keychange

yeah it's an Amal and I did borrow a Mikuni a while back but I was focused on a slightly different angle of the issue at the time and probably didn't give it a fair trial - maybe my mate Ross will lend it to me again when he reads this - I already owe him a stack of beers :beer:

I think the 348 is similar to the 247 and if you remove the clutch side covers you will see that a small metal plunger (about thimble size) is there and this pushes against the spinning mechanism to activate the clutch. The plunger wears out and your bike behaves exactly as described. The plunger on my 247 did this 9 months ago and on mine it was steel so I laid some metal on with an arc welder and then ground it smooth on an oil stone - it is still working fine. However just to be careful I ordered one from John Haberbosch Rocky Mountain Montesa only a a few days ago cost $15 and this one is brass ( which I believe is correct) his email is john@rmmontesa.com - great service and reasonable post etc - from USA to Oz..

Idle adjustment at cold appears normal but when hot there is only a slight turn to increase a lot I'd say 1/8th turn when hot = 1/2 normal turn. But only on increase - lowering from normal idle the adjustment lowers as normal to an eventual stall - does that make sense. Maybe the slide is worn and leaks more as the body of the carbie heats up and expands

Norman form NJB has further clarified "The shocks are in fact trials shocks fitted with the same type of spring set up as the expert scrambles shock... The shocks for the TLR are to long to have only one standard spring (and the stress levels are to high with 4.5" of travel) so we use the combined springs which also have the advantage of multi rate. " All good ... now bugger off rain so I can use them

Good thinking Ross - I won't bend it as it is only just long enough now but a washer and fuel line could do the trick. Cheers Andrew

Added to my concerns was the shock delivered looked nothing like what I ordered. However I have now figured out what has happened - in my original email to Norman I mentioned that while I was primarily trials interest I used it for light trail work - I have access to hundreds of acres of hilly farm land, gullies and rain forest to roam through - Norman suggested the Expert shock with a spring setting that would be suited to light trail work - what I didn't realise he was referring to the NJB Scrambles Expert shock rather than the Trials Expert. I fitted the shock the correct way up - and the brake rod is in constant contact with the lower spring. I took it out for a good ride log jumping and double log jumps ie: about 800mm high and it is a great improvement. I then went up a very steep track that I have avoided recently due to the wet conditions... I rode up easily and down again without a single foot down - the rear end has so much more traction - in short I am delighted. I am a little concerned that there will be wear on the brake rod ... but it's probably nothing to worry about.

I hope I haven't spoken too soon Norman tells me they have to go the other way up and that means the spring is in contact with the brake rod. My original Showa looks similar but I don't remember it contacting the rod - maybe my brake rod is set too high any idea?

Well thanks to Norman at NJB's great service my shocks arrived and they look great - although I hope its ok to fit them upside ( in relation to the label ). Now I just need the rain to stop long enough to take it for a ride - it's been a touch damp. Had a quick romp around our sodden garden with a couple of small logs etc and it feels very nice

Thanks Sam - no excess oil burn and mag side seal has been replaced. What do you mean by bottom seals?

Yep I did my 247 a few months ago with wet and dry and fine oil - just enough to take the shine off the barrel. It is still going very nicely.

Happy to announce that it worked - just one degree retard and idle stall issue fixed. So I now have a Cota 247 that starts first kick, idles and has good power across the range. Just one little thing and this is something I've had for ages. Once the bike is fully warmed up the idle increases - I have done all of the checks etc. I get round this by setting the idle low and adjusting it up on the throttle until it is hot then back that off as required. What I notice is that there is probably 1/8th turn on the idle adjust screw between a good idle and a high idle ie: about 500 rpm increase (guessing) any ideas on this little conundrum ...

Yes replaced condensor and every part in the Amal and even tried a Mikuni which didn't fix the issue at that time but I worked on other things such as stator wiring, plug gap, exhaust flange leak and these all improved but while the bike hasn't done the stall thing again until n ow I am guessing that in refitting the stator I might have just advanced it a little and my question is - could this be an explanation???

As posted elsewhere I just fitted wider foot pegs - luxury! Should have done it ages ago.

