alan bechard

I was not able to find a replacement shock that fit the area. The stock shock has three preload adjustments on it. The bottom cap is held on by a snap ring, and there are three different lands on the shock to adjust for differing pre-load. As to why they snap, I think you will notice that the top mount of the shock is welded slightly off center of the centerline of the shock shaft. My belief is that this was done to facilitate mounting in the 01 / 02 frame. I would remove the top bearing (it presses apart) cut the top eye off the shock after unscrewing it from the shock shaft (standard threads and it is loctited on so I would apply localized heat) and then reweld the eye on centered over the shaft mount. If you have an 01 or 02 you will have to grind a small amount of relief into the upper shock mount on the frame to use this shock, the 03 and laters this shock will bolt right in. Why they break imo is that it is like hammering a nail slightly off center. Also, they come set to the lightest setting on the shock and many times as the kids get older / larger / better the parents are not aware of the other settings so the child is constantly bottoming the shock adding to the stress. Those two things coupled together end up with the shock shaft shearing right at the mount. Hope this helps, Al B

Buy the bearing puller or take it to a machine shop and have them remove it. If you absolutely must do it yourself, and do not want to use the correct tool, a dremel or other small cutoff tool with a cutoff wheel and remove the cage and bearings, then very carefully begin cutting through the inner race. When you get about 1/2 way through and both sides are scored, you can take a sharp small chisel, put it in the slot that you cut and strike it sharply with the other side well supported, ie tree stump or anvil and normally the inner race will shear across that fault line and pop off. I would buy the puller. Cheap chinese one is probably $10 compared to how much for new stem and lower yoke if you slip?

Ocassionally, riding as we do in the rocks etc. we come up with bent rim flanges. Dean has a pretty good one at the moment. Straightening with a hammer always seems to work harden and crack them prior to them getting where you want them. Straightening in the press is always a challenge to get it set up and held. I have had fairly good luck pulling them back into shape with a 15" crescent. I have also just left them alone and not had problems with them. Anyone have experience's good or bad about leaving them alone and maybe the pro's and con's of that?

Hmmmmm,,, well, we also have the "Floyd" award, literally an award for the best crash, lets see I think last time it went to the little redneck (younger half of the entertainment committee) and the time before it went to the big redneck, (dad) But Floyd definetely has a warm spot in our hearts. He fell backwards off about a 2 dwight hill and landed on his back against the other wall and was quite shaken and a little stirred. As I was talking with him the next week or so, and said "man, what a nasty crash, how have you been doing?" and he said, much better after he got out of the Intensive Care unit........ Seems that in the crash he hit so hard that it collapsed one of his lungs, talk about knocking the breath out of you. He went to the E room on Monday short of breath and they had him in ICU in about 10 minutes. Said he should have been dead. Big redneck won his award when his throttle stuck wide open and he launched his new bike off the one dwight high ditch into the creek and folded that pretty brand new rear wheel up. Little redneck won his when having not been on the bike for quite a while, jumped on and dropped off a 2 dwight very steep hill and decided to turn the front wheel sideways and lock the front brake one dwight down the hill. As he launched face first into the bottom of the rocky creek with the bike on top of him and looked so bad it almost made me puke. Well, after I stopped horse laughing him at least. Ask Doug sometime about riding in Shorts......

Hmmm,,, Regained feeling below my waist about half way to the hospital in the ambulance. It never felt so good to hurt so bad. Cobblestone streets are tough to take when strapped on a backboard.

Someone on here had a very nice picture of one that they had done. I do not think it was a Sherco, but the point would be the same either way. That could be a pretty sweet mod to do. Will have to think of that one a bit, I am about to do something with Dean's, but at the rate I am repairing things around the house, I just may slip on a new one and call it good.

Bring it to the shop that will be doing the welding and ask them to help you get it the rest of the way apart. They will be able to do it no problem I am sure, then they can also give you a firm price to weld it back together, and you can make a sound decision from there. As someone else said here though, after they get it cracked for you, you will want to take it home and give it a thorough cleaning. When Tig welding the smallest amount of grease, oil or dirt can make things go astray. You will make the welder happy if he has spotless materials to work with when it is time to put it back together. Good luck. I just got a plasma last week, still have to put the cable on it, but I bet I can crack one FAST now! Just need to sell some Sherco brake pedals to make it worthwhile!

Anyone on here related too the FIM? Jim, does the NATC follow all the FIM rules? And this came up as well, Tony, or Jim, or another NATC official, if the guy is pushing his bike on a dead engine, maintaining forward motion, then jumps up on the pegs, takes his hands off the bars, reaches down and pulls out his kickstarter and starts the bike and drives on through the section. Assume he pushed once with each foot for a two with the dead engine.

