greg watts

I think I know the answer to this, but just checking. - I've been giving my bike a pre-season going over and had the swing arm out to clean and grease the bearings. I thought I'd also do the lower shock bearing too, but the top hats don't seem to push out. I think they are probably a slight interference fit on the bearing and that really, this isn't just a 5 minute job like it is on the swing arm. Is that right? I've got a very small amount of play on the bottom shock mount, so in time I'll have to come back to this and replace the bearing I guess, but for now I just wanted to freshen things up down there. Am I right or am I missing something?

Or maybe the Gas Gas Randonee? - The seat just clips on and off. Or would the KTM Freeride do the job for you. I imagine it would be tough in trials sections, but good everywhere else. My own experience is that the compromises you have to encounter to get one bike to do it all often become such a frustration that you end up with two, or maybe 3, to cover all the bases. I run a Rev 3 270 and have a long ride seat/tank unit for it. It makes it a great play bike for going further afield on technical trails and for playing in self-made sections, but the relation of your feet to the gears and brakes doesn't really work when you are sat down, the big leap from 3rd to 4th and 5th gears can be slightly difficult to ride around when off road at higher speeds, and on very long descents the brakes can overheat. None of this is a problem with a more dedicated dual purpose machine, but then they won't do the trials bit anywhere near as well.

Just had my pipe off for a clean up while I also install some carbon tech reeds. When I put it back together is it best to use copper slip on the threads of the allen head bolts that go in to the barrel? What's the perceived wisdom of the Beta masses?

With the excellent help of John at Lampkins and Beta Italy I discovered that very early 2008 bikes (and mine is one of those) needed a small mod to the carb, basically a little brass insert that reduces the size of the overflow tube in the float bowl. That and shortening the overflow and breather tubes and putting a little slit in them about 20mm from the carb to stop the syphon effect. However, the parts kit is no longer available, so after a little bit of effort, Beta Italy sent me a replacement (used, but who cares?) float bowl to the correct specification. I was well chuffed! The bike does now use less fuel and it's a lot less 'bogged down' when you need to blip the throttle on a descent. I am now going to play with the jetting as I'm pretty sure that at my elevations it is running a bit rich, so I think I am starting to get somewhere with this now. Happy days (I hope). :-)

Yes, i have ridden it. It's brand new though so i was taking it very easy, but i would say i found the beta a bit easier to ride and identify with the observations you make. Some how the beta just felt a little bit smaller, but I'm sure i could get used to the GG easily enough. It was a lot smoother and quieter too.

I may have had a breakthrough. More news as things unfold...

- The bike is doing a degree of mountaineering, that's for sure! That snow is tricky stuff to ride on though.

As per the title, I'm grappling with carb setup and wonder if anyone has recommendations? I am generally riding the bike between 1,000m and 2,500m altitude (3000ft to 6,000ft). Bike currently has the UK standard of 48 pilot jet and 110 main. I'm not sure what needle it has or what clip setting it is on, but next time I am in there, I'll take a look. Appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

I've now got the floats set lower than recommended (so that the fuel supply valve is actuated sooner) and it's still using/leaking way more fuel than the gas gas my friend rides. A call to Lamkins next to see if there are any other ideas on what might help.

It's still rubbish :-( I'll have another go at re-setting the floats with a view to reducing further the amount of fuel in the float bowl. I can't think of anything else to try.

I've had the carb off (I'm getting good at it now I've done it a few times!) and re-set the float heights now and doing a stationary test with the engine running and the front wheel dropped down a bank it seems not to be dribbling fuel now. I'll go riding with my buddy this weekend and see if my fuel lasts as long as his in his Gas Gas. - Fingers crossed it's fixed, or at least a lot better than it was!

OK, I've removed the long ride kit and done the "point the bike downhill" test and indeed petrol does dribble from the vent pipes (well, one of them at least). So, I'll check the float hight setting and make sure all is clean inside the carb. If there's anythng else I should be checking and adjusting, do let me know.

I thought all those issues were fixed on the 08 model with the Keihin carbs, that's why I'd not really gone down that route? All I saw relating to the 08 carb was to check the float height setting. I will check first to see if I am leaking fuel (I'm gessing I must be given the rate I am getting through the stuff at) and if so get the carb off and have a look at the float height and the carb setup guide for the pre-2008 models. (I assume the pinned thread at the top of the forum on carb setup is the guide you are referring to?)

