qcowboy

Agreed! Installing a spark arrestor is also a small price to pay for access to the fantastic riding areas available in the deserts of the American west. "Desert" doesn't mean that the land is unvegetated. I'd hate to be responsible for starting a fire. It is especially bad now that so much of the Rocky Mountains has been affected by bark beetles. Within twenty miles of my home, there are whole mountainsides covered in tinder-dry dead trees, just waiting for a single spark to burn hundreds of thousands of acres. There are hundreds of homes in those trees, and I don't want to burn them down.

I'm considering painting the new silencer black, so it will blend in a bit better, and keep the bike looking tidy.

If it is, there's no indication on the silencer itself. Unfortunately, the law enforcement people simply look for the indication that the box is compliant, which must be stamped into the sheet metal so it's visible. The lack of a stamp earns you a ticket, and a quick end to your ride.

I need a spark arrestor to ride in all the good places nearby. Every add-on spark arrestor I could find on the market would require me to hack up my silencer, so I decided to replace it instead. At least this way, I can preserve the original silencer, should I ever decide to restore the bike. This monstrosity would look right at home on a modern trials bike, but it sure looks out of place here. Sadly, it's also a bit louder, though not oppressively so. I was hoping it would be quieter. Oddly, the bike SOUNDS like a modern trials bike now.

I found a website with lots of useful information about tuning Dellorto carbs, including pdf versions of the tuning manual, in case anyone needs it. The site also told me the PHBH float height setting (24mm). Here's a link if anyone wants to overload on Dellorto tuning info: http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/dellorto.htm Well, I removed the carb last night to set the float height correctly. Some further fiddling revealed that not only does my carb lack a pilot jet, it is also missing the idle emulsion tube that lives right above the pilot jet. I decided to try an experiment, and install a jet I had laying around from an old Honda, to see how the bike runs with SOME restriction in the idle circuit. Huge improvement. The bike starts easier now, and I can lift the front end at will. Oh, and it no longer creates a smokescreen as I pass by! I spent some time riding indoors after my fettling last night, and never felt the need to open the doors and air out the arena. Now I can't wait for the new parts to arrive, so I can set up the bike with all the proper carb parts. I have a new silencer/spark arrestor coming, which will allow me to ride lawfully on the public land nearby. While I hate to remove the original silencer, I can't find a convenient method to mount a spark arrestor onto it, so it will have to go. The new silencer is going to look woefully out of place on a TL320, but it is all I could find that would fit the exhaust pipe and also fit between the rear tire and shock absorber. The new monstrosity: http://images.dragspecialties.com/images/c...f89914f7436.jpg

Hmmmm . . . no wonder it's not running so well. I opened the carb to determine what jets I have. 85 Main. Check. 65 Choke. Check. Pilot, ummm, open hole, no jet in it. I'm surprised the bike would run at all with no pilot jet. If I understand the operation correctly, the pilot jet controls the carb at idle to about 1/8 throttle. No wonder I have trouble getting a quick enough throttle response to lift the front wheel. (and no wonder the bike is so smoky at idle!) Just ordered a bundle of carb parts, including a handful of pilot jets from 40 to 60. I plan to do some tuning when they arrive. Hopefully I can get it all set up before my trip to Utah later this month.

Can anyone tell me the correct factory float height setting?

Not unless Ben Nevis grew a whole lot recently! I'm in the U.S., in Wyoming. I expect to do my trials riding in Wyoming and Colorado, where most of the trials range from 5,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. I have to admit that I didn't expect to find many SWM riders on this forum who could tell me what jets work best at these altitudes, but I thought it was worth a try. I'm aware of only one other SWM owner in Wyoming. He rides a Jumbo in the local trials. Thanks for the info on factory jetting. It gives me a little better understanding than I had yesterday, and a place to start. I don't mind buying parts from the U.K. I've had great luck getting parts shipped over here quickly and cheaply. (Many thanks to Martin!)

