charliechitlins

UCTT seal of approval. Fork seal, that is.

Try to check the spark immediately when it cuts out. Don't burn your fingers! Most problems that take that long to kill a bike are coil related. The coil heats up and stops working. You want a blue spark, not yellow. The only other thing I've seen like this was a bike with a metal in-line gas filter that was resting on the head. The gas would boil and the bike would die. It took a while to figure that one out!

Finally, a bicycle seat that doesn't have to be surgically removed from your butt after a ride!

I like it!! I mean...it's ugly...but it's good to see another company following Scorpa's lead. I'd even bet that all that extra stuff in the middle would never get in my way. And I could sit my fat a$$ down while blasting through the woods. Viva!

I know I've seen bleeder repair kits. An oversize threaded collar that the nipple threads into. As for the brakes, maybe your pads have worn, and you needed to add more fluid and the system has sucked air. There are lots of things it could be, you probably should do a little more diagnosis and ask again if you haven't figured it out.

Oh, yeah...if you buy a Heli-coil kit, it comes with the proper drill bit, tap, etc. It's really easy. Especially with aluminum because it taps so easily.

Countersinking a hole is very easy to do with a large drill bit. It's also easy to screw up by going too deep if you're using a hand drill. Use a drill press or find someone who has one.

Black barbecue paint. Helps dissipate heat, too.

I always make the clamps nice and snug so there is little chance of the bolt coming loose. I also put teflon tape around the bar. This allows the assembly to turn under stress. Every bike I set up gets this treatment, and everybody likes it. I do think Nigel's way, though, would have prevented this problem due to the amount of tweaking the screws.

This could be an anomaly, but I don't think so... Recently, while trying to remove an AJP master cylinder for the first time in several years, the bolts that clamp it to the bars were seized in. This could either be from moisture, or from corrosion caused by the two different metals. Either way, they'll all get anti-seize from now on.

Definitely polish/buff the levers. Some also say to never use the curved end of the iron when installing. This is probably good advice, but I use it all the time. I haven't pinched a tube in years. Knock wood. As for the 90 degree thing...I think this is the first time I'll have to disagree with Jon...who, by the way, has been doing this longer and better than I have. When you get to that last bit, and the levers are about a foot apart, if you know you're not pinching the tube, why risk pulling out a lever and re-inserting it at the time when it will be most difficult to tell if you're pinching the tube? I say jack those levers all the way over and hold them there for about 15 seconds and watch the bead creep on.

Sawing a slot almost never works on allens. I'd go with the oversize torx bit and hand-held impact driver.

Yup...the bolt things grip the tire. Take off the nuts and push the stud in as far as you can before you start levering. Once you take it all apart, you'll see what they do. I do wheel work on a spackle bucket...don't put it on the floor...and you won't lose parts that you put/drop in. Take out the valve core and get all the air out. Break the entire bead on both sides. I always push the lever in as far as I can, then back it out as far as possible before prying the bead up. This pushes the tube out of the way. When removing or installing, squeeze the beads together 180deg from where you are working so they go into the dropped center of the rim. This gives you 'slack' where you are working. Use the levers as little as possible. As soon as you can stop using them and prying with your hands, the less chance you'll have of pinching the tube. When you get one whole bead out, remove the tube. Put the lever through the bead that's still on, go right through and over the other side of the rim, and lever towards the side that's off. The tire should pop right off. For installing, use plenty of slippery stuff...soapy water, tire mounting fluid...I like Goop hand cleaner. Get one bead on and squeeze the tube in (I put the valve stem in first and put a nut on to keep it there). The books all say,'put a little air in the tube to make it round, This will prevent pinching' To me, this just gets the tube closer to the rim, bead and your lever. I leave the tube empty and push it as far from the bead as possible. Again, get as much tire on as possible before using the levers. You'll need to keep one lever in while you work the other, or you'll be chasing the bead around the rim all night. When you get toward the end of the second bead, pull the levers as far as you can, crunch down the top of the tire and hold it there for a few seconds. Sometimes that last bit of bead will just creep on. If you can't get the last bit of bead on, hit the tire, by the un-seated bead with a rubber, leather or plastic dead-blow hammer. Let me know if you have a problem or are confused about my ramblings. I've done hundreds...

Adjust the mixture screw until you get the highest (most efficient) idle. Then adjust the idle speed screw (which just moves the slide) to where you want it to idle. If your idle gets too high while adjusting the mixture, back off on the idle screw.

Nick! Listen to Clark. Coincidences do happen, and your lower end could have grenaded after doing the work you did, but 999 times out of 1000 whatever problem you have is directly related to the last thing you messed with. Did you just have the head off? I assume not because you say you checked the rod. Wy did you strip the top? Inspection? De-carbon? Did you try to move the crank side to side? If your lower end is really whipped, you should be able to feel play at the flywheel. Ishy's advice on the kicker gear sounds good, too. That would be another coincidence.

Thanks, Guys.

Sorry if this has been discussed a million times..... Was recently riding a buddy's Montesa ('02 I think), and was surprised how grabby the clutch is compared to the gradual engagement of my bike. Is there a way to make the clutch less like an on/off switch. Otherwise, I LOVE the bike!

Aaahhhh...a clear case of "delayed seller's remorse syndrome." I know it well.

Heck...ever drain fork oil through those little, teeney drain holes they used to put in forks? You still had to turn them upsidedown.

Is there something mechanical (flyweights?) that advances/retards the timing?

I've never tried spinning the back wheel after finishing a southern trial on an o-ring chain. What would happen?

I've dealt with very few new or freshly-built 2-stroke engines, but dozens of 4-stroke, and break-in is tricky these days. It is almost impossible to break in a fresh set of rings with synthetic oil...the engine just smokes and smokes. Even standard oils are so slippery now (more so than 15 years ago) that it can take a surprisingly long time to seat fresh rings. I no longer slather rings with oil for assembly. Years ago, this would have been frowned upon, but a couple seconds of running dry, seats the rings much sooner. Of course...I work with stone-age technology (iron bores). I'd love to hear from somebody like Jon Stoodley who's in the trenches with modern 2 and 4 strokers every day.

I will now stand upon my well-worn soapbox and sing my old tune...Ahem... If you buy an o-ring chain, it will not wear out, so a worn-out chain will never wear out your sprockets. You'll get several seasons out of your sprockets, the chain will last indefinitely, you'll never adjust it, and maintenance will consist of washing it off when you wash the bike and spraying on some silicone to preserve the o-rings.

You obviously don't spend much time with the Harley Davidson crowd! This is probably to your credit.

BWAAAHHHHAHAHAHAHAH.... Awwwww.......actually, it ain't so bad. I've seen worse. On the left side of the engine, remove what looks like the lowest bolt that holds the cases together. It's the drain bolt. And it's pretty long..not just a little plug, so don't get nervous when you pull out a long bolt. I've been using cheap ATF and changing it every 3 or 4 rides. Clutch works great, and I figure that's the kind of environment it's made for in terms of shearing and anti-foam properties. 450cc.