rob214 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 it's almost like asking which girl to take to the prom.........blonde, redhead or brunette? i'd ride any of them but i can't get my head around the 4t's seems very well built, but just can't seem to jell with it. so far my 06 beta was bullet proof once i got past he corroded case. i learned to change the coolant often. gg & sherco only replaced what i broke crashing. rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan williams Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 <geek mode> It would be kinda neat to really tear a corroded Beta apart and find the other electrode the magnesium migrated to. </geek mode> 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Well after reading all the above , I think I'm gonna start a class action suit against Fantic .... Just what percentage of 240 frames cracked at the neck ??? I've got 2 spare frames and they both are , I want it warranted !... (oh wait , still can be the best T/S out there ... I'll shutup now .!) Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sting32 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 He's got a point. I've never seen anything on the Beta forums about dodgy clutches, flakey Keihins, dribbling Mikunis, cracking EVO frames, frying stators, crap kill switches, weak main bearings, clunky head bearings, corroded water pumps or strange grounding schemes. I guess we Beta riders just don't talk to each other much. They all have their foibles. The one thing I can't stand is when there is an issue and the deniers come out of the woodwork. I'd much rather a manufacturer just say, "Yup, we screwed up. Where do we send the new frame." I cant agree more with you Don, in fact I hate Chevy, yet I should hate all brands... Here's my story on that... In 1999 Chevy built the smaller blazer, I bought it used in 2002. when I bought it it has 35000 miles on it. at 56000 check engine light comes on, life is grief since. I took it to shop, they said "known bad part, replaced mid production of 2000, and if it had failed under warranty it fix free" But now it was "my problem" and the fix was set at just under $2700 (non dealer, better shopand better prices). Dealer was over 5000 (new tranny was cheapest of the options they gave me). Now importer in USA has been damn good to me, when something happens on new bikes we buy, but not any better or worse for old bikes I buy, if you know what I mean. I'm also not saying we dont have a problem, I am saying if you give the "bike" a snowballs chance in hell, type of treatment (wrapping the snowball in a towl for instance might last longer in hell) I seem to get better results. so I do the following, so I kick the bike less than probably anyone on the internet, that owns a gasgas. Here's (yet again) how I start my bike every day, cold: turn on gas, lift the choke, place the bike in 2nd gear, rock back and forth so that the piston is MOVING up and down to compression (usually hear a chug chug), I do this at least 5 times, end with my last movement rocking backwards on the bike, the piston is now past TDC below compression... I flick the lever out, mount the bike with my crotch rigtt above the gascap, with a fluid motion, using ONLY the strenght in my leg (not my weight, not like you kick a 1000 CC harley) I push the lever quickly to the foot peg. My bikes start 1st kick every time, or something was not done correctly, or something is wrong (like the time I forgot to put lanyard magnet back on the kill button thingy). My whole first loop, I like to let my bike run, keeps it warmed up so the clutch feels the same, less likely to leave run when it is hot out. saves me 1 kick per section, some of you it would save 5 kicks per section per loop, just sayin. I grew up with my dad who was "wear conscious" of everything. the Joke always was, I jumped into the 1966 Ford f250 that he had all of my pre-teenager years and more, and the door would only go half shut, if he or I didn't crack the window or wing windows... He'd jokingly verbally attest, "jeeez, I have 100 Thousand miles on the pickup, and now 200 thousand miles worth of wear on the doors!" I feel the same about kicking just to be kicking, especially on the gasgas. I don't know why Ossa (designed by same guy/firm) is or is NOT having same problems? or why GG has shyed away from revamping, it is probably the costs of retooling what, 30 parts? so I guess if they do finally fix it, prices jump up yet again? Not everyone is breaking the cases, I bet you my dad has more hours on his 13 Raga (bought last month) than some guys on the forums, because we actually ride a lot and practice even more. he's not ever broken a case (knock on wood) since we chose gasgas, in 2002... I dunno, is it how we kick or bad design? probably both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan williams Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Here's how I start my Beta. I take it off the stand and kick it. Then I kick it again, then again. Then I remember to turn on the gas. While the carb is filling I kick it a few more times out of impatience. Then I stop to rest and then kick it again after a moment and it starts. The 2008 was similar except for the unsticking of the kill switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob214 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 if my bike (any brand) doesn't start on the 2nd kick i get worried try and find out why it won't start. rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckindenver Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 been on a Beta since the TR32...to a 2013 4T...never had any issues other then crash damage..and thats not the bikes fault. use the right oil.clutches work great.. and change it alot..every 6 to 10 hours. the shock linkage is junk...but all the brands use the same POS set up that you cant grease unless you take it apart.. you can change this if you like, and they never go bad... regulator on the Techno and Rev3 was cheesy, and not in a good place to change.. again, maintain your bike..and once a year, go through all the stuff you over look during the riding season...install a new air filter, and clean it after every event.. new spark plug avery 15 hours..need it or not... clean the chain...and grease it with light duty grease.. replace the brake pads every season, replace the wheel bearings at the same time, and use rough service bearings rather then light duty.. drain and flush the forks every 20 hours, and use good fork oil..cheap aint good.. clean the spark arrestor if you have one, after every event... flush and refil the cooling system when you have the bike down for winter.. never leave fuel in the tank for more then 3 weeks... sounds like alot of BS>..but if you want your bike to last, and be reliable..no matter what decals are on the frame....maintain it... dont blame your bike on your pour wrenching... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guys Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 It comes down to what you expect from a bike. If you want a 'ready to race' light and powerful trials bike, buy a Gasgas or something similar. But don't complain if it's a bit fragile. Was it not Colin Chapman from Lotus who said: If the car isn't broke after the race, we didn't make it light enough. It's also normal that a Ready to race bike needs some more attention/maintanance. This doesn't mean that recurring problems should be accepted as "normal", sometimes it's just bad design or bad craftmanship and the manufacturer should give a decent warranty service. If you want a fairly reliable bike made from solid parts but that weighs a bit more/is not so nimble, and you don't have the ambition to ride in the top of your class (unless you are willing to spend a lot of money on your bike), by a Montesa or something similar. (although I think that a top class rider can do some serious **** with a standard 4RT, look at the promotional video of the new model ;-) But don't belief that they are bullet proof: I had a broken of engine mount on my frame for instance. And if you've got more money than sence, like me, buy both so you can make your choice that way (or keep both and have double the fun) Try to test ride as much bikes as possible and when you still have doubts, buy the one that looks the best to you (as stated before), people have the ability to 'learn to love it' It's like Johan Cruyff stated: Everything's got it's pro's and con's ........ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensley Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 I agree with sting Ive bought basicaly nothing for my gas gas my son has broken a few parts in crashes he used to ride like this that was good for a dent in the tank and and a bent exaust reckon a beta or a sherco would fair about the same. Now that he is settled down and quit doing stupid stuff and just riding trials its pretty bulletproof. Other than reworking the exaust $58 worth of parts thats all we have spent on that bike except one $40 shifter lever and several pairs of tires and grips in over 2 years of some pretty big crashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 He was doing great off the top of the hill.....................until his tires touched the dirt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guys Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 He was doing great off the top of the hill.....................until his tires touched the dirt. Even with birds the first landing can be rough, and they're made for flying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sting32 Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 He's a better rider than that video showed him to be, I suspect that he was trying to do something, like throw himself farther down the hill, or something. And, he's like 6ft 2 or more tall too, something silly went wrong. I do recall watching the "No Fear" in him as he rocketed up a 50ft cliff behind our camper, and cleared the top by at least 10+ ft, lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guys Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 Don't worry, most things I do on my bike turn out to be something silly (thats why I bought it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted October 7, 2013 Report Share Posted October 7, 2013 None of them are built as well as a Honda CR500 motocrosser of 25 years ago or as reliable as a TY250R of the same era. I recon its down to trying to make them too light, carelessness on the part of the designers and buying in cheap components. For those who can't fix things themselves gas gas gearbox problems are a big turn off and I know of several riders who have shifted to sherco or beta for this reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Now you made me miss a XR500 I had years ago ... Bulletproof and with some tlc, as fast as one across the desert too ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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