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We had a discussion on another forum and this comment was added about fluids used in the GasGas clutch systems: "The DOT-5 (Silicone based and generally quite inert) can be used in (as a total replacement) the DOT-3/4 or mineral oil systems and actually makes the lever about 20% smoother from our experience, but you can't convert between the DOT-3/4/5.1 and mineral oil systems without a total replacement of compatable seals/o-rings. I've always been suspicious of any intermixing and if the mineral oil system has DOT-3/4 in it, at all-even a couple drops, I'd replace all the seals. The DOT 3, 4, 5.1 (as I understand, DOT-5.1 is used in high-speed European ABS systems and appears to be a lower viscosity) is a very active solvent (and makes a good paint remover), and I've used it to soak carbon encrusted combustion chambers to make them easier to polish out. Some riders think that you can just drain the clutch fluid out at the bleed fitting and replace it with another type, but the whole system needs to be completely dis-assembled and throughly cleaned. I've converted all my clutch systems to DOT-5 and the seals and rubber boots last years without swelling. DOT-3, 4, 5.1__DOT-5__and mineral oil are not compatable with each other in clutch systems (Copey's correct and you'll usually end up with something that looks like science fiction sea monsters floating around in your fluid reservoir). Seals and o-rings made for mineral oil (often green in color) usually are damaged by DOT-3 type fluids, which are quite reactive." I also have an 2002 280. DOT 3 or 4 should be added to the reservoir on the stock 02' master cylinder. You'll want to slightly overfill it (hold a rag underneath) so that when you put the cap on (it has an expansion bladder that is part of the gasket) there will be as little air as possible trapped under the bladder. Make sure you have a little clearance where the adjustment screw on the clutch lever meets the plunger that goes into the rubber boot to the piston inside the master cylinder. Jon

Glad to help. A good tip for old Allen capscrews, which are common on bikes, is to use a T-handle Allen and tap the top of the handle with a small hammer to help "shock" any corrosion loose before backing them out. Be sure to use a little anti-seize on them upon re-assembly. Cheers. Jon

Jan, Just to eliminate misalignment as a possibility (it can cause forks to feel "stiff"), you might want to loosen all the fork fasteners (and take off the fork brace) except for the top tripleclamp bolts, push down on the forks to center them, torque the lower tripleclamp bolts, pump forks again, tighten the axle clamp bolts, center forks again and install the fork brace. Essentially, tighten the fork fasteners from the top down (except for the brace, which should always be tightened last. If the brace holes do not line up, use a small round file to open the holes so the capscrews drop in easily. Any good tool store should have a "pin spanner" type wrench, which is adjustable to fit caps like the one on the Marzocchi's. Jon

Jan, Just to eliminate misalignment as a possibility (it can cause forks to feel "stiff"), you might want to loosen all the fork fasteners (and take off the fork brace) except for the top tripleclamp bolts, push down on the forks to center them, torque the lower tripleclamp bolts, pump forks again, tighten the axle clamp bolts, center forks again and install the fork brace. Essentially, tighten the fork fasteners from the top down (except for the brace, which should always be tightened last. If the brace holes do not line up, use a small round file to open the holes so the capscrews drop in easily. Any good tool store should have a "pin spanner" type wrench, which is adjustable to fit caps like the one on the Marzocchi's. Jon

I just got back from Colorado about 2am Tuesday morning from the Ute Cup and spent two days in cold rain and hail, checking six sections in all, trying not to fall off the mountain trail on the way up and back from my sections, dodging pack horses on a loop that had a 6" wide track of mud to follow and straight down the mountain on the low side, bouncing over more uphill boulder trails than I thought possible, climbing up and down mud hills all day (well, mostly sliding on my butt) helping riders extracate themselves from the slop and dodging stuff that squirrels were throwing at me. And ya know what?, I can't remember having so much fun at a Trial. The RMTA put on a great event and I can't wait till next year.... Jon Geez, I re-read this post and was worried that some might think I was actually complaining, but the opposite is true. I REALLY had a great time. The RMTA is one of the most friendly clubs you can ride with and I can't remember having so many people thank me for checking. In the afternoon, I had a little time by myself at my section, waiting for the riders to start back on the loop to run the section backwards, and my section was in an Aspen groove next to a bubbling stream and I couldn't ask for a more beautiful place to spend some quiet time. I also got to see Mark Manniko clean my section (the only one to clean afternoon section 4 Sunday) and it will be one of the most memorable rides I will never forget. The section snaked up and around trees and rocks and was probably the most slippery section I've ever experienced (I had a lot of trouble just trying to walk it and slid out of the boundry numerous times) and would have been a good World Round section. To see him dance that bike up, down and over all the obstacles in that zero-traction section was amazing! Larry Lund told me that next year they should have a new venue in Southern Colorado, with some great trail riding on the loops. If you've never been to a Ute Cup, you are missing one of the top Trials in the U.S. Thanks again to all the riders that made me feel welcome and took good care of this old geezer.

