charliechitlins

Yeah...the water was pretty clear, except what I stirred up at splashdown. I just wrung out the filter. Maybe I got some carbon (coke) off of my piston!

Drowned my bike for the first time this weekend. Crossing some rocks in a stream and slipped off into 3 feet of water. Glug. Dumped out the airbox, emptied the float bowl, kicked several hundred times with the plug out, and fired her up! A little bit of a bummer out in the cold and rain, but, all in all, it's pretty amazing that you can submerge one of these things in the morning, and still ride all afternoon!

BJ--if the bolts are stock, it won't be a problem because they're made the proper length, but you're right about too-long bolts in blind holes. They can cause big problems. Another thing to watch with blind holes is making sure they're clean. I have seen a HUGE chunk of aluminum pop off a transmission case because the gasket was gooped up with silicone, some got in the hole and when the bolt was run in there was nowhere for the silicone to go and....BINK. Ouch.

Yup...certain ignitions are designed to use a resistor plug and some aren't. Whichever one you've got, it doesn't pay to run the other kind of plug. Did that make sense?

You could turn your fuel screw in more. There's no number for this...just what works. If you are still blackening plugs, you have to look at leaner jetting.

If all the other work was done properly, about the only thing left is the carb. Maybe the bike is mad at you for using chainsaw oil in it.

Chech for air leaks at the head and cylinder base?

One of the aftermarket companies, about 15 years ago, made a transmission cover for Harleys that had a non-operative kickstart arm on it just for looks. And somebdy makes fake valve covers that attempt to make late model bikes look much older---or even like an Indian. Strange way to spend good money.

I have never heard a complaint about a Sherco clutch. They are easy to pull and progressive in their engagement. If your lever is that hard to pull, make sure the pivot bold isn't too tight. Only tighten it until it affects the lever. The locknut will stay on without tightening. If the clutch disengages when the lever is uncomfortably far from the bar, back out the adjuster that hits the plunger and run the other adjuster in. Be sure to leave a little slop. I have altered a couple levers so the clutch disengages with the lever *very* close to the handlebar, but this was for a child with small hands, and the lever can only be used with one finger.

A washer inside the airbox? Don't remember ever seeing one of those. The sight glass is useless. I guess it's just there for peace of mind. "Yup...I've got oil" As for filling, just measure the proper amount. And a bleed nipple that's not been moved for 5 years has a good chance of snapping on any machine. They are, of course, hollow, and they always seem to be made of soft material. I've broken many. At least they already have a place for the extractor! Put some anti-seize on the new one. Don't get discouraged. You bought a fine bike. You just have to get used to the fact that trials bikes are a little quirky, and some things are done differently to keep them so small and light.

Welcome to trials! The world's best-kept motorsport secret.

Sorry, dude...you're stuck with the scratches. Nothing you can do with chrome except keep it clean.

The engine weighs more than my Sherco. Really!

Right...getting daft in my old age. Gotta stop messing with these ring-dings, they're addling my old brain. This is what a week in Florida has done to me. Something about the climate down here makes me stupid. I think winter brings balance. Back up north tomorrow morning, and back to work on the '38 Indian (wet sump, BTW ) TTFN.

Actually...it was late and I probably got it wrong. Back in Jurassic times (my day), the bottom end of a motor had oil in it to lube the crank, so if fuel mixed with that oil, it needed to be changed. Now bottom ends are, basically, dry, and only the clutch/trans are in an oil bath. Although...I'm not familiar enough with Fantics to know if your intake is in the cylinder (and "wet" bottom end) or the crankcase ("dry" bottom end). HOWEVER....if a carb float were to stick on a bike with crankcase induction, and the bottom were to fill with fuel, it would definitely need to be drained, and I don't know of such a bike with a drain plug for the lower end, so I wouldn't know what advice to give. Short version: I would say that if there was definitely fuel in your airbox, it is probably in your bottom end, too, and it will not be good for the bike to run it that way. As for draining the lower end, somebody who knows more about the make/model of your bike will have to step in.

An old friend......yeah, right!

Usually when a bike sparks until it gets hot, it's the coil. There have been some Beta electrical quirks discussed here. Try a search, maybe.

I like that ugly-duckling Brazilian thing! Even with the "drum buttock".

If there's definitely petrol on the airbox, I suppose it's possible that your overflow hose is blocked AND your float stuck so fuel ran into the airbox. Stranger things have happened. If this is the case, it could have flowed in both directions and you could have a lot of fuel in your crank, too. If fuel is in your airbox, change your oil.

I refill my '01 with 450cc and get no weeping.

The bolt is accessible from the bottom? If so, this is good advice. I thought it was a blind hole.

Might be hard to get to the broken bolt with a MIG because you have to go through the first hole to get to the bolt. I plug the hole tightly with a wood dowel and drill through the center of it and into the broken bolt. Lefty bits will generally walk the bolt right out. The dowel helps you center the drill and keep it centered.