lselph

When i re took apart the dog bones I found the one bearing to be very loose in my hands. On the bike I could see one move and the other not. I am guessing cleaning out all the gung gave it room to be sloppy. So new ones are on the way. I have yet to find a cheap set of spanner wrenches to adjust my shock with so I haven't gotten a chance to play with sag. Once my bearings, chain, and sprockets come in it will be time to ride and play with suspension settings. Just hopping around in the yard I think I am going to run some heavier oil in the front shocks, and I am sure I need to add more preload to my rear shock. Man I love this stuff!!!!!!!!!

Read many posts about de coking the exhaust and I may try a few of those. I am hesitant to do anything with the muffler as it is a sealed unit and it just makes me nervous. Going to just ride it this summer and replace next. In the mean time I took off the head pipe and it is pretty gunked up. I know with oil in the gas that the exhaust will have stuff in it but how much is normal? I could peel off thick black gunk with a screw driver pretty easily and it was somewhere between 1 and 2 milimeters thick at the muffler end. I am soaking the whole thing in degreaser and plan on buying some kind of pipe cleaner today to clean it out with. Previous owner said he mixed at 80 to 1 (2004 Sherco 290). As long as it is not too loud I don't plan on messing with the muffler at all. But if I do... it sounds like filling it with diesel and shacking the poo out of it and letting it sit for a couple days is the way to go. So the question is... Is that amount normal and any other thoughts are welcome as well. Thanks.

I ended up saying screw it and got the OEM chain. I had read it wears well and it was just getting too frustrating. Plus spring is comming fast When the next time comes along to need to do chain and sprockets I will look at how the summer felt on the bike and whether I want to change sprockets or do something else but the bike will facilitate an even link chain when I am done either way. I would think going from 42 to 44 teeth would add two links which would have me right where I am now but who knows. I will deal with it when this one wears out!

O.K. I have an 04 Sherco 290. I believe I am supposed to have 101 links. The current chain is out of adjustment and the front sprocket is on it's last legs (or teeth I guess) and the chain tensioner is all the way up to the swing arm. I counted the links and I get 101 links not including the master link. Does that mean the previous owner just put on a 102 link chain? I want to get a Renthal R1 chain but everything comes in even lengths. I think that means I need a half link (offset link) which seems like it would be the.... he he he.... "weakest link". I can get an OEM chain from RYPUSA.com but have heard R1 is the good stuff. I am ordering new sprockets but am pretty confused on the chain....... If having a chain that is an odd length requires an odd link in the system why in the heck would any manufacturere ever do that? Not new to dirtbikes but new to trials. Seems like I should be able to go to the nearest bike shop and say "Hey Jim how's it going... yeah I need 10X links of 520 chain. I'll go get some 2 stroke oil while you cut it. Thanks have a nice day." And be riding that afternoon on the new stuff. Oh well any help is appreciated.

So it is my turn to open our weekly staff meeting with a fun activity. Quizes seem to be popular and whenever it's my turn I always have something relavent to things I like. So I have done several Harley quizes, and a few snowboarding quizes. With my first trials bike in the garage I would like to do a trials quiz I am thinking something along the lines of. Which of the following is not a trials technique. A. Splatter B. Double blip C. Holding pressure D. Double down The purpose is to make it as hard as possible so that the person with the best random guess ability has a chance to win. While anyone who has heard me talking about trials for the last 3 years will have a distinct advantage. Even random motorycyle questions are valid. Anyway if anyone has questions please post them.. even if you think they are stupid. Thanks.

Well I had a little time last night so I dissasembled the rear end. Suspension felt pretty solid but I took apart the bearings and what not anyway. My dog bone bearings were dry as a bone. I shoved in some grease and reassembled but once everything was back to gether there appears to be play. I haven't torqued everything yet but every thing is pretty tight and it still plays a little. I am ordering chain and sprockets so I will get a price on bearings too. Next will pull apart wheel bearings and steering column/neck whatever you call it bearings. Then get the small crack in my muffler weld fixed and I will be set for most of the summer.

Be to a few with bells on!

Thanks a ton! Great info... can't wait to ride the heck out of it! It has pretty much snowed a whole poop load since I bought the bike. It's ok I have maintenance to get done anyway.

So Spring is comming and I have a new bike that needs a few things. Feel free to offer suggestions or opinions on my list. MAINTENANCE - New chain is a must, accompanied by front and rear sprocket. Front is starting to curl... back looks immaculate but I would never do one without the other. If I find out the back is newer than the front and the tooth spacing looks good then I guess I will just have a spare. - Muffler. He had the muffler ignite on him (read this on here elsewhere as well) so trying to decide whether to cut open and repack or replace. I did find a 2 or 3 inch crack in the muffler weld towards the front and from reading on here that may have been the exposure to oxygen that was needed for the inside gunk to light up. - plastic. Would love to replace front and rear fender but kind of expensive and I'm just going to bugger it up anyway so maybe I will get lucky and the magic wife fairy will leave one for me for my B-day. - how many links in chain? Plan on getting the Renthal R1 (once again thanks to posts on here) - if muffler ignited does that mean it's cleaned out or does that mean the innards have been cooked and need replaced. - If not replacing the innards I will just get the crack welded up, sew is like 260... - plan on running Automatic transmission Fluid in the gear box (have seen mixed reviews on this). - Have to find a good quality synthetic to mix with at 80:1 - Plan on adding more preload to the shock I have a few pounds on the previous owner and it seems to have too much race sag (also from lots of research on here). I weigh about 215 + or - depending on how much ordering out I do at work. I have heard mention of the "Red Spring" and wonder if maybe I should give it a try. Also I think the stock shock doesn't have dampening and rebound adjustments so if I consider changing the spring maybe I should just consider chanigng the whole shock to something more adjustable? Or am I just not seeing things. - Rear fender is melted from muffler fire (not bad), and front fender looks like it has either been bent or left in the sun. Would love to replace both but 120 for fenders and 140 for stickers and what not seems a bit much... although that would make it look brand new which would be cool given it is an 04. This is on the if I come into some extra money list. - bearings - previous owner had it for a year rode expert class said he never touched the bearings have read they should be repacked twice a year..... trying to decide if I want to rip her apart that far before getting to put time on it. - Do they make shorter levers. I love the hydralic clucth and brake and found significant control with just a finger or two. Or maybe I should just move them in so the end is all that is reachable then i could two finger till my hearts content and possibly with more control. So that is my list of to-do's for the bike. I got to ride it a bit the other day and it was a blast. Can't wait to get more into the sport! Any other suggestions or thoughts are always welcome. Thanks.

