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ChrisCH

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Posts posted by ChrisCH
 
 
  1. E10 is OK for most vehicles and the main objection seems to be from people on the internet that give anecdotes rather than evidence.  The issue is clouded by people that have an agenda other than just offering their experiences.  My GSX runs fine on E10 and it runs fine on Sainsburys petrol.  The marketing effort to get you to waste money on fuel is impressive and largely dishonest.

    My TRS runs better on Shell V Power, but it is a "performance" engine, not a road tuned vehicle.  Or maybe it is my imagination?  Whatever.  Since it only burns a few litres a year and it feels to me that it is running better I will continue to buy a 5L can of V Power now and then.   The car, van and road bikes get filled up at the supermarket.  Our last van (Transit) did 200,000 miles on supermarket diesel and never missed a beat.

    What I have found out for sure is if you do enough research (on E10 and fuel generally) and read enough on the internet you can find two diametrically opposing points of view expressed with equal conviction and convincing supporting evidence.

    • Like 3
  2. The Euro 5 standards are just coming in for bikes (https://www.acem.eu/new-euro-5-environmental-standard-for-motorcycles-and-mopeds-to-enter-into-force-in-2020)

    As best I understand it type approval is not required for competition machines and so trials bikes do not need to comply.  Not sure about the exact details.

    Micky is right about the Sachs and again my understanding is they are not designed to be rebuilt but there are repairers that can do (here in Europe anyway). https://aftermarket.zf.com/go/en/sachs/products/cars-and-vans/sachs-performance/repair-service/

    You can view the drawing of the latest Beta exhausts in the partfinder - https://www.beta-uk.com/index.php?route=common/partsfinder - there is no cat in it.

    [edit] The gas-gas also has no cat - it is not a requirement for Euro5.  I cannot find what they have actually done to meet the standards on their website.  I guess it must actually meet it for them to publicise it. 

  3. I am sure you could sell it on eBay.  If you go the auction route it will sell for what is worth, but what that is really depends on who wants it.  What is is worth to you?  Make that the reserve price.

    Just be 100% honest and if possible give an accurate price for a new motor in the description.  I can't really see what the alternative is other than fit a new motor then sell it.  At that point it is "worth" the average price of a secondhand bike and you will have that much money less the repair cost.  I'll stick my neck out and make a fairly safe bet that will be a smaller number than the one you get selling it as it is now.  (The eBay fees might level the two numbers up if you can be bothered to sell the repaired bike through some other route)

    I lot of people enjoy repairing stuff.  I am not one of those people.

  4. 14 hours ago, evo boy said:

    Your right ChrisCH the standard rear shocks are rubbish and all the early models except the 2013 factory use the same rubbish. I was looking at a ohlins but most people have them for there newer Evo and have been told the newer ones won't fit.

    Splat shop list the Ohlins (six hundred quid 😵 ) and the drop down menu (to select bike) splits out the Evo post 2017 models as having the longer shock.  So I guess yours and mine are the "old" length.

    I might upgrade next year - will have to see how things pan out.  Secondhand bikes are stupid money now and it is a much more difficult decision whether to spend on an old bike or to trade in and buy a newer one.  I have just replaced the front brake master cylinder with the braktec one and that has improved the bike and got rid of one of my main complaints.  (I saw the new Factory has this m/c)  The bike runs well and the wife loves it so the present strategy is gradual budget-permitting improvement rather than bike replacement.

  5. I don't know the changes over the years, however I am interested (if you don't mind) to learn a bit more about your thinking.  My missus has a 2014 bike (not the factory).  She is OK with it but I find the rear shock a bit poor.  I have looked at the Ohlins as a replacement.  My understanding is the Factory still has the same Sachs unit.  Would it not be better to fit an aftermarket shock?  The Reiger is good (have one on my TRS).

     

  6. 8 hours ago, pindie said:

    ...I personally am excited about the electric future. If nothing else it opens up many more riding opportunities including hours in your own garden without annoying neighbours. I can’t see many negatives. 

    If you swear as much as I do when you fall off I think you will annoy the neighbours.

    • Haha 1
  7. My new plug worked fine on Saturday and so had a few hours practice.  All good - starting OK, no issues.  Many thanks again to everyone for the advice.  I will get the carb checked over and make sure the tuning/jetting is in accordance with the TRS published spec.

    • Like 1
  8. 9 hours ago, Tillerman6 said:

    ...  I pulled the new B7 RES out to look at it and it was growing a metal "whisker" off the grounded tab that sits over the center firing pin, however, the whisker was not pointing towards the center pin at all- very strange.

    I remember my dad teaching me that whiskers were the issue with spark plugs.  He had a bantam to ride to work on as a young man.  I have owned four stroke bikes since my youth and spark plugs are not something I have given much thought to until now.

    Many thanks to everyone that has given their feedback.  I think I will get fitted one of the knurled mixture adjustment screws and experiment a little.  I bought a couple more plugs off eBay but the ones that failed came from a specialist trials shop.  I have been running the BPMR6A from NGK and could not readily see an alternative.  But now I have a little knowledge to work with.  (And yes, that is supposed to be a dangerous thing I believe)

  9. I would guess the bike runs a bit rich, the plugs always seem a bit "oily".  Last time round I changed the air filter as I thought that might be a factor.

