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Remember last year the media was touting team usa results as the best ever in the top class 5th (last). This year's results can be spun as better than last year, 4th (actually 9th overall)

Is there any way to change the oil without it dripping on top of the bash plate? I've let it drip for years and after taking the bash plate for the first time I saw that the oil deteriorated the rubber between the plate and the engine. The back engine mount had metal to metal contact. Getting the plate back on was very difficult even after trying to bend it back into the original shape. I tried hammering and driving my truck over it but it would not bend back.

I had the same problem on my 07 250. If yours has a Ducati ignition you should check the aluminum finned box mounted at the steering head. If the green insulation on the back side has brown burn marks you will need to replace it. If you have a Kokusan ignition there is a small, less expensive part to replace. Not sure where that is. The thermostat is hidden in the upper right corner of the radiator. My first symptom was overheating, then erratic fan, then no fan.

I use Herculiner truck bed coating and black Shoe Goo. Herculiner is sold at most auto parts stores and clear Shoe Goo is at Walmart. I found the black ones on Amazon. I find a lot of uses for both of these items. Herculiner is meant to be used all at once and once you open the can, the can is toast. You can store the unused amount in a glass jar. I put teflon tape on the lip so it doesn't glue shut. That stuff sticks to everthing! You can use Herculiner as a base coat and Shoe Goo over it. As you start using up the jar, you need to avoid air space in there because it will dry out. I use an semi-inflated balloon but next time I'm going to try a condom. Another use for Herculiner is dilute it down with Xylene and brush in on your synthetic leather gloves, then wipe off the rubber texture bits. After it dries it will be stiff, but after it breaks in it makes the gloves very tough and you can pick up granite rocks without tearing up your gloves. I also apply some straight Herculiner on the fingertips. You can even put in on your handlebar grips.

I installed the S3 adjustable bar risers and have my bars rotated very forward with the mount adjustment all the way back. The main difference I feel is I seem to have more weight forward and have to be conscious to lean back more to get weight on the rear wheel for traction. My back tends to be straighter which keeps my weight more forward. Hopping the front and rear wheels is easier with the extra leverage. That is the effect for me who is 5'4". An interesting note is several years ago there were Renthal Kuroyama and Lampkin bends with the Lampkin bend being lower. I'm assuming Lampkin is much taller yet he has the lower bars. I think short riders can benefit from bar risers while very tall riders might benefit more with pegs moved back.

Can Cody's success this year be attributed to his switch to GG? Or 4T to 2T? Last year at the TN Nationals Pro shootout, Pat seemed to me to be clearly the better rider. Smoother, more controlled with less effort. Cody seemed to have to muscle his way around more. My theory is the lighter bike is helping his riding.

You can also check for a small tear on the rim strip that was caused by a tire iron. I had one on mine and it is hard to see unless the strip is off and you closely inspect it. I patched it with a bicycle patch kit as well as the silicone treatment and no more leaking.

It also could be the brake itself. I had a similar experience with the back brake after buying an old bike. One of the pistons was getting stuck on causing friction, heat and lockup. Take off the front brake, take apart, and see if you can push the pistons freely. If you can't then you need to remove and inspect the pistons. Use compressed air to pop them out, but be careful and put a rag over the pistons because they can shoot out like a cannon! You can try to replace the seals or buy a rebuild kit, but if the cylinder is corroded you need a whole new brake.

Hey Glenn, I'm in Atlanta and I might have seen you at the Cornelia STRA event a couple of years ago. You were checking with a Fantic shirt. I usually ride my Gas Gas at events. There was an English gent at the last couple of STRA event riding a very nice Fantic 240 Pro. My Section has the fan wired with a manual switch since I burned through two thermostats that cost over $25 each. It doesn't touch the coolant and screws on top of the cylinder head. Perhaps the overheating damaged them. They are made in China for probably a few pennies but I can't find a cheaper source for the T-key C1-2014 Any ideas for a source? They are also used in toaster ovens. It is running good now but it sounds like a rattly old air cooled 2-stroke. Before the overheating it had a tighter, smoother sound.

My guess is the front disc or wheel is out of alignment causing extra friction. The rubbing will cause the disc and brakes to heat up expanding the hydraulic fluid and lock up the brakes. The front wheel should spin freely. Also check for worn pads.

I finally figured out why my 95 Section was running poorly. Putting around in 1st was OK but when I went out on the trail the engine started knocking and lose power. I noticed when I gave it throttle the water hose between the pump and radiator would constrict, cutting off coolant flow. I couldn't find an auto heater hose that would fit so I used a ribbed stainless steel natural gas hose that bends to any shape. I put silicone adhesive in the grooves and used heater hose and hose clamps to connect to the fittings. Overheating problem solved! It's a gradual problem that gets worse as the hose softens. It gets worse when the engine overheats and the hose gets even softer. It doesn't help that the hose is stuck between the exhaust pipe and cylinder. I think I did some engine damage on my trail ride while overheating. The engine is noisier than it was before. Time for new rings? When the coolant flow gets cut off, it can't boil over and give you warning before the damage is done.

