spenser

There is one major advantage to the left side kick; when you stall the bike while decending, you can still activate the rear brake while restarting the engine. Spencer

Evo 200 is brilliant, especially if you add the Keihin carb. Super smooth bottom and will rev higher than the Mikuni. Spencer

I personally think that it would be Paioli. I love the Paioli on the Beta EVO and am not a fan of the valving of the Marzocchi on the GasGas, but do like the valving of the Marzocchi on the Scorpa and the Ossa. So in fact it really comes down to valving; all of the forks can work, if valved for your tastes. Spencer

I'm with Rev3, thats a pretty standard off.

Thanks for the replies, I have yet to take apart the shock, but this is all useful information when I do. Spencer

Thanks for that Ralphy, we had a few of the local bikes get new shocks on warrantee, both Gasgas and Beta; I was just wondering if the problem was more widespread than us. I have a 2010 shoch that I am going to try to take apart to rebuild and change the oil to something with a higher VI rating. Spencer

For reason I have yet to comprehend, what the literature supplied by the manufacturer states and what is found in real life are often at odds with each other. I am not as familiar with the Sherco, but both GasGas and Beta overstate the amount of oil necessary for an oil change. I have typically made sure the bike is level and flat, then patiently filled until the oil appears in the window, and stopped filling when it stabilized just over half coverage of the sight glass. It would be really useful if the factories gave two measurements, one for total capacity, one the next for an oil change (some always stays in the engine duroing a change). My two cents Spencer

Has anyone else had the problem of the Sachs rear shocks loosing their ability to dampen when riding in warm weather(high 20's degree C and above) There are a few of us with 2010 and 2011 bikes both Beta and Gasgas that are experiencing this. Thanks in advance

Every time that you write that I second guess myself! I am sure about it, but will confirm and write back. Spencer

This concept sometimes gets lost in the translation; when I say that I weight the uphill peg when crossing a slope, the bike leans out from the hill with the weight on the uphill peg balancing the weight of the bike leaning away from the slope, giving more tread in contact with the ground. Spencer

I have found that the best technique is to open the throttle to 1/2 to 3/4 open as you kick start the machine. Don't hold the throttle at the open position, then kick it over; you need to open it as you kick it over. I have never needed to use the hot-start option with this technique, and only use it once it has been started from cold (with the choke) and the engine is warm. If starting cold, I use the choke, and turn off the choke as soon as possible once it starts. Hope this helps Spencer

If I understand you correctly, you are not going straight down, but across and down the bank. If that is indead the case, besides what Copemec has suggested, keep peg weight on the uphill side so as to put as much tire tread on the ground as possible. It feels a bit strange at first leaning the bike out, but it works well. Spencer

The only shock that I am aware of is the stock Paioli unit. They can be rebuilt, which is a great alternative to a new one. Spencer

You can also try the Victoria Motorcycle Club. They have a Trials area on Happy Valley Rd. in Victoria.

