thats_a_five

Before you tear into the cases, check the easy things first. Is the shift lever dragging on the left engine case? If not, check the shift mechanism inside the clutch housing. Search Youtube for the Jim Snell GasGas videos. He has one all about proper adjustment of the mechanism. This will give you a great visual of what the shifter mechanism is and how it should work. You can decide if that is within your skills to fix yourself. Good luck. And yes, we all crash from time to time.

Welcome back. This site is a treasure trove of info. Feet up, rubber side down.

Float bowl too low?

Great News Wild Bill. As someone's signature says "Don't stop riding because you get old, you get old because you stop riding." Feet up!

Yes, to both questions: 1) the fan should suck air through the radiator. That way when you ride forward the air movement will still be from the tire side toward the engine. 2) the fan motor should spin clockwise when the wires are connected one way and counterclockwise when the wires are reversed. That is why there is a rectifier bridge to convert the alternating current to direct current so the fan spins the right way. When the rectifier fails, it could let full or partial alternating current to the fan. AC will make the motor shudder and not spin. Partial failure could cause the motor to run in one direction but not well. Depending on which leg of the rectifier fails, the fan could turn in the proper rotation or in the reverse rotation. I am 99.5% confident that is the problem with WildBill's bike - a failed rectifier. I am waiting to hear how it works out for Wild Bill.

Awesome! That's the kind of fix we like.

Kinda depends on which side of the radiator you are on. Actually the radiator does not care which way the air is blowing so would be fine when the bike is not moving. Could be a problem if it is blowing toward the tire when the bike is moving forward. WildBill - let us know how it turns out.

For sure there is a large buildup of oil in your exhaust. I am not an expert on the 315 but you should be able to disassemble the system. You may need to drill out the rivets to get the end cap off the final silencer. Clean the metal parts with solvent and bottle brushes top remove as much gunk as possible. Throw away the oils soaked packing and replace with new packing and reassemble. Be aware that when you restart the bike and get some heat into the exhaust it is likely to smoke while the left over oil burns off. You may want to do this away from neighbors. Best is to go find a long hill and ride up with a lot of throttle.

Hi Nigel. Good that you are bringing an old bike back to life. May I make a couple suggestions? Edit your profile or add info to your post about where in the world you are located. That can help a lot in giving you recommendation for where to find parts that might be closer to you. For brand specific questions it is better to post in the forum below that is dedicated to your brand of bike. There are both Ossa and Yamaha forums below. Have fun.

The best way to find where a tire is leaking is to air it up and put it under water then look for the bubbles. You can do this in a tank or even a puddle. You don't even need to take the wheel off the bike. Sometimes the valves leak, more often there is a leak around the rim strip that is inside the tire. They can be a pain in the @** to get sealed completely. Hence, just check it before your ride. If the valve is leaking you can simply replace the internal core. It does take a special "tool" to unscrew and install a new one. Some of the screw on caps have the double prong "tool" built into the top of that cap. If not, any tire store will have replacement valves and caps. IF your brother can get good prices in Michelin tires, I predict you will have lots of friends very quickly in your local clubs!

Tubeless rims are different from tube type rims. As are the tires. Tubeless are designed to stay on the bead at the very low pressures used on modern trials bikes. Your Sherco came from new with tubeless tires and rims. As others have said, if your has a slow leak it is not a problem. As long as it holds pressure for a day or two. Adding a tube to a tubeless tire is not really a good idea - Extra weight, heat and wear in the sidewalls. As others have mentioned, you should check your tire pressure every day before riding anyway.

Blisters are not uncommon when you start riding. You hands will toughen up as you ride more. The best recommendation I can give is to buy good gloves that fit your hands well. They should not cause the skin to bunch up or slide against the grips or glove material. It is this movement of skin on other material that causes blisters. I remember reading in Dirt Rider about one of the pro motocrossers actually spraying his hands with adhesive immediately before putting his gloves on. Seems a bit extreme but he said he never got a blister.