So yesterday was my first day out with my new bike Sherco 290 which happens to be my first trials bike. Anyway I spent a good amount of time playing on a large rock in my yard and discovered that with one jump/blip I can pick the front up and onto the rock but then the skid plate hammered into it. I still made it up but it was less than finessed. I have seen lots of video and read up on the proper way to do things so I knew that I needed to "double blip" onto the rock. So I did and it was smoothe as butter. Awesome..... spent the afternoon repeating the process comming at it from different angles and just generally enjoying the fact that the trials was going to be as fun as I imagined it would be. On top of this being my first trials bike it was also the first time I had ever ridden a trials bike. Fast forward to today when I order chinese for lunch and my fortune cookie says....... I swear "Two small jumps are sometimes better than one big leap." Awesome.........

In the vicinity of Olean NY 14760. How about you. Where do you ride?

Hello All. First of all thank you to everyone who posts here. I have found it to be a great source of information. I recently purchased a 2004 Sherco 290. I have ridden several dirtbike over the past 10 years and I think trials is going to be right up my alley. I have some acreage to ride on that is pretty challenging on my motocross bike so I should be able to spend countless hours riding the trials in my own back yard. Challenges include (a pretty steep hill climb from the creek, banks berms, fallen trees, pond banks, creek bed, rocks, mud, grass, little bit of everything). The only thing I lack is large rocks. Which is ok I probably won't be ready for that kind of thing right away anyway. I have some maintenance to do before riding season really sets in but I am extremely excited to get started in the sport. MAINTENANCE - New chain is a must, accompanied by front and rear sprocket. Front is starting to curn back looks immaculate but I would never do one without the other. If I find out the back is newer than the front and the tooth spacing looks good then I guess I will just have a spare. - Muffler. He had the muffler ignite on him (read this on here elsewhere as well) so trying to decide whether to cut open and repack or replace. I did find a 2 or 3 inch crack in the muffler weld towards the front and from reading on here that may have been the exposure to oxygen that was needed for the inside gunk to light up. - plastic. Would love to replace front and rear fender but kind of expensive and I'm just going to bugger it up anyway so maybe I will get lucky and the magic wife fairy will leave one for me for my B-day. Will be posting the following thoughts and questions in the maintenance section. - how many links in chain? Plan on getting the Renthal R1 (once again thanks to posts on here) - if muffler ignited does that mean it's cleaned out or does that mean the innards have been cooked and need replaced. - If not replacing the innards I will just get the crack welded up. - plan on running Automatic transmission Fluid in the gear box (have seen mixed reviews on this). - Have to find a good quality synthetic to mix with at 80:1 - Plan on adding more preload to the shock I have a few pounds on the previous owner and it seems to have too much race sag (also from lots of research on here). I weigh about 215 at the moment but that can change by 10 or 15 pounds lower over the next few weeks. but I am consistently between 200 and 215. I have heard mention of the "Red Spring" and wonder if maybe I should give it a try. Also I think the stock shock doesn't have dampening and rebound adjustments so if I consider changing the spring maybe I should just consider chanigng the whole shock to something more adjustable? - Rear fender is melted from muffler fire (not bad), and front fender looks like it has either been bent or left in the sun. Would love to replace both but 120 for fenders and 140 for stickers and what not seems a bit much... although that would make it look brand new which would be cool given it is an 04. - bearings - previous owner had it for a year rode expert class said he never touched the bearings have read they should be repacked twice a year..... trying to decide if I want to rip her apart that far before getting to put time on it. - oh and short levers seem like the way to go? Anyway hello all. I look forward to doing a lot of riding if anyone wants to chime in on my questions or thoughts feel free. Now I am off to see if this site has an auto signature feature!!!!! Larry 2004 Sherco 290 1986 husqvarna 400XC (2 stroke) 2005 Harley Devidson Fatboy FLSTFI

Anyone got a link for the Al Bechard tutorial?

that is what i thought. http://www.sherco.com/wayne_corner.html Sherco Setup and Lubrication Guide (1.710 Kb) it's the fourth one down.

O.K. so I am buying my first trials bike. I have a line on a 04 Sherco 2.9 for a good price. So in my usal way I have spent countless hours reading up and getting information. I have a service manual, the parts guide, the setup and lubrication document. Lots of good stuff that I have been studying so that when i get the bike in a week and 3 days (tax return) I can really check it out thuroughly. I have websites linked for buying parts, gear, I am set. One of the things I came across is they say to pack the bearings with a mixture of waterproof grease and an anti seize lubricant. I have never heard of mixing grease with anything. I am also trying to picture myself squeezing out some grease and trying to stir in some neve seize or something. Is this something that everyone does or do you just use a straight good quality grease? Looking forward to riding a ton and spending a lot ot time on maintenance. My current bike is old and gets fairly neglected.