slapshot 3

Graham my problem with the Beta is that no matter the issues, it's still the best bike I've ever ridden, that includes more modern machines. Hop Nathan gets a good un

Okay Shnaft, fair point. Stators: Depends on the years, I believe the dodgy ones came from about 04 onwards. I replaced mine when I got it whether it needed it or not. Secondly, if you look after them properly, you minimise the risk of failure. Keep the timing side as clean and dry as possible, water and dirt are you biggest enemies. If the casing is excessivley wet inside the whole lot comes off for a dry and a clean, this also lets you look for "other" leaks. My old man's 04 needed Stator and CDI replaced not long after he got it but have been fine ever since. Corrosion: Again, I believe year specific. Coolant wise I always try to use distillied/demineralised water with an organic based anti-freeze/coolant, minimise the chemical reactions. If the bike is going to be lying a while, I'll drain it. Carbs: Yes the mikuni carb is crap but if you take the time to do the mods, keep it clean, strip it down every three or four outings you don't get leaks. A big part of the "Carb Issue" is your air filter make sure you have a clean well oiled filter every time you go out. It's not rocket science and every marque of bike has it's own idiosyncrasies but good maintenance and bags of TLC minimise the the potential problems. Either way, for the guy who started the thread, take your time, ensure that what you spend your hard earned on is right for the money and that you are comfortable with it. As quick a check as any I've found to give insight into your prosepective purchase is to whip the float drain off the bottom of the carb. If it's clean inside chances are the guy knows what he's doing and you might be onto a good thing.

All the Canucks drink is fermented Moosepiss anyway...... ....how you doin Mr Fracy??

But if Xengine and ancilliaries won't fit X09 frame then you could be in Yserious bother. While X/2 might seem like a saving but if it turns into 2X + Z once you've messed about to get it sorted you'll be kicking yourself. Save up for a new one mate, I'll will certify that Bigfoot's is lovely and I generally don't like gassers. Yopu're right it's not a good time to sell but there will be dealers throwing new ones away at you

Both bikes are good bikes but every single one has it's own foibles. If you get a good bike that's been well looked after you don't get this multitude of problems, my 02 Beta has none of the problems because it's taken care of. Be patient, look around until you can find something nice and clean.

Christ you must be bored Gav.... weather is crap right now onshore and offshore

Nice one CK......still think putting fugly in it that night would have been damn funny

Who is that slim, fuzzy haired individual second from the left???????

Good eyesight....and the word Can-Am is much shorter than Armstrong.... Didn't the Army team get some sponsorship from Armstrong one year?? They were good bikes, the Hiro engined jobs were tons better than the Rotax's. Biggest problem I had with the Rotax was a silly one. The oil drain plug and the Kickstart return spring bolt were right next to each other, it was a b****** to fix if you got the wrong one........

I know what I'm looking at..... Dad bought Curt Comer's bike direct from the CCM Factory. It had only done three or four days of the Scottish in 84/85?? maybe as late as 86 (#222, need to check the programs, still got the number plates) when he retired with a couple of broken gears; 1 new gearbox and a wash later...... It stayed labelled as a Can-am, Clews even provided the last couple of sets of Can-am stickers with the bike. 320cc Hiro engine, it was lovely to ride .... SOOOOOOO much better than the 250 Rotax version I bought not long after. As far as I can remember there was only ever officially ONE labelled Can-am it was going stateside to try and sell them but not long after they lost supply of Hiro engines and moved to the rotax engines and if I remember correctly not that many ever found there way across.... would love to get hold of it again. My dad was born and grew up in Fort William Tim, after Shinty what else was there to do...

...And this one used to reside in my old man's garage.....

F***ing coke cans....Nice one Spikey

From a friend in Canada: Spread the Stupidity Only in Canada .....do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front. Only in Canada .....do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke. Only in Canada ...do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. Only in Canada .....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. Only in Canada .....do we buy hot dogs in packages of twelve and buns in packages of eight. Only in Canada . .....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering. EVER WONDER ... Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin ? Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed? Why you never see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'? Why 'abbreviated' is such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food? Why Noah didn't swat those two mosquitoes? Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?! Why don't sheep shrink when it rains? Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal? Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (may be even a chuckle)...in other words, send it to everyone. We all need to smile every once in a while

Funnily enough Mrs Slapshot just said the same thing......ouch

A little boy wanted

Just as an aside to all this Russel Brand and Jonathon Ross nonsense and Fawlty Towers, we are working in a O&G and renewables partnership with a company about to start development of 4 new field locations in the Cromarty Firth, the field/well names: Basil, Sybil, Manuel and Polly. I KID YOU NOT...nearly wet myelf when I read the spec the other day

Who cares where it came from and what the language suggests, it's bloody funny and don't you just wish she'd been that star turn on Judge Judy

Two Mexicans are lost in the desert. They see a tree in the distance. As they get nearer they see its draped with rasher upon rasher of juicy bacon. "Hey Pepe", says the first man "Ees a bacon tree, we're saved!" He runs to the tree but is gunned down in a hail of bullets. "What happened?" shouts Pepe. With his last breath, his friend shouts "Run amigo, ees not a bacon tree. Ees a ham bush."

PM Greeves....he'll tell you everything that's going on in Spain regards twinshock/P65

terrible....wasn't funny last time Knorr the time before that...

probably a daft question .... how are you washing them?? you do need to follow the instructions, I don't even let Mrs Slapshot near my sealskins. I've used Sealskinz for a couple of years and am still on the original pair, even now I can turn them inside out fill them with water and they don't leak.

Typical of you...I never even noticed the attractive lady in the background in any of the 70 or 80 pics I have from the same spot.......

1/250th sec at f5.6, set on ISO320, 22mm focal length You always need a sense of the perspective to give the motion effects. Andy has a superb panned shot on here somewhere of Michael Brown at the British Champs round in Kinlochleven real sense of the dynamics of the sport. Pune in a vertical position just about to hit the splat. clicky Again the shot below of Wayne Braybrook at the Scottish this year, closeness of the shot, the fact the there is motion on the front wheel and the look of intensity on his face makes the shot for me....(1/250th sec @ f7.1...17mm..Distance about 18 inches away)

The future of nursery rhymes Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall The structure of the wall was incorrect So he won a grand with Claims Direct. It's Raining, It's Pouring Oh sh!t, it's Global Warming. Jack and Jill went into town To fetch some chips and sweeties. He can't keep his heart rate down And she's got diabetes. ... Mary had a little lamb Her father shot it dead. Now it goes to school with her Between two chunks of bread. Simple Simon met a pie man going to the fair. Said Simple Simon to the pie man 'What have you got there?' Said the pie man unto Simon 'Pies you dumb a***!' Mary had a little lamb It ran into a pylon. 10,000 volts went up its @rse And turned its wool to nylon. Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie Kissed the girls and made them cry. When the boys came out to play He kissed them too cause he was gay. Jack and Jill Went up the hill To have a little fun. Jill, the dill, Forgot her pill, And now they have a son. Jack and Jill Went up the hill And planned to do some kissing. Jack made a pass And grabbed her ass Now two of his teeth are missing. Mary had a little lamb Its fleece was white and wispy. Then it caught Foot and Mouth Disease And now it's black and crispy.

The rest of my Scott pics can be found here....Clicky Hi res available if anyone wants them