g4321

Sounds to me like the shocks are bent. Having fallen off a TLR250 more times than I care to remember and finding the bike lying at odd angles across rocks thisis one topic where I am pretty sure I know the reason and possibly the solution. The TLR has extremely long shock laid down at an odd angle compared to most other bikes - this i feel makes the shocks vunerable to bending. Take one of the shocks off the bike and see if there is any difference - then take off a spring and try the damping of each shock in turn - you will probably notice when the spring is off that a rod is bent. I have had this a couple of times in the past - it dont take that much of a bend for it to be noticable. Really your only source of replacements is Falcon shocks, I dont know if anyone else makes long enough repalcements - I know I will be corrected if wrong! falcons can be rebuilt when you bend them - as I have found in the past!

Sorry to correct you but the XL/XR 250/500 and the XL/SL125 based engines (ie 125's through to TLR250) all have oil pumps. I agree with the wear on the cam wear in the head though although I found regular oil changes keeps this at bay! Gordon

very much off subject! Having watched the Norton (and Roton) race bikes both on short circuits and on the Isle of Man (particularly with the late great Steve Hislop) I have got to agree that the Rotary was a brilliant race engine (perhaps a bit extreme for trials! - the flames out of the exhaust would burn the section markers). If the rules had not been changed perhaps they would still have been a competetive mount in the Uk and on the World scene. I thought Norton had solved rotor tip wear by using cast iron. The Norton F1 is one road bike I would love to own and ride - I would even contemplate selling one of my bikes to buy that one!

The movement of the piston in the bore causes a change in pressure in the crankcase and this is used to 'force' the oil up to the top end'. Not 100% sure but this was how I was lead to believe the original Huskys worked (same system). Sounds like a plausable explanation to me?

Sorry to have upset 'Ishy' but all I did was make some comments on the numerous posts written on the Montesa and the Sherco. I was JOKINGLY remarking tha given the negative feedback by many of the writers on this site on particularly the Sherco perhaps the TLR or original RTL or even a P65 bike would be a better bet! Nothing personal since by the sounds of things Ishy has not had any problems with his Sherco. I do try to ride trials - I know I am no good but who cares its usually quite enjoyable even to finish at the bottom of the pile. I have two TLR250's , one in a Golner Monoshock frame & an XR500 (ie i dont like 2 strokes!) and some roadbikes (3 of the 6 roadbikes are 2 strokes, I am embarassed to admit) Me I would love a new Sherco or Honda but after reading what everyone is writing about them on here I would not be prepared to buy one AT THE MOMENT (even if i could justify the cost). As for a fuel injected bike - no thanks, notat the moment since there is not a lot of maintenance you can do on that yourself if it fails. Gordon

No but remember we are talking about motorcycles, we all know there are numerous bugs in operating systems for PC's. Have a look at all the modern bikes and cars - its unlikely you will find a vehicle with as common faults as I am lead to believe some of the modern fourstrokes have (going on what is written on this site anyway). Twenty years ago perhaps. reading the problems many owners seem to be having its surprising that any more of these bikes are being sold - yes they may be wonderful to ride BUT the bike is no use if you cant start it or repair it if it fails. I am a fourstroke fan, road bikes, MX bikes and trials bikes but at the moment I have yet to be convinced a better 4stroke trials bike than the TLR or RTL Hondas is on sale (The SY125 perhaps). I have not ridden any of the new bikes but am defining better as starting/reliability/build quality & the suitability for home repair .

Mark Why not polish the hubs - Honda alloy does usually polish up quite well & polished hubs would look just as good as coloured anodising. Gordon

Optimum Size - Is there such a thing when it comes to a trials bike Some guys seem to love the 125 Scorpa - see for example http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4621 Both the new Montesa and Scorpa seem to have heated debates about which one is best and which one has less faults as new - to me a new bike should have NO faults, if it has I would send it straight back to the dealer - sale of goods act etc, if they cant make a bike in modern times which does not have major problems as regards starting there is something seriously wrong. have a look at the old TLR200 & TLR250, neither are perfect, no-one claims they are but look ahow easily one sells 2nd hand (granted its a twinshock bike) but there is no law saying you cant ride it in a modern trial. perhaps Honda had the correct answer nearly 20 years ago - what modern trials bike will be still going in 20 years, I doubt if its the Sherco given its low oil capacity & whether the 4RT's sophisticated electronics will suffer 20 years of bodged repairs is still open to doubt. Perhaps I am biased (I am) but buy an old twinshock TLR, at least you will get your money back when you sell it - or alternatively buy a P65 4 stroke - any size from 200Cub up to a 500 HT5; perhaps a tongue in cheek suggestion - perhaps not.

