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Beta Problem


scoobie
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Hi,

I've just sold my 2000 270. Before I sold it it was running perfectly and had just been serviced with a new plug, filter, oil, etc prior to the lad coming to have a look at it. The lad rode it at my place taking it all the way through the gears - rang his mate who had a Beta for any advice and was happy to take it away. He had it for a few days and he said it was running perfectly.

He decided to drain the tank and alter the oil/gas mix - I had it at 75:1, he went for 70:1 - cleaned out the carb and changed cleaned the plug. As soon as he had done all this the bike - he says - ran like a pig; OK upto a third throttle then lumpy and misfiring.

He told me he phoned his local garage who said it was the stator and that will be

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I wouldn`t be so quick to agree without a proper look at the carb or the condition of the whole bike. Some people can destroy a solid machine pretty fast. Unless you got top dollar, a used machine is a used machine. But to make everybody happy a 50/50 split might make everyone sleep better. These things are always hard and no matter what somebody feels used.

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If he was into the carb, it would have been easy for him to overtighten a jet and crack it. Or leave a sealing washer out, screw with float level etc.

Also did he change or replace the spark plug? If he just cleaned it, it may just be fouled. If he replaced it with a non resistor plug, that could make it misfire.

The garage is relying on information from this person to make a repair judgement over the phone????

I would not give money to this person for a repair.

I would ask if I could check it over to determine if there was a problem.

If I saw he caused the problem, I would offer to repair at his expense for parts and show him how to avoid it next time.

But I would not rely on a disinterested third party for "hand me down" bad advice.

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There are a lots of variables here.

The stator may have gone. It happens, I had two on my '04 Beta in five trials. This is a common problem up to '06. As a private sale of a competition bike, you are not legally bound to do anything about this unless you mentioned a warranty when you sold the bike. Morally, this is a different matter.

He may also have damaged something when he stripped the carb. Maybe, this can be fixed cheaply. As mentioned above, a cracked jet etc.

He may have also simply put something back together wrong. Pinched fuel line, carb rubber misplaced, spark plug wrongly gapped. Fixed for free!

He may also be trying to pull a fast one. You have no way of telling.

What ever you do, don't agree to fix the bike totally for free. If you feel the need to help him out, then offer to come to some agreement after it is fixed and you see the repair bill. Even this is a bit of a minefield, how do you know the stator is from your bike if it needs one? (Forgive me for playing devils advocate here, but this could happen.)

Remember it is a used competion machine which was running fine when tried and approved. How much warranty would you expect? A day, a month, a year?

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Could be the stator but in my experience when that goes the bike is dead and won't run at all. I'd check the woodruff key - I sheared 2 on my previous bike (due to a worn main bearing) and the second time it happened the symptoms were identical to those described - OK until 1/2 - 1/3 throttle at which point the flywheel inertia caused it to turn on the shaft and misfire like a sonofabitch. Very easy to check/repair although you'll obviously need a flywheel puller.

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Hi,

Thanks for the feedback guys. No the bike wasn't sold with a warranty - it is what it is a 6 year old trials bike that was running A1 when I let it go. I suppose I'm being anal but I wouldn't want anyone to think I sold them a bad bike on purpose, and to spread it round that I had. I have been riding, maintaining and selling bikes for about 25 years and never had any bad feedback.

I thought back to when he first came to pick the bike-up. He told me a story of how he succesfully took a lad to the small claims court because of a bike that had been sold to his mate and won the case. He also told me his mate had a Beta like mine who he phoned during the sale.

Now I'm beginning to smell a rat - I don't like to think bad of people, but it would have been very easy to swap a few bits (or even the engine!!) and then give me a ring.

Since he said he had the problem I've tried to point him in the right direction - to the Beta home site and even to here to ask the questions I did, but he hasn't bothered; just continually rung me.

It's annoying. If the bike had gone wrong as soon as he had got it home I would have had it back from him - I didn't really want to sell it - I just needed the room. Or I would have told him to take it straight to a mechanic to see what he said and then offered to go half's on the bill - especially as has been suggested that what could have gone wrong could have happened at any time.

It's just the fact that he has been messing with the bike and I don't know exactly what he's done.

I know the bike was running OK when it left me, so I think if he wants to take it legally then I will go down that route - I'm not going to be ripped-off.

Thanks again guys.

For your info this the advert on ebay when I sold it - if you can still access it: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...p;rd=1&rd=1

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It's a six year old competition bike which was running ok when the buyer bought it.

IF, the stator has gone then you cold have not forseen this. It's not like you're trying to shift a dodgy bike. Now if there had been some other mechanical fault that you were obviously covering up, it might have been a different matter.

Stators go. If the bike had got a puncture first time out, would he have expected you to pay for that?

It all boils down to your concience and for a

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i cant belive that two yorkshire men can speak latin but the earlier reply sums it up.. let the buyer beware

tell him it was ok when you left with it or you would not have left with it the guy has absolutely no legal redress to you tell him to sling his hook

dont get all 'what about my reputation' over it he got a bargian otherwise he would not have stumped up for it and you got what you wanted for it ohterwise you would not have let it go,

spend the cash wisely

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Yip there is a Rat, the boy has taken the bike home got board and messed about with the mechanics of the bike and when he put the machine back together it no longer ran the way it did before, its his fault you have been more than helpfull. Just give it to him straight the next time he hassles you!!

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