My TL320 ran really well when I was riding at around 4000 feet above sea level recently. When I got it home to 7000 feet, I have no power at the low end, just off idle. I tried dropping my needle to lean out the mixture. I only had one notch available to drop the needle, and it didn't make much difference. I assume I will need to change the jet(s?) and wondered if there are any high-altitude riders out there who could suggest which jets I should buy to get me close to correct mixture at 7000 to 10,000 feet, which is where I expect to do the bulk of my riding. Also, can anyone suggest a source for jets? Martin, do you carry them? Thanks for all the help you guys have been offering. The bike is coming along well, and I'm looking forward to a fun first season of trials competitions! Ted

Just ordered a couple SWM racing jerseys from Destroy Clothing. I'll report back on the quality when they arrive. Sadly, they are very pricey after adding in shipping to the states, and a hateful exchange rate (68 pence to the dollar!) Here they are on Destroy's website (scroll down the page): http://www.destroyclothing.co.uk/2.html

Well, problem solved. Now that I've solved the problem, I feel ashamed at the silly logic in my original post. I jumped to expensive conclusions, without first eliminating the cheap ones. I went out to the garage tonight and pulled the stator winding that drives the ignition system. I tried Stork's tests with the ohmmeter, and found a slight resistance through the winding, as he predicted (very slight, though. Only .5 to 1 ohm, which would be nearly undetectable without carefully zeroing the meter to start.) I decided to replace the insulated lead from the winding before re-installing it, just in case there was deterioration inside the insulation. With the new lead soldered in place, and the winding re-installed, I re-installed the flywheel. I tried kicking the engine over, with the spark plug lying on the head, but got no spark. I attached the meter to the output from the stator winding, and measured some inconsistent voltage when I kicked the engine over. I plugged the output back into the coil. I wondered if the ground strap from frame to head was loose, so I tightened it, and immediately broke off the ring fitting on the end of the strap. I tried holding the spark plug next to the frame, and kicking over the engine. What are the odds that you WILL get a spark the instant you hold the business end of the coil wire in your hand? Good odds! I didn't see the spark, but I sure felt it. (foreshadowing) So I knew the stator was feeding the coil, and that the coil was creating a spark when I used the frame as a ground for the plug. So I fixed the ground strap to the same frame lug where I had shocked myself, and tried laying the spark plug back on the head. I kicked her over, and . . . no spark. Damn! So I began to wonder whether I had a bad plug wire. I dug into my parts stash and found a newish looking length of silicone plug wire left over from one of my Fiats. I rigged it with proper fittings to install on the bike, and tried again to kick the bike over with the plug lying on the head. Still no spark. So I tried again holding the plug to the frame, and kicked it over. OUCH! FAT BLUE SPARK. I could feel the blue, even if I didn't see it. And the wheels began to turn in my head. (none too soon, of course) why could I feel a spark when I held the plug in my hand, but not see it when the plug was lying on the head? Because the spark I felt was coming through the wire, not the plug. The plug was bad. Obvious, right? Back to the stash of Fiat parts, and I found a plug that would fit the bike. I laid it on the head. Fat Blue Spark. Dunce. Plug in its place, tank back on the bike . . . starts right up. First kick. I just wasted several cold evenings in the garage fighting with a problem I should have been able to diagnose in five minutes. On the upside, I learned the entire SWM wiring diagram by heart, and replaced the points and condensor, which gives me some peace of mind. Now on to my next question: what plugs should I buy to replace the bad plug? While the Fiat plug fits, and the bike runs, I don't have any idea whether it is near the correct heat range, so I'm not inclined to ride the bike much with the Fiat plug in place. (at least it's Italian!)

So if I have two redundant coils on the stator plate, and one that I suspect is bad, can I connect one of the redundant coils to my ignition system (temporarily) to test whether the REST of my ignition system is working correctly? I notice, of course, that the two redundant coils are both larger, so I assume they produce more power. Would I risk damage to my ignition coil/condensor if I were to use one of the redundant coils to test them?