It may feel light enough when the front wheel is being overtaken by the back climbing a steep hill but it is not a light bike when loading into a van or onto a trailer as has regularly been commented upon by most of the guys I ride with.

Thats why I was told to run a bike in with mineral or semi synthetic oil then use a better oil - ie semi or fully synthetic. Running in a bike on fully synthetic oil is likely to lead to a glazed bore - thats the info I was given. As for the re-mapping bit wonder if a Dynojet power Commander (that the loud pipe brigade use on their FI road bikes) will soon be available for the Honda - tongue in cheek comment I'm afraid.

This is very close to the truth but the Husky and Husaberg names are the wrong way round The Husaberg was designed and built by the same people who built the 1st Husky 4 strokes - (Husky 4 stroke production started around 1984) As far as I remember the reason Husaberg started up in Sweden in 1988 was because Husqvarna (originally a Swedish Company) was bought over by Cagiva in 1986 with production moved to Italy in 1988. Essentially the 1st Husabergs were developments of the first Husky 4strokes. Bit off topic but it aint the first discussion that goes down this route!

Difference of opinion here I'm afraid. With only 800ml of oil in your motor and an engine which will get very hot I personally would be going for the best oil I could afford - ie fully synthetic. Run the bike in on mineral or semi synth oil then bite the bullet and buy the best quality you can afford. Especially if you use the 30hour oil change suggestion. Just an opinion !

Perhaps this is a remnant of the 2 stroke Sherco's manual?

What does Sherco quote as an oil change interval? Taking a trial as 2 hours running thats 8 hours minimum. On 4 stroke Yamaha MX bikes the guys I know change the oil every 2nd or 3rd meeting - ie after 2 - 3 hours maximum. On my TLR's I change the oil every 2nd or 3rd trial. Both these bikes have a significantly larger oil capacity than the Sherco and both use a conventional oil pump. For the little cost of 800ml of oil it may well be worth while considering changing the oil on a much more frequent interval?

Donald - Don't know how bad the symptons are but are you sure its timing? It could be carburation, I've had a similar thing on my bike which I eventually traced to dirt/water in carb. Gordon

What did you do to the engine in the end? Gordon

Trying to get a Hotel, particularly in Douglas is virtually impossible at MGP time, guys are booking a year in advance for the road races. When you are over try to make time to watch at least part of one of the Manx GP races - best circuit there is for watching & the speeds of even the slowest of the MGP competitors will surprise you. The Isle of Man is well worth a visit in MGP week or TT week. The Two day trial is the weekend before the MGP & the Classic or P65 two day trial is the weekend after MGP week.

Does this mean you are planning a 4 stroke then boofont???

Just for interest does the shock work via a linkage? Gordon

Was this similar to the Gollner Mono TLR's?

Does the Steam Packet have a cheap deal for competitors of the 2 day trial? I suspect this may be the case. Although being the Steam Packet Company Cheap is not realy the correct term - lower priced would be more accurate!

Been reading the discussion on the Sherco with interest. Reading how the centrifugal decompressor/valve lifter works - or in some engines dosn't could the lack of a decompressor be related to wrong exhaust valve clearance The amount the valve will open is going to be very small using a centrifugal system so if the clearance is out of tollerance the valve lifter may not open at all. Could this be the case if the exhaust valve clearance is too slack?

What is your definition of soon? is that a shorted time frame than retoration of a certain Merlin or Cagiva we both know about?

I guess that means fresh oil required every trial thenince 800cc is not a lot of oil? One of the problems with the Husaberg/Husquvarna scrambles bikes which used a similar system to pump oil was that when the oil got dirty/contaminated - probably from clutch abuse the oiling was less than perfect & engine problems were more likely.

The main problem with the early air scrambles cooled engines was low oil capacity which lead to overheating & if coupled with lack of maintenance engine trouble. I remember seeing one in the Haynes series in the late 80's which had a set of cases from one of the later water cooled motors fitted with an air cooled top end - then reliability was not a problem since an extra 1/2 litre of oil was carried in the later motors. As a mater odf interest how much oil does the motor carry?