I've got an 08 Rev 3 270 which I use with a long ride kit. My friend has just bought a brand new Gas Gas 300 and now that I am riding with him I'm realizing that my 270 seems very thirsty. We rode together today and I must have used close to 4 litres of fuel to his two. We live and ride at altitude, typically riding from 3000ft to 5000ft in the French alps. My bike mostly seems to run well, but I would say it's a sluggish off a closed throttle especially when you are coming down a long decent off the throttle and you dip the clutch and give it a blip of throttle to get some oil flowing. It needs a really good handful before it runs cleanly. My guess is carb setup, but I'm unsure what I should be looking to change. Or are the 270's and the Rev 3's generally considered to be particularly thirsty? I've made sure the air filter is clean, I've cleaned and set the plug gap. Any suggestions? Appreciate any help.

Checked my brake adjustments and they seem fine. The plunger is coming all the way out with no problems. I'll take a look at the fluid levels and inside the master cylinder.

Thanks guys. Front brake certainly could be backed off a bit so I'll try that. The rear though seems to have a fair amount of play in the lever before it does anything and is set very high, so I'm not sure that has scope to adjust any further and that is causing the same issues (getting hot and binding), but I will investigate/adjust and let you know if there are any further issues. Appreciate the assistance from you all :-).

I use a Beta Rev 3 for technical trail riding in the alps. On longer descents , no matter how brake-friendly I ride (low gear, really slow, as much engine braking as I can find) the brakes get really hot and start to bind on. Anyone got any ideas on what I can do to improve the situation. I am using good quality Galfer pads, but was wondering if I could use dot 5.1 fluid perhaps or find other ways to dissipate heat better?

There's quite a bit on here about re-packing the exhaust and the noise of the 270. People say the 270 does have a harder edged pop to it than the others. Also, advice is not to pack the exhaust too tight. I used the Beta insert from SplatShop and it just slots straight in and at least you then know you have the right density of packing. Noise afterwards was about the same as before though.

I just spaced mine out with a few washers and a slightly longer bolt. Seems to have done the trick OK.

Thanks for posting the vids jamie. I enjoyed watching them and seeing the bike in action. It shows that one of these will be more capable than I am. Now all I need to do is buy one - hopefully a 175 - and see if I can find any trials in depts 01, 69, 73 or 74 this summer. (I live in Haute Savoie (74).)

Thanks for that. It helps make me think I should just pile in and buy one, although that won't be a 5 minute job as they seem to be quite few and far between. So, in terms of a comfortable speed on the road, can you nip along at say 70 or 80 kmh OK? Or is that revving the nuts off the thing?

I'm planning to get a trials bike to trail ride and play on in the French Alps where I live. I was going to get a 250+ 2 stroke, thinking all the extra power would make it cruise easier on the road sections and easier jeep tracks that I'll have to ride. But all of the advantages of a 4 stroke and the long-ride kit has got me on to one of these too - even if I have to stump up twice as much dosh for it. But I do worry that a 175 four stroke will be a bit of a dog on the jeep tracks and road. Can anyone tell me what I can expect out of one of these in those conditions? I'm not concerned about the low speed stuff as I know any bike I buy will out perform my ability to ride it.

Thanks. But I've been through the whole Pampera and Beta Alp debate and decided a full on trials bike is what I really want. I'm just going to buy one and carry some fuel in bottles for the randonees and see how I get on. I think it'll be fine. I've gotta say, this is a great website and forum. I've participated in others for other hobbies in the past, but none compare to this one. I've been really impressed with the advice I've been given and the sheer number of replies to my questions. Thanks to all. It's appreciated. I'm sold! That's my solution. Cheap and easy and I think 6 litres of fuel (2 in the bike and 4 on my back) will probably get me as far as I need to go (or am physically able to go) in 1 day of riding.

That's really useful advice. Thanks. I'd actually forgotten about lights being compulsary! Durrr. Scorpa's look like they have a reasonable size fuel tank even without the long ride kit. Don't know if that is the case or not as it seems hard to find fuel tank sizes quoted on the manufacturers websites. If that is the case then yes, maybe the 175 is a good idea. I had been thinking that bigger engined bikes (like 280cc 2 stroke) would make the jeep tracks and easier trails nicer to ride as the bike would have to work less hard, but maybe that's not really the case?? It's such a long time since I last rode a trials bike I am really out of touch with what the modern bikes are like. So anyway. It's looking like carrying the fuel on my back is the way to go, although I did see a Gas Gas on French ebay with an aux tank fitted to a cross brace on the bars, which is quite neat (or at least it is until you smack your face into it and knock all your teeth out!) as it leaves yer lights in tact. As for GPS, I find the navigation pretty easy here in the alps. It's either very up, or very down :-) I'm assumming I'd need a licence from the French version of the ACU to compete in trials, but I'll work that out later. First I need to contact the clubs in my area (seems to be a lot of them) to see if any of them run trials events. But that'll only happen in the spring once the snows have gone and skiing is off the agenda.