Thanks, Stork. Help me understand the wiring diagram, if you would. Here's a link to the only wiring diagram I have, and it is woefully incomplete in the area of the stator plate. http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/upload...-1230650968.jpg There are three separate windings on the stator plate. One is for the lighting circuit, and has yellow and yellow/green wires at each end of the winding. Since I have no lights, the yellow wires are not connected to anything. They are just insulated and hidden inside the harness. The other side of the stator plate has two windings, stacked on top of each other. In the rear is the winding that provides power to the ignition circuit. One end of this winding is grounded, and the other has a black wire that feeds power to the points/condensor, then on to the ignition coil. The third winding is a mystery to me. It has green wires coming from each end. On my bike, they are not connected to anything. The wiring diagram does not indicate where those green wires should be connected. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Ted

Right! Exactly! The logic is so elementary. I couldn't agree more. I NEED a new Sherco! So could you help explain it my wife, then? (Be ready to duck if she starts throwing things!)

My TL320 was running great one day, and the next, it wouldn't start. I suspected a bad condensor, since they tend to die suddenly. So I installed a new condensor, and new points as long I was already inside the flywheel. Sadly, still no spark. So I'm down to either a stator that produces no power, or a bad coil. Presumably, I should be able to kick the bike over with a meter attached to the blue wire that feeds the coil, and measure (pulsating) power there. right? If there is no power, then I have a bad stator (or a shorted/ broken wire) If I have power there, but still no spark, then my coil is bad, correct? Thanks for all the help, gang! I'm looking forward to some riding soon. I have a trip to Moab planned for late March, and my indoor arena should be finished soon, so I can do some practice drills at home in winter.

Things are pretty chilly in Wyoming. I'm busy supervising construction of my new play-room, which will make life a bit more enjoyable. My wife wanted a place to ride her horses indoors in winter, and I want to ride the trials bike, so we are building in indoor arena. 10,000 square feet of level sand indoors should make a good base for some portable obstacles for practice. No heat, but being able to get out of the wind, and under lights in the evening will keep us much happier. I'm looking forward to a trip out to Moab in March with both trials and trail bikes.

I'm curious whether anyone has a basic wiring diagram for a TL320. Mine is not running now, as it has no spark. I've pulled off the electrical tape that was wadded up along the top rail of the frame, and found four wires, two green and two yellow, that are not connected to anything, though it appears that the two green wires may have been connected to each other before I removed the insulating tape. There is also a blue wire, connected to the coil. I'm guessing that the yellow wires are for the lighting system (and so they are unused on this bike, as it has no lights.) What are the green wires, and where should they connect?

Shortly after I bought my TL320, I saw a website with an animation, demonstrating how the air/fuel mixture makes its way from the carb into the cylinder through the disc valve and crankcase. Now, of course, when I want to show it to a friend, I can't find it again. If anyone knows where I can find the animation again, I'd sure appreciate a link! Thanks, Ted

I'm having problems with the clutch dragging too. It's particularly frustrating because it is difficult to find neutral, so I tend to stop with the clutch pulled, and I have to hold the bike with the brakes, or it wants to roll forward. I already changed out the oil to ATF, as I've heard that recommendation from other SWM owners as well. So far, the clutch still drags, but I haven't ridden much since the oil change, nor made any great effort to adjust it. I'm waiting for a new clutch cable to arrive. After installing it, I'll spend some time making adjustments and riding the bike. If that doesn't help, I expect I'll pull the clutch basket, clean up the plates, and try fresh fluid again. When I drained the old transmission oil, it clearly had got a lot of water mixed in, as it came out looking like a creamy milkshake. That oil/water mix can't have been good for the friction surfaces, but I was hoping that riding the bike with fresh oil in the gearbox would clean them up over time, without pulling the clutch apart.

Thanks for the welcome! Email headed your way!

I'll bet $100 you and I bought our bikes from the same South African in Colorado Springs! I was sorely tempted to jump on the Sherco, but he didn't advertise it for sale until the day AFTER I bought the SWM. I've ordered the Ryan Young video, since everyone around here raves about it. I watched a short Youtube video excerpt, and I do agree that his teaching style should work well for me. I've also been reading and watching the lesson on the trials training center site: http://trialstrainingcenter.com/html/how_to_ride.html I'll let you know when my indoor arena is finished, and you can come up to Wyoming for a day or a weekend-long practice session. It should be complete by mid-January. I also know some single-track trails near RedFeather Lakes that would be great fun on a trials bike! (I've done them on my KLR, which is a good deal more work/less fun!)