I decided to get back into riding after about a 25 year break. I used to ride endures but don't feel the need to go so fast any more. Trials was my choice. And what a great choice it is. Great bunch of guys and what fun to ride a trials bike in the sections, on the loop trails and just around the yard. It is amazing what these things can do - even in spite of my lack of skills. Had a great day riding today with my young buddy - a mid-50's guy. There are a lot of guys in our club over 50 and a couple who are over 70. 47 is definitely not too old to start. You have the benefit of the wisdom to know you are not unbreakable and that it is better to what you can handle and leave the insane stuff to the young bucks who defy the laws of gravity, Get on a bike and share the great times with your son. It will be some of the best days of your life and will build a bond with your son that will last forever. Just remember: keep your feet up and the rubber side down.

I am glad it is working but I wonder how long that fan will last at 27 volts. There is little doubt in my mind that the rectifier has gone bad. I would encourage you to replace that before the fan fails far from your truck, leaving you with an overheated bike and a long push. You should be able to replace it with an OEM part or a "rectifier bridge" that you can get at an electrical store. See if you have a friend who knows electrics who can help you get it wired up right.

Look in the very end of your exhaust system where the exhaust exits the pipe. You may need a flashlight (torch) to see down the hole. My buddy's TXT Pro has a spark arrestor screen that fits inside there. I think it came as original equipment on the bike. There was one or two screws in from the side to hold it in place. His bike started running very badly so we removed the screen and cleaned it. It was so clogged with black carbon that the holes were almost completely covered. We cleaned it with solvent and a wire brush (handheld) and reinstalled. He said it was like a new bike after. I hope this helps.

See my previous post.

Agreed with the others about cleaning or replacing your plug and air filter. You also might want to check the screen in your spark arrestor/silencer as well. Motors need to be able to both inhale and exhale.

Works fine for me. I am also in USA. Maybe you can backdoor the site by going here http://lewisportusa.com/catalog_home.htm If that doesn't work you can reach them through their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/lewisportusa.trialsendurospecialists

Tire pressure depends on the surface. I usually run 5.5 to 6 in the front and 4 in the rear. Lower pressure in the front will allow the tire to bite in making it easier to balance.

Snobbly, By all means, go ride the event! Go with the mindset of having fun and learning as you go. From my experience, most trialers are great folks who will encourage you at every step. Trust me, we all put our feet down and do some "soil sampling" from time to time. I have been riding trials for several years after not riding any bikes for 30+ years. I think it took me three trials before I was able to finish the whole event. Our loops tend to be long so I just got too tired to finish. The other riders were great to help and the section observers gave me lots of encouragement and tips on how to ride their sections. I find it very helpful to watch a couple other riders in a section before I attempt it. They can illustrate where the good and bad lines are. You know to walk the section before you ride, right? I still remember my first "clean" section and the first event I was able to finish all the loops and sections. Woo Hoo! Have fun. Enjoy those moments of brilliance and learn from those other "moments."

I guess my bizarre sense of humor did not communicate well. It depends on what you are bending. If it is a frame rail, I agree, If it is a footpeg bracket or something like that I would try to gain more clearance without affecting the geometry of the bike. I wonder what might happen to the frame over time if the chain keeps hitting it. Would it wear away the frame, weakening it? To Charlie - Pinstripe is OK, tux would be better. And remember "pinkies up."

Wow, 26 volts. Good that you fixed any connector or ground problems. There are 2 items that might be problems. 1) the Voltage regulator may have failed. Sorry I don't have my Gasser any more so can't check voltage for you. Wiring diagram shows 12 volts. 2) the rectifier that converts Alternating current (AC) to Direct Current (DC). I suspect it is the rectifier. That item converts AC to DC and usually drops the voltage about half. Check the fan voltage on both the AC and DC scales on your meter. It should only read on DC. Bill

Answers will probably vary depending on the laws in different parts of the world. Probably a good idea to add a location to your profile or say where you are so you can get relevant answers.

I find it easier to balance by turning the wheel to one side, focusing my attention on a spot about 15 feet (5 meters) in front of me, and using just the bars to correct my balance. Also leaning a little forward to put more weight on the front tire helps.

You should be getting 12 volts to the fan wires with the bike running. It would be best to check the wires with the fan disconnected. I suspect you are getting low voltage from the description. Check all the connections and grounds. Better yet, take them apart and clean them with abrasive paper to remove any oxidation. Metal bits should be shiny for good connection. And don't bin it! Get on the pegs and ride!