ChrisCH

I struggled with the neutral for a while (it is essentially the same gearbox and clutch). After using the NanoTrans for a while it is much much easier. I think there is still some drag on the Beta clutches even if they appear to work OK. I have no idea what the NanoTrans has in it or how it is different but I can say that it certainly has made a difference. The old Beta is easier than my new TRS.

I hope so mate. Ours certainly runs a bit "off" after the bike has been wrong way up. My TRS ran a bit "off" after it got the better of me as well and then settled down after a couple of minutes. I wondered if that was a carb issue so i will follow your progress with interest. Hope you get it sorted at the weekend.

Have you checked the float height and looked at the carb issues that are fixed at the top of the Beta sub forum? My Rev 3 ran badly after the bike went upside down. When the carb was removed there was a metal item in it (I think a fragment of a nail) which I can only assume was put in to stop the flooding issue. The mechanic put a new jet in it and cleaned it up and it is OK, but there has been some flooding. The Mikuni seems to be problematic - the fix described is a good start point. I (foolishly) thought on an old bike all this would have been done by at least one of the previous owners. My missus has now taken over the Beta full time and I have bought myself a TRS. Riding the Beta I wonder if the bike revs out properly - the TRS is worlds apart. When she gets to the point that this is an issue I think it is new bike time rather than keep throwing money at a 15 year old bike. Ironically the Beta runs nicely at low revs and the relative lack of power is just what she needs for the time being so it is doing a good job. It also has the slow throttle so that is a factor. i did think about fitting the later Keihin as per the Evo, but it needs a new reed block as well so the overall expense is significant.

Are you sure it is a Sherco? In my day these bikes were known as a Bitza. (sorry)

I fitted a new engine to a Suzuki many years ago. If you send the V5 back the DVLA change the engine number for you free of charge, so it is not a very big problem. The engine numbers in the OP are odd, in that the first three digits look very much like CC. If so then the bike was a 250 which has had a 300 engine fitted later. I don't know enough about the bikes to say if the engine is a "factory" edition or not. I would think the importers could quickly find out. The engine number and the V5 should match - this is a sign that something has been altered. If the engine had been legitimately changed at some point the V5 should have been changed to show the new engine number. I suggest that the OP uses the DVLA system to check the registration number of the bike. It should show the bike's details and that it is SORN (I assume it is), but it will give you the engine CC and taxation class. If it shows as a 250 then you will have solved the mystery, but not what to do about it. https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla

Thanks guys. I struggled with the Putoline bottle and wanted a better way. A funnel needs a long enough section to fit in and the one I have was useless. Never thought about a small bottle to decant - thanks for that. The Jitsie gadget is nice and I am a sucker for gadgets.

I don't know if it is helpful, I have just measured the Rev 3 against my new TRS and the spokes seem more or less the same length and i think therefore you could fit a Jitsie rim to the Beta hub. This is the newer rim designed for tubeless. An expensive solution but a good upgrade if the original rims are totally U/S. You would have to be very fond of the old Beta to spend like that. Very cool looking gold rims though!

As the front is tubed there is the possibility for water to get into the tyre without a deflation. The water would then sit there until some reason to remove the tyre. I would imagine this is a corrosion point and one for most bikes. There are some very good modern paints that would address the issue. Assuming the rim is not toast! It would need to be very bad corrosion for s structural failure. This has made me think it is perhaps worth taking off the front tyre and checking the rim maybe once a year so you can put a lick of paint/enamel on it. But - I have to be honest - I am lazy and will forget ?

https://www.trialsbikebreakersuk.com/collections/beta-parts/products/2000-beta-rev3-rear-wheel-with-tyre-disc-and-sprocket Might fit? Earlier model. Worth a look. Likewise https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264139638481

No sin, but surely this is not cost effective? You are taking a tubeless system, rebuilding it to a tubed system then adding an aftermarket tubeless conversion system.

The goo looks like Stan's to me or something similar. If you can clean if off thoroughly and get the tyre bead to seat the wheel should be usable. I have had a long "battle" with my mountainbike as the rims are not really tubeless and the latex has to fill the holes before it all works OK. The theory is the same, an airtight tape to cover the nipple recesses and make an airtight rim. Your rim looks as if it has been done by someone looking for a quick fix. You would need to check the bead seating area thoroughly to decide if it is going to hold air or not, the photo is not detailed enough for that. If the ali is actually degrading then the rim is junk. I rebuild MTB wheels but a motorcycle wheel is a different animal. Would an Evo wheel fit it? I think they are more "tubeless". Or get a secondhand Rev wheel. The wheels on mine are in good order (it is an '05).

Thanks - I did assume that was the correct one but their shop lists the filler - https://www.splatshop.co.uk/jitsie-oil-filler-pipe.html But that doesn't say TRS and nor does it say Gas-Gas (the filler pug is Gas-Gas). So I was/am confused.

