nicks_tr34

As title, I have looked up the volume of oil required (200ml) and the viscosity (5w) but the better way of doing business is to measure the air gap! Anyone know the air gap for a TR34 - springs out, forks compressed? Finally, Had a go on my mates Rev 3 ... the brakes were VERY good, I could stand the bike on its nose one finger, no troubles. I could never imagine doing that with my TR34. Is that because I need to look at my front brake, or are they never going to be such that I can stand it on its nose with ease (well to be fair, at-all!! )? Thanks in advance!

5w answers another one of my questions just asked in another thread As for the shock, I like the idea of putting air in it - this is for preload rather than getting it charged properly, but what pressure doe it require?? Obviously depends on how much preload you want, but are we talking 1-10psi or 100-1000 ... one I can get with my footpump, the other I can't Are the stock TR shocks dismantleable?? Mine lascks damping and therefore could do with a service ... but I don't know if it can be taken apart or how much it will cost to get done ... Also if I can re-charge with simple air, then I can take it apart myself and stick some oil in (any idea ow much?). Questions, questions, questions!!

Hi guys, i have a TR34 too, the front is well over damped at the moment, so going to change the fork oil. I have looked at the specs on BETA UK and can see it is 200ml per leg, but it doesn't mention the viscosity. Same with the gearbox oil (gonna replace that too). So anyone know what 'grade' for and engine oil an 89 TR34 is supposed to run? Thanks in advance

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Cool, if you fancy going, give us a shout, I am a total noob (got my first trial at hungy hill tomorrow (28th)), it'd be good to go with someone that knows a bit more/knows the best places there! ... also I think it will be more fun (and safer) with 2 (or more).

I know that one of the reasons fuel goes 'off' is that it oxidises and loses octane. I seem to remember reading somewhere that fuel loses 1 octane point per fortnight of storage. So if you buy 95ron, in 3 months it is essentially 89ron*. Obviosuly you can then run into 'detonation' problems. I am fairly convinced that the fuel goes off with time - especially if it is not in a sealed container (the tank has a breather, therefore not considered sealed) so I am more concerned if adding the 2-stroke makes this situation worse or if the - lets face it quite hostile petrol deteriorates the oil when mixed. My concerns origin:- I also run 2-stroke go-karts, they run a obscene 16:1 castor mix, and even after a fresh mix for the day and leaving the leftover/unused fuel in the fueltank (translucent), you can see the next day the fuel/oil mix is starting to turn orange from clear/slight yellow (castor oil is virtually clear in colour). Certainly a week later and it is red!!! ... That is with castor oil - not sure again if there reacts differently to normal 2-stroke. As I have seen this extremely rapid discolouration, there is obviously something nasty going on in there and therefore I never use the castor pre-mix on anything other than the day of the mix in my kart. Oh and my mate tried using 2-week old pre-mixd fuel in his kart and the thing simply wouldn't run right!!! coincidence??? ... nope, we made a fresh batch and it ran perfectly! - again that is castor if it makes any difference ... Hence my concern for 50:1 2-stroke mix degeneration in my trials bike and the reason behind this thread ... Help!!!! *Don't quote me on those exact figures, but you get the idea!

As title really, do you know if/how the oil is effected by the fuel when mixed? Will both have a reduced lifespan/effectiveness?? I know petrol (unmixed) has a limited lifespan, and bottled oil has one too (the latter being many years, the former can be counted in weeks), but don't know what happens chemically to either component when they are mixed ...

I have been looking into places I can legitimatly go and get in a bit of trials practice and happened upon this place on my e-travels:- http://mxtrax.co.uk/four-marks/forum/viewt.../47102?siteid=6 Anyone been to Four marks and is it any good for trials (practice) ... the woodland area sounds like it might hold some potential promise?

right, sounds like 2nd most of the time, perhaps a bit of 3rd if it is muddy. My bike is a bit of a sod for hitting a false neutral if I am trying to change gear in a hurry, so the tip about staying in one gear makes my day!!

Hagan10, I'll drop you a PM giving my email as I am Portsmouth based and in exactly the same situation, hopefully between us we can find a place and perhaps practice together?!! This place in Alton sounds promising ... anyone got a contact number?

new to trials and in the small amount of practice I have done, I have never been 100% sure which gear to choose. at the bottom of a steep climb, there is a tendency to take a runup and use momentum to carry you throgh, you can obviously select a low gear and use the torque and traction to get you up ... or something in between, but how do you know? is it better to do the slower/more controlled or rush up as fast as possible, potentially running out of revvs near the top?

