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I don't think your bike came with one (unless it was the 04' Raga model, but I think that came with a Ducati programmable type using an EPROM, not a dual-map, and needed a hookup and laptop). From what I remember, it started with the 05' models (most of the next years changes are released the prior year on the Ragas) and over here the dual-map ignition system (Ducati, I think the first year) was two wires under the front of the tank (orange-black). Plugged in was the slow curve and disconnected was the fast curve (the mapping curves, as I was told, are the same up to about 2500 RPM, and then the "fast" curve advances quicker, which is why most riders can't tell the difference, riding at lower RPMs). The 06' models came with a handlebar mounted switch and the 05's can work the same just by adding the 06' switch. Jon

Well, I apoligize for my feeble attempt at humor, it didn't promote an answer to Bo's question. I am in agreement that if the "erasure" had happened 8 years ago, we'd all be better off. One of the problems with democracy is that sometimes you end up with dictators.... Jon

I haven't used one of these, but I think this is the tool from GG. The "fingers" go over the gear and catch on the backside and the collar/ring is slid on to lock them in place, then the bolts pushes in on the crank to back the gear off. Jon

Maybe our illustrious Vice-President, Mr. Cheney, is visiting there (no one seems to ever know WHERE he is....). I know he had his home and surroundings "erased" from the satellite photos, under Executive Order, and Google is not allowed to show his residence. Jon

Got it! We were talking about the same thing. Cheers. Jon

Hi smitty! Your 96' should take about 300cc's of 5-weight fork oil per leg. You probably have not taken the fork apart completely, so the best way seems to be unscrewing the top cap of the tube and drop the upper tube down a couple of inches, tilt the tube a little and slowly add the oil in between the spring coils. A RatioRite works well as the spout is triangular and the oil comes out in a narrow stream. Take your time and allow the oil to slowly drain down inside. Cheers. Jon

I'm assuming you mean "race sag", with the rider and full gear? I still havent figured out why, according to davet's description, the front suspension would all of a sudden easily bottom out. Is there something I'm missing? I could see that happening with a loss of fluid, but that does not seem to be the case. The dirty oil (metal particles sluffed off from the outside of the springs) could interfere with the shim stacks damping ability, but thats fairly rare and does not usually happen all at once. davet, could you provide a little more background on exactly what happened while you were riding? Jon

Paul, Probably best to carefully inspect the parts before considering replacing them. If they are o.k., I'd leave them be as you are treating them differently now and there is a lot less stress and shock on them. If you decide to replace them, you will get slightly different parts. The new racheting mechanisms installed on the new bikes (and are the only ones available for parts replacement) have a less pronounced angle to the spiral grooves and the lever engages them quicker. This means that the lever locks up higher at the start of the throw and you have a longer movement, which spins the engine over quicker. Jon

Isle of Man, International 250 class I think. I'm pretty sure it's from a Duke video I have called "The Ultimate Ride" that features on-board camera shots of various "sport" and includes off-shore boats, Trials, Nick Jeffries at the TT, the Manx Rally, downhill skiing, the roller coaster at Blackpool and Alton Towers etc. A bunch of stuff and a neat tape. Jon

I just went out to the shop and measured a new one: .5mm thick 18.2mm ID 24.1mm OD Jon

Tim, The knackered gears is almost always a sign that the racheting mechanism has not been engaged before pressure is put on the lever. A lot of riders will kick at the lever (rather than use body weight after locking up the mechanism) which causes the gears to be slammed together and as there is a slight flat spot on the engaging partial gear teeth, if it does not engage exactly perfect, that flat spot hits the edge of the idler gear before engaging and will chip it over time. Jon

When I lived on the West Coast, I used Rock Oil products a lot in my Trials bikes (and the Pro MX bikes I built) with very good results, but I get a blank stare from the parts guys at the shops here in the Midwest when I ask about it. Since it's designed for bikes and will have the appropriate additives and modifiers for a wet clutch environment, I'd say give it a try and see how you like it. The main thing is to change it often to keep it fresh and clean, which in the long run, may even be more important than what type of oil you run, especially in the crank bearing and internal bearing transmission split-shaft-lubed, small capacity Pro transmissions. Your 02' only takes about 350cc's and it has to lube a lot more parts and dissipate extra heat than any other two-stroke Trials tranny. Jon

Copey, now you're scaring me........ Jon

Peter, I have an 02' 280 Pro with a later clutch pack in it and have been using the GM AutoTrak II for several years now with no fiber plate swelling (the stock 02' fibers tended to swell). I understand the GM transfer case fluid is a synthetic but has been no problem as far as my experience is. I've found that the Ford Type-F ATF works well in the late model clutch packs with the lighter springs, but a lot of riders use the Dexron II ATF with no problems over here. Perhaps the reason my clutch lasts is that I usually try to change the fluid every 5-12 hours of use and run a magnetic drain plug top and bottom. I read in one of the GG owner's manuals they recommend trans oil change every 60 hours, which seems way off the chart for a competition engine and I was sure it was a misprint. Jon

Yea, welcome! The 250 is a perfect bike for you. The main idea is to have fun and learn to laugh a lot (I'm 66 and still having a good time) and you'll find that Trials riders are a great bunch of people to ride with. I know riders over 70 that still compete in National events so don't worry (the 70 year old riders can usually outride me!) Cheers. Jon

