mags

Glenn, Those motocinch look great! Probably $500 plus for two sets landed here? The guy who makes them passed away and the company stopped making them???? The straps will be a pain to clean but we only ride mud once or twice a year... mostly dry terrain where we practice. I'm going to fit some solar power to trailer roof. Run the 60 litre fridge and lighting for camp site at night. 180w panel, 120 amp agm battery and plasmatronics 20 amp controller. Have to do the canvas awning, as well.... on a sail track. I have industrial sewing machine so I'm able to make the canvas awning. The straps are for the road bikes as well! We plan a big trip with two road bikes in the next year or so. We also cart the road bikes down a coast for annual hols... they come in trailer and we use the holiday place as a base to ride the state below us. Mags

I have a few pics of best system I've found to hold bikes down. The straps dont compress suspension as they use a tyre gripper pad and ratchets. Also a pic of the 8 flush mount floor rings. The ring fold down when not in use so you dont stub toe!!! Bike also stand upright when it locks into front tyre mount (grey wheel holder/chock) no need to hold or use side stand while you attach straps... so one man job! Mags

Wow! Great job there boys! Be very proud of a potential lost trials soul rescued!!! Mags

Just took a pic towards driveway... sorry people... WE WILL RIDE TODAY! Clear skies, 29 deg C... Lets roll! Mags

I'd be looking at the ssdt winners of last 10 yrs and maybe pick one of them? Last 3 were Gas Gas... 4 before that were Beta... The last 4 stroke was in 2007 with Dabill aboard. Sherco was 03, 04, 05, 06... Mags

You're right, it doesn't excuse Honda! The perfectly assembled motorcycle doesn't exist... besides imperfect, lazy people on the production line leaving bearings out there is machining tolerances. Mags

Was Bou towing it up! Hehehehehehehe Mags

I think the Cota is not quite getting a fair wrap here. Let's see if my experience has me questioning the 4RT quality? Our Beta 2014 250 4T... Oil filter cover bolts pulled threads on first removal because of off-centre drilling on the 3 bolts that hold the cover on. I machined the holes to centre and backed torque down and race wire the bolts every oil change. Eventually will replace side cover or time-sert threads. Front brake stays on... removed, checked and refitted master cyl and not at cause yet. Caliper next to be stripped. Rubber carby manifold split and had to be replaced. Top end so noisy I had to check valve clearances immediately they were WAY out. Radiator fan stopped running and I finally traced it to loose terminal in plug in main wiring terminal plate. Still have to do the Beta clutch fix by blueprinting plates. One thread in frame holding plastics on was inserted cocked and has damaged thread so will insert time-sert when it fails. Side stand is designed poorly and was bending just with bike weight. Remove and weld in strengthening plates, repaint and refit. The Monty kick start lever hits the footpeg sometimes when starting. I installed a stainless tube over foot area to stop marks in lever end. My Montesa Cota 2014 has not had ANY other issues that I can recall... so much better quality than the Beta, period! So if people are questioning the Cota quality people must be throwing the Beta 4T off cliffs for free.... Mags

Monty rear end all done and back together... head stem next! Mags

Great vid of some "real" trials (cheekyWink)! Thanks for taking the time to do and put it up! Play of the day for me ... the distinguished gent on the BSA! Love it! Outstanding! I'll put it on the big screen tonight for the Beta riders in the family! Hehehehehe Mags

It does indeed have blanking plug and they do perish as you can see by the pic of my wife's 250 4T. On my next parts order....its a year old. In fact... I might pop down to local bearing supplier and grab a plastic blanking plug verses the cheap rubber stock one and no more perishing for ages. Mags

I had a chance at Race Replica for 2015 but will stay with standard til 2016 at least. Even offered it again to my wife and said "Last chance it will be sold as fast as lightning". "Happy with Beta for now", she replied. She desperately wants a Ducati 821 so the money I saved is still not safe.... Hehehehehehe Mags

G'day Ted, Very few if any of my motorcycles have ever been back to a shop after the first service. I dont trust what I call "the hammer, screwdriver and silicone" guys that work on my pride and joys but their job number 47 for the day. I currently have 5 that didn't even go for the first service. One will go to have a recall completed though. Mags

Technically you do stretch the bolts but... The cyclic load and number of cycles to destruction from a stress riser or exceeding the elastic limit of the thread by way of undoing and doing up a fastner, to its specified torque with specified coating or non coating as the case may be, FAR exceeds the number of times you will remove and refit the faster for maintenance. If you dont use a torque wrench and Gorilla it... thats another matter! The nuts are captive so little chance of it coming off if under torqued. The load is in shear not compression so it may loosen if under torqued but the nut should stay put. Inspection is the key. The main issue I see with the all the needles rollers in that area is water ingress. To that end I'd use a water proof bearing grease along the lines of multi-purpose marine trailer bearing grease or similar. And fill the cavity... If I was riding water courses it would be inspected, cleaned and reassembled more often than my 30 hrs or so. Mags

Although not as cold here in winter as most of you its still relative when acclimatised... Last winter we camped for 3 days with the bikes. Got to just under 0 deg C over night with about 8 below one night the lowest. We were not that well prepared... in a tent... on camp stretchers in sleeping bags. Thermals on and beanies et cetera.... its was the coldest we have been camping! We both woke a few times shivering!!! I leaned over and whispered in her ear.... Are you having fun yet!!!! She thumped me one !! Hehehehehehehehe Swears she will never go overnight in winter again... just day trips! Hehehehe Mags

Some more... Mags

You boys got me a little worried so I pulled mine apart for the first time today. I have about 30 hrs on my 2014 Cota Standard 4RT. Two comps and about a year worth of practice. I've found no bearings missing and lube sufficient to keep them at a good service life with inspection. The swingarm ones are a little dryish but there was a lube film there. I'll clean, regrease and assemble now. Didn't find any appreciable play in the bearings nor any brinelling on the pivot pins...Yay! Some pics... Mags

andy m, Not many people will recognise Toad... but I do! Mags

I'll add a pic now and see its working ..... my main road bike and daily rider. EDIT: Working as usual for me? Mags

My method... I resize pic to around 200-300k and save it in a temp upload folder... Compose post... then hit More Reply Options... Click on "Choose Files (next to paperclip at bottom left) Choose file and wait for it to upload... Once uploaded I click on "add to post"... you will see the link appear in post.... Then "add reply"... And you're done, hopefully! Mags

Including the ladies !! Hehehehehehe Mags

I suffered a fair bit in the beginning from nerves... mainly when there was a few people gathered and watching. As time went on and I went from Beginner to Novice it subsided to now just a little good nervousness that keeps you in the concentration zone. Cindy still has a fair bit going on... I see it in her face when she tries the harder stuff. I tell her to enjoy the rush... people pay lots of money to jump from perfectly good aircraft for the same feeling! I think in days gone by there was some little swigs, on little bottles, just before comp to settle the legs! Hehehehe Mags

Section setter's face warmer???? Hehehehehehehe Had a great ride on the road bike yesterday... about 32 deg C here, wind 15 kph. Ran a few places to pick up parts and then to tavern for a coffee and bite to eat. Raining today so some static on the Monty... keep ya snow above the equator please! Mags

Here is a pic of how well it fits... no trimming needed, just 4 zip clips to hold it on. I used an automotive wiring loom clip to hold the brake line and still allow fork movement. Mags

As JB has suggested... I put a Monty 4RT one on my wife's Beta 250 4T for comps. Mags