NoTraction

I’ll keep this short and sweet. I ride a Beta Evo 200 (2020), have been riding trials around a year and am getting on pretty well I think, at least it’s all coming together and I’m falling off less than I was! Riding Sportsman routes with scores usually around the 20-40 points mark, sometimes better, sometimes worse depending on the venue. At my regular Thursday morning practice I had a go on a new Gas Gas 250 and immediately obstacles/logs on flat and slopes were crossed more smoothly/less jerkily and, weirdly, a tight camber turn on a slope I’ve been struggling with was easier, did it second go! The Beta is less powerful, lighter and has a tighter turn. Yet the Gas Gas immediately seemed smoother to ride after spending ten minutes on it. Certainly surprised me! What would be the logic behind this? One for the experts!

Just bought the black ones. Love ‘em, they make my Formas look like carpet slippers!

Thanks for the tip! 👍

Thanks once again for your input - the problem is now sorted out. A previous owner has fitted a gear change lever that is too short, probably because they had also had the footrests moved back. I have now fitted the correct lever which is a good 30-40mm longer and ‘hey presto’, combined with the clutch cleanup and fresh oil the gear change is now fine. What is wrong with some people……. 🙄😆

Thanks for sharing …. I’ll give it a good run before doing anything else and see if it sorts itself out now 👍

Thanks for your reply. The clutch was sticking badly when I got it so I drained the oil, removed the clutch plates and cleaned them up. There was nowhere near the full amount of oil came out of it, the friction plates do look a bit ‘battle scarred’ in places and the steel plates were stained up pretty badly. After cleaning up and replacing with fresh oil the clutch stick and drag seems to have gone although I’ve only briefly ridden it. Gear change is still the same though, really notchy and stiff. So much so that upchanges have to be done with my heel. Could this be down to the clutch plates?

Hi, I have just bought a 2003 Pampera mk3 and it has a really stiff and notchy gear change. It’s the same engine as fitted to the early non-Pro TXT’s. Can anyone advise on possible cause and fix for this? The shaft doesn’t appear to be visibly bent from initial inspection (without removal). I have drained the oil (which was low) and filled with 650ml Putoline Light Gear Oil which hasn’t made an initial difference.

Thank you, that makes it clearer. I think I get it now 👍

Can no one answer this? I’m just trying to get an understanding of the structure of national and international competitions so I can see the progression. Does a young rider compete by engine size due to age and then go European championship, Trial 2 and then Trial GP in succession of he’s good enough? Or is there regional followed by national followed by international progression? It would be great if someone could give me a brief explanation on how it works. Thanks in advance.

I’m just trying to get an understanding on the different competitions and what is related to what. As a relative noob I’m assuming most completions are run by the FIM? So there’s European, National and International championships, 125cc championships, then there’s Trial 2 - I’m struggling to get my head around what leads into what or if they are all different ‘leagues’ or competitions in their own right? Then there’s various names trials, Wallace etc, are these one off events rather than multi event championships? Could someone point out the structure so understand how it all fits together better please?

Sound advice Trialman…. I’ve been practicing figure eights and static balance and am getting better each time but didn’t think of putting a brick down, that’s a great idea. I managed to track down a copy of Bernie Schreibers book online which makes for great reading, I didn’t realise there were Mick Andrews and Sammy Miller books as well, I’ll keep my eye out. I want to read anything and everything I can find. Also, I hear what your saying about log hopping…. It’s just too tempting when they are in front of you. The Devil makes me do it (bit I really ought to stop until I’m better equipped!). Thanks for the tips 👍

That’s exactly what I need to do 👍

Thanks. I’ve been riding bikes since I was 13, 53 now but never tried riding competitively before. Always fancied trials but I’m also a musician so have spent my weekends travelling around doing that for the last 30 years but during Covid, when entertainment stopped, I had a bit of a ‘now or never’ moment and decided to try trials out. Im loving it but am also not that great yet, only been going 6 months so there’s heaps to learn. The thing that’s surprised me most is that I always thought I had good balance and a good feel for a bike. I think, I’m my mind, I thought I would be a natural - how wrong I was! I lift weights 3 times a week and cycle a bit so I’m in reasonable shape, albeit not the skinniest. Quite fit though and lifting the bike is no problem. I really do need to get the hang of thinking beyond ‘take off’ when I decide I’m going over obstacles though. Maybe I should stick to my camber turns, which also need lots of work, and leave the log hopping for later on!