I carry my bikes and gear in a little 6X10 enclosed trailer so I try not to bring too much terrafirma home with me. What I've found useful is a 3 gal spray bottle from the garden store. It takes up little room and I've attached a Schrader valve to it so I can hookup a small tire air compressor to keep it at 30 PSI to wash off the bike (this bottle came with a neat little 30 PSI popoff valve on it), using a long bristle brush, before loading it up. I think I've had this one for 10 years and although I don't always need it, it sure has come in handy at times. Jon

Sounds like you've covered most of the bases and matbe it's time to call a priest who can do a "leak-down" test on the engine. That would involve plugging the exhaust port, plugging the intake manifold and then pressurizing the crankcase with about 5-7 psi and checking all the sealing junctions (and looking for casting flaws) with soapy water in a spray bottle and look for bubbles. If you had a very accurate air pressure gauge, you could monitor the pressure drop, but the soapy water routine usually works fine. Any good two-stroke engine builder will have a leak-down kit available and/or you can make one yourself using various "freeze plugs" from an auto parts store (they are used to seal casting holes in engine blocks and the rubber expanding ones work well for exhaust ports and the steel ones fit intake manifolds). Compressed air and a small pressure regulator attached to a fitting in the manifold plug and you're set. Some engines are prone to air leaks in certain areas, for instance, the early KX80 Kawasaki's had a casting flaw involving three bosses behind the stator area and a tuner would routinely seal and test these when modifying the engine. Newer case reed Trials engines are sometimes prone to air leaks under the manifold area case sealing surfaces and you want to spend a little extra time making sure that area seals well. For most riders who work on their own engines, this seems like overkill, but your problem seems to be out of the normal range of symptoms and a test would eliminate sealing issues as a cause. Jon

As far as I know, the 02's came with the Dellorto PHBL26 carbs. Are you the original owner? Jon

Ben, Check the gasket for a good seal and you usually can adjust the sealing pressure by tightening the small nut on the inside of the filler cap. Jon

Suspension settings are kinda like haircuts, they are personal and specific and "factory settings" are generally set in the middle range for shipping. For the 04' forks, you might set the compression on full-out and rebound on full-in, which seems to work for most riders. A lot of riders like the shock set at the softest setting as they like it "springy". Try different settings on the same practice section to find out what you like. Be aware that most external suspension adjustments usually affect the "high speed" aspect of damping (the "speed" refers to the shock shaft and cartridge rod speed, not how fast the bike is going) and the low speed damping is set by the configuration of the shim stack on the piston ("shim stacks" are a set of special washers, stacked in such a way as to regulate oil flow inside the shock and fork cartridge piston) and bouncing up and down on the driveway will not generally show any felt difference in the settings. On all suspension adjusters, ALWAYS bottom them out LIGHTLY, then back them out to the desired setting. They are actually quite delicate and it is not uncommon for riders to damage them by screwing them in tightly or snapping them off. Fork and shock spring pre-load and fork oil level are other ways to adjust the suspension. Jon

Dave, The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP-v_c0g0mw should help you. I'll be interested in what you find. According to your description, I'd be surprized if it was not a broken spring, but they are rare nowadays. Jon

Dave, From what you describe, especially the quick onset of the symptom, my first guess is a broken fork spring. You didn't say what type/year your bike was (a "280", depending on model/year, could have GasGas....GasGas with Marzocchi internals....Marzocchi....or Sachs forks). If it's a fairly new model, I'd guess a construction issue with the spring, but if an older model, this is usually caused by not keeping the fork oil fresh and to the correct oil level. The forks rely on the oil for internal lubrication and bottom-out damping. If the oil is neglected, the spring coils wear a flat spot on the outsides from friction with the inside of the upper tubes (the metal particles being rubbed off collect in the bottom of the lower tube and riders often mistake that for dirt) and this flat spot on the coil creates a "stress riser", a place for a crack to start because of the material shape. If the oil level is low, the forks are also more prone to bottom out as the oil level affects the last third of fork travel. So, poor oil, low oil level, spring shape and ease of bottoming out often lead to spring breakage. Sounds like you will need to take the forks off and carefully inspect the internals. I'm guessing that the cause will be apparent quickly, but if not, let us know as this is only a first guess. Jon

Bob, If it's a Pro, here's a site that should help, there's a video on the Pro water pump: http://www.trialspartsusa.com/tech.html Cheers JOn

Bob, Probably seal as mentioned above (check for coolant loss), and installation will depend on what type/year/model bike you have. If the shaft is worn, the seal (unless a new one) is worn. If it's a new seal and still leaking, replacing just the shaft should restore the system. When the shaft is out, run your fingernail over the sealing area and if you feel a depression, the shaft is usually worn (you can usually see the groove) and this will decrease the seal lip pressure and will cause premature failure of the new seal to do it's job. The fingernail is amazingly sensitive to surface variations and is good for checking fork tube nicks, shaft grooves etc. Your local dealer should be able to get you what you need. Jon

I understand, the GasGas models through the years can be confusing. Here's what I remember (they may not be in perfect order, but then, I'm not either) Starting in 1985: Halley Aire Delta Contact (GT models) JT ("T" for Tarres) 96'-JTR 97'-JTX 98'-TX then TXT in 2002 they made two models, the older frame/engine that was the TXT "Edition" model and the "TXXI" Pro, which was the first of the Pros ( not usually referred to as the TXXI, but photo attached to avoid posting arguments) from 02' the common name is TXT, with the older model as the "Edition" model and the newer type as the "Pro". I'm still a little confused..... Jon Oh, and feel free to correct this, it's off the top of my head so may not be totally accurate.