Well, as I read the rule as written in the 05, as long as I am pushing and making forward motion, I can push with a dead engine. And if you refer too the 04 rule it was very clearly written without the words forward motion that were added in 05. So, whether you or I agree is one thing, but I can say with absolute confidence, that as I was being briefed at the TN nationals by the NATC sporting steward Tony Bussing, just prior to observing, you can push your way out of the section with a dead engine. And I happen to like the 04 rule much better FWIW. I also do not think I should get a 5 for pushing my glasses up if I am stopped with a foot down, and think it is ludicrous that I can "dab" with my hands, but that is just my opinion, and I have voiced it too my NATC reps from both clubs that I belong too and I will voice it too you in your status as "Ambassodor" I believe with the NATC, and hope that it could be changed. (did I just ask for a rule change? Something I hate.) And while this BB may not be the place to discuss this type thing as some folks will be sure to tell me, it is the only avenue that I am aware of that is open and available to the public as the public is prohibited from attending the NATC meeting itself and seeing first hand what goes on and how the decisions are arrived at. If I was betting, there were some very good reasons as to why that was added in there, but for the life of me, I cannot figure them out.

Not in the 05 rules Ishy. 04 yes, but in 05 they added back in that you can push your way out of the section. http://www.ama-cycle.org/rulebooks/supps/2005/NATC.pdf 6,B,9 They added in the Words "without forward motion" sooooooo With my engine dead, as long as I have forward motion I can push pull or drag my bike out of the section with hands and feet.

I stand corrected on my interpretation of the rules, or at least my belief in what the rules said. AMA supplemental rules for observed Trials 2005 edition (same as 2004) which both TI and STRA follow, and which can be viewed at the AMA directlink site state under 6,b,4 Definition of a "failure" or 5 "The rider does not have both hands on the handlebar when footing while stationary." So, if you want to reach out and grab a tree with your hands and pull you and the bike up, you can, so long as your feet are not on the ground and you are not stationary, but really if you are pulling yourself up the hill, that kind of means that you are not stationary. You can also sit there and maintain balance and reach down and pull the tape out of your rear wheel etc. I guess, just so long as you do not dab. My apologies to anyone that I confused on this issue. On a personal note, I find it ludicrous that I can kill my engine, and push my bike out of the section using my feet and hands so long as I do not stop and this is not considered a failure in the section. Seems to me that we have went astray and I do not see where these rules came to be like this. Oh, and I get a 5 if I am stopped at the bottom of a hill with my foot down on a one and I reach up and push my glasses back on my nose or wipe the sweat from my forehead. Is that what we want / wanted for rules? I owe Jim Watson a drink of his choosing upon our next meeting.

Actually, Brian heard Dwight and I singing, cooking breakfast and thought Dwight looked like George Clooney. I am not sure but I think I heard something about Ned Beatty when he was looking at me I am glad that some folks liked my section 1 begin signs, for a while there I thought nobody had noticed but Jessie and Clay said they got a good chuckle out of it. I forgot to ask Hanna to take a picture of it but it was just something that struck me as humorous that morning, and I was looking for any humor that I could find. The Trials Central Banner was flying high right when you came in, so there was a bit of good advertisement there, and it looks like several woods riders are going to take up the offer to come out and try trials here at some point. More news coming later.

Depends if you use your head or your foot...

I wish I could say it was all mine but the credit goes to others in the group for making that one come about. I am very fortunate to be in an area with a lot of folks pitching in and helping to try new things to get our sport to grow some. Hopefully this will lead to a convert or two, or at least a little more exposure,,,,,, 2000 flyers going out to everyone on the Mid South Hare Scrambles mailing list is some pretty good advertising for the sport. Of course, some of the questions have been a little different for me,,, my favorite was "what time do the Quads Start, I do not see it on your flyer?" Gotta love it and it is bound to be interesting!

I know you have already ordered a new piece, but for future reference those type repairs are actually a little easier, and less susceptible too strength problems. I usually grind off until I can get too the bottom of the threaded area, then clean thoroughly, then start filling it back solid, then grind / sand to original form, then drill, tap and sometimes helicoil and you have a very satisfactory repair. It does not take as long as it sounds here, and is nothing in welding / work time compared to what heathy is doing on his exhaust. I guess this is more FWIW info at this point but thought I would pass it on.

Thanks Chris, Heath, if you look at the center piece of Aluminum that is a divider you will notice that the holes do not go through, there is just a pilot there 1/8" or about 3mm and if you look at the outside cover closely you will see it has pretty big holes where the spotwelds were. Has your welding shop seen your silencer yet? If you can find a place doing that much TIG time for $16 or so, I would be all over that like white on rice. Hope you get it all back together and sorted out.