Geeez, Zip, That starts to make sense to me. I think I need a glass of wine.... Jon

Mark, I don't know if this will help much, but it will give you an idea of the torque values for various parts. It for a Pro and in Nm's rather than Ft Lb's (it wouldn't upload a spreadsheet I did with both values, but conversion tables are on the Net). I'd use a torque wrench, at least until you get a good idea of what various torque values feel like and you'll be surprized at how little and how much torque is required based on the fasteners. Jon

I haven't heard any timeline as yet, Tom, but the usual new year release is around October+- here in the U.S., but with a totally new model it will probably be different. I was up at the Ute Cup in Colorado this weekend and saw the 09' Raga in action. Very impressive. I expect some minor teething problems, as you normally would with any radical, totally new design, but nothing that can't be sorted out and dealt with. They are using some design parts from the Pro so that should eliminate some problems to start with. GasGas, like the other brands, is good about constantly updating their bikes and having those updates fit all earlier models and the importers here back their products. You can spend countless hours testing and developing, and a ton of money on a childproof cap for a medicine bottle, but the real test is giving it to the kids to play with. The Sherco 4T, for instance, got a bad rap when first released and unfortunately a few riders still base their opinion on past results but it was, and still is, a good basic design and you can't go wrong buying one. I've probably got an above-average amount of understanding and experience of the complexities of chassis/engine design and it's my opinion that I don't think you can buy a "bad" Trials bike nowadays and all the brands are trying their best to put out the best possible product they can. Considering the fact that the Trials bike market is relatively small in comparison to others, there are a huge bunch of engineers and designers bending over backwards to make us happy. Jon

Tom, I'm kinda anxious too and have my name on the list for one of the first ones to hit the States. It was a gutsy move to choose a sidevalve (marketing wise) but I think it was a very good choice for Trials. Months back, I wrote an article for Trials Competition News here in the U.S. on the sidevalve engine that they asked to re-print on the GasGasUSA website and I only had the CAD graphic to make my guesses from (before they released the photos of the 09' models) , but I'll probably do what I did when I first got my 02' Pro, take it apart and poke around inside to see what new things they came up with. But, then again, I'm a nut case when it comes to motorcycles and what makes them work...... I would imagine they are still making some final decisions as to the final configuration and I heard they were working on plug placement in the head (critical in a sidevalve engine) and they even might want to consider a dual-plug design which we found worked pretty well when we raced that type of engine. I'm guessing the final engine will be a lot quieter than the video, they don't have to be noisey. I doubt Raga will be on one soon and the 4T will be a "standard" (clubman) model for the time being, with a "racing" version available in the future depending on ongoing development. Jon

Hi Eddie, I usually use some hi-temp Silicone sealer around the joint. Make sure the parts are clean and let it cure overnight. There may be some corrosion inside the adjuster and sometimes taking off the cap and adding some penetrating oil down inside helps. Let it sit for awhile and then try to carefully twist the cap back and forth, very carefully, to free the screw inside. If you know where the rebound adjuster is (set it at full off, or screwed out) you will be able to compare that to the height on the compression adjustment cap. If the rebound is full out and the compression adjuster is lower than the rebound adjuster cap, chances are that the compression adjuster has been screwed into where it has now seized, so you'll want to put most of the torque freeing it in a twisting out direction. This way, if the adjuster is already screwed full in, you won't damage the needle/seat down inside the damping mechanism buy trying to forch it in more while trying to free it. Jon

"Servo cylinder" and "Slave cylinder" are the same, the former is a little more "politically correct" for various reasons, but also more technically accurate. The "clutch basket" is where the clutch plates reside and has a ring gear around the outside that meshes with the primary gear on the end of the crankshaft. Somebody thought it looked like a basket when upturned and since that's where you put all the clutch "stuff", I'm guessing that's how it got it's name. You might want to get the pin that fits inside the smaller servo cylinder spring you now have, it helps guide and stabilize the spring and adds a little more preload. Jon

Mark, The best I can do for you on-line is a German GasGas website, http://www.gasgas.de/ ,and look under "ersatzteile" and you will find a parts manual for the 93' 327. Jon

Peter, The DOT-5 (Silicone based and generally quite inert) can be used in (as a total replacement) the DOT-3/4 or mineral oil systems and actually makes the lever about 20% smoother from our experience, but you can't convert between the DOT-3/4/5.1 and mineral oil systems without a total replacement of compatable seals/o-rings. I've always been suspicious of any intermixing and if the mineral oil system has DOT-3/4 in it, at all-even a couple drops, I'd replace all the seals. The DOT 3, 4, 5.1 (as I understand, DOT-5.1 is used in high-speed European ABS systems and appears to be a lower viscosity) is a very active solvent (and makes a good paint remover), and I've used it to soak carbon encrusted combustion chambers to make them easier to polish out. Some riders think that you can just drain the clutch fluid out at the bleed fitting and replace it with another type, but the whole system needs to be completely dis-assembled and throughly cleaned. I've converted all my clutch systems to DOT-5 and the seals and rubber boots last years without swelling. DOT-3, 4, 5.1__DOT-5__and mineral oil are not compatable with each other in clutch systems (Copey's correct and you'll usually end up with something that looks like science fiction sea monsters floating around in your fluid reservoir). Seals and o-rings made for mineral oil (often green in color) usually are damaged by DOT-3 type fluids, which are quite reactive. Jon