To be fair it has generally been you ripping on me all these years over everything I have ever done (or grossly failed to do! ) ... so its good to trash-talk you on your lack of trials prowess before we do this trial together on the 28th and we realise that for sure* I am much much worse!! *lets face it, it is highly anticipated anyway!!

To be fair Graham, you have done lots of them and are still carp at trackdays ... you had no hope with trials after a 13yr layoff!! I can take the piddle now as even when we do that trial on the 28th and I do even worse than you, at least I can say I am new to the sport and on a 20yr old bike!!! But if you get Max -5 marks and I get Max, its not like you gave me a trapping is it!!

Hi, I am joining thamesmcc and doing some of their trials (probably join other clubs too and do some of theirs), so I know where I can do official events/competition etc. and intend to do those. However, my enquiry is more about where can I OFFICIALLY (i.e. without getting my collar felt) go to do some practice? So a place near Pompey where you can just turn up an ride, be it a friendly farmer letting you use his field for a fiver or just an agreed area where trials practice is allowed to take place? Any ideas? also if there are any people in the portsmouth/southampton area that don't mind having a new trials friend, then let me know as I don't know anyone in the local area that is into trails

Now that is an idea I can see the logic behind, I'd have never thought of that - cracking tip/idea, I'll try that next time, thanks!!!

Cheers guys!!! I thought the guy at the shop might be talking testicles On closer inspection I think the tyre has been turned once already ... the 'wrong' side is still better though I think .... So I have put the tyre on .... and oh man was it a sod to get on the bead!!!! It took the compressor at full charge ... inner valve out ... and igniting some brake cleaner* in it to finally get it on!!! ... I can normally get a road tyre to seat with just good technique and a double barrel footpump!! *I got the idea way back from top gear (watch near the end of this clip) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p2HXHFhhHlM

I know this must have been asked a million times before, but I did a search with "Turning Tyres" and didn't get the info I am after. Basically I have a 2nd hand MICHELIN X11 TRAIL COMPETITION rear and it has lost its edge in the correct rotation, I want to turn it and get some more life out of it, but the bloke at the trials shop said you can't turn them as if you do they will come off ... Now I think that is porky-pie/a bit extreme ... but is there any performance problems with turning the tyre??? i.e. is the carcus only going to deform correctly if it is in the correct rotation??? Or do people turn MICHELIN X11 TRAIL COMPETITION's all the time and it is no problem at all?? Thanks in advance.

New to trials, a friend and I intend to have a got at competing (just local club level - beginner for me ) I now have a bike, but I don't have any trials specific 'gear'. So a few questions. Do I need an ACU licence? To compete at club level, do I need an ACU stamped open face helmet? Or just a BS stamped helmet? i.e. any helmet will do? Can I get away with using road boots? (I have lots of old ROAD gear I could potentially use) I have some Alpinestar Supertechs I was thinking of using to start with as they have great ankle protection coz they are like ski boots!! but I also have some 'normal' leather bike boots I could use. Kind of a follow on to the above - Do I have to get all the riding clobber, or can I turn up in jeans and a army jacket with some light gardening gloves?? I know, I know but I'm simply too tight to splash out on all the proper gear until I see if it is my cuppa!! I'm gonna keep a lookout on eBay for 2nd hand kit (I'll buy a NEW lid mind). Any brands of boots and other clobber to avoid? I know the big brand names in road gear, what are the ones in trials?? Sorry for all the numpty/noob questions, but thanks in advance for any advise!!

I'll have a rummage, thanks for the tip

Oh yeah that reminds me ... my fork seals are gone too!! if you take the bit off that connects the carb to the airbox (temporarily) and run it open carb - then it should mitigate against the damp. Obviously only start it up, check it runs, then sort it out properly. Did you actually take the main jet out of the float bowl bolt? the gunk in mine was behind that (again assuming it is the same carb setup). Mine didn't have a sidestand .... As for buying stuff off ebay ... I'll never learn ... its just a shame the bad eggs spoil it for the rest!! Do yu intend to complain to the dude? I am unsure if I should! "Now on to some questions.... how often/much are you s'posed to change/put in gearbox oil? Why does it have two gearbox drain plugs? What is the petrol/two stroke ratio?" Bearing in mind I bet the dude hasn't changed it, I'd change the gearbox oil NOW!!! ... I think you will find one of the drain points is actually the level check?? i.e. you fill it up until it weeps out of the top hole - I assume that is what you mean??? ... take a pic perhaps? Looking at beta web, mine is 70:1 - yours is prolly the same? I intend to run mine at 50:1 perhaps even 40:1 to give it a fair chance of survival ... as a noob, I am more interested in it lasting longer than instant throttle response .. In a Schadenfroid type of way, I am actually slightly revealed yours has proved troublesome too ... my bad!!! If yours has spark and compression, it can only be one thing can't it ... are these bikes reed valve??? ... it might be worth checking one of the petals aren't broken or jammed open with a bit of mud or summin ... does it 'spit' out of the carb?

