charliechitlins

Right choo are! Didn't even notice. Actually...it's a Yamaha.

I actually had a set on my '75 RM125.

I just saw them on RYP website. Are they the wave of the future, or will they go the way of hexagonal grips?

If I remember correctly, that thing is built up from several pieces. Maybe you could take it apart and put a piece of filter foam in it. I, too, thought it looked flimsey. I took it off, stretched a piece of oiled shop rag across the throat, and put the filter on over it. The bike still ran fine---no jetting changes or anything. Maybe it didn't even help, but it made me feel better.

Have you taken out the bolt at the bottom of the slider?

What oil are you using? Although...he stays in pretty good contact with Komer, and I'm pretty sure he put in fresh, recommended oil.

One of my old riding buddies from where I used to live is lost without his underpaid mechanic (me), and he's having trouble with the clutch dragging on his late ('02, '03?) Scorpa. Major drag...he has to be rolling to put it in gear. He'll probably haul it REAL far for me to fix while he stands there, so there will be no option to not get it fixed. Anybody experienced this? The clutch problem, I mean...not somebody who isn't paying you staring over your shoulder. I know how to check all the basic stuff, but does anybody know anything peculiar to Scorpa clutches? It's been a while since I've seen the bike, but he says there's no bleeder on the clutch slave. Possible?

Looks cool, but you wore all the knobbies off the tires!

Powdercoating, like everything, can be done well or poorly. Good powdercoat can be hit with a hammer and will not chip. When my coater does rims, the tires can be put on and remover with irons without chipping the coating. One problem is grounding the engine to the frame. Some coating has to be removed, or the engine will be isolated and there will be no electrics. Even the lockwasher under a motor mount nut won't cut through it.

What kind of bike do you ride??? If it isn't a Beta then if you look closely then you will find that both the kickstart and the chain are on the wrong side. Not to mension the water pump and other stuff like that. What do you use to clean your bike crafty piggy? Bob I think it may be an ateB, and the photo got reversed.

You put the kicker on the wrong side.

Prepare the hole with the bumpy awl Work glue onto the hole with same Apply glue to turd Run it in Trim it off. If there's a better way, I'd sure like to know it! You have to be extra careful on the sidewall. The rubber is quite soft, a hole can keep spreading if you jam more plugs in it. I have has as many as 3 plugs in a sidewall, and it held air for the remaining life of the tire...which was several months.

Careful there. I've seen several fingers jammed between chain and sprocket like that. Right uncomfortable, that.

Kerosene is traditional and works fine. I use mineral spirits because it's what's in my parts cleaning sink.

Grab the forks by the lower legs and try to push and pull them toward and away from the bike and check for play at the neck. The trick is to *just* get rid of the play, and add a bit of tension. It's hard to explain, but there is a sweet spot between play and binding.

This is one of those enduring philosophical questions. Like, If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody sees you clean it..... If you're worried about ruining a good part, and you don't do your own welding, find someone who can do it once in the morning and warn him that you might be back in the afternoon to shorten it again! It's a 10 minute job. Although...barring some stuff from the '70s and back, I have seldom seen a cable clutch that couldn't use an extra 3/4" on the arm Some aftermarket companies used to make bolt-on extenders, but I always hate adding 3 extra parts, but you might feel better about using one instead of cutting and welding.

There is a technique that I have seldom been successful at, but when it works, it's amazing how you can hook up in mud. It involves pulling the clutch, grabbing a handful of throttle, shutting off, and while the engine is winding down, begin slipping the clutch. I'm sure it has something to do with the difference between using power and (in this case) the stored inertia from the crank/flywheel. Anyway...it takes a kind of control that I cannot summon up at will; but the times I've gotten it to work have been very surprising.

Only the first time. I think the second time would be harder. Y'know....while wearing a body cast.

I make my own cables using more modern, more flexible cable that is available in most hardware stores (in the US, anyway). DIY aircraft places have it, too. The wire I buy is almost half the thickness of some stock wires. This works really well for front brakes, too. The key is to find wire that spirals around a longitudinal core so there is less 'stretch' when you apply pressure. It's not really stretch, but wire that is only twisted gets longer when you apply pressure because it wants to untwist. The longitudinal core resists this. I use those brass ends with a set screw. Tighten the set screw, snip off the head, and cover the whole enchilada with solder. This, along with the extended arm, will give most bikes a 1-finger clutch. The difference it makes in a front brake is quite amazing. Jeeze...I'm giving you guys all my best tricks...

It's always nice to be able to use cheap oil like ATF. That way you can feel good about changing it often.

Beta and Mikuni both make an excellent product, but when the 2 get together, there can be some tweaking involved. Go to the 'Mechanical Talk' section, check out 'Mikuni Carb setup' and do what the man says. When you're done, your bike should run as well as anything out there.

Portable to events is out of the question for a full-sized lift, but if I want to get both wheels off, I just turn the bike sideways and both wheels hang off the sides.

Interesting. Check it out. CLICK

Hey!! Good to see Dean! Tell him Zak and I say 'hey'. He looks good up there!