monty-python

YAWN!!

Just noticed the footnote bigfoot.......class! What about all his other beautys "I have a problem"... not half Let the showdown commence... I'll hold yer jacket Or you could just challenge him to a spelling competition, but my 3yr old nephew would beat him!!!!

My brother had a 2000 ,290 and it was an ace bike!! When he got a 2002, he wished that he still had his old one. The 2000 power seemed more forgiving and was lower geared (i think). It was an excellent bike for a novice, and if you're happy with it ,as i suspect you are, then i wouldn't take any notice of these polls! Personally i prefer the look of the newer ones but suspect that i would get better results on the 2000.

OOOOHHH yes , love the tricky licky colour morphing paint ...want one, want one, Come on Marky boy....How much???

Way oop north in the badlands of Scotland , i've noticed that there seem to be a load of new 2004 betas on the go, also a lot of shercos and gas gas in that order. Maybe i'm just noticing the betas more cos the new colours stand out pretty well!

OOPs , er yeah, i should have mentioned that you need to change the rubbers as well. I can't remember how much they were off hand but they won't bankrupt you, and if you still have the originals on,, they won't be far off needing replacement by now. I also needed a new clip (jubilee type thing) cos the old one wouldn't tighten up far enough, due to the smaller diameter. I found these things out the hard way, you know, order carb, it arrives, order inlet rubber, it arrives, try fitting airbox rubber, it splits, swear loudly, order new one etc etc, but it was worth it in the end.

The standard 99 carb is rubbish, I phoned the importer about the jet kit that they do for it (to order one) and the guy at sandifords told me that i would be better off ditching it and upgrading to a 2002 spec. When i asked the price i was more than pleasantly surprised (about

PJ1 do a good filter cleaning spray, just spray it on, masage the filter and leave for ten minutes before washing off. The crud it gets out is amazing. It's worth a try (and, no, i don't work for pj1)

Having owned a 99 for the last year or so i had a shot briefly of an 03. The main differences that i noticed were the motor and the suspension. The 2003 motor is sooo much smoother than my 99 one and because of this, i noticed that the rear tire was less likely to lose traction, which is always a good thing. It is also much better low down in the rev range than the 99, My 99 has a 2002 carb, which made a huge difference to the original which was unpredictable and basically pants. I never noticed much difference in the brakes, i did think my 99 rear brake was much sharper though. The front forks are definitly smoother in action, and seem less likely to ping off steps etc. With my 99, i pushed the forks through the yokes to avoid tucking of the front, and this mod also gave me more ground clearance ( i was clouting the exhaust on steps). The 2003 seems to be "tighter" in the front end department. The clutch pull on the 2003 is definitly lighter. The thing that you have to remember when comparing bikes is the fact that the previous owners maintainance schedule will have a lot to do with the way a bike rides, and the obvious fact that a newer bike will have done less, so will be tighter in all departments. You could as Subira suggests get your bike ported to 03 spec, but at the end of the day, it won't increase it's value when you do decide to offload it, and if the rest of the bike is a bit shabby, you may well be better off changing for a newer one. It is also going to cost a few quid to change but if you were to go for a 2002 it wouldn't be so painfull. I have been toying with the same dilema for the last few weeks...will i, wont i, is it worth it.....only you can decide, but if you get the chance, try one out and decide for yourself!!

So Gaff, is the Honda RTL as good as everyone says?? They were hand built were they not, the RC30 of the trials world?

I saw one of these rare "beasties" at a trial about three weeks ago, but as the owner was pushing it through the woods, and bogs about 2 miles from the parc ferme, i didn't think it was the right time to ask him what he thought of his bike!! I could imagine his reply !!

Hi all i was just wondering if any of you can (honestly) say that your riding or results have improved following the purchase of a newer bike, I dont mean between an old bultaco sherpa and a 2004 model but say within 5 years of each other?? Any comments

Hey Beta boy , if your fan isn't working, your engine will overheat and may either seize (expensive), or boil the coolant and possibly blow the rad cap off, If i were you i would get it fixed, before it becomes mega- expensive.

Any ideas about the engine knock guys, does anyone elses do this??

Are you sure it was the bike he was reffering to, Boofont,!!! I'Ve heard that you Yorkshire dudes make us jocks look generous!!!

Thanks for the tips guys, i shall send haven my barrel when there is a window in the trials calander . I forgot to mention, my bike also occasionally makes a knock sound when i am riding between sections, this happens usually in the first three gears, when it has been revved quite high (not screaming or anything) and then when i shut the throttle - it knocks, usually just the once. |I seem to remember someone saying that this was down to the shape of the combustion chamber and was nothing to worry about. Is this right?? Brewster- How much were the boyesons?? Trialsurfer , i'll try the 35 pilot, would this also help the starting? It usually takes two or three kicks, even when warm? On the subject of the vent holes, i've never had excess mud in my airbox (vents open), was at a muddy trial a few weeks age (it was snowing and finished early). The bike was caked but the filter was no worse than usual, if you're worried just gaffa tape the gap at the rear mudguard/ airbox.

I would not use fairy liquid, it contains salt which will corrode if you dont get it ALL off!. Try a proper bike cleaner or car shampoo works well

Does anyone out there have any idea how i could smooth out the low down power of my trusty mont. It's a 99 with a 2002 carb on it (cos the 99 carb was a bit of a joke). At the moment the carb is as it came out of the box, and the bike runs a lot better than it did with the old carb. I had a shot of a 2003 model and it was sooo much smoother, power delivery wise than mine. I don't expect miracles, but i was wondering if i could do anything with what i've got, carb wise to improve matters (other than buy a 2003). . Any ideas anyone??

According to T+MX news today, the four banger montesa may be ridden in the Scottish by Amos, as may the sherco four stroke .Note the use of the word "may". Time will tell but apparently montesa ARE releasing a four stroke THIS YEAR. We'll see

False alarm- problem solved. When i took the tank etc off and eventually located the connector, at the front of the headstock, behind the cdi, I noticed that it was disconnected, DOH!! I dont know how this happened , vibration maybe. Oh well never mind, its sorted. Cheers anyway Dr Nick!!, if it ever does pack in i'll know what to do. In future i'll look for the obvious before posting!

alpinestars waterproofs are real good, as are alpinestar goretex sox, they have kept everything out so far, including plenty of scottish rain. A gore-tex jacket and trousers needn't cost the earth, in Ft. William last year i got a climbing jacket (North Face) in a sale for

Will give it a try Dr. Nick, cheers!

Hi all, does anyone know how long the engine should run for before the radiator fan kicks in. I suspect that mine isn't working. Or is there an easy way of checking that the thermostat is working 'without tearing the bike to bits i.e bridging wires etc. Thanks in advance.