charliechitlins

Mark! I would definitely like some advice on grinding fork springs. The ones in my kid's Rookie are way too stiff. Thanks. Charlie

Aren't you Minnesota guys supposed to ride Montesas?

I think Dale had some brandee new ones at the TTC. Oh, and the shift lever...I trimmed away part of the sprocket guard so the pedal could be a little higher.

I just have to add...little Dean Bechard was easily cleaning an 18" log that was raised at least a foot off the ground. He's some rider. Al was agonizing over this decision for days, but I agree with him that he's making the right choice. I think that doing away with the centrifugal clutch and having Dean's right wrist more solidly connected to his rear wheel will do wonders for his riding. He's ready.

The one from the Pro fits very nicely (thanks Les!). It comes with an allen bolt and you can either drill a hole in the skidplate to access it, or switch to hex head. The hex bolt from the stock shifter is a different size and will not work.

I assume that fork seals are made in such a way that they seal better in one direction than the other so they'll keep stuff (oil) in. My guess is that when they extend, they suck a bit of air past the seal, and the seal holds it in.

The atmosphere.

You can do that with crazy glue. The special powder is baking soda.

Yup...Impact gun is a great tool, but I always assume that hardly anybody has one, so I try to tell folks how to do it the...uh...old fashioned way. Also...even with an impact, the innards of a fork can spin and you still need to stop them. For those not interested in owning a compressor, there are electric impact guns. Plug it in and go.

I haven't done this to a Beta, but I always vent the mag case to keep it dry. There's usually enough room in the rubber block that the wires come through to insert a heated metal rod (phillips screwdriver), and, while the rubber is still molten, push through a piece of fuel line or vacuum line, and run it up under the tank somewhere. Some even spraypaint everything in there to keep it from rusting.

Montesa red, that is.... Contact me! UC

File/grind/whittle...whatever, a taper on a broom handle, and tap it into the hex with a hammer. That'll be enough to hold it. Crude, but free. Is this the one that's the same as the hex on a sparkplug socket? I forget. Try it anyway. Put an extension in the socket end so the hex is pointing down and see if the hex fits the hole.

Easy stuff first. New plug, points, condenser.

Maybe in Japan... It's a nice dream, though.

Interesting...I just taught a kid to ride his new TTR 125 Yamaha, and I was very surprised that, for an entry-level bike, the clutch was like an on/off switch.

See you there! I'll be the one who can barely ride. We're in a cabin. I'm psyched!!

My boy and I will be there for the camp just before the Nats.

I say make this guy work! Have him send checks, make arrangements...whatever. Give him a cell phone #, and when he tries to pick up the bike...of course he can't pick it up yet...the check hasn't cleared. I did this with a guy in Romania selling an imaginary guitar on Ebay at a deep discount. I even e-mailed him photos of the pile of $100 bills he thought he would be getting. I got him to travel several miles to pick up a cahsier's check from my imaginary friend. Hey...you can't put a price on a good time.

You should definitely buy a Sherco or a Scorpa. There...they've ALL been mentioned now.

Tony Soprano takes'em up to Rhinebeck! Good idea. A sleepy little hamlet. I'd use Saugerties.

Hey, Wayne. How 'bout doing a manual for servicing the swingarm pivot?

I've been using silicone spray. I think it leaves a little more lube on that WD40 (which seems to have more solvent), yet it still doesn't attract dirt. To my eyes, all that sticky stuff just turns to lapping compound when dirt gets on it.

What's araldite? Thanks for the tip on the peeling tank stickies.

Maybe chain lube is better than 4-stroke oil if you're leaving the chain on the bike instead of taking it off for a thorough cleaning. I don't know if it's available in the UK, but Simple Green is a great, cheap, biodegradeable cleaner that I use on my whole bike and, with a brush, it gets the chain clean right on the bike. I know it seems like a little thing, and maybe I'll finally get myself motivated to contact some chain manufacturers, but what keeps me from regular chain removal, is that I don't like to reuse master link clips. If I could buy them by the handfull, I'd be more apt to remove the chain.

I've been tempted to meet a few of these fellows, too. If I do, it won't be at my house. It'll be somewhere isolated.