camberman

I had a customer's 2011 GG that appeared to be overheating due to the coolant coming out the overflow hose - turned out to be a faulty Radiator Cap that could not hold back the pressure as the bike warmed up.

I like the folding stand that I recently purchased from Jitsie. It allows you to slide the bike forward or back to access the drain plug , and folds flat when not in use, to take up less room in the hauler.

Went through a similar scenario on a customer's '08 Raga 300. Turned out the plug boot had a tiny tear on top that would ground on the bottom of the fuel tank. Try filling the carb bowl and starting the bike without the tank installed. Drove us crazy until we changed the plug boot to fix the problem !

That does not sound very encouraging at all. I have not seen any yet , but have heard that the hand levers have only one adjustment,for the static position ,or reach of the lever from the bar, yet are lacking any adjustment for the "biting point" or engagement point for the clutch or brake. Is this true ? and if so how can the bikes be set up to suit different riders preferences ,or the size of their hands and fingers ?

OK Sir. I am glad we can agree about the works bike stuff and I can see your point about moto vs supercross and the "roots" of the sport but I will try to reply more in order with your reply. It wasn,t so much the idea of a recall with the kickstart on my 4RT as it was the fact that the center crankcase was where the failure occured. The recall involved changing out the bolt for the stopper plate with one of a higher grade. The end result was that the case broke where the plate attached. I believe the cam timing was changed the next year to close the exaust valves a bit sooner, thus eliminating the kickback that caused the failure. Probably just a first year issue as we have all seen with many new models of differing brands. I have not previously noticed the "anti-Montesa carping" from anyone here in the GG, or any other, camp for that matter. Perhaps that is why I was a bit reactive over your statement about the US - I love my country, and my bikes, including all my Montesas. I currently have a 348 Rathmell Replica, along with a very nice Ulf Karlson Replica. Previous Cota's I have enjoyed owning include a 314,315 and the 4RT. All great bikes! I would consider another depending on what they build in the future. I have probably ridden about 75 to 100 no -stop Trials on various bikes starting in the early 70's. TY's,SherpaT's,and Cotton to name a few. I could never pretend to have had the honor of competing in the Scottish although I have ridden a couple of Trials with a timed format that I remember being referred to as a "Scott or "Scottish " format. I have been fortunate with some great results over the years in local regional and national competitions and do feel qualified to speak with more than just a bit of experiance. I enjoyed riding no-stop in its time but not as much as I enjoy the creativity of stop- allowed Trials as ridden in the modern era. I am now 52 but can stop,hop, and move the bike, when required, because I worked,and continue to work,at keeping up with the sport over the years. I still use momentum and enjoy a smooth ride through when and where it can still work. I can see your correlation with mx and sx very well as I have ridden a few hundred moto's over the years(106motos without a dnf in 2002 alone). The difference that stands out to me most is that both sports,Supercross and Motocross co-exist without one trying to cancel out the other. Why do the No-Stop advocates feel the need to put an end to Stop-Allowed ? The outdoor tracks have all now been designed to emulate the obstacles from indoors. Double,triple,and quad jumps,tabletops, step ups and step downs all came outdoors and many older riders had to learn to adapt and find their own pace on these new tracks. Seems similar to the sections in Trials where the techniques and obstacles from the indoor events were brought to the outdoors as well wouldn't you say? So now a group of older riders over there want to change the rules of modern Trials just because they either can't,or won't adapt to these types of obstacles.Should Ryan Dungey or any other top pro have to ride a track with no Larocco's Leap or not hit 3-foot whoop section pinned in third gear just because some older riders,myself included, are no longer ready for such speed? Instead the vets still ride the same tracks on amatuer days - just 2 or 3 gears slower than the pros. What would happen if we went back to old style scrambles tracks with no doubles etc.. just to help the old guys go faster? That would seem similar to what no-stop would want do to Trials - Take out the bravado so some older guys can re-live their glory days and punish those with the skills and determination to ride at the top of their chosen sport ? In Trials we must each choose a line that fits our own level of ability. So instead of going slower as in a motox, in Trials we might have to drop a class to find the approriate line. You don't have to change the rules, or the course ,just because of the want to relive our past. If no-stop is valid and people want to recognize and appreciate "the roots of the sport" that is great, but why kill an existing sport to achieve this? Stop allowed is the established format for modern Trials and the modern World Trials Championship so it seems that a no-stop series needs to be established of its Own merit and not at the expense of another well established sport. Last of all ,for now, my apologies for the "moon man" on my previous post. Seems my nationalistic pride was a bit ruffled at the time from your "jackholes" comment related to the US. I appreciate the chance to share opinions here and wish to do so as a gentlemen. I say , let's all stop arguing for a bit and GO RIDING !!!