Correction ... all my bikes WERE nails ... they are now functioning ... er nails!! This one was a shame as I bought it knowing it was an older bike, but it was advertised as fully up and running, I am a trials noob, so I didn't see the massive advantage of a new bike (and the extra financial investment that requires), so I didn't mind it not being the latest and greatest, but I DID expect it to be functioning ... which it clearly wasn't ... this one is going to cost me so much to put right, I could indeed have bought a newer one!! But I am determined to make it good and getting there already!! I'll be laughing on the other side of my face when I clean a section and you are 5'ing it on your s****y bike!!

Hi Loomesy, I am Nick, said sucker who bought the TR34!! Read below for my tale of woe. But as for your running, I'll cut to what I found wrong with mine in the running dept. It had a big bit of white snotty stuff in the main jet bolt area. I presume the carb is the same on yours and mine? Take the bottom bolt out, then remove the main jet, if it has been run on whatever snot mine was and left like mine was, there will be white muck in there ... clean it out and it is good to go So now I have tried to help ... here is a summery of my tale ... sorry for the length, but you might find it enlightening! As Graham had convinced me I NEEDED a tirals bike (wasn't a hard job as I love bikes!! ) I was on the scout for a good starter bike ... eBay is always a good place to start and Grham pointed out the listings for the 34 and 35. As it was cheaper, and it was listed as "Good Condition For Year - Not Your Usual Beaten Up Wreck! .... Runs & Rides Very Well" I thought for the money Ideal!!! So I hit the BIN and arranged to go get it .... I got there (in the pouring rain) ... it had been left outside in the rain ... however it started after a few kicks, but wouldn't run off choke (die soon after taking choke off). Also as soon as you tried clicking it in gear ... the bike was off ... basically the clutch was dragging REALLY heavily ... the cable was adjusted up too, so the clutch was fecked! ... it did however come with new clutch plates, so I hoped slotting that in would resolve that? I lifted the rear end and the 4rse dropped about 6"!! the rear linkage was obviously shot. It has a weld/repair in the frame too ... and is pretty beaten up ... Like you, even though I driven a long way to get it, I should have turned round an gone home ... I had BIN on the description and it had failed on every point!! ... so I could have probably legitimately done so?? .. anyway it was raining and I knew I could probably sort it given time ... I was hoping not TOO much cash!! I have described how I resolved the running issues already (white snot), so wont reiterate that. Next was the clutch - took the old one out ... it had clearly been assembled incorrectly ... there was metal plate against metal plate inside!! ... correct assembly might have resolved, but I did have the new clutch stuff and put that in. So assembled and adjusted correctly and the clutch is OK now. Next up on the list of importance was the linkage - it was so badly shot that even the housing was toast!! (I had hoped it just needed new bearings) ... I was loathed to spend cash on it before giving it a go to ensure the engine brakes etc were OK, so I bodged/packed the linkage with a cut up box spanner hammered in!! .. this reduced the ~6" play to ~2-3" ... Many of the wheel bearings and wheel spacers were shot or missing. The airbox cover had been shoved INSIDE the airbox ... Lots of fasteners were missing or rounded The tyres are both old (badly perished) and shot ... the rear tyre has a big nail in it ... ... Bearing in mind it was supposed to be a good runner and rider, I was/am so disappointed ... as I have now taken the bike away, I am not sure if I have any comeback on the bloke?? ... but it was clearly not what it was made out to be!! Anyway (after a nice rant/ramble!! ), thankfully I have been messing about with bikes for over 20years and I am capable of diagnosing and fixing the stuff myself, so I have knocked each of these items on the head one by one and the bike is coming together now. Graham and I intend to enter a trial at some point. Be good if we could all do the same trail ... you can laugh at the condition of my bike and realise you got much better VFM!!! Oh and now I have proven the rest of the bike, I have managed to get a 'serviceable' linkage ordered up from a Trials bike breaker/specialist called 'Steve Good (01938 850544) really helpful/knowledgeable chap, so if Lampkins can't sort you out new bits, give him a shout!! Hopefully it will fit ok and my bike is finally good to go!! Best of luck, Nick TR34 - less of a nail now