charliechitlins

Ever bought one of those tools that you just couldn't believe you ever lived without? Once you go table lift, you'll never go back. Although...I also work on heavyweight bikes. If I only worked on trials bikes, I'd just make a wooden table and buy the front wheel vise from a lift company. Click here

Pressure washing isn't worth the extra, miniscule amount of clean. Too many stories about wet airboxes and dry bearings. A biodegradeable spray cleaner, a stiff brush and a garden hose. Buy...if you saw pics of the Dabster's brake reservoir mod... my bike never gets that clean.

Years ago, my eldest was just beginning to read, and he became so aware of 'Made in China' stickers on *everything*. He was quite small, and the wife was pregnant with our second, and Zack once said, "I think everything in the world is either made in Daddy's garage, Mommy's belly, or China".

TIG definitely produces a minimum of heat. My welder can butt weld 2 pieces of 18ga steel together without so much as a blue shadow on either side of the weld. Any other kind of welding would distort that metal to look like a potato chip.

So, do you have to fill the neck with grease so it gets to both bearings?

Heck...if you can bleed the brakes on a trials bike, I guess no mechanical feat is out of your grasp! Somebody correct me if Betas are different, but, in general: -Loosen top clamp -Remove top cap (if they are cartridge forks, you will have to compress fork slightly to get top cap to release after unscrewed) -Loosen bottom clamp and remove fork -Remove spring and dump oil -Remove bolt in bottom of slider(sometimes the innards will spin with it. If so, try an impact gun. If no impact gun, try putting spring and cap back in. Sometimes this will exert enough pressure to keep innards still. If you still can't get it to stay still, look at what's spinning in there and try to improvise something to keep it still). -Pull tube out of slider. If it stops with a "bunk" sound, push it in and pull it out and, like a slide hammer, it will come out and take the seal out with it. Make sure you remove snapring above the seal, if there is one. -Pull the seals out (if the tube came out without it). Invest in a seal puller. They're cheap and last forever. -Place new seal squarely on top of leg (lube the outer diameter), place the old seal on top of the new seal, and tap around in a circle with a hammer, driving the seal evenly in. -as they say in the books. ..assembly is the reverse of disassembly. After tightening triple clamps, tighten the axle and clamp. Save the fork/fender brace for last and make sure all the holes line up. If not, enlarge them a little. OR---Do like Ray Peters told me he once did---go off about a 15 foot dropoff, and blow the seals clean out!

No fun. I like rumors and conjecture better.

Best to write "Toxic medical waste". That way nobody will try to steal your stuff. Or maybe I lived in New York too long.

And trials, as the pros ride it, bears no resemblance to the sport most of us ride. As for a US ban on 2-strokes, I think they'll be legal in "competition machines" for a long time to come. The first ones to go will likely be watercraft, as they put raw gas and oil into small bodies of water.

At the Youth Nationals, I heard some kids praying for rain because they knew it would give them the edge over the Texans.

As long as the caliper mounts properly in relation to the disk, it should be OK. Going from 2 to 4 piston has been a pretty common mod (I did it on an '01 Sherco), and the master cylinders seem to push enough fluid.

Fork tubes get hard chromed. It's pretty specialized and expensive.

If you pull the cable out and up, the cap pops on its own.

I cant remember the Scorpa, specifically; but on most bikes, take the pedal off to adjust the rod. It's just one bolt.

I've seen LOTS of bad Kreem. Comes off in sheets and wraps itself around the petcock. Maybe bad prep on the part of the owner. I've never used it myself. Gotten good reports on POR-15. I use something called Randolph sloshing sealer. Available at some airports and most aircraft supply places (Aircraft Spruce, etc). Although I haven't tried it on fiberglass, I'm told it works fine. The directions call for Acetone or MEK; both of which shold be fine for fiberglass. It will soon be in my 247 Cota tank, so I'll know for sure. It's very thin, though. I don't know about using it on a tank that leaks badly. I think the POR 15 might be thicker.

Actually...sometimes you need to cut the tube in the petcock to get it to come out at all! I still love my '01!

It costs a fortune to tool up to mold plastic. Stamping metal (if the stampings are not too complicated) and welding can be much cheaper. And what's this about Sherco tanks being made out of cheese?!? Sherco riders are the only ones who always know how much fuel we have!!

I'd check that to be sure. I could be wrong (again!!) but I seem to remember a pretty serious premium for same-day registration.

At least one outfit in the US specializing in British bikes is sleeving worn Amals.

Fine bike. Your best money spent will be on the brand that has a dealer close to you for support.

Have you seen the t-shirt that says, "It's only funny until someone gets hurt. Then it's hilarious."

That little spot tales a lot of abuse. That rod pushes something that spins. The bearing is a good idea.

You old flatterer

I like the velocity stack!

Betas never really agreed with me...until I rode an '04. Very sweet bike. I'd own one!