Man the tool box is missing because it is a pain in the a*** - just gets in the way. It is just soooo much better without it - mine is in my spares box. I just fitted wide pegs to mine off eBay Foot Pegs 1991-2003 Kawasaki KDX 200 220 250 KX 125 250 - as expected the mount was too thick but being steel they were easy to grind down and they now fit pretty well ( I only fitted today so letting then settle in before final adjustment) - they cost $27.31 delivered to Oz from China - in 7 work days.... and they look very well made. A test ride and boy are they more comfortable than the original narrow Cota foot bars.

I have had chronic tuning problems with my 247T and spent hours on forums and decades (it feels like pulling carbie on and off, changing jets, needles ..... I recently had to replace the woodruff key got it started but it was dying for no reason at low revs and then hard to start. So I decided to pull the carb off for a routine clean and while I was at it I lowered the needle just to see what affect it would have. To my delight the needle adjustment appeared to improve my top end performance - but the cleaned carbie did not fix the dying. The bike is going great - probably best I have ever had it but for example when riding down a cow track leading to a creek crossing it just died - as if no fuel ( I have had similar issues before but this feels different) - today it was idling happily while I closed a gate then died for no reason and it is then quite hard to restart (this does sound familiar) anyway I was thinking about what I should try next with the carbie - and I really have done everything - then it occurred to me that if my timing was just a smidge too advanced it could cause this couldn't it? I know from experience the 247 is a bugger to start when too advanced but this might be just a gnat's knacker out - any thoughts?

Ah well in the absence of any advice - I have opted for NJB Expert - I have to say Norman's communications so far have been excellent.

SuperGlue - hooray. The key started at 3.2x6x13 and ended closed to 2 x 4 x 10 but it finally fits and works - for now

When I inherited this bike the fuel tank was badly rusted. I soaked the tank for two weeks in molasses but it still had some rust. I was advised on another forum to put an inline filter and start riding - which is what I did. I have replaced the filter 3 times in 4 months. When I removed the carbie to today it was loaded with rust - I think it's a testament to Honda design that the bike was able to run at all. I removed and cleaned everything - she is running like new again. I guess this might be a regular pass time for the future. Unless I find a reasonable priced replacement tank. Thanks for all your contribution

I managed to find an imperial sized key close to what I need and ground it back using a fine oil stone to the 5mm deep x 3 mm wide that I am pretty positive the original was - I also added a chamfered edge as per original. It is a snug fit but not a tight fit - does that mean I have gone too far (it is actually a little oversized by around 0.10 mm. I can't get it to stay in place as I put the flywheel on - I have ground the leading edge a little so that the flywheel slides onto the key easier. Should I use some glue to hold the key in place? Or do I simply need the correct key?

Hi - I need to upgrade my TLR200 shocks and there is little price difference between NJB Expert, Trikshoxs or Betors. I have no experience with any of them and I am a non competitive rider looking at mixed trial/trail use. Although I can envisage that I might try competition at clubman level at some stage. I seek opinions based on your experience with the various brands.

Now I swear to Gott (Gottlieb Daimler

Ok so it took quite few hard blows to dislodge the key. Does anyone know the dimensions of the replacement - as far as I can estimate from the fragments it is 3 thick x 5 high x 12 wide but the 12 is very approximate as the shorn piece is not suitable for measuring so I am extrapolating that from the 3 x 3 x 10 mm segmnent out of the shaft. If I purchase a 3 x 5 x 13 does that matter as it only protrudes into open space on the flywheel. UPDATE - I played around a bit more with sizes and I think 13 may well be the right size - so I have ordered that and now have to wait for the postman

I never fail to be amazed at old well and often used bikes with hubs polished better than new. What is the trick, no matter what I try my hubs end up looking blotchy at best - there must be trick getting whatever you use into the grooves and between the spokes

Thanks for the good advice footupfun - I have several brass bars - would these be a suitable material? I am guessing it's unlikely I will have the right diameter bar - anyone have any idea what that diameter would be. I did try the tap on one end to budge the remains but no luck yet .... I guess I need bigger hammer - just kidding

I don't believe it - I have just shorn my flywheel key Can someone tell me where to source a replacement engine # 21M23540 and; how do I get the shorn off remnant out of the shaft - is dead smooth and tight as.... I tried a very powerful magnet ...other ideas? Should I replace the spring washer - it appears tired to me and are left hand spring washers widely available?