I bought a Knobby Knife which makes it easier to cut a sharp edge than a razor blade. I sharpened up a few leading edges but haven't gotten around to doing the whole tire or adding tread to the top of the knob. I'm going to try it on my boot soles also.

My local club uses NATC rules for scoring, much like most clubs in the US, I think. Often I seen riders balanced and in control but their bike stalls and they just sit down and curse and accept a five. Could they have had a clean? Back in the 80's and 90's it would be common for someone to stall, then balance, kickstart and continue without dabbing with no penalty. Now it seems when someone stalls, they just take a 5. Here is the NATC rule: The engine stops while footing or while any other part of the machine, except for the tires, is used for support, without forward motion (The motorcycle must be moving forward while footing with a dead engine to avoid a five (5). So with a dead engine do the rules apply like the era when stopped while dabbing is a five? My memory of that era was that much leeway was given as what was considered stopped. You could get as much as 3 seconds stopped with your foot down without getting a five. Similar to what we have today with leeway in going backwards where as much as a half a bike length is allowed to go backwards. Back in the 80's and 90's a rider could be stopped and balanced, lose balance, dab, but move forward a foot or so while dabbing, stop again feet up and balanced for one point. The way I read the current rules a rider can do the same thing today with a dead engine for one point if he starts up his engine again while balanced. If you only have a couple of sections left on your last loop, this scenario will get threes? Rider has a busted engine so he takes off his chain and pumps up the tires. Paddles his way through section with dead engine without stopping. Score: 3

Are all trialscross races like this where the first couple of laps are fast then gets slower and slower? I'm sure it's because of fatigue. I have a trialscross loop at my riding area and after a couple of laps I'm pooped and have to stop. Toward the end it looks like the riders are just hanging on and trying not to crash. There are a couple of studies showing that MX riders are the best athletes in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross#Physical_demands So Endurocross might be the most physically demanding sport in the world!

That pit crew helmet looks a bit odd when seen in action. The front cutout looks like it is made for yelling. From the side view the Giro Remedy looks the same as a MX helmet with the window too small and jaw protruding too far forward.

Motocross helmets are too big, heavy, hot and limits vision. The downhill mountain bike helmets seem the same. I made my ideal helmet which is perfect except that it is not one piece. If someone made it as a one piece shell, I would buy it. It's a Trivent with a kids bmx helmet chinbar attached closer to the face than a MX helmet so vision is not impaired. I got the bmx helmet at Walmart and cut it with metal snips. click here The visor is from a MX helmet and will also protect from a face plant. In cooler weather I wear a EVS Flux chest protector that swivels at the waist and it doesn't impair my riding at all. I ride advanced/expert and protective gear gives me more confidence.

Hope he makes a full recovery and is back on the pegs and pedals. He rides with a full face helmet on a motorcycle. I guess after this he will also on a bicycle. When he rode some European trials this year I read he got strange looks wearing a FF helmet but now after suffering two face injuries it makes wearing one a good idea for all.

I have an 07 and have been using ATF type F. I want to slow the clutch action down. Will changing to a thicker oil help? I have 3 different kinds of car motor oil I want to try out: 30w, 5w-30, and 10w-40. Will any of these slow the clutch action (slower, smoother engagement) ? thanks

My O7 GG tire was leaking also and after closely inspecting the rim band, which pulled off easily, I noticed a small tear caused by my tire iron. I put a bicycle tube patch over it and put silicone on the rim before putting the band back on and no more leak.

The bikes have made great strides but there is always room for improvement especially in making them more reliable and less prone to repairs. Gas Gas needs to make the shifter less vulnerable to damage. Move it somewhere less convenient and more protected. The handlebar area need improvement. Get rid of the lever clamp protrusions that cause pain and bruises when your body hits them. Make them and the kill switch low profile. Twice this year I encountered a small tree and broke the clutch hose where it joins the master cylinder. AJP needs to come up with a new design to reroute the hose.

Ashley Fiolek, 2009 Women's Motocross Champion/X Games Gold Medalist is also deaf. I think deaf riders get feedback from engine vibration. I'm sure they will find a way for electric motorcycles to make some noise and vibration.

At an auto supply store you can buy a small bottle of window tint film application fluid for a few dollars. It also comes in a kit with a squeegee. You just spray on, apply decal, slide decal to position, squeegee out the bubbles and wait 24 hours.

If the difference between 1st and last is 305 points and the difference between the other top 4 is 40-60 points you could argue that any intrigue in World team competition is meaningless. Without Japan, there is no drama for a podium position. They could generate more interest if individual scores were posted since the team results could have been mailed in before the event.

Is there any source for individual rider scores? The best I can find is team points per section. Since no other teams were anywhere close to Spain (and big gaps among the World Group), other countries could view who's did the best in their country.

My thoughts on GG kickstart problems are that they are caused by not installing the lever in the correct position and kickstarting it like you would a Japanese engine. Put it in neutral first, put some test pressure on the lever to make sure it is engaged, then kick. Don't double kick.