Bambi on ice springs to mind…. 😉

Well, I got to take the new (to me) 2020 200 Evo out today to Milton Buzzard practice ground. What a bike! It’s just lovely, the front end is as light as a feather and the power is pretty smooth. It’s a revelation compared to my Rev3. Already managed to bin it though! Promised myself to not try anything I’m not confident with, at least for the first couple of outings so I could avoid dropping it. But then, I went over a log, no more than probably 12” or so in diameter, misplaced my front wheel on landing and went down in a hole beside the track. Bike up in the air, bar end straight in the thigh on landing. Ouch! Big lump there now! And, when I picked the bike up, somehow the rear wheel had come completely out of true and was rubbing on the swing arm. Still, sorted that out and apart from a bit of a temporary limp, a red face and some temporary frustration all is well and the bike isn’t damaged. I seem to have a bit of a bad habit though. I approach an obstacle and sometimes seem to lose control halfway through the movement and then ‘land’ badly as if I haven’t thought through the whole move including the ‘landing’. I feel like I’m not following through patiently or precisely. When this happens, all too often I end up on the deck. Then I’ll watch someone steadily doing what I was just doing as if it’s nothing at all. I’m hoping with practice it will all come good as falling off hurts too much, I’m not a teenager! Love the bike though! 😀

Good idea Ref the plastic washers… but that wasn’t it really, I just think the one OEM Beta/Grimeca lever I have is more substantial and feels better than the thinner Apico ones I have. It’s no biggie, but I was wondering which brand is nearest to the original in terms of thickness and feel. The Apico ones, at least the ‘basic’ ones seem skinnier… wondered who’s are best I suppose, or of indeed there’s a lot of difference brand for brand (S3, Apico, Jitsie, AS3 etc…)

Just wondered who makes the best fitting levers for the Evo Grimeca clutch and brake controls on a 2020 Evo 200? I’ve got a couple of sets of basic Apico dual purpose ones with the two sets of adjuster holes but they don’t have the same fit and feel as a genuine Beta one I have, a short type clutch lever from a Rev3. Unfortunately I only have one though and no brake side. And I prefer a matching pair! AS3 make some that look good or there’s the Apico Elite. Or does anyone make an OEM replica? Don’t really want to pay £30 odd quid each side for ones from Beta. Any suggestions?

Thanks everyone…. Can’t wait to get out on it, hopefully tomorrow. If we get a bit of respite from the wind and rain!

Does it rub the paint off underneath? I guess you don’t remove it every time you wash it?

Good Evening All! I just wanted to say a big thank you to every one who felt like they were getting their ‘virtual ears bent’ with my relentless questions regarding bike options. I know I was slightly repetitive at times as I tried every different angle possible to work out what new bike I should buy as I continue on my trials ‘journey’. I appreciate all the advice given and as a result I am now the proud new owner of the 2020 Beta Evo 200 pictured below. I am now looking forward, as Chris CH suggested, to start obsessing about balance rather than bikes and can’t wait to get out on it! Thank you all 😀

Alexz is a great bloke, we got on really well. He’s from the same small town as me yet somehow we’d never met. I expect because he spends most of his time elsewhere with trials stuff! I’ve got another day lined up with him in a few weeks, whatever bike I have by then I’m going to try my best not to irreparably damage it half way through the day this time! It was watching him effortlessly bounce up the rock steps that got me…. Unbelievable…. Anyway, I’m settled now. Modern it is, I’ll probably pick a ‘doo-er up-er’ twin shock of some description down the line for tinkering around with. Maybe rescue an old TY and pimp it up a bit. But not for my main or only bike at this stage…

Yes, I get that.... One of my bikes is a 1973 Harley Sportster, the brakes are practically non existent and its a heavy bike for its size so there's no firing it flat out in to bends and then yanking on the anchors because there aren't any..... I just coast around everywhere and enjoy that style of riding. I had a TY175 when I was younger and don't recall the brakes being awful, however I never trialled it and doubtless they are nothing like the hydraulic discs on my Rev3 - but then sometimes engine braking and softer actual brakes can be more predictable, at least on road bikes. It doesn't bother me the the brakes on my old bikes are crap to be honest!

Then there's that! Did you/do you ride a modern bike or have you always ridden classic? I have always had classic bikes on the road and that is the appeal. I'm generally a fan of older bikes and very much a garage tinkerer...... Plus when I was a kid the trials riders all rode Fantics, etc, it was the early 80's. I think the answer, ultimately, is going to be to be greedy and try to have both at some point. Currently, I will be happy be able to get around the Novice route reasonably competitively - although with a classic you can be in a whole separate class. I think on balance ( see what I did there?) I'd be better off sorting out the basic riding element on a forgiving bike first, a classic will doubtless follow before long 😊

Thank you. My mind is made up! Might get an old classic for garage tinkering when I've got some spare pennies but stick to modern for learning the art!

Thanks Timdog. Thats pretty much the conclusion I've come to. On the lookout for an Evo 200 to keep me out of mischief for a while 👍