    I'm afraid two stroke is a bit voodoo to me.  But this is a good place to start - thanks for that.

  10. Is anyone having issues with plugs on their TRS?  My bike (2017 280RR) would not run again last night at the trial.  The previous trial (2 weeks ago) it was fine.  I have fitted a new plug this afternoon and it runs fine again.  The "old" plug is less than a year old and replaced a failed plug that had also cost me a day's riding.

    As I was loading up the van to go home another club member with a 250RR returned to the car park with a defective plug.  He said his bike "eats them".

    I have ordered some more for stock and will make a habit of carrying one in the van.  Just wondered if this is a common issue or not?

  11. As you say the distance selling allows you to return the item if you want.  The question therefore is really whether you like the bike enough to mess about getting it fixed or fixing it yourself (with or without help from the dealer).  The alternative is send it back and lose the shipping costs but get your cash back and look for something else.

    Only you know how much you like the bike.

  12. 8 hours ago, haggetty said:

    ... Do the police ever stop and check trailer nose weights? ....

     

    Generally speaking no.  The driver and vehicle standards agency (formerly VOSA) are the people most involved in this area of enforcement.  They are rather more "jobsworth" than the Police.  The common issue is overloading and there are weighbridges around the country where this is checked.  They are also responsible for tachograph and other similar enforcement.

    As a very general rule the Police don't know enough about the law to be bothered.  If you have a minor accident they will be much more bothered about getting the road clear and testing you for alcohol and so on.  Where the trailer and bike rack would be scrutinised is if the accident resulted in a fatality.  Then the insurance companies would be seeking some serious money out of one another.  If overloading were present this is contributory negligence and can adversely affect the level of cover.  It is possible the Police at that stage would look to prosecute for something because the family of the deceased tend to want that.  If you just dented someone's car they just want it fixed.

    Too much weight on the rear of the vehicle is unlikely to break the bar but adversely affects the handling.  This will be the prosecution's line of blame attribution.  The recommended limits are there to save you from that line of attack.  It is unwise to ignore them.

    There is a VOSA stop point near us and it is not often open due to limited budget.  When it is open there is soon a line of sorry looking individuals with crappy old trailers and big fines.

  13. Bike prices have gone mad in the lockdown and in the UK you could get £1500 for it.  Whether it is "worth" that is another matter.  My wife's Beta would now sell for more than we paid for it 18 months ago.  My TRS is now probably the same as I paid about the same time back.  All of which makes it difficult for people starting out to find a cheap bike sadly.

    Newer bikes are a better buy IMHO. 

  14. 2 hours ago, SynchromeshBoulevard said:

    ... I spoke to my local MOT tester and they advised that no lights are required, or a speedometer to pass the test,  but a legal number plate and proper single tone horn are ( no bulb horns anymore... ).  However I am also informed that to be legal on the road a speedometer is required by the police.  Reading up on it a lot I can see the requirements to pass an MOT may be complimentary to being legal and compliant to being on the road.
    ..

    That is all correct according to my local MOT person as well.  Lights must work if fitted, but not a requirement.

  15. 4 hours ago, b40rt said:

    I changed the "sealed for life" gear box oil in a vw at 100k miles, and it looked fine ..... 

    Ford (IIRC) produced an engine that had 100k service intervals.  it never took off as the service is a revenue generator for garages.  Modern oil technology is amazing, as shown by your VW gear oil.  I often wonder about axle diffs - they do the whole life of the vehicle and are totally forgotten about.  The difference between the old oil and the Nano Tech in the missus' Beta is quite something.  I have experienced the change for real but it is hard to get your head round.  On really big kit (like earthmovers) the service engineers test the oil to see how much wear it has had rather than just change it at an arbitrary interval.  The half litre in a trials bike is so cheap and so easy to do it probably makes sense to overdo it.

    • Like 2
  16. 12 hours ago, turbofurball said:

    Funnily enough me and my other half were talking about biking down to Morocco earlier today - we'd take Rieju Tangos, they have a 300km range if you're taking it easy :) But then we haven't even ridden the Pyrinees properly yet, so might be getting ahead of ourselves ... long distance trail riding opportunities are the norm all over the Iberian Peninsular!

    If only I had really done my research I would have "done" Spain for my 40th.  The romance of the sahara was a big pull, but there was a huge missed opportunity to have a great ride in a country that would have (at the time) required no paperwork or hassle.  I still want to tour the Picos de Europa - something that could be on a road bike and still a fantastic journey and experience.  So very much of Europe that is worth a visit - Romania has vast forests, brown bears and places you can lose yourself for a few days.  Looking back on it the Morocco trip idea was wrong at so many levels.  How many days can you ride a sand dune before you get to "done that" status?

  17. Thanks micm.  How were the brakes on the new 250?  I have wondered whether to try to improve the ones on our 2014 bike or if it just makes more sense to buy a new(er) bike.  The factory editions have Braktec masters and I have wondered about that route.  I will stop thinking about the 200 now (and have been told off about new bikes and "man" lust for new machines ? )

 
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