Good greif,,,,, You really should put down the shovel when you find yourself at the bottom of a hole.... Get with whoever will be doing the welding before doing anything else and make sure you have left it in a condition where it can be put back together. You only want to drill through the top piece of metal when cutting out a spot weld. You do not want to drill through both pieces as then what are you going to weld too? While I commend you for taking some initiative, working on your bike yourself and looking for answers here on the internet, there is absolutely no substitute for learning from an experienced hand, especially on something like this. Get with someone experienced, that is willing to work with you, prior to cutting and drilling on something like this. I wish you the best of luck, but would strongly encourage you too seek advice from the person that will be doing the welding.

8mm is about 5/16 and 10 mm would be about 3/8". I hope you are not drilling through with a regular bit as that will be a real challenge to weld back together. I cut them apart using what I would refer too as a whizzer wheel. A small (about 3" diameter by 1/16" thick) abrasive cutoff wheel. Commonly used in muffler shops. The thinner the better in my opinion for this task. I think Doug cut the first one apart with a dremmel tool and cut of discs I use the Whizzer wheels in my die grinder. I do not have access to one that I have put back together at the moment, but I think after my event this weekend, it is coming up a bit hotter on the plate to get done. Mine needs help and Dean's needs to be replaced as well. Dean's will get done before the Youth Nationals in July I am sure.

I think you are exactly correct, it is air underneath, pull up the strip at the bubble, plenty of lube of your choice, I use Slime, then reseat into the lips squishing out excess slime / air. The strip should be sitting nicely against the rim. Keep playing with it, they are a pain.

I have not seen any rivets on any Sherco exhaust. Did you by chance drill out the screws holding the plastic heat shield on? There is a row of spot welds along the center divider portion that must be drilled out, sounds too me like that is where your problem is. I posted some pictures here a bit ago of a disassembled one, I would have to look back a bit to find the pics. When drilling out the spot welds it takes a fair size bit too remove all the material that is attatched. I used about a 3/8 blair hole cutter or rotabroach to do it, if I remember right there are 3 spot welds to get. Good luck.

The Border War of 05 is just around the corner. 30 April and 1 May 05. Looking forward to seeing everyone out there. The special twists for this year include a Woods bike, or Hare Scrambles class with a special entry price of only $10 so that these guys can get out and give trials a try on the machines that they have. If I can put it together, we will have a popcorn party, and movie viewing on Saturday evening. www.setrialsriders.org or www.trialsinc.org will get you too the flyer http://www.setrialsriders.org/2005_Event_I...lyer%202005.pdf Or give me a call... My e-mail has been crazy as of late, or reply here with any questions. 931-551-8129

Hey Kevin, Sika is a supplier here in the US as well, you can google around and find them. Here is a site that has it available mail order. http://www.lupers.com/results.asp The only thing about using silicone and other "hardening" type of sealants, yes I know the inside stays pliable, but the skin hardens, is that when you do have to go in and do it again, it can be a real bugger. Anyway, have fun and hope to see you guys in July..

are they user friendly ?? We found them very user freindly and easy to ride and maintain. what like is the two speed gearbox? I enjoyed the two speed gearbox. It is nice to have neuteral and my son would use low in sections and high down the trail. what type and quantity of oil do you premix? I use the same as I am using in my large bikes. 64 / 1 Maxxima K2 full synthetic. While there are several on the boards gasping and moaning that I would run a small two stroke air cooled bike on so lean an oil mix, we never had any problems. I did not want to run seperate gas cans. what type and quantity of oil do you gearbox oil? I use Maxxima MTL 75 wt. 300 cc. Any high quality motorcycle specific two stroke bottom end oil is fine. CHANGE IT OFTEN. it is very easy to do once you find yourself a squeeze bottle with a pointy tip that holds 300cc or more and mark it appropriately. Two screws on the right side of the engine. etc etc??? I did some changes on ours and it is dependent on the child, their riding ability and desires. We found them to be a great little bike that was very competitive and dependable. As with all the other 50's out there, there are some area's that could be improved but I think you will find that you have a dependable machine that your child will really enjoy riding. I would add a foot brake too that machine. There is an thread and pictures here on this board of how I did Deans.

Looking forward too it there Mr. Andy!

Round 2, shows how good my memory is,,,,,,,, I could not find them on the K&N site, so I wrote them and they showed me what I was thinking of on the White brothers site. http://www.whitebrothers.com/04catalog/Intake.pdf You have to scoll down and you will find them. Anyway, that really boils down to the bit of foam in the tract, that I did not have much success with. I was thinking it was a little K&N but obviously I was mistaken. Anyway, I think you are back again, to taking good care of the stock one and cleaning and oiling it often.