mcman56

I just got a Shiro helmet and the ventilation system really works. It is the coolest helmet I have worn. The lining also has a cool wicking feeling. The fit is similar to a Bieffe but I needed one size larger. It is a nice helmet but.........look what it says on the box.

Do gas tanks grow over time? I have a Sherco and a Fantic. On both, it looks like the distance between mounting holes has increased. The distance could have grown up to 1/2". The tank material does not look like the poly used in Jap bikes. Is it nylon? Nylon does absorb moisture over time so does it grow? On the Sherco, this affects the fit between the tank and fender.

A hair dryer did not seem to be hot enough but a heat gun on low worked. There was a certain smell that occured when the plastic was hot enough to move so I did find a temperature indicator. I guess it was starting to cook. I stayed conservative on the heat. The only issue was a pushing or smearing of the surface where I pushed on the plastic. It is not a visible area so cosmetics were not important. Thanks for the heat gun idea and the idea to try it on the old box.

Copemech I did a little experimentaion with the old box and came up with a few questions on technique. In the process of forming, I managed to scar the surface ..probably some from a rough pusher but some from pulling apart of the surface and maybe too much heat. It is the bowl like area next to the shock so I may need to use a spoon for shaping. Did you heat and then push or did you heat and push at the same time? (It seems like concurent would provide feedback on proper heating but may be difficult to carry out in limited space and 3D geometry.) Did you try to localize the heat to the specific area or maybe to a 2X area so the surroundings would "help" the forming? Did you preheat the whole box..like maybe in an oven at 140 F? This seems like a good idea but I plan to run he bike today and would not like the air box to blow up in the oven tomorow while heating. My wife probably would not like that. Thanks, Dan

Two good ideas. I assume the box is PP or PE. With a heat gun do you heat and then push/ pull into position? Is there any warning before you overheat and blow a big hole?

I bought a 2.9 used but like new. When I first pulled the air box, the rear threaded inserts were starting to pull out. I assumed that the original owner had just overtightened the mounting screws but am now thinking something is out of alignment. Over time it has gotten worse and some cracks started. It was getting to the point where an air leak may start so I bought a new box. When trying to fit the new box, it hit the shock spring and the rear inserts were about 1/4" misaligned with the mounting tab. I did a little bending of the front frame mount and the rear mount but it still is not a great alignment. Looking from the rear, it looks like it should rotate counterclockwise a few degrees. I could tighten the screws as is but do not want to overstress the inserts. Has anyone had any issues or experience like this?

I don't know if this is your problem but I had an issue with a variable idle on a 90's Fantic. On that one, the slide was actually worn from vibrating around in the carb body. It was easy to see after pulling the slide up. For some reason it did not have any type of hard coating like most do. A new slide solved the issue.

I couldn't find a skid plate so made it myself. With your footpeg change, do your feet now hit the mounting bracket when slid all of the way in? That was my concern when I made the pegs so I kept the standard configuration. Do the alloy pegs hold up?

A few more pics. http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/mc...s10_2005002.jpg http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/mc...s10_2005006.jpg

I used a Parts Unlimited adjustable sprocket from Dennis Kirk. If I remember correctly it was listed for an ATC200 and was about $8. First I tried to check how accurate the existing timing was to the specs in a Clymer manual. The frame prevented totally proper placing of a dial indicatior but it looked to be 2 degrees retarded....probably chain stretch. I think I set it to 6 degrees advanced. (I can verify if you are interested.) With that little side cover it was very easy to do. The sprocket comes with multiple hole patterns so it would also be easy to experiment with different timing. You could also just file slots in your exsiting sprocket. I had bored the carb first by reshaping the engine side and making the oval taller. Keihin machined the same castings into 24mm versions and I basically coppied their design. The only difference is that the engine side taper on mine is a true cone rather than the more complex curve on the Keihin. Anyway....the carb gave a big boost to full throttle power but did not affect part throttle operation. The cam timing change added bottom end snap..like when blipping the throttle to go over a log. It also took away a good portion of the top end power that the carb mod added. Basically, it was a trade of top end power for bottom end power. For trials, it is a nice improvement.

