peterb

Hello Ed, I also have a rebuild to do on a 348, 1979 model but I think I'll do the tank in proper red! The rear hydrabag shocks on mine are well used with split bags, might be able to fix them. I heard the Betors work ok but other shocks can be stronger, and dearer. Could you have a look at the rear hub, there is a steel insert in my one, forming the housing for the sprocket side wheel bearing which looks like it has been engineered after the bike left the factory - or is this standard? I always preferred Bultaco's. Those bars look like 6.5 inch Renthalls, all the rage in the 70's. Bye, PeterB.

Hebo pegs work very well though may be costly. Bye, PeterB.

Hi Tom, The fork story is true. I prefer the 300 over the 250/280, the motor responds slower than the 250 but with more power. It can be a handfull if you are fairly new to trials but there are many things you can do to make the motor more manageable. There is a list of things to do in another posting on this site - fairly recently but can't remember the title, anyway here are some suggestions: Fit extra 0.8mm base gasket Slow action throttle (Black tube) Retard ignition by slotting the holes in the pick up sensor, external to the flywheel, and rotate counter clockwise. Try a D34 needle, not as lean as a D36 at the bottom end and slows things down a bit. (Assuming you have a standard 300 and not a Raga) Fit a 10T gearbox spkt. Bye, PeterB.

If it were me, I'd keep the Honda and buy a low cost modern bike aswell. But then I like to mess about with engines and try out modifications in search of improvement, I also really enjoy riding modern bikes up bigger stuff than the older bikes are used to. The newer bikes are pretty much sorted out as standard and don't need a lot of tinkering with. When I think about it, I have 3 modern bikes and 3 twinshocks so there is a balance! Quite by chance, must sell a few off. If this is you then keep the TLR and get a modern. Bye, PeterB.

I know we are not in the UK but it's worth a look for comparison purposes, we pay the equivalent of approx 6 pounds for a club trial and 12 pounds per day for a National, here in sunny NZ. This covers our permit fees and beer for the farmer. Our entries are small for club trials, typically from 15 to 40 riders and about 50 in Nationals. Bye, PeterB.

Hi again, just checked, it's 2.75 turns out and still a bit rich though that's how I like it. Bye, PeterB.

Hi Gareth, White smoke is usually from water getting into the combustion process. I recall covering this before somewhere, anyway it's likely to be coming from either the head O ring seals - quite common on older bikes, or getting in around the cylinder area. There is an optional sst or tinned steel base gasket to seal off any water getting through the standard gasket material, there were water cooling ports cast in the crankcase that aligned with water ports in the cylinder designed to cool the main crankcase area, it didn't work so the blanking gaskets were released. Being magnesium alloy, the cases tend to rot out with water in there anyway so best to have a look and assess any possible corrosion damage. It could be just a leak path on the base gasket area. Bye, PeterB.

Hi Steve, I'm pretty sure that the shock top mount needs to come out to allow the carb to be removed, just pivot the shock out of the way on the bottom mount. That's after removing the airbox and silencer. The entire carb must be stripped out, all jets and the pilot screw. First, screw in the pilot screw to determine how many turns out it is, then remove. With everything removed, blow clear all the carb passageways, compressor is good for this, then re-assemble. Check if there is a petrol filter either in the carb or in line and if this is clear. You may need silicone RTV for the silencer. Did you check the loop wire connection for continuity? An SY I rode looked ok but had a problem loop causing problem starting and misfiring. When replaced, all was well. Bye, PeterB.

Over here in sunny Auckland (NZ), it's a warm, sunny 25 celsius, has hardly rained for about 5 weeks now and the grass is getting browned off. Our first practice trial for the year is underway this weekend so lots of dry, grippy rocks, yeay! That -14 is I guess in farenheit. Coldest I've been in is -18C when in Austria, clears out the lungs and stiffens up your nostril hair. Not many trials on there in the winter. Keep the central heating going. Bye, PeterB.

Try BVM or White Bros in Darlington. I used to just move the carb out about 6mm from the inlet manifold so that it would make the rear connection properly, it was always fine at the front. Bye, PeterB.

Hi Tom, The O ring chain is as described, too heavy for a trials bike, also a little too wide to be comfortable in the tensioner block. Stay with a good quality 520 heavy duty chain and look after it, either a Renthall or DID 520HD. Bye, PeterB.

Hello scorpalad, My friend has the same 05 bike and had a similar problem, there are 2 areas to look. Check the thermoswitch connections are not shorted at the bottom of the radiator - not really much of a problem but it did seem to affect the bike when wet. T'other area is in the wiring harness, under the tank/seat area there is a plug to socket connecter which has a short loop of wire, this can sometimes be a problem in that it is not making a good contact. I have binned the loop socket and cut off the plug and joined the two wires together with a piece of contact block, no more problems. I had the same problem with an 07 SY recently. You'll see what I mean when you have a look. Bye, PeterB.

