dan williams

SON OF A ..... Oh well, I’m only about $500 into custom made parts.

If you’ve got calipers and have the clutch apart grab some measurements. Always room for our Sherco brothers (and sisters) to increase the group knowledge.

Just to be certain of the type of ignition you have the trigger coil stators will have two small windings 180 degrees apart and the flywheel will have to odd looking split magnets 180 degrees apart. The newer hall effect triggers are a module housed in chamber where the stator wire leaves the case and there will be notches in the outside of the flywheel that pass under the sensor module.

The problem with the old ignition systems is the trigger coil would get weak. So the firing point would either not happen or more frustratingly happen somewhat randomly or in the wrong location. The plug could show a great strong spark but it wasn’t a good indication of system health. If it’s starting and idling OK then it’s unlikely to be a CDI as it is not subject to the whole spinning magnet thing of the stator. The carb swap was a good idea and takes the carb out of the equation. If the reeds look good I’d say you’re pretty much out of choices and need to send that stator out.

Did they move the CDI to a less vulnerable spot and the regulator to a less idiotic spot?

Excellent. Congrats on finding the root cause.

Still haven’t sorted the kickstart/muffler mismatch I see. Graphics are pretty bold though.

I think you have the last year of the “trigger coil” type ignitions but I’m not inclined to think that’s the problem as bikes with that issue were a real pain to start and when they ran they didn’t just cut out but ran crappy. Is it bogging down on opening the throttle or just dying? If you close the throttle before it stops completely does it come back and idle?

Also check condition of reeds. Blockage in exhaust is another possibility.

Clarify please. The swapped carb works on another bike but doesn’t fix the issue on the problem bike?

Not trying to be obtuse but does the carb you swapped work properly on another bike? The Keihin has one peculiarity in that you can assemble it with the needle jet upside down which acts like what you describe.

Actually I'm waiting to see an electric version. Especially since I burned the **** out of my leg on the header of my '18 two weeks ago. Still looks like I got a skin graft from Voldamort.

...and improved clutch.

Was a common problem on Betas. See the clutch fix pinned to the top of the Beta forum. It may be relevant.

The TRS bikes have exploded up here in New England. They’re everywhere and the riders that have them are quite happy. The Keihin bikes seem to be more reliable starters but I’ve seen few problems other than a pinched wire and the snapped handlebar bolt.

Cam follower arm with pin. First attempt at press fit and stake with punch to see if it’s reliable. Now to abuse it and see if I can pull the pin out. Is it reliable enough to put a bearing on? We’ll see. (edit) Nope, bearing pin too short for my comfort. Pulled out way too easy. Back to the drawing board and a longer pin that can be mashed with a press. And a clutch holder tool. I love emachineshop. Couple hours on the computer, wait a week and custom tools appear!

There is no substitute for displacement but other than slow lugging uphills engine is really secondary for most things a beginner will be doing. Suspension setup with heavier springs will actually pay off more. Having said that I like my 300 for crawling around bunny sections but I’ve done much to tame it. The 200 is a very popular bike around here with the senior crowd but few are as heavy as you. Much depends on where you ride i.e. road or strickly tight trails. Try as many bikes as you can. That’s really the only way to figure out what suits you but it is generally easier to tame a strong running bike than it is to squeeze more out of a tamer engine.

It sounds like a caliper or disk issue. Take a close look at the alignment of the disk in the caliper. Does the disk run true? Got the disk guard spacer in the right place? Is there paint or dirt between the fork leg and the caliper?

Trials tires will find traction far superior to a knobby in every situation except deep mud or sand. Not even sure a standard knobby would fit the Beta’s swingarm anyway. The bike can be more comfortable with the accessory seat but you will still feel a little cramped as the footpeg position is further back than a standard woods bike. Shifter and rear brake are tucked in to prevent breaking on obstacles so they are a bit of a pain to get to sitting down. The short suspension and short wheelbase are great for tight trails but can be twitchy on faster trails. You may find trials gearing a bit odd as the first four gears are very close and fifth and sixth are spaced fairly far out. Top speed with stock gearing is very low and you can easily top out on a fire road. You can gear up fairly easily but a 200 may not pull a higher gear as well as a 300. Much depends on the type of trail riding you are doing. Tight technical stuff the Beta will easily eat up and make you feel like a hero. If you are looking to go all day at a usual trail speed for a typical enduro bike you’ll find the Beta’s cooling system, brakes and suspension are not really designed for that type of application. If you just want to tool along with the occasional run at something technically challenging the Beta might be perfect. If you buy one you’ll have fun but you may not have fun the way you think.

Look at the bright side, now the switch is safely out of the way. Of course the CDI is now there but that’s not important.?

What we really need are “Bold new graphics” telling us the difference between 1 and 2.

Yup we all take diggers!

Only things I can think of is a worn or damaged shift drum or a damaged shift fork. A damaged gear might do it but would probably make quite a bit of noise. Is it just those two gears? Is the shift from fourth to third OK?

Winner!

Same as mine. Was awesome to start with. Now I’m slightly spooked. It’ll be a few weeks before I get the rest of the parts to try the cam follower with the smaller bearing but I’ll post once I get it all together.