GasGas has a new integrated stem/rim strap that is one-piece and the part # is BT551502808. Jon

I'm a little confused about what spring you are talking about and am guessing you mean the coned washer "Belville spring", but I'm not sure what that has to do with the clutch sidecover or do you mean the preload spring that pushes the servo cylinder out (it usually has an aluminum nail-like pin in the center)? The servo cylinder is that "top hat" looking thing that slides over the post on the inside of the clutch sidecover and presses on the "fingers" in the clutch assembly. As for the fluid not coming up to the reservoir, I think the adjustment screw on the lever is in too far and is closing off the bleed hole inside the reservoir. Back off the lever screw so that the master cylinder piston comes back to the stop at the circlip inside the rubber boot on the M/C. Brake cleaner usually will clean hydraulic fluid off the plates and don't worry about the gear oil, they run in a bath of it. If you have the newer, thinner, clutch Belville spring, you might want to try the Ford type-F ATF and change it every 5-10 hours of use. Cheers. Jon

No problem. I see that Jim Snell is also putting some of the video service guides on his website now: http://www.trialspartsusa.com/tech.html . Cheers. Jon

Jeepster, What exactly are the symptoms and under what conditions? The cooling systems are designed to run pressurized, in part to prevent cavitation/air bubbles and for every one PSI of pressure, the boiling point of the coolant is raised approximately 2 degrees. Jon

Although my engine is magnesium (cases and sidecover) all the components that are coolant related are aluminum (water pump, cylinder, head, radiator), and as mentioned, I've never had any corrosion indicators present in 6+ years of use in my personal bike. And this includes all the other alloy engines I've built over many other years, which is not overall conclusive, of course, but is conclusive according to personal experience. Jon

My understanding is limited, but hopefully there is someone out there with a background in Thermal Physics who can relate exactly how the surfactant promotes the second law of thermodynamics. Jon

Well, the coolant is taking more heat out of the cylinder, but the coolant is also transfering more heat to the radiator (and to ambient air) and therefore the system is more effecient in operation, hense the lower operating temperatures. I think, maybe, that you are assuming the coolant is the "end of the road" for the heat, but it really is just a link in the chain that ends in release to the outside air. The WaterWetter allows the engine to "move" heat better from one material to another (cylinder alloy surface to coolant medium to radiator material) by reducing the normally high surface tension of water. In roadrace bikes, we are not allowed to use normal anti-freeze, as a spill makes the track like ice, so we usually use distilled water and an additive like WaterWetter, which also contains approved additives to inhibit corrosion in the alloy engines. In a way, it's kinda the same as one of the reasons we went from iron cylinder liners to present day plated ceramic cylinders. The "gap" where the aluminum met the iron inhibited heat transfer, much the same as the microscopic, insulating air bubbles that form, under heat, at the cylinder/coolant junction. Anyway, that's basically how I understand it Jon, never lying but sometimes inaccurate....

I'm also heading for Colorado next week and I got one from RYP to mount on my GasGas. I don't like the clamp mounts so I devised one that uses two poprivited bent master link sides and a small, strong spring. I've used it for some time now and it works well and does not slide/vibrate off in rough circumstances. Jon

I know what it means in California and you could never get one at a Jason's Deli (course, I never asked...). I like NZralphy's idea of building the ultimate trials bike, that might be the second thing I'd do. Jon

Try http://d-mis-web.ana.bris.ac.uk/personal/H...f/media/gasgas/ and the #13 video should help. You have the GasGas forks that take 300cc's of 5 weight per leg. Cheers. Jon

Although I haven't used it personally, I've heard of good results from the Pro Cool. I've had good luck with all the Silkolene products. I found the article interesting, but not particularily compelling, in that he described WaterWetter as containing "Tolytriazole PolySiloxane Polymer", but then goes on to describe "polydimethylsiloxane" and how nasty it is to clean out of tubes. I thought the Latin quotation, "Numquam ponenda est pluritas sine necessitate"", at the end of the post was cool, though. It may be a possibility that under certain circumstances and in the presence of other chemicals, the WaterWetter additive could create a problem, but I've never heard of it happening and my long-term personal experience, so far, has been positive, or in Latin terms, I arrived at my conclusion "a posteriori" ("From what comes after", inductive reasoning based on observation). Jon, absit invidia (no offence intended)

Thanks, Peter. That makes sense to me and I did notice the two case gaskets in the complete Pro gasket set like you describe. Cheers. Jon