Hi there, I also have an 06 Raga with Keihin. As standard, the main jet is too lean I use a 126 main, and the pilot is too large, am down to a 40 but reckon 35 would be best. Also, I don't like the standard JJH needle, try a GJH these are really good and give excellent throttle response, bottom clip. It doesn't pink anymore and runs well. Bye, PeterB.

Hello Barry and dabomb, If only it were that simple! We just had a look at replacing a single broken spoke on a Scorpa front wheel (Actually all of the spokes need replacing as they are seized into the nipples) but to get to the spoke needs another one or two spokes removing to be able to remove the broken spoke. I tend to work on most things on my bikes but I do try to steer clear of wheel building, for reasons as noted in previous posts. What Nigel Dabster wrote is all good, if you are going ahead you need to make a sketch of where the rim is placed in relation to the hub - called the offset, and the spoke pattern. Also I'd fit a new rim tape for the front wheel and use a waterproof grease on the nipples when assembling. Buy a decent spoke spanner that really does fit the nipples. To measure the offset, remove the disc, place the wheel down on your flat workbench and measure the distance from the bench top (the datum) and the edge of a particular side of the rim. (Disc side?) Write it down. Or if you are working with the wheel in the forks, note the gap either side of the rim to the fork leg. I think it is easier to work with the wheel on the bench. Find out where in the pattern the longer spokes are - there are usually 2 different lengths for wheels, on a 36 spoke front of later design, the spokes are 254 and 257mm long. I usually sit the wheel in a vise via the axle and make up a measuring "point" (a nail in a block of wood that is fixed in position) to give me a reference marker for measuring the offset and the out of round. Try to determine how the spokes will go in, there will be awkward spokes that have to go in first. When all the spokes are in and you still want to keep going, later in the evening, start tightening little by little and persevere till it's all 100% and the offset is the same as before. Lots of luck, PeterB.

Hello Gav, There is one TLM50 that I know of in NZ, that has been running well since around the late 1980's. Like most Honda engines, they are well built and seem to last a long time. I don't know if they were ever officially imported into the UK, so I'd say they are a rare bike! Bye, PeterB.

Hi Bingo, If the flywheel has not turned on the crank shaft and sheared the flywheel key, the problem may be the HT coil which includes the ignition electronics. The separate finned aluminium box under the tank is a 12 volt rectifier/regulator and is not used for ignition purposes. (Ducati system only) Bye, PeterB.

Hi betapete, Apologies for taking up this thread, but nearly completed anyway I think. I just received an email from a lad after an output gearbox shaft for a Key-Roo and thought you may know where to possibly get one from. I thought about Bill Pye but you may have knowledge of a different source. If you have any web details for Fantic motor parts could you let me know please. Also, I'm pretty sure those cylinders are plated and those marks on the piston/head are very likely from a broken ring. Ta ta, PeterB.

For filling, I use an old Castrol oil bottle with a plastic tube extension, measure out the quantity and fill into the Castrol bottle then squeeze it in. Bit too far to go to buy me a drink, but thanks anyway. Bye, PeterB.

Can't remember if your bike is a 98 or a 99, if 99 then there is a fill plug at the top of the clutch case so you didn't need to lay the bike over for filling. Bye, PeterB.

It's easiest to lay the bike down on the left, remove the sight glass, either a 17 or 19 mm socket, and re-fill. Bye, PeterB.

Oil fill is on the clutch case, below the kickstart. Refill 700ml 10 weight mineral or an ATF rated to Dexron III. The other drain plug, closer to the front wheel is for draining water from the crankcase, should you ever drown your bike. Bye, PeterB.

The NZ community is quite unrestrictive, always best to keep on the good side with your farmer friends though. So far, we have not had any restrictions on trials here with continued access into rivers. I mentioned that as I think both France and Italy have banned trials riders from going into rivers, pity. It's not as though we can just head out and ride off road anywhere (not like we used to in Osmotherly or Carlton Bank), there is always someone who owns a piece of land and providing you first ask, there isn't usually any problem. Bye, PeterB.

Hi TXT, Re-fill with 700ml of ATF rated to Dexron III, or a mineral, not synthetic, 10 weight oil, not a multigrade like 10W50. I don't know if your friends Sherco is the same, probably not. Drain the oil when it is warm, any metallic particles remain in suspension and drain out with the oil, rather than settling on the bottom when cold. Bye, PeterB.

That looks brand new, good looking bike. Why is the clutch lever cable tied in? Is that an old twinshock Honda in the background? Bye, PeterB.

Pretty much as copemech said, with either carb run short separate breather tubes angled downward. I've not heard of not fitting breather tubes to a Keihin, have always fitted these and never been a problem. The vents are there to allow the float bowl area to be at atmospheric pressure and should always be allowed to run downward so that any petroil spilled does not accumulate in the pipework, preventing the float bowl from "seeing" atmospheric pressure. Bye, PeterB.