a creek with (Murphy was also a participant in our Trial, as usual) a tree at the bottom of the decline. With butt on the rear fender and chest on the seat, he rolled off the top and just after he reached full incline with maximum weight forward, the bars rolled forward, which, of course, means that the throttle is rolled full on and in the position he was, there was no way to bail off. He hit the tree at full chat, and although bloody, was relatively o.k. I took him to a nearby hospital to find he only had a minor broken nose (which healed perfectly), but I now instinctively check my bar clamp bolts often..... Jon

Tom, There is a special puller, the bad news is you have to make it yourself I've cut the inner race diagonally with a Dremel and a thin abrasive wheel and then used a chisel and a sharp rap with a steel hammer to split the race, but using a MIG or TIG to quickly weld a piece of metal to the race to lever it off works well. The heat has to be quick and localized so the aluminum is not damaged. I would imagine that the shaft could be pressed out of the lower tripleclamps (and then pressed back in) to lever the race up/off but that might be a last resort. Jon

James, The Allen plug near the kickstart is a filler plug but sometimes it's faster to lay the bike on it's side, take the outer clutch cover off (use a new Allen wrench or cut off about 5mm from the tip on an old one as the small buttonhead screws strip easily otherwise) and slowly pour about 650-700 cc's of a light oil (Dexron ATF will work) on the pressure plate of the clutch. It's probably best to use a T-handle Allen and rap the top with a small hammer first to break any corrosion as the screws and cover are different metals and electrolytic action usually results. Jon

Copey, Click to enlarge (you know, for us old guys....) and it's easily readable. Jon, o.k., I admit it! I AM older than Mark.......

(if I can get it to upload) Here's a diagram from TrialsPartsUSA which may help: Jon

Kibsy, Not quite sure what "the brake seal under the brake fluid holder thing was broken" means, but I'm venturing a guess it's the rubber boot that the plunger goes through on the side of the master cylinder? You'll probably want to install a new boot as grit will get in the M/C bore and wear the o-ring and piston rapidly, if it has not already done so. The "huge amount of resistance " may be the piston/seal bottoming out in the bore if you have the adjustment screw on the brake lever tightened in too far, mistakenly thinking that it would make the brake work better, but in fact, it will make the brake not work in short order. There should be a little slack where the adjustment screw meets the plunger rod that passes through the rubber boot, so you may need to back it off some. Try adjusting the adjustment screw on the lever out and let us know if it makes any difference. Jon

Richard, If they are like the standard clamshell clamps, undo the front capscrews, take off the bars and you'll see the other two short capscrews under where the bars go. Jon

Hi Patrick, Adjust your chain so that you can fit a finger tip in between the top of the tensioner and the underside of the swingarm. You should have enough slack to be able to move the chain up and down a little over 3/4", or 2cm, with the tensioner pulled down Jon

I had a chance to ride the 08' 250 Raga some time ago and found it very easy to adapt to quickly. Some bikes I've ridden seem like I have to slightly force them to do something, but the Raga, with the new frame, just reacted to my input without protest. Almost like thinking it makes it so. Very well balanced and it had me confidently looking for obstacles that would have been slightly above my talent level riding my 280 Pro. I would have liked a slightly shorter turn radius, but that would easily be acomplished with a minor mod to the fork stops. The Raga, along with some special additives that are Raga specific, usually incorporates the changes that will appear in the next years production bikes (like the new 28mm tube frame). Jon

Hi Ian, I would try tightening the flywheel fastener once more before bedding the parts together with grinding compound as that will destroy what is left of the interference tapers that allows them to stick together. I'd slightly overtighten the bolt, say about 5 Nm and that might help. You probably can get an adapter that will allow the 1/2" sockets to be used on the 3/8th" torque wrench (I have a couple in my toolbox so I know they are available). To keep the crank from turning, take the plug out, take a few feet of about 3/8th inch cotton or plastic rope, bring the piston up about an inch before TDC (you can feel the piston with the rope end) and stuff the rope through the plug hole to fill up the combustion chamber, then move the piston up against the rope to stop the crank. When finished, back the piston down a little and pull out the rope and put it in your toolbox till the next time you need it. Jon

This was my assumption also. Jon

I just sent Ian a reply to him PM'ing me this question, but could not find it to copy to the general forum. I essentially said that the key could be left out, but there was a possible problem with static ignition timing being off. In the "old days" we often made them from scrap metal if necessary, but in a pinch, you could tap one end of the embedded Woodruff piece in the crank snout with a pointed punch, which, due to the rounded shape, will cause the other end to pop up slightly, enough to use as a guide if the flywheel hub was carefully slid on the crank. Jon

Sounds like it to me too. My mentors taught me to use heat (not a "pencil" flame, but one that spreads out the flame and play it over the surface so as to not burn the coating) to "loosen" seals and then rap the fork tubes apart and it has worked every time, so far. You might try some quick heat on the outside of the lower leg and then jab the top of the leg against a piece of hard wood on the floor. The quick heat on the aluminum should expand it fast enough to release it from the steel bushing collar. Jon

no1 is right about the tension spring loop fitting in the pear-shaped machined hole in the sidecover. Also make sure that there is a very thin steel washer that goes on the kickstart shaft present. It usually sticks to the sidecase and then falls into the dirt. Now would be a good time to switch to DOT-5 (Silicone) since you will have everything apart. It will not damage the rubber boot on the master cylinder, which is one of the main causes for o-ring/seal failure as it allows grit to enter the bore easily. DOT-5 also makes the clutch operate smoother. I think it's been 6 years since I switched my clutch to DOT-5 and it still works perfectly. Be sure to "pre-bleed" the servo cylinder by filling it with fluid before sliding it on the post, add some fluid to the M/C and then, with the cover upside down, gently push the servo cylinder up and down a few times to work any air out of the servo internals. You may want to put a rag over the M/C reservoir as it may shoot up to the ceiling if you press too hard. Jon

Get an NGK BPR5EIX plug and gap it to .024" and also, check all electrical connections (including the plug cap) and clean and re-fasten the grounds. Let us know if that helps. Jon

Jeez, Peter, Don't tell Mark that, I'm gonna have to find him some fat bottom girl stickers now or I'll never hear the end of it........... Jon