Sorry if I hurt your feelings about the Montesas but letus face the fact that Tony Bou's machine is much further from the production bikes than the machines from the other manufacturers. While I am sure that all top team riders have some "works" parts on their machines the bikes from GG,Beta,Sherco and Ossa are MUCH closer to production bikes than the mega-dollar Honda/Montesa's ! We have all heard the vast amounts of money Honda has spent on these exclusive machines for many exotic parts that are not available to the public. Not that there is anything wrong with that, as they can afford it. The newest Raga Bikes from GasGas are Much closer to what Adam rides than any production 4RT is to Tony's machine ! All bikes have their problems as well. When I purchased a new 4RT in 2005 I had the bike for less than one month before it kicked back when starting and broke the mounting boss from the inner crankcase where the kickstart stop was attached - this after me having to replace the stop's mounting bolt as a factory recall. The bike was ruined and went back to the importer. The selling dealer refunded my money and I re-invested in my first of many Raga bikes, all which have been very reliable for me. Now I am not trying to say that any bike is perfect, but before you start calling anyone else here in the US a "jackhole" why don't you try to direct your own negativity somewhere else and realize that even your beloved Cota is not perfect!!! And at least our top riders here can compete in their own National Championship and still ride by the rules of the WTC ! And what is any different with the GG/Yamaha from the Montesa/ Honda - Haven't we all seen the RTL versions sold in Japan with Honda Stickers ???

Finally somebody is willing to tell it like it is !!! Mr. Kansas Sr Expert - You are my new hero !!!

Well spoken words here. I find myself in agreement with most of your opinions here. What a shame for the top 2 riders to have to leave their own country. Even when one of England's Top riders in the sport offers his own (perhaps only?) informed opinions here on this forum, he receives arguments from those who could never aspire to his levels of talent, ability, and determination. Although I wish the best for all concerned here I don't see any easy compromise on the horizon. Why can't there be room for both camps here with events available in both formats ? Surely that would attract the most possible riders and sell the most bikes as well? I wish the best for all concerned here and I can appreciate a nice flowing clean as well as the technical and athletic tour de force of Stop and Go Mastery. Both could have their place if it will help out the sport in the long run.

It does not lessen my enjoyment that there is no current US world champion , any more than the lack of an English one. I admire skill, talent, and dedication from wherever it comes. I will say that I am still very proud of one Mr.Bernie Schrieber who did bring many new techniques to the sport. The very fact that only a few can aspire to reach the top of the sport is one of the reasons the sport is so cool in the first place !!! Good luck "grooming" a future champion with the "no stop" rule in place. Spain must be laughing at all this as they seem to have no problem finding talented riders willing to take on the challenge !!! Bye the way, I mean no offense with the term "Old Farts" as at the age of 52 ,i consider myself to be one as well! But I am willing and able to hop my bikes at will, because I work at it !!!

Simply put, I am against it because it takes more skill to balance the bike when stopped than when it is moving !!! Yes ,I can hop and balance,most of the time with feet up,and if my foot goes down I take my point. People are gunning for a change in the number of participants, and that is good, but to alter the sport at the top levels to accomodate folks with less talent and/or dedication is not the way to go. Why can't we have a series for both stop and no stop ??? That would seem to allow for the most entries, and bike sales, all around. Can't we all just get along for the good of the sport's future without having to leave anyone out ???