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Rob, I always advise new riders with a new bike to save their money but spend their time. Learn how to set up your bike to suit your riding style and go through it to make sure it is in top shape. When your talent and skill level far exceeds the bike's ability, you may then want to look at changes, but then you'll most likely have support and bikes provided for you. Most of us like to make changes to our bikes to suit our needs, if only just because we like messing about with them (I'm more than guilty of that). All the new bikes are built to such a high level that any changes you make will probably be at a minimal level but first you will need to spend some time on the bike to see what you may want to change. Jon

That's generally where I set my engines. If you want to be super accurate, use two pieces of soft solder, front and back, which will compensate for piston rock and give a more consistant measurement. Jon

Forgot photo:

Here's another way to organize. This is a cart I made for suspension work only. It has all my specialized tools, Nitrogen bottle, shims, seal drivers etc. in one spot. The top drains down into a catchtank. I can wheel it over to the bike I'm working on. Suspension work is really, really messy and requires a lot of very specialized tools that are not used for any other purpose. The cart keeps it all in one portable location. You're right, Copey. I am sick..... Jon

A driver was stuck in a traffic jam on the highway outside Washington DC . Nothing was moving. Suddenly, a man knocks on the window. The driver rolls down the window and asks, "What's going on?" "Terrorists have kidnapped Congress, and they're asking for a $100 million dollar ransom. Otherwise, they are going to douse them all in gasoline and set them on fire. We are going from car to car, collecting donations." "How much is everyone giving, on average?" the driver asks. The man replies, "Roughly a gallon."

Just got my new copy of the AMA American Motorcyclist magazine and Debbie Evans is on the cover. Very good article, great photos and well worth reading. There is also a photo and short article on the USA Trials des Nations team. Jon

You're right, it really does help, especially when one comes across that weird capscrew down in the hub hole. The capscrew is shaved down (and drilled to allow the trans to vent) to help clear the top hat servo cylinder so there is very little area for the Allen to "bite" into and if an old, worn Allen wrench is used they strip in no time. I always give the extention a tap with a small hammer before taking that capscrew out. Jon

My guess is that the Randonne may soon come with a larger engine.... Jon

Most of us use a 50/50 mix of automotive anti-freeze (for alloy engines and not the long-term orange type) and distilled water. I'd change it yearly and fill the radiator up to the bottom of the filler neck. Any excess will dribble out the vent tube when the coolant expands so don't worry. Jon

You could try a T-25 Torx bit on a short extension and then unscrew it out. Tapping the bit into the head of the capscrew will help break the bond. As mentioned, be sure to use a new OEM capscrew and a new Allen wrench or an old one with 5mm cut off the end. Jon

Due to the coming year's political posturing leading up to the 2012 elections, we have an overabundance of BS, please take as much as you need.... Jon

Go to TrialsPartsUSA website- TECH page and under "GASGAS Pro Engine Technical Bulletin UPDATED JUNE. 08 2010 " you will probably find what you need. Jon

Usually the coolant level is at the bottom of the neck of the fill pipe, any excess will dribble out the overflow when the coolant expands with heat (this is normal). If your mate's bike is still dribbling coolant after riding a bit, it may be that the o-rings sealing the head to the cylinder are leaking and should be replaced. Try re-torquing the head fasteners first to see if that doesn't cure the dribble, if not the o-rings probably need replacing. Jon

Use a small wire brush to clean out the internal threads of the flywheel hub, blow out with compressed air and grease the threads on the puller. Jon

If a bike runs well and then you make some changes to it (or remove/install parts) and it won't run, it's a good idea to reverse engineer what you did to see if the problems lies there. Look for wires loose (or broken) under the tank. You'll want to pull the connectors and make sure the wire is not broken inside, where it would not be observed by just looking at it. Trace the wires back to the stator like Nigel suggests and look carefully at the insulation, which may have cracked in the last 40 years of use. Jon

Those who know me, know I ONLY use .032" Mil-spec annealed stainless steel BS, which I can buy REALLY cheap across the border in Texas as there is SO much of it there.... Jon ps. Copey and I are old buddies and this is just Oklahoma hasseling Texas (it's a football thing).....

Nope. A much more sophisticated explanation. My cardboard can of safety wire was unraveling after use at a wet race venue so an old decal fixed it right up.... Jon

Open the screw with the forks extended or add a bleeder to the fork cap. Jon Maybe I should explain a little further. When you set the suspension damping, you want the forks to perform as consistantly and predictably as possible. Pressure buildup in the forks during operation (pressure normally the case) will alter the compression/rebound response. Fork seals, due to their design, tend to act as a one-way valve, and to a certain degree, allow air to enter the lower tube and not allow it to exit. As a consequence, your fork action will probably be a little different ("harsher", some may describe) from the cool morning to the warmer afternoon for example. There are other variables, such as fluid temperature and material thermal expansion that change fork action, but adding fork bleeders will allow you to eliminate a variable, which is usually a good idea. I run bleeders on all my forks and check them now and then, it only takes a second. Shock seals are another animal and require high pressure to seal well, per their design.

I made a puller to use out at an event but I find a press is a quick and easy way to get the bearing race off. A piece of tubing with an ID slightly larger than the stem diameter will press the bearing race on the stem with no damage. Jon

You don't have to let the air out of your forks, only if you want maximum performance from them. Jon

I agree. Jon ps. My 85 TY350 has Mag sidecases and my 2002 Pro has stock Mag engine and sidecases.

Front tire is tube-type, rear tire is tubeless and forks should be bled just before an event (forks extended completely). Jon

The float level may be wrong (the arms should be parallel to the sealing surface of the bowl). The float(s) may be in upside down (pins go at the bottom). Float needle is leaking and needs to be replaced (ask for a #300 needle assembly). Jon

Welcome Jason! Looks like you also have a good area to practice with your Trials bike when you get it. You'll find you will be faster around your Enduro loop after you develop some Trials skills. A bunch of the Extreme Enduro riders have cut their teeth in Trials, such as David Knight, Taddy Blazusiac, Graham Jarvis, Doug Lampkin, Wayne Braybrook etc. Cheers. Jon