I would like to clarify the position taken by the Canada Pacific Trials Association (CPTA). We as a club have started to chart a path for riders to develop to the highest levels of international competition available, and in doing so, have decided to affiliate with the Canadian Motorcycle Association as they are the organization that holds FIM affiliation. Our rider development program (still in it's infancy) offers schools, and rider support for those seeking to compete for Canada at the TDN; and prior to our aligning with the CMA, we could not offer that last, critical step to international competition. And please quite beating the dead horse of free insurance=cheep entry fee! Within reason, every rider should belong to an organization that can advocate for our sport, and many of the riders I know belong to more than one. The good works that can be accomplished by a formally organized group of people far outstrips what can be done by individuals, especially when it comes to working with governments and other interested user groups. Most of the riders I know (myself included) owe a debt of gratitude to those that have organized, and worked to secure the riding areas that we currently enjoy. So for fairness, break out the membership fee, and compare the cost of the event entry fee itself, and I think that you will find that for the Squamish CMA National, it is very reasonable. The entry fee for the CMA National in Squamish will be $45.00 per day; this includes the fee for the 2011 CMA competition license and the additional benefits that come with that. If an entrant is a current 2011 CMA license holder, their entry fee will be $10.00 per day, the same as our regular CPTA club trials. Compare this to the entry fee for the WTC rounds in Summerland where the cost per day that I have seen published is $30.00 per day, or $50.00 for both days (entry fee only). The issue of who is promoting the "true" National series should also be left in the dust bin. On both sides of the CMA and WTC fence, it is agreed that the size of our country and the costs associated with attending events 4700 kilometres apart makes events in the East and West unsupportable; this can be verified by asking how many riders attended the western series by eastern riders over the last two years (hint: you have more fingers on one hand than the correct answer). I have had conversations with a representative of the WTC, and they agree that national rounds on each side of the country in a given year are not practical. More to that point, the Canadian class "champion" need not even win an event to be crowned, they only have to finish near the top of their class in all of the events. I do have a single request from the WEC/WTC. As has been reported, the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) has given the WEC/WTC "several" thousand dollars to promote the sport of trials in Canada. Given that trials motorcycle clubs and individuals are donating to the TDN fund to send Canadian riders from both the East and West to Italy; would the WEC/WTC be interested in supporting the riders in their trip to the international stage? In closing, I would like to mention that I take no issue with the national series that the WEC/WTC are promoting, and in fact, the amount of work that they put into promoting and hosting events shows a great deal of passion and dedication to our growing sport. Keep up the good works Spencer Fitschen Canada Pacific Trials Association

I will give Ted a call to see if anything stands out. I would not really expect that Ted would have a problem with the seals, but I have found that some people have not given the fluid level quite the attention that it needs. Spencer

That may be difficult without knowing which for you have. Even GasGas used differnet internals in their forks year to year. I have ridden the Ossa and it feels so completely unlike a Marzocchi that I am sure they have changed the cartridge as well (don't know for sure). A quick and sure way to speed up the fork is to use lighter oil or remove one of the washers in the stack, but as I said earlier, the model or year of fork and from which bike is pretty essential info. Spencer

I would suggest that if you didn't use the height measurement way of adding fluid, you may want to try that; you may have added too much fluid. Who did the work Chad? Spencer

The Canada Pacific Trials Association (CPTA) is in the process of applying for a western Canadian Motorcycle Association (CMA) National trials championship two round weekend event. The planned dates are May 14 and 15th, with the planned location being Squamish, British Columbia. The CPTA has a working policy to support trials development in Canada, and the CMA, through its affiliation with the FIM, provides the link for riders whose goal is international competition. The CMA expert champion is automatically seeded to the Canadian Trials of Nations team, an event that brings together the best riders from all around the planet, to compete for their country. If successful, this will be the first CMA National in the west in many years, so we are looking forward to the chance to host such an important event for Canadian trails riders. Spencer Fitschen President CPTA

The popularity of riding has been on the increase here in south western British Columbia, Canada for the last five or so years. Many of the "older" folks coming back as well as enduro and mountain bike riders crossing over. I would agree though that there are new riders, but few new people stepping up to help organize and run the club and events...but we are making a little headway in that repect. What is very interesting is the interest from female riders. For years there were only two or three riders but over the last few years there have been so many women joining the sport that we are now holding clinics catering to them. Spencer

We have a 2006 Beta 80, and the fan rarely comes on. I would start by checking the coolant level, a low level will certainly cause this problem. The next would be the thermostat, then the impellor; but I would bet that the level is low. Spencer

Hi All I have seen the Beta EVO racing clutch kit (three steel plates with 2 mm flange on the inside) and was wondering what they are supposed to do? Has ayone tried one, and are they worth the effort? Spencer

As to hitting a "dead end", it sounds like the small clutch basket retaining screw has backed out, this will cause binding and damage if not fitted back into the center of the basket, or removed (along with the washer that it seats onto). We typically remove them with no harm done. Spencer

The March trial at the Ioco riding area is to be held this weekend, the 28th. Bobby T has put together two loops, one for the beginner/juniors, and one for the Intermediate/advanced/experts; if the past is any indication, look for some very traditional trials sections, well laid out. Spencer