The tight wound end goes up. If it is at the bottom, there is more spring (weight) to move when the forks move but I don't know if anyone could tell.

Comming from a modern bike, your first impression will be that a Reflex can not do anything. However, if you spend some time on one you will find that they are fairly capable..... but different. It takes a different riding style and for me a little time to adapt. One person described the Reflex as being analog where modern bikes are digital. There are only two areas where it really seems to lack. The first is sections where you need momentum to get over something followed by an immediate need to almost stop and set up for something else. I really feel the weight of the bike in that start/ stop/ start situation. The second is times when you would like instant power. Everything happens a little slower on a Reflex....but it does allow time to correct mistakes before they become crashes. It is quiet, goes a long way on a tank of gas and is the perfect Rubicon bike. I run a 9 tooth front sprocket, stiffer fork springs, fork brace, advanced cam timing, bored carb, real trials tires and proper jetting. Lower gearing makes the biggest difference. The others are more minor tweaks.

I could send it to anyone who is interested. If there is a way, I could even post it on this site.

That is the dipstick. I do have a scanned copy of the owners/ service manual. If you are interested, I could e-mail a pdf.

I have a Reflex model that comes with steel wheels and 12mm axels. XL & XR200 wheels are aluminium and readily available but are they a true weight advantage???? The XL/XR front wheel has a 15mm axel and bigger bearings. The XL/ XR rear wheel has a 17 mm axle, much bigger bearings and a slightly bigger brake drum diameter (same diameter as Reflex front brake). The Reflex could be adapted to the 17mm rear axel size and may pick up some rigidity but it probably is not be a good idea to open up the forks for a larger front axle. Does anyone have weights for these different wheels or tried the conversion? What does the English TLR200 have?

There was a change in the primary gear ratio around that time that would be seen. This would also be reflected in the rear sprockets so you could tell when it was changed. From my understanding the TY mono was based on the YZ490 so maybe some of those cluch parts work.

It does not make sense. But in America, if some is good, more is better and too much is just right.

At one point I saw the instructions but never did the mod. Basically, you had to pull the side cover to get to the shifting mechanism. There was a sheetmetal plate that limited shifter movement and you had to grind a slot to allow it to reach the other gear. It looked very straight forward. One thing I did learn about JR50s is that the steering bearings are the same size as bicycle steering bearings.

I have a 1993 clubman Model so it may be similar. It is light, with nice soft suspension and great brakes. The clutch pull is easy and it has a smooth shifting gear box. It kicks over and starts easily for my 100 lb daughter. It even has a little more ground clearance than my 02 Sherco. This is the only 80cc Trials bike I have really ridden so it is difficult to compare the power to something else. It has somewhat of a dual personality. The low and mid range is smooth and linear but the top end power has a significant bump in power. Max power to weight ratio is similar to a TLR200 but that bump is not very wide. It is quite manageable when it comes on to that bump (sort of "on the pipe") but can surprise you if the rpms drop and you fall off the pipe at a time you need all of that power. I rode it in a trial but weigh 160lbs so there were a couple of things it could not do. I suspect it would be well suited to someone closer to 100 lbs. Mine is actually for sale but I'm in the US.

Do boost bottles work on bikes without reed valves?

Which alloy will be used? What thickness?

What would be the disadvantage of increased compression? The SL/XL 125 adjustable needle does work well in the Reflex. Larger main jets are available from Honda and are the same as an XR100. A slightly bigger pilot jet will eliminate the cough and die syndrome but is not readily available. Drilling with a #78 drill (0.016") will produce a jet close to a #40 (.40 mm = 0.0157"). Stock is #38 (.38 mm = .015)

The Reflex (TLR200 ish) will respond to a bigger carb. Stock is 22 mm but a 24 mm was available. It looks the same but the oval bore of the carb is just taller. I do not know what model the 24mm came on but have modified a few 22mm carbs to match. It gives a significant improvement at the top of the power band with no change below.

Where can you buy these clone engines? Are the transmission rations the same as a Reflex?