The wife had now officially taken over my Rev 3 so I have bought a TRS 280RR for myself. I changed the oil for the first time and the filler is quite small and fiddly. I can see Jitsie do a range of screw in fillers to make the process faster and wondered if anyone knows if any will fit? Their website doesn't list the TRS anywhere. I am hoping the filler is the same as one of the other makes? Cannot see the actual thread listed anywhere. Thanks.

Hope you have a good trip. Careful what you smoke ?

Hmph. No UK venue then. ? Will have to do Belgium. Lots of beer then ?

You also need to factor in the weight of the rack itself. (I think they are about 10Kg ?) Knowingly overloading the tow bar is contributory negligence from an insurance viewpoint. if the back of the car is empty and you don't care about the law/insurance I think the car would steer okay and so on, but if you load the back up then you would definitely notice the reduction in handling. Enough weight that the suspension is sagging and you are asking for a pull as well. Do it enough and you might need new springs too.

I have taken up riding recently. I bought an old Rev 3 for 1600 quid, which is half what I paid for my mountainbike. I cannot believe how cheap motorcycle trials are. My club charges 15 quid for a trial which is about 4 hours entertainment. My ACU licence is 12 quid. A practice session at our local venue is a tenner per rider. I can't tell you how much I regret not doing this much sooner. I would encourage anyone that is interests, old or young, to have a go. I hope once I get my head round the rules and so on that I can help the club out a little. All clubs work like this, a few people do everything. I think it is great for youngsters, we have a good few at the club and I think it is wonderful they are given this chance. I couln't care less if I paid an extra tenner to let them in for free to be honest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline

It does look like the new owners have a new business model (they say so on the website). It will be interesting to see if they "revert" back to the more traditional model for this very tiny market segment or if the other trials bike manufacturers move to the mountainbike model of shifting new kit at a premium and heavily discounting last year's model.

Forgive me - i thought that was the whole point of the thread and why you started it.

Business runs on margins. Fairness and loyalty don't pay mortgages.

Fair point. The importer must make a decision about what generates the best revenue. If enough people are annoyed by the discount on the previous model then presumably they will not buy the up to date one (or buy the last year "bargain"). In time sales will drop or the dealers will only ever sell the "old" model at the knock down prices. As I understand it GasGas have had a lot of financial issues so that could be the deciding factor. The model they are following is the same as mountain bikes - the new year model immediately sees a big discount in old stock. If you are too rubbish (like me) to notice the difference and want - for example - a Scott Genius it pays to wait until next year's one and buy the old one. I think a fair few people do that, but there are enough "must have the latest" rich kids about that the new model is bought and the year old bike is on eBay (and like the OP the losses are rather unpleasant). The prices of a top end mountain bike are the same or more than a trials bike. I have an old nail that is near to or at it's terminal/scrap value. The missus needs a bike and I would like to upgrade mine. The market seems to be new or newish bikes round the four grand or more mark and stuff like my Beta at one to two grand that has seen it's best days. I can only assume that the mid range stuff is owned and ridden until it fits the old nail category. It seems that "keeping up to date" is expensive so thanks to everyone for their contribution to the thread. Sorry to the OP - I would be annoyed too.

it is unfortunate but not unfair. Nothing says life is fair. You gave the dealer a grand margin on the new bike and they want a grand margin on the trade in. Someone has to pay the business rates, electric bill, phone charges, broadband, advertising and so on (and it is you). £6300 to 5k in a year sounds about right to me. You'd lose a bit more on a BMW X5

I can't imagine a dealer that would stay in business letting a bike sit there that long. Perhaps things are more time sensitive than they were 10-15 years ago but it has always been the case that the new model launch sees a big drop in the price of the old one. It hasn't depreciated, it was overpriced on day one. It is simply that the dealer can get a better margin on the "new" model from those who absolutely must have the newest, latest thing at any cost. In the 80s there was a big thing about discounting new bikes and a lot of dealers wouldn't put their price in the adverts as they would have lost the franchise. I can't remember the company but there was a big outfit in Doncaster that had that business model. To be fair that was all road bikes and not trials. Also remember that there is VAT on a new bike so the dealer is getting 16% less than the headline figure. When you sell it second-hand the government have already had their cut. Mountainbikes certainly can be 20% cheaper for last year's model. My budget doesn't run to new in trials bikes...

So 4166 net. So the trade in is about - err... three and half grand. It is generally accepted with most motor vehicles that the bulk of depreciation is the first owner. I am sure that the value would be more in a private sale - the dealer has to make a margin on the trade in as well as the new bike. It seems a bit harsh but I don't think there has ever been a time when that was not the case.