Thabks, Pedronicman! The rear brake is mounted correctly now, and is also adjusted and working much better. Now I'm waiting for a box of parts to arrive: new airbox rubber, intake rubber, kickstart splined section, new sidecovers, clutch cable and slow-acting throttle. So do you know a source for new rear shocks?

Howdy Gang! I just read Judson's intro here, so it seems I'm not the only new rider along the Front Range. I live near Laramie, just across the state line from Fort Collins. I'm an absolute newbie to trials, and I have yet to attend an event. My introduction to trials was, lets say, rough. A wonderful couple, Will and Jen, from Woodland park brought a couple trials bikes to a weekend gathering of adventure riders in the forest near Buena Vista, Colorado. They welcomed us all to try out the trials bikes, and set up some simple obstacles for us to practice on. After gaining confidence riding over small logs and stumps, I decided I could tackle the "trojan rabbit", a man-made obstacle/torture device, designed to lure newbies to their demise. Well, as you can imagine, after having a number of new riders trying them, those two trials bikes got dropped a few times that day. By the time I was ready to try the trojan rabbit, the throttle on one bike was getting sticky from the grit that had worked its way inside. I hit the rabbit, came off the pegs as I went over, and the sticky throttle took the bike right out from under me. The now riderless bike shot across the campground until it was tackled by an unlucky tent. The tent fabric wrapped up into the back tire. And wrapped around again. And again. Ultimately, we had to cut the tent fabric away to free the back wheel of the trials bike, and I bought myself a slightly used tent! The most humiliating part of the experience came afterward, when I learned that not one, but two cameras had caught the whole incident on film. One of the other newbie riders that day made up a film montage of my foibles, and a few of his own, and posted them on Youtube to torture me for eternity: Apparently the experience with the trojan rabbit was not enough to discourage me from my interest in trials. I've recently purchased a very inexpensive bike to get started and learn the sport. I bought the SWM TL320 that many of you probably saw on Craigslist and Ebay and RMTA websites recently. It will need some work, but it should run well enough to help me learn. I expect to join both RMTA and WMTA, since competitions hosted by both organizations are about the same distance away from me. It sounds like there may be some interest in additional events along the front range, north of I-70. I have some experience organizing equestrian events, so I'll be thinking, as I learn this sport, about setting up an event near Laramie. We have lots of BLM and Forest Service land around that should be suitable. I also have an offer, for those along the Front Range who would like a chance to ride indoors during the winter. I am having an indoor equestrian arena built, and it should be finished in mid-January. I'd be willing to host a couple indoor training sessions over the winter, if someone local would be willing to teach. I have plenty of wood and stone available to build smallish, portable obstacles, so we could set up a newbie training course and ride inside. If we happen to get good weather for the weekend, we could also ride in my pasture, where I have lots of horse jumps built from railroad ties, which could easily be rebuilt into trials training obstacles. I also have an abandoned irrigation ditch running through the pasture, that might lend itself to some training opportunities. Any other newbies out there who want some training this winter?

Thanks! The allen head bolt is there, but is not installed in the slot. That seems an easy enough fix: loosen it up and reset it in the correct position. What should be the torque on the axle shaft nuts? Mine have no lock washers, and are not castelated nuts, as on most motorcycle axles I've seen.

The TL 320 I recently purchased has no rear brake stay. The only thing that keeps the brake backing plate from rotating is the torque from the axle shaft nut. There don't appear to be any bolt holes indicating that a stay is missing, so I'm inclined to think that this is the way it was designed. Because every other bike I own has some sort of a stay to keep the backing plate stationary, the lack of such a stay on the SWM gives me concern. Is the torque on the axle shaft really the only way the backing plate stays in place? I also ask because I have some sort of drag on my rear wheel, and I wonder whether the extreme tightness of the axle shaft is causing the drag. Any thoughts? As long as you are reading this, I'd also appreciate any advice on shocks. My rear shocks bottom frequently. I suspect this results from a combination of age and wear (probably spring sag and weak gas shocks) and my weight (210 lbs.) I realize that trials bikes have mushy suspension by design, but I can't enjoy riding a bike while hearing and feeling the suspension bottom out over minor obstacles. Any suggestions on replacement shocks that would be able to take my weight, without degrading the handling? Is there a ready source for replacement shocks for a TL320?