jonnyc21

I have been on a few well setup vintage bikes and the ones I liked the best had the best brakes. They where still the vintage bike drum brakes but had had all the work done one could do to make them as good as possible. I couldn't do crazy stuff with them but it was so nice to be able to control the bike the way I wanted. My 2 cents is that it was worth the effort and if I was going to setup a vintage it would have the best working brakes I could get in all aspects.

Maybe I am a little to into trials but I would be willing to buy some great full year DVD sets including past years if I could get them...

Shape of the Beta in comparison to the 4RT is different enough that though I am sure you can make it fit I am not sure it would be easy, work well, or look good. I did consider getting one for my daughters Beta and could have sized it up on my 4RT if I had but the one I found got sold before I could snag it. Hopefully someone else knows if it might be possible...

Lots of good advice... my experience is that unlike my dual sport or enduro riding a lighter less expensive tubes work just as well over all and cost less over time. My 2 cents for what its worth.

With you saying they are quite flat I would also expect you would like something with a higher bend as the Bou bend bars, as they are as indicated by johnnyboxer, are quite low. At 5' 10" ish myself I have been considering trying a set of 4.5" bend bars but I wouldn't expect most people would want 4.5" bend bars... (not even sure I will like them as I think my bike has 5.0" bars now)

Considering how rare it is to have this level of problem with a 4RT I sure wouldn't have thought the ECU was the issue. Glad you finally got it sorted!

I guess I have to work on that one, I think my daughter thinks I am a bit on the eccentric side but haven't managed immature or crazy and she's soon to be 15... Oh and I seem to recall I didn't answer the question... I ride trials because I like to compete against myself and don't like to go fast enough to brake myself doing it. So I got a trials motorcycle and bicycle and my daughter joined me with the same and wife decided she liked the trials motorcycle but didn't opt for the bicycle... Win, win, win!

I hope my daughter can reply immature when someone asks about my age and riding trials when I am in my 80's...

I am making the assumption the instructor was also running stock gearing on his 4RT based on your comment... I also run stock on my 4RT. If that's the case then I would echo johnnyboxer... 1st for the really tight nadgery stuff (I try to avoid 1st, but find it can be helpful depending) 2nd for the longer becks/streams and general stuff 3rd for the longer sections and hill climbs My 2 cents... I find using 2nd when ever I think I can get away with it except for hill climbs or very slow creeping is helping to improve my clutch and body positioning...

I would agree, I would like to think I am optimistic it would/could work but I admit I am just not there. In a case like this I have to think how fun it would be to have a chance to ride a prototype like this, just so I could have the experience... but I suspect unless I am willing to build my own I suspect that will never happen.

If you can do it a group check format can be helpful in this type of trial. Where you have small groups of 4 or 5 riders of the same class or close ride and check ech other. My experiance with short trials was good this way. Best of luck.

No doubt the Briggs and Stratton design can do a lot more than most people would give them credit. I think if I recall I have heard of custom setups getting around 9K to 9.5K from one. Where a standard configuration runs at maybe 3k to 3.6K it doesn't show its capacity... And just to be clear, I have never said they wouldn't work or are bad motors. In fact I think the design could work quite well, I am just not sure without an update of some kind they would be competitive at the upper levels of trials. When a stock 4RT can go above 8K (don't know the max), most 2T bikes will go over 11000, and if I am remembering correctly the WR250 motor produces max HP at something like 10K and is the same motor used in some of the old Scorpa trials bikes. It's hard to see a flat head design at the world level. I won't clam to be a mechanical engineer. (3 years of diesel and auto tech then going back to school to become a computer database engineer doesn't qualify... ) My 2 cents.

Yes, trapezeartist, it was a long time ago when the development of that tech ended and there is a chance with current advances that it could have worked. I have a lot of speculation in my head about what could improve a side valve design but I am sure many have already considered them all. I suspect I will end up doing some research on the net to see what I can find but ether way we will never know what might have been.

About the only downside I believe is air flow caricaturists are not optimal for higher RPMs with that design so it would be limited without some work to improve the design to increase flow.

I think I would likely buy new oil myself, however... If you really want to know you could consider sending a small sample for an oil test as long as you have some extra. I would think problem of it sitting that long would be if the oil has changed in PH over that 10 year time frame as a result of the additives going bad not the oil its self having an issue. (But I have been wrong before so...)

I agree, it could have been a very nice 4T bike for the clubman rider. From what I understand, they where considering EFI and it was in the 300 to 350cc range. You can hear it sort of wind out a bit at full RPM in the video. Not sure it that's the side valves or just that it's an early prototype and they had not yet optimized the valve and ignition timing etc.. Cool concept nonetheless.

This is something around the 2007/2008 time frame project they stopped and I don't believe they even still have the bike as it was sold in the bankruptcy from what I heard.

I ride around the same level and found that with a little practice I like stock gearing better than with a 9T or sized up rear, however if I was going to do anything I would just go up 3 in the rear and keep the 10T in the front as the 9T is a bit harder on chains. As for timing its just a practice thing, I was on a 2T to start with and got my Montesa and found that I adapted quick just by riding it a lot. --- Some things that I think have helped me... To practice larger obstacles with a small pre compression bounce on the front before the full compression bounce, seemed to help me with a combination of the up as well as throttle and timing. I also found being a little earlier on the throttle with more clutch work helps me as well. I have also found that I really like using the mid range power and so often find myself shifting up to second and using less throttle and way more clutch as time progresses. I can't say this will work for you, however stock gearing, more clutch work, and using the mid range power they provides works well for me. What can I say, they ride different, they are not 2T's. I make no claims real or implied... I am sure you will do fine!

True, and if I could get a 4 Ride here in the US I would already have one. I am now wishing I had found a way to bring one in from Canada.

Not sure on the new Alpinestars but the older version has a good toe box but not really what I would call strong toe protection. Much better than the Gaernes my wife has but she prefers them for comfort and isn't riding as hard as me so I haven't forced the issue. My Daughter rides as well and likes her new (older stile) Alpinestars and I like that they are a bit more protective. hope that helps.

A long shot but something else to consider... There is a small chance that your throttle body could be getting an incorrect reading on the throttle position because its going passed closed. I remember someone having an issue where they had a lot of the same issues starting your describing and they solved it by preventing the butterfly from closing all the way. I don't remember how they fixed it but I remember talk of a very thin washer, or small mound of supper glue and such talked about. Might be worth trying to tighten the throttle cable just a touch to remove all the play in the cable and give it a few attempts and then a smidge more if that doesn't work and try again. Easy to do and undo depending on the results. Left field option but I figure at this point leave no stone unturned. Good luck.

If your going to go that way a KTM Freeride might be a better starting point over a WR250F... already way more trials focused.

Is there any chance you have a friend with a different ECU/throttle body you could try on your bike with everything else as it sits to check your ECU isn't having issues? I don't remember if you are you running a hotter plug or not, if not maybe go to the hotter pug listed in the manual?

Other than the gearing, larger tank, seat and the taller suspension the 4 Ride isn't crazy different from a 4RT. I would think a used 4RT with a seat tank combo and a taller gearing would work quite well depending on your needs. The need for lights or street licensing for your situation and/or location might be your only disadvantage to getting a 4 Ride over a 4RT. Good luck.

Your location might help in case there is someone that might know of a supplier that might still have them.